/agdg/ - Amateur Game Development General

I'm mostly a writer. I write things that people read. Not code. I can't code for shit. I'm also inept at spritework and modeling, and I've just got a tad bit of experience in texturing. I can do sound design too, but I'm basically an ascended ideas guy.

Joined a small team. Tried to 3D model with blender and it all fell apart at skeletal rigging for animation and putting low poly hair on as well. All seems to crumple down at the worst point when you think you have it down.

No enthusiasm to start up Blender again, either. Team switched to game maker. Trying to find a role for that.

I learn everyday how to draw and make music, but both look and sound like they are from deviant art shit. Which is a shame because I have a great song in my head, but on paper... Same for drawings, I have the general idea for something cool but I don't have the skill to translate it into an animation. And even when I animate 6 placeholder frames, it takes me a damn hour to do it.

As for programming I get really confused when the project gets bigger, making everything work perfectly with the other things. I have to add AI but then I need to modify everything to suit the AI.

The way I see it, making a game consists of three things:

>art

>music

>code

Writing, story etc are all secondary to these three major things that a working game can't really exist without.

So far, I can only make music. I don't even know what engine I'm going to use for my games, and I can't art for shit. I really, really want to make a game but I can't.

tbh I honestly don't know. I really enjoy doing it when I do it, I have the time, I find it fun, even if it is work at times.. but for the past few months I just open stuff and then close it and don't do anything. I still have tons of ideas and things I want to do that are realistic and etc I just can't make myself actually start and do. I'm just a fag I guess

Making game "structure" in Unity. I guess I have to start reading about design patterns and later specifically info for Unity.

Any resources on this would be appreciated

Simply realizing the amount of art assets I would need to create to make a game I'm pleased with.

Also I would like to make a game that I would like to play myself, but I can't think of anything I would like to play myself that I would also like to develop.

1. Cannot decide on a language

2. Cannot decide on a library

3. Programming on a toaster. Most langs/libs that people recommend won't run.

4. Cannot draw worth shit, will have to settle for stick figures

5. No clue how to make audio

>>21433

You could do a rhythm game, like guitar hero or something in those notes.

If you're good musician, people will want to help you with art and code.

Try applying game design to what you know better: Music!

>>21442

>1. Cannot decide on a language

Choose randomly one, or just a engine.(Java, python, game maker, unreal, unity)

>3. Programming on a toaster. Most langs/libs that people recommend won't run.

Make a retro game. Even if it is a retro 3d game, I'm sure it will run on your toaster.

>4. Cannot draw worth shit, will have to settle for stick figures

If you're a good programmer and a good g0y, people (artist and musicians) will want to work with you.

>5. No clue how to make audio

bfxr?

http://www.bfxr.net/

I am mainly learning the skills required to make a game (Art, 3D Animation/Modelling, Programming logic and etc) by doing small projects to get a good amount of experience before making my game that I want.

Because I can't draw for shit and I have .01% experience programming (I made it part way through the CodeAcadamy Python course, haven't finished yet), and every time I open up my copy of FL Studio I end up either playing video game music from other video games, or I end up making alarmingly awful music loops that sound genuinely terrible.

My main skill is writing, and while Python is the most conductive to writers, I'm the kind of guy who won't use Python because other people said it wasn't worth using.

And finally, I don't want to join a team. I don't like working with other people, I just want to make the game myself because I don't trust other people to get my vision correct, if I even get a say in the vision at all. I know that if I want to be serious about game dev, more likely than not I'm going to have to join a team, but I utterly despise the idea and I'd rather not dev at all than work with random people on something I don't care that much about.

>>21421

>Can't program much yet

>mid-tier art, but my main talents are music and level design

>No time because I'm working on another game. Said game will be free so our team won't see a single shekel

Besides, it takes too much time to do what I have planned all by myself and I need to get dosh too.

>>21456

If you're good enough, I'm sure there are artists willing to work with you in exchange of a split in sales.

AFAIK most devs commission the music separately.

>>21462

>AFAIK most devs commission the music separately.

What would be a fair price per song? I'm kinda new here.

