|
The Illusive Man -> Starting Up A New Game - A Guide (8/10/2008 4:12:21)
|
It appears to have been deleted, so I thought I'd post it again.
In the gallery, there have been many people trying to make flash games in a similar style to AQ etc. None of them get further than small time beta? Is there a reason for this, and how can you make YOUR game last longer, much longer?
Firstly, DIY. Do it yourself. You have to have something to start off with. Be it some pictures or a fully fledged playable demo. There can be no help for this part. Even just having concept art is good enough. Also, a thread banner is usually a very good idea. You also need ideas; It's no use saying one day *I want to make a game!*. You need a concept and ideas on where to take it.
Okay. You have your game ideas and some concepts. Now you think to yourself *Okay, I've done my bit! Now let's get some people to code and make it for me while i milk the credit!* NO! NO! NO! You've got to be willing to play an active part in the design process. Being *Head of the Project* is not good enough. You need skills, and you need to invest time beforehand into making this a success.
Your team. You can't be expected to make it all on your own. That's suicide. But be careful who you choose. Don't be flattered by the applications you will no doubt receive. Pick carefully, and wisely. Your team will make or break your project.
So, we have some concepts and a team. What next? All i seem to be telling you is to do stuff for yourself and to pick a team carefully. Your first few weeks of existence are important. This is when your team will be most active, and most creative. You, as project lead must delegate tasks. Improve or create a beta quickly. If you're doing an RPG similar to DF/AQ, make a walk-around engine quickly. Tutorial content is good, but be sure to modify it. If you don't, it's illegal. Last thing you want is the feds busting you for copyright theft when all you've done is try to make a fan game. Churn out an engine and graphics quick. Vector graphics need to look pretty. Use AQ/DF as inspiration. I'm sure artists like The Hollow won't mind. You can even PM them for advice. They won't bite you! Some people that can help are Althorne, The Hollow, Burning Raven, Swenn, Flsg, EragonZZZZ, Therries and Tomix to name but a few. There are so many people out there just waiting to see a new project.
Looking professional is more than important. Don't host on Photobucket or Imageshack. Take out free hosting from one of many providers. You can customise your site as well as have a store of all your old files. It's happened to me. I've lost Imageshack links and thus had to start Devar's Destiny (My old RPG) again! Be safe, plan ahead. Don't invest too much time in the website at this early stage though. It won't get that many views as of yet.
FORUMS ARE A BIG NO-NO! The temptation to make a forum for your game is oh so strong. It feels good to administer a board. The thread is the best place though. Your game won't be diverse enough to warrant a whole forum yet. And your forum (in most cases) will die very quickly. It's used effort that could have been put into your game.
This should have given you an insight into the mind of a Flash'er. Making a game is no easy task. It requires dedication and above all teamwork. And as a final note, designing a flash game is fun. You get to know some people you may never have known about before. It's a really great experience and i would recommend it to anyone up to the task.
Cya later guys,
-Althorne Out
|
|
|
|
