Designing a Game
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Designing a Game
So for the past few months I've been busily concepting up a storm for my second year film at CalArts, which will double as a video game pitch that I want to present to the fancy companies in the area. Failing that, it's a game that I might go to Kickstarter to fund, because it's something I think should be available to the wild.
First step of that process is getting the artwork done, and so far I've designed the 4 characters I'm going to need, and now I'm attempting to model them and figure out the style I want them to have in 3D. This is currently kicking my inexperienced ass.....
Anyway, just wanted to share with you guys and see what you think of what I've got so far.
For the record, the game is going to be an online multiplayer FPS with weapons akin to Ratchet and Clank, as well as spells that you use aside from the guns. The spells will let you create walls to block a path, prevent damage done to yourself, push or pull an opponent around the map, etc.
First step of that process is getting the artwork done, and so far I've designed the 4 characters I'm going to need, and now I'm attempting to model them and figure out the style I want them to have in 3D. This is currently kicking my inexperienced ass.....
Anyway, just wanted to share with you guys and see what you think of what I've got so far.
For the record, the game is going to be an online multiplayer FPS with weapons akin to Ratchet and Clank, as well as spells that you use aside from the guns. The spells will let you create walls to block a path, prevent damage done to yourself, push or pull an opponent around the map, etc.
Re: Designing a Game
Everything's a kickstarter these days, whatever happened to indies just making games for free out of the goodness of their hearts?
Your concept looks cool, though starting with an "online multiplayer FPS" right off the bat sounds like a perilous adventure, I hope you know what you're doing. Are you gonna use Unity that's all the rage now?
Your concept looks cool, though starting with an "online multiplayer FPS" right off the bat sounds like a perilous adventure, I hope you know what you're doing. Are you gonna use Unity that's all the rage now?
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Re: Designing a Game
Looks good!
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Re: Designing a Game
Lol, I'm fully aware of the treacherous nature of what I'm attempting, and I'm taking counselling from every source available to do it right. Honestly, I'm hoping to pitch it and get it taken on by a company who has more of an idea of what they're doing than I do, but failing that I've got industry contacts, and I'll just ask every question I can think of and get every scrap of advice I can.SupSuper wrote:Everything's a kickstarter these days, whatever happened to indies just making games for free out of the goodness of their hearts?
Your concept looks cool, though starting with an "online multiplayer FPS" right off the bat sounds like a perilous adventure, I hope you know what you're doing. Are you gonna use Unity that's all the rage now?
As to Unity, yes that is the plan. It's just SO EASY! It's frightening how simple Unity is to work with, and I'm going to be taking classes to further my knowledge.
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Re: Designing a Game
Excellent job, Nathan. I love the artwork above. Great character design that is simple and very easy to identify. You hit the nail right on the head where loads of people fail.
Re: Designing a Game
What's Unity like from the programming side? Particularly network programming? I'm wondering if it already has a system for things like online FPSes, or whether you have to program it yourself.Akuryou13 wrote:As to Unity, yes that is the plan. It's just SO EASY! It's frightening how simple Unity is to work with, and I'm going to be taking classes to further my knowledge.
Re: Designing a Game
The networking side of Unity is something I know little about right now. It's something I intend to find out during my classes with the program.Plasma wrote:What's Unity like from the programming side? Particularly network programming? I'm wondering if it already has a system for things like online FPSes, or whether you have to program it yourself.Akuryou13 wrote:As to Unity, yes that is the plan. It's just SO EASY! It's frightening how simple Unity is to work with, and I'm going to be taking classes to further my knowledge.
Re: Designing a Game
Unity comes with a networking framework which does some of the low-level work for you, but it's still very much a can of worms you're jumping into. I've had classmates spend their whole semester just getting multiplayer to work reliably.
Another suggestion would be UDK. It's not as easy as Unity but it's pretty much tailor-made for "online multiplayer FPS".
Another suggestion would be UDK. It's not as easy as Unity but it's pretty much tailor-made for "online multiplayer FPS".
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Re: Designing a Game
Considering both.SupSuper wrote:Unity comes with a networking framework which does some of the low-level work for you, but it's still very much a can of worms you're jumping into. I've had classmates spend their whole semester just getting multiplayer to work reliably.
Another suggestion would be UDK. It's not as easy as Unity but it's pretty much tailor-made for "online multiplayer FPS".
And regardless of the final outcome, this is more proof of concept than anything else. I'm compartmentalizing every part of the process, with actually making this into a game as the last part once I have a ton of research put into it. Right now I'm making a film. A short 2 minute trailer that shows off what the game will be about. While I'm making that I'll be learning the processes behind making a game and gaining experience with some friends by making smaller, simpler games, as well as talking with some people we know from the industry to get advice on how to approach everything. Once I have the film completed, I'm going to attempt to pitch this rather than produce it myself. If I can't pitch it or if no one bites, only THEN will I be attempting to make it myself, and by the time that happens, I'll have spent a fair bit of time working with Unity to make small bits and pieces of this game in manageable chunks.
And at no point during any of this will I be investing money or unwarranted time into the project. I'm making it my second year film so that I can spend the time I need to bring it to a visual level that I find acceptable, as well as to get a lot of the animation cycles and such created for use in the film, and all without costing me effort I wouldn't have to put forward anyway.
The worst case scenario is that it simply doesn't get made, but at least if that happens I'll have the experience and knowledge gained from creating a game from concept into production, even if not all the way through.
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Re: Designing a Game
We can help you. I could do some voice work for you perhaps
Re: Designing a Game
Won't be needing any voice work. I'm not much one for putting speech into my films unless I absolutely can't do without. Besides, I'm in a college surrounded by professional actorsworMatty wrote:We can help you. I could do some voice work for you perhaps
Thanks for the offer, though, I'll keep you guys in mind for when I DO need some work done.
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Re: Designing a Game
Of course