My travels are over for the moment (although I’m still working through jetlag), so it’s time to get back into things!
Today I’m going to write a little about my game’s core concepts as well as the basics of a project’s pitch.
Just wanted to give a quick note that I’m in the midst of a (near) 2-week travel fiesta! I’ve been finishing up my UK travels and am heading back to Melbourne in a few days. I’m going to *try* and get another update out, but if I’m silent until next week, this is why!
I just want to add a few final thoughts on the subject of rolling your own bespoke game engine for your first (or first few) indy game(s), expanding on what I’ve already said on the subject and why I chose not to.
In the space of a few years indy games developers have gone from having limited technological options with high learning curves, limited features and expensive price tags to being spoiled for choice with options and resources. I’ve already mentioned that I’ve chosen Unity3D for this project, so I want to discuss why, and in the next article I’ll discuss why I chose not to roll my own engine.
I’ve probably spoken enough about what I will be doing that it’s time to tell you what I have done so far, so without further ado…
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Defining what this project is goes higher up in the thought process than which genre it fits into or storyline or play mechanics. What I actually need to do is answer the game’s “What’s the meaning of life?” question, which intrinsically guides every aspect of the project from genre and game design to art and marketing. And thankfully I can elaborate a little more than just 42 :) (more…)
Developing computer games (indy or otherwise) is something I’ve wanted to do for most of my life. I have a lot in common with every other garage coder: computer science degree, years of (non-gaming) industry experience, many hours invested in learning systems like OGRE3D, PhysX and Unity3D. We also have the same challenges when it comes to making a game: (essentially) no budget, limited art skills (I’m quite proficient in 3DS max and Photoshop, but the end results are still very much ‘programmer art’), no team mates (artists, programmers, marketers, etc) and both a fear and admiration of Yahtzee.
These are all just challenges, though. And like gamers know, all challenges can be beaten and I’ll show you how.
Serenity: Float Out
I don’t tend to troll the Internet for new sources of Firefly / Serenity awesome, because these days they’re few and far between. Hence when I found Wash’s face (which actually makes me think more of Alpha these days) staring back at me on the shelf I grabbed it immediately with the intent to buy without even opening the cover.
I was initially disappointed by reading ‘one-shot’ on the cover because, hey, who doesn’t want to see a regular Firefly comic? Even another miniseries (although perhaps more substantial than three issues, Mr Joss?) would be kick-ass. And, yes, at the end of the day, even a 24-page one-shot is better than nothing. Well, usually.
It’s not as if anyone got hurt, just the red-skinned devil. He ran into the crowd with his pitchfork and I jumped on him when everyone parted.
People should be thanking me, not screaming. The blood isn’t mine, it’s his; I don’t know why they look so concerned.
I don’t really want to go with the police; I have some friends to see. The nurse I meet is nice, though, and the room she puts me in is clean and comfy. The vitamin she gives me makes me feel a little sleepy. Maybe I’ll rest here for a little while.
[100 words, not including the (non-existent) title]
ABOUT
I awoke in a dream.