>>21464

I have no clue, but I guess it varies a ton depending on how good the music is.

>>21467

What's your project about?

>>21451

>Java

>>21421

What's holding me back is that the only thing I ever really, truly feel motivated to make is porn games and I am morally opposed to them. :(

>>21494

Try making small projects and concentrate on finishing them instead of polishing or adding features.

I had this problem too.

JUST DO IT!! GO OUT THERE AND MAKE YOUR DREAMS A REALITY!

JUST DO IT!

All the code. i can think like a coder, and have made a few small things (flappy bird and the like) but i just need more knowledge.

thankfully im going to university to learn that in a few weeks, so im getting somewhere. quite excited.

Lack of art and my general hatred of making UIs.

I'm working on stuff, but it's slow going because of that.

>>21421

Personal problems. I know a lot about art and could probably pull off some decent graphics, and I also know a bunch of programming languages. I basically have a bunch of months where I'm completely free to make whatever I like, save for the fact that everything is free and I have no tablet. What holds me back is the fear of failure; I have those free months because I'm on academic dismissal, and I'm very insecure about myself and mopey. I keep telling myself working on a personal project would be beneficial and I'm young, but the thought of failing in my creative pursuits just like I did academically holds me back. In addition, I have a terrible work ethic that I need to work with in order to be productive.

I also need to learn APIs and decide what the heck I'm actually going to make my game around. Maybe a Metal Gear fangame since people seem to be upset about TPP these days.

Maybe I should just focus on animation.

>>21514

Also my hard drive is full and I'm too arsed out of cash to buy an external.

Better play through those vidya or find some backups.

>>21514

Failing is a necessity on the road to self betterment. Failing to fail (while recognizing mistakes and making the most of what you did manage to learn in the process) is a tragic thing.

What's worse is being years down the road and not being able to navigate the new roads that are being paved over the old ways.

You have to accumulate your efforts. When it comes to personal projects (contrasting against testing process like in academia), ultimately there is no failure in a noble process of working hard towards something and making it better.

>>21514

>Maybe a Metal Gear fangame

Have you considered the possibility that you're setting your expectations for yourself way too damn high?

Music/sound skills suck.

Don't like making assets.

Can't learn too easily from other people's code.

I'd like to learn lua and use minetest to make a game.

Lack of ideas.

Im a pretty competent programmer but i am uncreative when it comes to making original things. aslo im really not an artfag.

but mainly ideas

the

logic

I can't chess. I can't do these things. I was dropped as a baby many times. I think I'm brain damaged. Woops.

I just want to write my "code" out in plain text directions.

why wont u nerds make this special retard programming language for me? why?? im special

>>21678

Little Japanese girls shoot lasers whilst dodging incoming bullets. Million dollar idea, I promise you.

>>21687

uh huh

>>21686

>I just want to write my "code" out in plain text directions

Have you heard the Good Word about our lord and savior Python?

>>21702

Better a heretic with virtuous word than an idolatrous peasant, you heathen

I actually have nothing against Game Maker, I'm just having fun comparing game dev options to religions.

>>21702

All praises to the almighty G. May the G provide us the shortcuts for retards like us.

>>21710

>Unlike 2D animation, 3D animation takes more time and effort.

I disagree for these reasons:

2D animation takes consistent skill and a baseline understanding of how to visualize the world, 3D is more forgiving in the process and after initial prep, less work.

You can fake good anatomy in 3D by using references, and you only have to do it once for the character creation. In 2D, you have to deliver in any frame for any unique pose for your game.

You can draw 4 frames and mess up only after you see it in motion, and you'll have to do it all from scratch in 2D. In 3D, you just move joints around.

In 2D, whatever resolution you work at, you increase risk the higher you go. In 3D, you can scale.

3D is easier to deal with collision. 2D requires all kinds of methods from stacking primitives to masking, to less accurate measures.

So getting good at 3D is a good idea and it gets easier with experience. 3D helps you if you want to create 2D as well since you can rotoscope template models if necessary.

>>21707

>Told my by many my idea is shit

An idea is just that. If someone says it is shitty, fuck them. FINISH YOUR FUCKING PROJECT.

