Otter.

4 comments by Otter. on Feb 3rd, 2012

Don't you just hate it when you want to make a game and you don't know what and/or how?

Well it's most certainly the case with me. I've been looking forward creating a small indie game for a long time, but I can't seem to find the right idea for it. Although finding the right game idea is one thing, making it is another. Sadly I haven't got much experience with game developing. The only engine I used was the earlier version of Games Factory (now Multimedia Fusion) and I really like to get into it more than that. Different design phases, artwork, execution (well maybe not programming, not a huge fan of that.) That's why I want to create a small game that is creative enough to be able to sell and easy enough to make.
Oh, it's not that I don't have ideas. I have loads of ideas that one day would like to make a full game. It's just that they are not possible for me as a single man team , which I'm looking for right now.

Some of my ideas (_{very briefly because I don't want to be a victim of idea stealing :)} )

• A 2D side-scroller and shooter platform game, set in an alternative steampunk Earth. Its main feature would be the world, the weapons, full voice acting, humour and possibly non-linear gameplay which is still unique for non-rpg 2D games. Also co-op.
• An X-com style game with a twist. (Although I haven't played X-com yet, only watched a lot of LPs about it, but I really want to try that game.)
• A futuristic and dark FPS set in an alternate timeline (or alternate world) with mutations as a key gameplay element. Mainly focusing on storytelling and gameplay.
• The mother of all RTS games (how I humbly like to call it) combining all that is the best of strategy games from city builders (like Stronghold, Settlers, Anno or Pharaoh) to war games (like C&C series, Total war series) to make the most fun game experience, and where no two online matches are the same. 3 distinct worlds with a campaign for each and also a SDK and mod support, because... why not? :)
• A horror FPS set around World War 2 and more focused on the protagonist's personal journey, story, exploring and gameplay rather then gunfight (although it has gunfights) with different endings.
• I also had an idea for a fun snowball themed FPS game with cartoony graphics, humour and a funny story a bit mocking the modern FPS games, but I'm not sure if that will ever make a reality, because of it's goofiness .

Also I have some mod/map ideas as well for the Source engine. These were planned as side projects mostly If I would be willing to start learning the engine and possibly get some help with it.

• A story about a group of Rebels, which doesn't sound original at all, but there won't be a lot of gunfights (if at all). It's more centred around their daily lives, how the world changed, personal development and the meaning of life with a few puzzle elements (think Radiator meets Dear Esther meets Half-Life). It would feature full voice acting.
• A TF2 themed chess game. Simple as that.
• Some (hopefully) unique TF2 maps.

Well that's all I can think of from mind right now. Now if I just only had the knowledge to start. I want to apply to another university this year to a "Digital design" department (roughly translated) because my current Uni sucks and I'm not planning a career in it anymore. But there aren't really any "game development" classes or courses I know of and it's really hard for me to start a career in design and gaming without anyone to teach me (let's be honest, learning from the internet by text and video only is hard, if not impossible). But if I get in at least that's a start. Although I really like to have some pre-knowledge. My goal for this year was to make a small game till the end of the summer (because it would be a great starting experience and if it could possibly make me some money that would help my student funding a lot) but I'm really not sure where to start.
I would need an idea, a free engine possibly that is easy to make games on, loads of artwork, a person to program it, a person to make music and sound for it, marketing, the whole funding for all that and I don't even know how taxing works with games that are sold internationally.

Game creating is hard folks, and I haven't even got past square one.

_{Any personal thoughts/suggestions/lessons/errors are welcome in the comments. Also if anyone is willing to hire a total beginner (to date) for a Source mod project or indie game to teach him and helping out I'm ready to apply. :)}