How do your pay for your project

[Tsukihime]

Different people have different ways of getting stuff done for their project.


Some people choose to hire for various positions depending on their needs and pay them based on various models like maybe a salary, or based on work completed, etc.


Others simply buy resources if they can find some and then get some other stuff commissioned.


And then after the project is done there are probably other things that need to be done as well.


How do you pay for your project?


Or, how do you feel people should be paid?

 

[ShinGamix]

I do 99% of my projects work myself. I try hard not to get other people to do too much for it but I do not know RGSS3 coding to a full level. So I depend on a lot of scripts that are already out there but my project does have a few unique scripts and I also fixed a great deal of compatibility issues on my own.

To pay for my project I do commission work to buy resource packs and music but I take the main part of the project out of my own pocket and a big thanks to my mom.

I soon hope to start a small commercial project on my own soon and apply all I have learned from my Battle Dungeons experience but I found out the other day that a lot of the scripts I used in BD can be used commercially. There are a few I would need to get permission on but I haven't decided to move it to a commercial level as of this time.

I have seen a lot of people using KickStarter and such lately but on a personal level I am just not ready for that as of yet but I do pay attention to the kickstarter campaigns and have contributed to a few of them.

and on team commercial projects: I think it should be done profit split wise so everyone is invested in the success of the project to the same extent and commitment to make it the best it can be.

 

[Sharm]

Right now I'm offering art trades and money when they don't want the art trade. I try to do most things myself though and not hire anyone. I'd prefer to pay people but I'm not self sufficient so I try not to spend money if I can help it.

 

[Lars Ulrika]

I finally hired someone for making main characters busts and emosets. Besides that, I'm trying to rely on myself. I would love to be able to offer more positions to talented people but for now my economical situation doesn't allow me to do that. 

If I manage to get a crowdfunding though this should change. 

 

[Traveling Bard]

I am currently working with a great musician, Desperate Measurez, and the way we did things was break payments into every paycheck. So I would pay him a specific amount every two weeks when I got a paycheck. We did this for several months until I paid him up for the entire set of tracks. I think it's a good way to do business because each time I paid him, it sort of opened things up naturally for a status report and how ya been kind of communication. He is very good about keeping a steady flow of awesome work and we'd go back and forth with comments on them for modifications and what not. It was such a good experience that I plan on using the guy for any audio work that I need in any of my future projects. I'm sure paying it all up front would work just as well, but when we started it just wasn't in the cards for me. 

 

[Alexander Amnell]

I primarily teach horseback riding to kids/people that want to learn in order to afford hobby stuff. Sometimes when that's not viable I'll get by with odd jobs like fencing and such but not often. I've never actually commissioned anyone though, just bought resource packs.

 

[seita]

It depends on the situation really. For the artists I've hired as IC's I pay for work completed based on an agreed-upon general cost before work started, which can go up or down once the piece is finished. Usually the payment comes at the end of the month and pays for the work done for that month, in a special case I've paid up front for a set amount of work.

For some others, they'll be paid a percentage of the sales once the game has been released for a set amount of time. This is mainly for people who don't have a set amount of work to do, a variable amount of work depending on the needs of the project. This includes the programmer and the musician, and I suppose myself.

I would love to hire people on a salary, but even with the amount I've crowdfunded, it would only keep at most up to three people working for half a year before it all dried up.

 

[iRonan]

At the moment I am working on everything with resource packs for non commerical packs, but I will hire 3 people creating sprites, tilesets and music to make the game more exclusive. Although I am not in the mood to create a huge kickstarter thread I am still working with some cheap prototype resources (furutristic tiles DLC) and work with free music and resources.

 

[Indrah]

Open yo pocket.

Look inside.

Count the pennies.

Sigh.

Pay for wanted pretty ****.

Can't buy no more NOTHING till money falls from the sky.

Try to make money fall from the sky by taking comissions.

(I'm not beign serious btw, I'm just absolutely broke at the moment (and I mean have to rely on family 100% broke) and this topic reminded me of it) MONEY IS TO PAY THE MARIMO ART FOR PROJECT ;A;

 

[Sketcy-Sketch]

I gave up things like going out to eat and such for a while, putting it aside and budgeting so I could pay the artists whose work I really admired. But, it definitely slows down game production time unbelievably when it comes from pocket.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

I try to do things myself, but for stuff that I cannot (like music), I normally request or commission them. For commissions, I pay via PayPal on a fixed price basis depending on the creator's rates


and I use my savings for payments

 

[Napoleon]

I mainly invest my own money into it. A few days ago someone donated some of his works for my project (some guy who makes music for Hollywood movies) and even made it fit. But that is extremely rare though and the first time ever I got that lucky.

I commissioned at least 3 people of who posted above me for my project . In total I roughly estimate that I successfully commissioned/hired over... I think about 20 people. And probably over a 100 commissions total.

But, it definitely slows down game production time unbelievably when it comes from pocket.

I know that feeling.

I rarely see anyone mentioning the name "RPG Maker" in their kickstarter projects . But I also don't bother with Kickstarter. Especially because I'm close to finishing. But I don't really want to make my project commercial.

Once you have a decent 'network' or after you released several games already, hiring better people cheaper becomes easier. Because their work has more value and they get more assurance that their work will actually be used in a published game.

I never see people using 'investors'. I know people who are interested into investing in my game. But then I have 2 major problems:

1. It MUST be commercial.

2. They have a say over my project (story, where/when it will be sold etc.).

But you no longer have money problems and you can speed up your project by a whole lot.