>My Lore has been laughed at

Then laugh some more and make a funny lore.

>My 3D Models Program Crashed

Mspaint can help you.

>My Confidence Gone

Fuck that shit.

>My Optimism Gone

You don't need it either.

>My Simile Gone

Go work.

>I have no one to help me

You only need yourself. If you really want someone to help you. Find some collabfag.

I realised the scale of my vision some time ago, but some months ago I started developing for real, and that shit took a whole new dimension. I was alone by myself, I was going to take for fucking ever to finish the game. Given that I start uni in a year from now, I think this is going to be hell on earth.

>>21436

http://gameprogrammingpatterns.com/contents.html

not specifically for unity but the concepts are the same and it's pretty comprehensive (and the author released it online for free)

>>21733

I have the ideas, the art, the music, the writing, the half finished sources, but not my team.

I don't have them any longer.

My greatest fear is that I'll burnout and give up any one of these days.

Art is my main limiting factor. I have a solid vision for my game and have started working on it for real, with all the proper things in place like revision control. But 'll need to either find someone to work with or hire a 3d artist if I want anything beyond sphere and cube placeholders and to not have to learn 3d modeling for years and years. I can do landscapes at least and that's what I'm focusing on now in the art department. Character art is going to be the hard part it seems. Animations fall in here too. I can program animations but don't have the first clue of how to make one from scratch nor do I really have much of a desire to.

>>21421

depression and just being overwhelmed.

>>21436

I know how to do 2D art and animate decently, but I constantly hit hurdles with coding, I'm unsure how to explain it, but I initially have a plan with the intention of organizing files properly. Unfortunately that organization never works for me so I resort to hastily copying-and-pasting lines around until it works properly.

I hit some obscure syntax issues so I try looking for solutions on stackoverflow, it doesn't click with me until the next few days. I ask questions but no one seems to answer them for some reason. I have the feeling that they're "common-sense" ones, but it wouldn't hurt to throw some answers.

I understand C++ more, but coding is waaaaay too slow for me on there so I don't finish projects that take more than a week due to boredom. Java seems ideal, but there's an additional set of rules that you have to follow and it's puzzling to fix bugs on there,

Laziness.

Utterly shit attention span.

I was wanting to learn how to program, and then wanted to make a Dwarf Fortress-like game. I'd probably already be started on it by now if my attention span would allow me to read for more than 2 seconds.

>>21792

How much does depression really affects people? I know that this is some kind of trigger question to depressed people but couldn't you have an absurdist discipline and keep making your game anyways.

I speak from experience, I'm not exactly depressed but my situation is somewhat fucked up and I consider suicide sometimes, but that doesn't keep me from making progress

>>21807

Being suicidal and being depressed are not always related, being suicidal is a symptom of many different mental problems.

Real, clinical depression means your hormone balance is fucked up, mainly serotonin reuptake. Anti-depressants fix this, although they also have shitty side effects. The result of overly fast serotonin reuptake is you don't feel accomplished doing things, making your body refuse to do said things. This is why depressed gamers can't even bring themselves to play vidya anymore, those hormones were a large part of why most people enjoy games.

Not that I'm a doctor or anything, I'm just depressed and paraphrasing shit I got told by my shrink and various doctors over multiple years. I may be using some terms wrong here, but the basic idea is right.

>>21792

I'll be 100% motivated to get the project done. But

9/10 times I'd run into a technical problem rendering the project useless

spend days trying to fix the problem without success, then just hang myself and go on for month being depressed. Its the same everytime

>no idea how to use OpenGL

Kill yourself now if complaining about perf while using legacy :v

Op expense, descending

FBO bind

program bind

Texture bind

VBO bind

VAO bind

uniform set

draw

>>21717

Waitwhat, its true layers are difficult, but 3d math, especially if you want to do kinematics, is absurd.

>>21808

SNRIs / SSRIs make depression worse if prescribed to the wrong people (google it). Most people are depressed due to situational things like being overworked or not having a sense of accomplishment.

Myself I'm highly emotional over my work, if I've been stuck on a bug for more than a day it'll affect my mood over completely unrelated things.

