How to approach your first game!

[nio kasgami]

[Please take note this is a thread with my own opinion and how I approach my game.]

Hi!
So you just bought RPG maker and you probably think: I am gonna make the top tier 40h games with top tier graphics AAA level. It's gonna be easy!

bzzt bzzt here's the first wrong thing you shouldn't do when beginning to do any project: Over ambitioning. Your first game lets face it will probably be full of the flaw and just downright not good. (not all the time but you will see with the lacks of experiences many mechanics will be clunky)

Leaving the ambition aside you must think: Ah I should make an in-deep world design and story right? oh, and of course I must have pretty graphics!

Bzzt bzzt, Even more wrong! The first thing you should do when developing a game is : Prototype

What is prototyping? It's the (and I put emphasis on it) most important part of a solid game. It's the phase where you decide and design the whole game feeling and concept. Because you can have the most interesting story but if the prototype is boring then your whole game will be a failure.

How to approach a prototype I must have decent graphics and code no?
the answer is: Nope even a square or a cube and suffices the point of a prototype you begin with a RAW core idea then you design around it.

Let's see how I approach is I sit and ask myself :
what kind of game do I want to do?

Ah I want to do a game where a little girl runs around in a randomly generated maze.
^ - that's a core idea of a prototype.

Then I sit in unity or RPG maker and begin to program a basic idea. In this context, I would be designing the maze algorithm.

Then after this is done and I test a couple of time I ask myself: is it fun? if not what can I do to improve to make it fun? if I can't find a way to make it enjoyable I scrap the idea. Then you expand more :
What if she can run on walls or she has a monster chasing her?
You then proceed to implement and test those features.

Do remember to keep everything simples and straight to the CORES features and also don't bother at all of the graphics or look. Cube or even Rpg maker basic resources can be used as placeholder art.

those points to know if the prototype is "bad" are :

• Feeling of tediousness or annoyance while testing the game (excluding bugs I mean when there's no bug)
• boredness while playing a certain part of the gameplay.
• Confusion while playing some part of the gameplay
• Features make the game too hard to progress. (i.e wall jump feels unnatural and complicates the progression)

When seeing those points while doing the prototype, it's important to try to fix them or to replace them.
Also, don't hesitate to be messy it's a prototype it's supposed to be done fastly and give a "feeling" of the game.

So once you are done with the prototyping and you got a good feeling...Start a new project. Yes start a new project and begin to actually do your world design and story. the prototype was there as a sketch. You should be reprogramming most of the stuff (to be more organized) they aren't meant to be productions ready.

I saw MANY people and I did that mistake myself in the past: Just skip the prototype and jump straight to the polish demo and fail miserably.

if you want a nice example of a prototype : Game jam. they are a good way of doing a prototype.
here's one I did in the past year https://nio-kasgami.itch.io/moon which was for a month prototype.

On that, I hope it helps to clarify!
Happy game dev!

 

[Kupotepo]

Ok, your game production methods are similar to write an essay which is nice.

The first draft, then revise and editing. Next, create a organized outline, write the essay and second revise to check the errors.

@nio kasgami, from a second thought, is this supposed to be a tutorial, right? Or you would like us the members to share our methodology?

 

[nio kasgami]

Pretty much lmao
even in art it would be the conceptual sketch.

you can share your own concept etc it's my interpretation giving your opinion is ain't bad.

 

[Kupotepo]

you can share your own concept etc it's my interpretation giving your opinion is ain't bad.

I think you misinterpreted my remark. I am just making a lame joke and I refer to myself. I have to go thought the restructure of my game plan any any to count. I hope this helps to clarify any confusion that I intend to say. I do not have a solid plan and prototype yet.
I am still finding a way to make my project more organized because I am disorganizing my project still. Your methods are great, but we have to try like any software and tasks. Hope it is sticking in our brain and hope it is working for us.

 

[nio kasgami]

lmao there's actually two form of organisation in an game :
Solo and Team.

When doing a solo game it's fine to be messy in the programming take in logic : if it works then it's fine.

it's when you have to work with teammate that organisation is extremely important and to have an specific infrastructure that everyone is comfortable with.

 

[Doinathing]

Thanks for this! I'll be sure to take notes.

 

[Pervigilium]

I agree with nio kasgami, solo game doesn't have to have a complicated programming but it is another talk if it is a team game.