Looking for artists and programmers/designers to start a small team Thread

To be decided.

Project name:

To be decided.

I am interested in forming a team to develop a small-scale, single- or two-player game, most likely in 2-D, though, if the talent is present, 3-D is a possibility.

The main idea behind this game is to create a cohesive, innovative, emotional experience, in which story and gameplay are fundamentally interconnected. In my experience, the most effective games are those in which story is revealed not through long cutscenes (though these have their place), but rather through interactive gameplay experiences themselves. Bioshock and Heavy Rain come immediately to mind, as do Silent Hill 2, The Path, Braid, Portal (or any Valve game for that matter), etc. With this in mind, I would like to create a short, rewarding gaming experience that would allow its developers to stretch their creative muscles and will give players a feeling of accomplishment, excitement, and closure. The game would be, at most, six hours; the focus here is not on a sweeping epic. Rather, I would like to create something of quality over quantity. Other than that, the sky is the limit as far as content or game mechanics; I have some ideas that have been knocking around for awhile, and I'm looking forward to bringing them to the table and seeing how my ideas look with those of the other team members, and developing a game from there.

Target aim:

I would like to ship a finished product in a reasonable timeframe. More than likely, the game will be free. However, if we find that there is an audience willing to pay for the game, then we may consider selling it.

Compensation:

At the moment, I am not planning on making much money off of this game, if any; it is solely a creative endeavor and a portfolio piece. However, any and all profits will be divided among team members based upon level of responsibility and participation; all pay rates and percentages will gladly be put into writing before any work begins on the project.

I do not see this game going beyond a PC marketplace. As far as the technology used, that will depend entirely upon the programmers and artists enlisted.

Any and all applicants are more than welcome; I’m truly interested in seeing how many people would be interested in working on the project. Right now the biggest thing I’m looking for are core team members in charge of art and programming and co-designers who will help create the vision for the game. While not necessary, some experience is definitely preferred; also, I'm not really looking for a writer at this stage, as I will be handling most of the writing responsibilities for the game.

Currently, I’m the only team member. I will be writer/producer for the game; my job will be to give the game its structure, and to keep everything together. I do not want things to sound completely dictatorial however; all team members will have a say in what the game will look like, and I very much look forward to a collaborative process.

For the moment, we’re site-less (though my little blog is viewable from my ModDB account page); while it’s not a huge priority at the moment, we will need to get some form of collaborative storage space together, optimally a forum. To begin with however, we’ll probably stick to email, Google Docs, Yahoo/MSN and the like.

Messages sent through ModDB are more than fine; also welcome are messages to my email: jfram91@gmail.com

As far as pure writing goes, my work has been published in some very small circulation (namely my college's literary magazine). As far as gaming experience goes, I worked for nearly a year as lead writer for the independent game Aero Empire; while that game was ultimately cancelled, I took from it many lessons I look forward to carrying into a new project.

My biggest goal with this project is to create something that is both fun to play and fun to make, that is obviously a labor of love, and is engaging and fulfilling to produce. Something polished, complex, and emotionally engaging, and that seeks to tell a story in a way a player may not have experienced before. Any and all feedback is welcome, as are any questions.