>>21795

>understand C++ more than Java

Uh... you must not understand C++ very well then, because its about twice as complex.

If going from c++ to java all you really have to do is unlearn everything related to pointers.

Java is great if you want to get something done fast and don't care about low level optimization.

>>21869

I sure love running into performance issues on a high end PC while drawing less than 1000 2D sprites including particles.

>>21873

Lol what the fuck are you doing? Immediate mode while rebinding a unique texture for each object?

A high end PC should be able to handle 10-40M rect-sprites

collision detection and response is the only thing holding me back from escaping poverty.

I'm sure this is where most game devs give up and make some shitty adv game instead because they couldn't figure out this collision faggatory

collision detection and response is the only thing holding me back from escaping poverty.

I'm sure this is where most game devs give up and make some shitty adv game instead because they couldn't figure out collision

>>21897

For AAA games they will have someone whose full time job is map design. Not only is it time-consuming, but requires talent so that everything is located nicely

>>21876

It's like you completely forgot about the first post that you replied to.

>>21922

Even for not being good with GL, youd get better perf if you used a random approach. Thats more than not knowing how to optimize, its actively doing extraneous stuff

>>21923

Imagine you have all the ingredients for a cake. You know how to cook and you know how to use those ingredients that the chef gave you, but you have no idea how to get a cake out of them because you don't have any kind of a recipe. The only thing the chef is telling you is how to break the eggs and how to put things into the oven and how to whisk some stuff and how to buy a cake if you're lazy, but he's never telling you what to do with the ingredients specifically in order to get a cake. He might occasionally tell you to use X and Y to get Z, but he doesn't tell you how to combine X and Y and in what proportions. You can mash some of all the ingredients into a bowl, mix it real good, and then burn it in the oven, but that's not quite a proper cake.

That's me and OpenGL.

>>21929

Keep running the ingredients through all possible permutations and eventually youll make something that can be considered cake :v

I never really had that problem, it's always been intuitive to me.

After you understand VAOs and programs then the wiki has everything you need

I would make game if I had a good idea to make game with.

But all I have is retarded OC shit that belongs more in a bad fanfiction than in a vidya

my pc's power supply died and im waiting for antec to send me a new one

its been two weeks

where the fuck is it

>>21421

Didn't know about the Game Maker Studio humble bundle that ended 2 days ago. Have heard bad things about pirated copies. Too poor to buy it outright, and too intimidated by the idea of optimisation to worry about a lower level language before I really know my shit.

>>22288

Pirated ver is fine. It can crash very occasionally so save.

Buy full when you release

>>22290

Alright, if you say so, Anon. I'd heard the pirated version can trigger copy protection that changes all the sprites in the program into a skull and crossbones image.

Thanks, I guess I'll just have to give it a go.

>>22292

Haven't heard of that, but have always used pirated GM. If it happens, you can always just import the sprites again, or start a new project and copy shit over.

Got GameMaker from the Humble Bundle and I've been fooling around with it. I'm trying to make a twin stick shooter, and I've already done more than I thought I'd be able to. The biggest thing holding me back is art, I won't be able to get my game to look good.

what's holding ME back right now is that i have no idea how to use FTGL to render text, the tutorial on sourcefourge is no help at all.

how do i render a string with FTGL, OpenGL and SDL?

Getting that figured out would be a huge leap for my projects.

The thing that often holds me back is that I usually go from thinking "Hm, how could I make a game about x?" to thinking "Hm, how could I implement [NP-complete algorithm] efficiently using machine code operations?".

At that point I stop caring about the game idea.

the inability to learn a single engine. I'm currently writing my own 2D game from scratch, but I cannot for the life of me sit down and understand someone else's code or learn the UI.

I don't know any good C/C++ tutorials or compilers. I tried watching that one Youtube series on making a game from scratch (Handmade Hero, I think it was), but I couldn't get the software the dude was telling me to use.