 

[Shaz]

I have no delusions about my own abilities. I'm interested in getting a good game made, not in doing as much as I can myself. I pay a great writer to take my sucky ideas and craft them into a story that people might actually want to experience. I can't afford to get custom tilesets made, but I paid a mapper who could work wonders with what was available. I can script, and I like doing it, but I'm happy to pay someone to do something I don't have time to do, or confidence in the system (I'm looking at you, battle system!)


When should someone be paid? When they do the work. I have been involved in the creation and release of several commercial games, but this one is MY first. I have no proof that it'll sell, and no idea how well it'll sell. I would never ask someone to spend their time and energy doing something for me on the promise of a payment down the track that may never come. Which means the game will take longer to release because I have to earn the money to pay for resources beforehand. If it sells well, I will use that money to commission for my next game. If it sells REALLY well I might consider offering royalties to SOME resource providers, but it will be based on being able to show them figures and guarantee a minimum payment should it flop. I've toyed with the crowdfunding idea, but tbh I'd prefer to pay for it out of my own pocket.

 

[Leonardo Myst]

I prefer doing everything myself, too.

If I need something different than what I pick up in a DLC, I'll put a stand-in in the place, make a note, and continue working on the project.

Then, whenever I switch gears to work on resources, I pull the list out and hit whatever tools I have to produce the materials.

Thankfully, I've found plenty of "free for commercial use" scripts, as that would be the one area that would effect production more than anything else. Especially since I have yet to learn the coding well enough to make any of my own.

Second would be music. However... music is probably the most plentiful resource available in DLC's and is the most versatile. Although, if I wanted to, I could just pop in my copy of Acid and Fruityloops and play around with those for a bit and if something sounds good, I'll throw it in. It may get edited back out in the end but ya never know.

Third, art... Daz3D and Photoshop are my choices here. At least until I finish unpacking and get my scanner/printer back up and running. I currently use a lot of DLC but I'm sprinkling in a few of my own creations as I go.

The plus side to all this is that as my skills develop by making my own resources, I can plan to make my own DLC packs to sell, as well.
And I think later on, I would be able to use the money made from selling those DLC's to fund any commissions that I would want to request for future projects.

 

[Mouser]

I never see people using 'investors'. I know people who are interested into investing in my game. But then I have 2 major problems:

1. It MUST be commercial.

2. They have a say over my project (story, where/when it will be sold etc.).

But you no longer have money problems and you can speed up your project by a whole lot.

You always have money issues... The 'rule of thumb' they use over at gamedev for loose budget forecasts is $10k per developer per month. That's not all salary - it includes the taxes, FICA, insurance, support staff, doughnuts,  etc... but it shows how you can go through a lot of money quickly.

Sometimes having that person looking over your shoulder can be a good thing. Being a great game designer or developer doesn't make you a good team leader or project manager. Most people can benefit from a less 'emotionally invested' party setting the hard deadlines and 'freezing' the design from time to time to keep the progress going.

Fast, Cheap, Good: Pick Two.

 

[Napoleon]

Investers (imo) dump too much money into projects. Especially if they personally have affinity with it. Sometimes they do it for the heck of 'the adventure' of investing. This is only doable in-real-life and not through the internet imo (I'm not talking about crowd funding). And they must trust + like you. If they even smell that you are not confident, no contract. But I would only go to people that I know. Or go to investors that know investors that know me.

I know I suck at these forums. I'm not good when it comes to the written language, especially in English. But I can talk smooth in-real-life.

For a small rpg indie project with a bought engine like RM, a sum of like... let's say, 50000$ is a lot, and for my project total overkill. And if they ask me how much I need, I add another 30% on top of the maximum amount that I calculated.

If I would go to an investor right now I'd have to kill at least 2 minigames from my game that he won't like for sure (possible political stuff). Plus he will ask for exclusive distribution through his site and more. But he would give me so much money that I could finish the project 3x for sure.

But finding cheap & good people to commission takes time. You have to balance time vs money vs quality as Mouser mentioned. You can approach some top-tier scripter or hire a professional Ruby guy that will code for 150$/hour (I think I did that once for the overlay script). But is that worth it? Does that fit your project?

But if you plan carefully and monitor everyone and have your game design done upfront (to hell with you if you have not ) then you can mostly guarantee to complete the project within the budget. Be it 5000 or 50000. If not, then you gotta ask if you, yourself are good enough for the job (as a project manager). Budget cuts can often always be made somewhere.

 

[iRonan]

 

I made a pie chart, this is the funding for my next project if we reach €1000 - Hard though, but worth a try (this is kinda sketchy, but I'm sure about website funding - steam workshop and charities.)

 

[seita]

I made a pie chart, this is the funding for my next project if we reach €1000 - Hard though, but worth a try (this is kinda sketchy, but I'm sure about website funding - steam workshop and charities.)

I don't really understand the Characters portion of the pie chart. Also, why are you giving to charities? I can't find the link (as is often the case) but there's a study that shows that the sentiment that comes with donating to charities with other peoples donations to you doesn't have the same effect for smaller projects like this. If somebody wants to help you succeed making a game, they don't want 10% of their money going to a random charity they may not care about.

 

[amerk]

Charities are great for purchases, as in 10% of all sales will be donated to charities. But when it comes to investments and funding to help a company or project get off the ground, most people expect all their money is going towards that investment. Being told that a portion of that money is going somewhere else for an unrelated event is a sure fire way to get people to rethink their choice of investment.

 

[Shaz]

I'd love to see a breakdown like that of a completed game, rather than what you EXPECT to pay. And no doubt if you got that for several completed games, you'd see that different portions went to different areas, depending on the abilities of the developer and who (and how many) are in their team. But I definitely think an "after the fact" breakdown would be much more beneficial.