How to make a game.

[lockdown2000]

Heh all, wow..so many post..
ok
"I believe Lockdown's post was referring to the 'wannabees' who pop in with no knowledge of programming saying that they want to write the createst game in the world. That's a bit niave and needed a reality check..." This is true, thats who I was targeting

And I am a HE

Arius: I realize you download GAME MAKERS etc, and have little knowledge, I was giving the basic layout and steps I personally believe one should take to make a decent game.


I would also like to say, Yes my "timeline" is extremly long but heh, its kinda the route I took and how long i took and still am taking at these things.


Sure there are game makers out there, why not download them? I have, and I have made a game or two, but I didnt find anything useful out of them. i personally believe that game makers take away the programming side, which is a good and bad thing. yes now you can just model and plug and chug. But programming lets you see WHATS making the game happen and how you could make your own if these game makers did not exist.

On another NOTE!: Why do people complain about making games? I personally "make" games, with LEVEL EDITORS Sure you will have the UT screen start up, but sooooo....doesnt bother me much, level editors are already there for you, the are GAME MAKERS in that they 1) allow you to work of a REAL GOOD GAME ENGINE and they allow you to be free, and add new characters etc. So you wouldnt have to go through the long hassel of making the game, just use their level editor

O'well, Yeah again, this was targeted at newbies, but heh, I know there are people that are a thousand times better than me and like I said, FEEL FREE TO ADD ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bash me if you want :-P Whatever, its alrighty, i say, if you can make a game, good for you. make one, and then let us play it

Nice topic lockdown - it's now stuck. I hope it will serve as a discussion point (which it already does seem to be,) as well as a heads up for all the "how do I make a game?" questions.

Arius & Ivinia - if it's any consolation guys, characters are about the hardest thing to model, period. Polygon & texture limits just make it that bit more interesting/excruciating/mind numbing (delete as appropriate.) Don't worry if you can't model character's right away - I've been doing realtime stuff for about 4 years or so & I've recently gotten to the point where I've realised the character's I've done are not quite good enough to get me a job in the games industry - so I have to work harder...
Regardless, if you did wish for help on a project, this is a good place to ask for collaborators, but please state straight off if the work will be paid or unpaid so not to confuse people.

[lockdown2000]

Thanks Mike, that acutally and honestly means a lot, even if was not intended to mean much but a compliment..which i took it as

[Arius]

Hey man i wasn't ragging on your "step by step" guide lol, and i agree with most of what you said. I was just trying to point out to people who might not have any coding knowledge, or the patience to learn, that they're are other ways.

[lockdown2000]

No, I know you werent raggin on it, I was just saying yes, there are other ways, but FEEL FREE to bash me if you want

[Slinker]

her is a good character modeling tutorial for only for you Arius
if you have basic skills in 3dsm you can aplay this tut to 3dsm.

http://www.dosfx.com/tutorials/csgirl/default.asp

[Arius]

Thnx slinker, but i already got that one from the ms3d site

[dhin]

Originally posted by Mike-3DT
I've been doing realtime stuff for about 4 years or so & I've recently gotten to the point where I've realised the character's I've done are not quite good enough to get me a job in the games industry - so I have to work harder...

Umm, sounds like me. Though I've only been at it 2 years with RTE Characters. (AND I was hired to do characters for simulations and visualization because of game characters I had done in my portfolio!?!) I look back at my first stuff here and laugh at how bad it really is. I keep improving them but still I don't think they are up to par with the game industry. Though there are different system requirements between gaming and RTE visualization.

My point being, (because I did have one,) after all that time you spend learning to program (I have a Bachelors in CS and I'm working on my Masters right now,) is that you will spend about as long learning 3d modeling. The ONLY way to get good at that (as I am sure all of us would agree,) is to practice.

If you want to build a game on you own, that means engine, models and all, give up on a life of any kind for the next 3 to 10 years. That's right, kiss your wife/kids/girlfreind/significant other/etc good-bye. Lock your self in a dark room with a lifetime supply of Twinkies and Mountain Dew (or Coffee, your choice) and forget about sleep. ALL you will be doing is programming and modeling for the next few years of your life. If you what a good game and don't what to spend ten years in a cave evolving into a light hating morlock, get a crew to help.

Very few people can produce a quality game on their own; Leonardo de Vinci might have been able to if he where alive today; Steven Hawkins probable could if he wasn't to busy picking the locks on God's desk drawers looking to get his hands on God's memoirs entitled "The Mysteries of the Universe: How I did it;" but I don't think very many others that fall in to this category.

THOUGH I think Lockdown nail that point quite well but I just wanted to beat the nail a little deeper. I also think most people who want to make games should consider mods. Rage is right, games right now a almost completely modable. Find one that suits you needs and start there.

[SniperMaster]

Originally posted by Arius
Thnx slinker, but i already got that one from the ms3d site

yey another ms3d user

[Arius]

Hmm, i have maya 5 unlimited, maya 4.5 unlimited, max r3, max r4, max r5 and lightwave 3d 7. I tried ms3d because i assumed it would be better suited for simple low poly game models.

..:: edit ::..

not that i can use any of them lmao, i did manage to model a tree once, oh and a spaceship

[lockdown2000]

and you BOUGHT ALL THOSE!!!????????? Thats like at least 10+grand!

crazy...you rich punk

[Arius]

I'm not rich, my dad is

[Slinker]

Originally posted by SniperMaster
yey another ms3d user

Not really, i hate ms3d. I use 3dsm. Still it was a good charTutorial.

[dhin]

I started with Milkshape. But I soon went on to better things. Though ms3d still has it's uses.

[Zuela0]

Hey, I am a modeler/ex-coder that is current developing a game, a team and a company all at the same time.

I can’t imagine trying to do everything by myself. How could I? Why would I?

Perspective is a very important thing when you are trying to create something as universally appealing as a video game. If it was all on you to come with the Design, Art, Code (and I don’t think anyone mentioned the sound) there would be serious lacking quality in multiple categories, if not all.

And I am not ashamed to admit, I need a hell of allot more people than I already have.

So if anyone wants to work on the next great Video Game Send them in my direction, cuz the more the merrier!

Ano1Games@hotmail.com