>>22416

if on GNU/Linux just use gcc and literally any text editor

on windows you can use any IDE. he tells you he doesn't like visual studio and shit like that because of how bloated they are but trust me for a beginner it doesn't matter

>>22398

this, rather than making the game I end up making a tool that could be configured to produce a game

>>22399

If you have no art skills that just means you're not meant to be a solo dev. Very few people are talented programmers AND artists. Do you know how rare a combination that is? To be left and right brained? You're crazy for being depressed about it.

Use programmer art. It's all placeholder shit. Don't feel bad about it.

When you have a decent enough amount of progress, that's when you bust it out and find a hard-working artist. There are tons of people who want to do art for games but suck at programming. But they don't generally join a project from ground zero unless the dev has past success, or they are not very good at what they do.

>>22424

He says he wants tutorials, though. Meaning he wants to learn one of the more difficult languages from scratch, without even the assistance of a college class. AKA basically setting himself up for failure, probably because he's afraid someone will make fun of him if he uses GM or similar.

>>22416

If you're not already a programmer, learning a complex language to make a game is silly. You're much better off learning a scripting language inside a tool like GM, Godot, etc etc. Those skills you learn will apply directly to all other programming languages and gamedev suites; programming is a state of mind, a way of thinking and breaking down problems, and is absolutely not limited to any particular language.

Just start learning SOMETHING, ANYTHING, rather than sitting around moaning about how nobody will provide a YouTube video that teaches you a skill people go to college for 4 years to learn. It's like complaining that there are no YouTube tutorials for how to be a biologist, but you're also unwilling to start by just picking up animals and bugs and just checking them out. All the effort pushes you toward the goal, even misdirected effort. Everything else is a poor excuse.

>>21421

>What's holding you back?

GUI coding.

I'm absolute trash at coding and can't come up with mechanics. I'm only any good at art. Throw in a few mental issues in there somewhere.

I'm (currently) a fulltime software developer at a major company. I started to learn how to program by making video games. I have full knowledge of things like C++, Qt, OpenGL and whatnot. I've always told myself "I want to make video games," but I sometimes have a lot of trouble doing it.

I want to build things by hand, so instead of taking an off the shelf engine, I spend a lot of time making my own. I get sidetracked on other parts.

I also want to be an animator. But school also holds me back. People told me "college is when you'll have free time to do things that you want. To learn, and explore." Like making video games. But for me, it has not been.

At times I'm glad I pursued a CS degree, but other times I feel like it was 4 years of my life wasted...

I'm a fast learner, capable of making various art, can program well, the problem is: I'm still using Game Maker. I want to learn OpenGL and C++ to the level where I can make game in them. I just don't know how, or where would I learn what I need to learn.

>>22735

In school, mostly.

No offense, but learning to code well is like learning a new spoken language. It requires a lot of effort over years.

You can definitely do a lot with tutorials and reading code and tweaking stuff.

But most of us who know a C variety well learned in school.

>>22704

I'm the same way. I have used C family laguages for almost 8 years. Started learning openGL for a challenge.

Now I realize how important an asset pipeline is. Lol thank you unreal4

>>22735

>C++ OpengL

All I can tell you is that it isn't really fun, lots of boilerplate code and 3d math involved, then you realize its better to just to use a premade one

>>22735

If you are capable of producing various art and a capable programmer then you're all set. JLMG. Is Game Maker actually missing some crucial features you need for your game or you just don't want to use it?

>I want to learn OpenGL and C++ to the level where I can make game in them.

If you actually want to make a game, just don't. Basically what >>22772 said. You won't need 3d math for a 2d game but you'll still need to write hundreds of lines of code just to get a simple image on the screen. Taking a peek at what I've wrote while messing around with SDL2/OpenGL year ago, stub for a 2d game should be around 3-4k lines of code. And at this point GameMaker still is going to be a better tool. Not to mention that time you'll waste on writing boilerplate code could be actually used for prototyping.

I guess C++/OpenGL might kind of get handy if you're going to work with Unreal Engine but eh, you have to familiarize yourself with core tools first, I guess.

>>22735

Learn it in steps.

You should become an apt C++ programmer first, and then learn OpenGL, which is just an API.

If you are serious about this and don't know C++, it'll take like a year at least. More if you don't know linear algebra.

