Should You Post Your First Game Online?

[Ryan's Replacement]

Hello all,


I'm caught in the middle of whether I should post my first game online or not.


On one hand, you can get some constructive criticism and gain experience in releasing a game.


However, my first game isn't going to be that fun, if at all (and I'm okay with that), and I'm using mostly vanilla tilesets. But I've tried to execute an interesting game idea and kept the play time pretty low (should only take an hour and a half to beat).


Any advice would be appreciated and like I said, I really am caught in the middle.

 

[Kes]

If even you think that the game is "not fun" then I strongly advise you not to post it online, except maybe on this site for feedback.  You will be putting out something that you know is not up to a good standard, and all you will achieve is that people will associate your name with a game that they didn't enjoy.  That is not good for your second and subsequent games.  Also, there are a lot of not good or even downright bad RM games out there, which is one reason why RM games are given a hard time on Steam.  Best not to add to their number, IMO.

 

[NPC]

Well, you won't get any better keeping it hidden away; criticism is key for growth. If it isn't interesting, then the criticism will help you learn how to make it interesting.


And if you feel like you need a custom tileset to have a good game then you're going about it wrong.

 

[Uzuki]

Depends on what your aiming for in feedback. I released my first game under a pseudo name to get feedback on what I was lacking and if I what I had learned in a 3 month period was the norm for most RM creators. It got a few dozens replies and I was able to weed out my strengths and weaknesses from the criticism. Second go I focused on my strengths, which is writing and eventing, and got a much better response and this encoraged me to continue working in the game development process. Even if it's just shown to close friends and family, it's important to get some criticism from an outside source. Otherwise how will you know if you're getting better or not?

 

[Wavelength]

Yes, post it - but before you do, go back and make your best attempt to make the game enjoyable (or able to provide some sort of other value, such an an emotional epiphany).  The most worthwhile experience and constructive criticism you will ever get in game making is what worked and what didn't when you're trying to make something that people will like.