Video Game Development Woes

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

Sometimes I get some idea and think that I could make a really great video game. I get this idea and just want to run with it but I don't have any clue how to actually do any of the basic things needed to create it. Programming, art, sound I'm just totally clueless about it. I tried out gamemaker once and made the bouncy ball game with the clown and afterwards thought about how long it would take to get to the point to where I could actually program something worthwhile and it just seems like I don't have enough time to do something like that. It sucks. Plus it seems like it's hard to make any money doing it unless you have a super budget game these days. I know there is stuff like Minecraft or whatever but that really seems to be the exception to the norm.

[Teufel_in_Blau]

And...?

We all want things. I want a Hoverboard since I saw that fucking future movie. Did I get one? No. Fucking life and their boring shit. Why can we send people to the moon but my vacuum cleaner is still loud? What kind of shitty prioritys do these intelligent people actually have? WTF, fucking life.

[Never_Scurred]

I wanted to play jazz.
So I started learning how to play jazz on the guitar. Greatness is none of my concern.
Quit worrying about trying to do something worthwhile and just start learning how to do it, "shrugs"

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

I'm just saying there are some considerable barriers to entry. But, I really do think that more people should give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen? Not saying that I'm not guilty of being a lazy ass about it. I'm kind curious about it because there are some members here who have made some pretty decent games. I was just kind of curious about how long it took them to get to the point of which they were satisfied with what they could accomplish at it.

[Teufel_in_Blau]

I honestly think that this is just a problem that lies within the visuals. If you want to see some really complex game, just check out Aurora, a 4X/ grand strategy game coded in VB made by one guy. It make Dwarf Fortress looks like Super Mario Bros.

It's all just a matter of visuals. If you don't care for them, go for it. Release the Source and maybe other people will find it interesting enough to join you.

[Udderdude]

This should probably be in development to be honest ..

But anyway, depending on how much effort you want to put into it, it can be easy (basic shooter made with GMOSSE) or hard (written from scratch in C and does all sorts of complicated scoring systems, levels, boss fights etc.)

[n0rtygames]

Sometimes I get some idea and think that I could make a really great video game. I get this idea and just want to run with it but I don't have any clue how to actually do any of the basic things needed to create it. Programming, art, sound I'm just totally clueless about it. I tried out gamemaker once and made the bouncy ball game with the clown and afterwards thought about how long it would take to get to the point to where I could actually program something worthwhile and it just seems like I don't have enough time to do something like that. It sucks. Plus it seems like it's hard to make any money doing it unless you have a super budget game these days. I know there is stuff like Minecraft or whatever but that really seems to be the exception to the norm.

The only way you are going to get a professional career in games development and be making full size games is to get off your arse and do it.

I quit my trade in the ISP industry after about 10 years of doing support work. Worked in a shop for a few months after I moved out of London and spent 3-4 years developing a new skillset. I have no formal education and no qualifications. My mathematical skills are sub standard at best. Now I'm working for a reputable company and will be flying out to GDC next year with them.

I'm just saying there are some considerable barriers to entry. But, I really do think that more people should give it a shot. What's the worst that could happen? Not saying that I'm not guilty of being a lazy ass about it. I'm kind curious about it because there are some members here who have made some pretty decent games. I was just kind of curious about how long it took them to get to the point of which they were satisfied with what they could accomplish at it.

As above, 3-4 years. You just have to be confident in yourself. Making games requires more skills than just being a good programmer or artist. The biggest skill that you must master as someone making games is to know when you must cut features and just release the game even if it results in an inferior product being released than what you had originally had in mind. You need to be able to work to a production schedule and stick to it. If this means your bullets hit the enemy and they just disappear without any particles - fuck it. Shit happens, move on - do it in the sequel. You aren't gonna be making mega $$$$$ from home on your first project. Most of the people you see doing that are ex industry veterans with many years of experience who happen to have kept contacts in the industry.

TL;DR
Make game. Finish game. Make next game better. You will start out as an idiot and you will become less of an idiot as time goes on. Apply for jobs. Do not give up.

Useful "must read" links:-

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1 ... hp?print=1
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2 ... utlast-dev

[BryanM]

Nothing worth doing is accomplished in a week. If you really want it, you'll do it. If you don't, you won't.

And that's fucking fine. See my fucking character sheet? I estimate it's the sum total of 75 hours of work. 75 hours, to complete about a fifth of the art I'll need. The entire game? Probably a total of 1250-1500 hours spread out over the next decade. This, for a simple little Fast Crawl clone.

Yeah no. ASCii kicks ass. Simple little games with scant content no one will ever play kicks ass. 2000 hours for something no one will ever play? Only a psycho would want to do such a thing.

As above, 3-4 years...
TL;DR
Make game. Finish game. Make next game better.

Ye, four years to go from nothing to competency is about what it takes. My favorite way of looking at it is "Let us create many, many shitty games. By some fluke, we may accidentally fail and create one that isn't shit."

Why can we send people to the moon but my vacuum cleaner is still loud

Technically we couldn't even do that much. We got rid of our space ships so we could have shitty deathtrap shuttles instead. "Oh look, America. I'll think conquer it by shuttling myself across the beach and sitting at the edge of the ocean forever."

[null1024]

I've kind of gotten into OP's mindset recently.

I've been using GM for the last 10-11 years now [seriously, it's so easy to get going that it's not even funny, and the only real limit is that GM is fucking slow]. I'll start a game, maybe make a vague semblance of what the final result will be [scalegunner would have been complete if I didn't suddenly find myself thinking about how much work it'll be, especially regarding optimization because GM is effing slow , but more regarding art resources [more bosses to draw, more BG stuff, need to make the existing stuff suck less, etc] -- at least music wouldn't be an issue if I went at an hour per song [like normal, since all I do is OHC, haha]].

Then I'll never touch the project again.

Hell, I've been meaning to work on a fighting game concept that I've been thinking about for a while. But just thinking about all the art I'd need to draw makes me just not even want to try.

[n0rtygames]

Hell, I've been meaning to work on a fighting game concept that I've been thinking about for a while. But just thinking about all the art I'd need to draw makes me just not even want to try.

Do stick men and come up with an approach where your creative process is iterative. So you can easily start moving around active hitboxes and such per frame without it being a tedious issue. Then, when you have two stick men fighting and the ability to load data per character (have a red stick man and blue stick man to test this with slightly different animations) - go post on Tigsource for an artist!

[genecyst]

I started making games maybe 5 years ago and i can't at all consider myself "good enough" or something like that.
But that's enough for me, i mean, i've started as an hobbyist and i want to be an hobbyist. That take me out completely from schedules, and put me in the "have fun" territory.
Will i became rich for this? no, but i have a flat full of slave prostitutes at 200€ at hour so i don't have to bother for money or neither taxes.

By the way, if you want to learn, you got to study, there's nothing else to do.
there are plenty of resources nowadays, just google it.