I'd suggest just not doing it. C++ is a great thing to know, but if you aren't planning on dumping literally years into learning 3D graphics, math, and other concepts, I'd say you don't want OpenGL, but actually something simpler and lighter like SFML or SDL (both of which are C/C++ libraries).

Either way, the first delimiter will be C++. Try to get started with C++ and see where that takes you.

If you still want to learn OpenGL, you'll need to read some books. The Red Book (OpenGL Programming Guide) used to be the best, but apparently since the programmable pipeline hit, it's absolutely shit for beginners.

The Orange book is still great for shader writing (OpenGL Shading Language)

>>22791

>>22772

For modern OpenGL you do have to understand clipping coordinates still, and how to work with VBOs and VAOs, and shader writing.

It's not just boilerplate. Even if you're working in 2D, OpenGL is a 3D API, and you have to understand the way it's written and a lot of the 3D concepts even to use 2D in it, that includes 3D coordinates in clip space, how to handle texture coordinates and moving textures to and from video memory, etc.

I've got quite a bit of OpenGL experience, and I have to say that the most daunting things about starting with modern OpenGL are:

* Managing matrices and transformations if you're doing 3D

* Managing buffers and learning how to handle shipping to and from graphics memory

* Learning what a fucking VAO is in the first place

* Learning how to load functions and why

* Managing shaders and learning how to handle attaching data and buffers to points in the shader program

My game looks less and less doable for one person the more I work on it. That's not stopping me though, I just may never get it done before I'm 80

>>22772

I like Game Maker a lot and I'm capable of making making a full game in it, but it just doesn't feel right, when I see things like Minecraft and Eldritch it just feels like I'm wasting time.

I want to make something like Eldritch and surely, GM won't suffice.

>>22793

Thanks for such a long answer. Sounds like I should stick to GM and go to college first (finishing high-school next year)..

>>22821

By all means, go ahead and dip your feet in C++ first. Do some tutorials and check out how to get simple output and such.

You just need a compiler (and an IDE helps for a beginner). You might like it enough to get some serious experience in it on your own, and there's no barrier to entry beyond a somewhat steep learning curve.

If you're on Windows, You should be able to get some version of Visual Studio Express or something for free to get started trying it out.

https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/products/visual-studio-express-vs.aspx

If you're on Mac, xcode is the equivalent.

Linux has tons of stuff available, but I haven't used an IDE in years (Vim, gdb, and simple makefiles are all I need), but I remember codeblocks being quite decent: http://www.codeblocks.org/

If you want to be making fun little things in C++, you can start immediately and get stuff going if you're dedicated. Could probably get some fun simple, 2D games up with SDL or SFML and C++ in only a few months of learning. I'm just saying that if your goal is specifically C++ and OpenGL, it's a very significant investment of time and effort to get to any useful point.

>>22823

>Visual Studio

Get the community edition not Express. I don't know the differences off the top of my head but something something Express is more crippled.

>>22823

>>22828

>>22829

Thanks for the tips, I've gotten to pointers in C++ so far and I've made a simple CMD server with SFML but I don't know anything about making a game from scratch. I'll look into a book I've downloaded.

>>22844

Why not work with Unity and use C#?

You get the IDE which handles so many organizational problems (loading and utilizing resources being one of the biggest) and can design levels visually.

Learning C# will basically mean you've learned C++ (though with some important differences).

And you'll actually stand a chance at finishing a game rather than spending all your time working on an engine. Of course, building your own engine is a great way to learn, if you can keep up your motivation despite the extreme difficulty (if you haven't coded much before). But I've been a programmer for over a decade and I still don't write shit from scratch. Yes, it's something I could do, but it's a pain in the ass and for the most part it's just not necessary at all.

One of the things they teach you in school as a programmer is to never reinvent the wheel if you can help it. There's no shame in reusing others' code (algorithms, libraries, engines, full studios, etc.). It's considered foolish to make again what's already been made. Though obviously, again, it can be a useful learning experience. But chances are that it will take you the next year to even get a proper handle on object-oriented design. Why not also spend that time making something, rather than "being hardcore" but making nothing new whatsoever?

i'm too retarded to get unity, all i can work with is any rpg maker.

but that's not game development is it?

