Longest Amount of Time spent in making a game?

[Berylstone]

Let's not hate on graphics just because you're peeved that people care about them nowadays. Because you know, graphics matter just as much. Why settle for anything less than good?

I wasn't hating on graphics.  And it certainly doesn't bother me that people care about graphics.

I was hating on "basing goodness" on graphics.  There is a big difference.  I said that good graphics was a nice bonus.

And I disagree with you if you are saying graphics matter just as much as good gameplay.  To me it doesn't.  Gameplay is far more important to me.

But that doesn't mean I "hate" good graphics.  So if you got that out of my post, you misjudged it.  My "huge pet peeve" is when games neglect quality gameplay and put a much higher priority on graphics.  Something I feel many of these newer games do.

But yeah, graphics often is more about achieving an specific aesthetic. If all things follow this aesthetic, it should be fine. There is no good or bad graphics, there is just things that don't match up

Now this I agree with.  It's more about creating and maintaining the personality of your game that matters.

 

[Celianna]

I'll abstain from replying since I don't want to derail this thread and become another one of those 'gamply VS graphics' threads. Feel free to create your own one if you feel so strongly about it.

 

[Berylstone]

I'll abstain from replying since I don't want to derail this thread and become another one of those 'gamply VS graphics' threads. Feel free to create your own one if you feel so strongly about it.

That's alright.  I wasn't really trying to stir up a debate anyway.  I was just agreeing with what Adiktuzmiko said because it struck a familiar note with me.

 

[Zasian]

490 hours so far.... ambitious doesn't even begin to describe what I've gotten myself into ^_^)

 

[A-Moonless-Night]

I can't even begin to count up the hours, but I've been working on my game for at least three years and I haven't even gotten a demo out yet. It's definitely a labour of love. It's hard juggling a full time 40+ hour job, a partner, a needy dog, a social life and time for game-making ... let alone time for any other hobbies.

[On an aside—Zasian ... another Kiwi? ]

 

[Arin]

Uhh, a year? How many hours does that translate to, roughly? I'm too lazy to count up the hours in a week and then multiply that by 52.

 

[Labyrinthine]

I spent 3 years on my main game. I worked like 10-15 hours a day with only a few breaks.

 

[Arcmagik]

I've been working on my Legion Saga remake since shortly after MV came out. I've rebuilt it from the ground up twice due to graphic changes and experience learned.

The most recent build which will be the release build has been about a year in a half. Most of that work was done in the last 6 months once creativity struck and I had a small team together.

 

[Kyuukon]

Huh.. this thread is from 2013 you guys...

 

[Arcmagik]

So definitely a bunch of updates to these time frames... lol

 

[TheoAllen]

Interesting thread that is still relevant to reply though.

I finished mine within 3 months of development. Granted, it was all placeholders, using non-edited battle background. Borrrowed sprites and faceset. Default not-optimized menu (so much info that were unnecessary). Even the boss battle is rushed. It was all like uninteresting RTP games you would find around the corner.

After a span of one month iirc, I managed to get feedback, I slowly replaced the most of things. I adjusted the menu, adjusted the battleback, adjusted the balance and boss battle, adding stuff left and right, extra encounter, extra QoL features. Which effectively adds 3 more months of the developing makes it 6 months worth of development time for a merely 2-3 hours of gameplay.

 

[bgillisp]

Since June 2014 and the Beta version is now off with the testers waiting feedback. I'll let you do the math on this one, but all I'll say is if I do another game that long Steam will need scientific notation to record my hours of use.

 

[1ce]

Shortest: 1 month
Longest: 3 years, 400 hours. Man that was a labor of love.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

I planned to make this game within about half a year, but what actually happened is that Im about 1 year in, and Im just on the first part..

 

[kaukusaki]

My main project took 6 years to finish. I started it on VXA and complete it in MV. it'll be released in October as it's in the final debugging stage now...

My shortest project was a month. Most small projects takes me 3 months to complete. As for huge epics well, it'll take a year... I have fast turnaround because I have everything done in house but the way Gremlins like to destory my HDs (and backups wtf why tho sob) it keeps me busy busy busy =_=#
(Mind you, rpg game dev *is* my job... So I actually have time to work on these things unlike other folks who are part timers or have other jobs... More power to em)

 

[orochii]

So definitely a bunch of updates to these time frames... lol

Just casually wandering through the forum, saw a notification from this. And yeah! Update for one of these time frames at least.

Just wanted to say to my silly 4 years back me (?) that game is still unfinished. I'm sorry me. But hey! I've been working and paying my taxes like a grown up man.

So add 4 to that 7-8 years. That equals 11-12 years. Please note past me that last and most of this year I've been busy with 【ｔｈｉｎｇｓ】.

 

[watermark]

This depends on how you define "Working on Game."
If it's just time spent actually on the RPG Maker, then I would say ~600 hours for longest, and an hour for shortest. But if you also include thinking up the story and all that, that could go into years.

You know, this could be a good idea for a contest: Make an RPG in 1 hour!
With the requirement of also sending in the screen recording to prove that you did it all in one hour. The recordings can be uploaded next to the game and would make great tutorials I think, showing newbies how to speed make a game. I wonder if something like this was done already.

 

[bgillisp]

@watermark : There is actually supposed to be a contest around that idea, called make a game in 0 hours. It is ran on the day daylight savings time ends and clocks fall back an hour, and you make the game in that one hour the clocks fall back (2 am). So you start the game making when the clocks fall back to 1 am, and have to be done when they return to 2 am.

 

[Latefallen]

I always plan it to be quicker than it is. I remember my first game took a weekend to make and it was an awful, unplayable mess. Nowadays I plan for 2 months and finish in like 6.