>>22848

ofc it is!

Barkley was made in RPG Maker. And it's one of the best games of all-time. Barkley 2 is in GM.

You just have to fuck with it a bit so you don't get the same old shit that every teenager's put out for the last 10 years.

Please consider the following video

>>22861

Fuck is wrong with me today... Pic intended for post >>22844

>Learning C# will basically mean you've learned C++ (though with some important differences).

This is so wrong. There are no "some" important differences, there's a fuckton of MAJOR differences, like garbage collection or multiple inheritance.

>>22999 (checked)

Your friends sound like a bunch of faggots, and so do you. Still playing MW? Really? You couldn't find anything better than that?

I have some games that I still inexplicably continue to play after years and years, but I'm constantly, constantly playing new games, trying new things, and there a lot of people like me who are always itching for a new experience.

If you're not one of us, not to sound like a proper asshole, but I'm not really sure what business you have developing games anyhow. If you yourself don't actually like playing new games, why the fuck do you want to make one?

>>23001

I just like using the tools, man. And I want to create content for those games that I do like.

I like baking too, but shit man, there's only so many breads and cakes you can bake that go uneaten before you stop bothering

though ps

>UR NOT ONE OF US

kill urself my man

>>22995

tbh it sounds like your descriptions are just fucking stupid as shit

like the architect's version would be "It's a house with a wall cutting through the center, diagonally"

It's a description of what you're doing, but not a description of what it means to have done so

If you're just talking about what you're doing, the physical (digital) construction, obviously it'll sound exactly like some other game, because the mechanics themselves really aren't very complex. There's really not so much you can do in that realm without stepping all over work that's been done before. What's complex is the interaction between mechanics, and the players interaction with that system.

No one gives a shit if you put a diagonal wall in the house, because that doesn't have any particular value. But if you're exploring the interaction with space, forcing the inhabits to exist within a structurally deformed system, on one side the wall acting as a repulsive force, on the other a couch-substitute.. then you have an idea that might actually be worth exploring.

>>23005

>I like baking too, but shit man, there's only so many breads and cakes you can bake that go uneaten before you stop bothering

So, uh, how many games you've finished exactly?

>>23001

>If you yourself don't actually like playing new games, why the fuck do you want to make one?

How are these two ideas related

Unless you're actually thinking of "playing new games" as "any game that isn't old", which would be stupid as shit, then I don't see why you can't dislike modern games (which tends not to do much more than what was accomplished twenty years ago..), and still want to create a new game

>>23030

it's amazing that you typed all those words and managed to convey literally no information

>>23033

>w-wheres your game man, how dare u talk shit w/o being peter molyneux himself

my games are in the trash bin because I know people won't play them, because like I said, people are apparently already fine with pikmin and 2fort and don't want to play anything else.

>>23069

>my games are in the trash bin because I know people won't play them, because like I said, people are apparently already fine with pikmin and 2fort and don't want to play anything else.

Yeah, but we're saying you're being intentionally obtuse, because many of us play new stuff all the time. I'm always looking for the next great innovation.

My friends have also never been interested in the shit I've worked on. They think it's cool that I DO it, but they don't honestly give two shits about it. That's fine.

Don't fall into the trap of thinking you or your friends are the only people in the world. You're just not. Obviously there is a large chunk of people who are playing tons of new games. The demand isn't going down. But the market is getting saturated, so yeah, it's hard to stand out.

It's also easier than it's ever been before to make a decent game, though.

>>23073

>>23074

I try to at least get to a proof-of-concept stage before gabbing about my projects to friends. Just so I can immediately dispel any "but h-how are you even gonna do that man!?!?" by actually describing exactly how it works in some example thing I built.

And while you say "oh theyre not the only people in the world, fufufu" they are the people who are probably my best lines to greater audiences, being people who run game servers and can run my content, well-liked goons who can shill my products in Let's Play!, etc.

But they, much like the rest of the internet, only play new games that are either AAA releases, or are anime titty schlock like HuniePop or EBIN RETRO MUH FEELS RPGmaker trash like Undertale or Lisa.

>>23079

So you're saying that they're your best lines to greater audiences because they manage servers that could run your content or are LPers who could LP your content, but they would have no interest in actually running or LPing your content?

So in reality, they are not a line of any kind, but instead a dead end?

Not only are they not the only people in the world (fufufu) but they are pretty much useless in terms of opinions about any sort of game you'd be likely to create.

I don't go asking my friends about my sci-fi novel when they're all only interested in romance. I don't get bummed out because everyone I know likes romance, and those are books, and so my only perceived chance to publish a sci-fi novel is through one of my romance novel friends. It's a different audience. It just doesn't fucking matter, man.

>>23080

>So in reality, they are not a line of any kind, but instead a dead end?

literally yes, gg finally understanding my complaint that game dev is a dead end because no one wants to play shit unless you have a cult of personality/memes behind it (like undertale or CoC or w/e) or are making anime shovelware hoping SOMETHING pops off (like Neptunia or HuniePop)

>Not only are they not the only people in the world

they're not, but they're strikingly similar to many if not most other people in the world

>>23081

>game dev is a dead end because no one wants to play shit unless you have a cult of personality/memes behind it

So what? Making games solely for other people is awful, you should be making games that you love, even if they're never going to be the next Neptunia or Undertale. I mean, is it really so awful if your game only gets played by a couple dozen people? I'm afraid I don't understand why you're complaining, unless you're approaching game dev from the standpoint of "money = success".

>>23079

>But they, much like the rest of the internet, only play new games that are either AAA releases, or are anime titty schlock like HuniePop or EBIN RETRO MUH FEELS RPGmaker trash like Undertale or Lisa.

So if what you want to make is none of those, what is it you want to make?

lack of concept art to work off of.

>>23087

>"money = success"

that's not what I said at all but ok project all you want man

> is it really so awful if your game only gets played by a couple dozen people?

yes because it's a ton of effort that literally went nowhere when I could have just stopped at an earlier, more experimental stage and moved on to the next exciting thing instead of working 5ever to go gold with something

>>23097

>wheres your gam-- i mean, wheres your design document

shut thef

fuck up

>>23106

you can google similar places/things and use that, tons of people do it. even older AAA companies used to just get stock photos for early game concept stuff, since it's a waste to hire artists for things you're gonna change a hundred times in one meeting alone

like 90% of the Van Buren design doc's images are watermarked as being from stock photo sites, fact

>>23079

>But they, much like the rest of the internet, only play new games that are either AAA releases, or are anime titty schlock like HuniePop or EBIN RETRO MUH FEELS RPGmaker trash like Undertale or Lisa.

Oh no, it's popular, I don't think I can make a popular game (because a bunch of random people refused to play my non-existent game), then it must be actually a bad game!!11 Good thing I didn't make one of those!1

Is there really any point in talking to you?

>>23111

You have to admit that it's just pointless selfishness to put that much effort into something that literally no one (probably including yourself) will enjoy.

Like, if you're going to a party, and ask "hey should I bring a bottle of creme du menthe" and get told "no, we have real booze, skip that shit", are you still gonna go buy a bottle of shitty mint booze and be that huge pleb bringing creme du menthe to a party instead of something legit?

>>23108

yeah, I've been making do with google images so far. I just like to think I'd work quicker with more professional shit y'know?

For me, it's my lack of attention span. Very few things can keep my attention for extensive periods of time nowadays. I need to see some semblance of progress for me to persist. This is especially troublesome with coding, where if I hit a wall, I usually end up spending upwards of hours stuck against it.

>>23124

I was actually on an indie game startup (before kickstarter and the like got big, so this was actually a serious undertaking) and it literally failed solely because the resident Ideas Guy running the show spent all the money on concept art instead of, y'know, sitting down with the team and at least having a solid design document before running off and hiring concept artists for thousands of dollars to make like five images of generic sci-fi shit.

>>21678

I have ideas and I'm trying to learn to program. Can you teach me your programming ways and I'll share a few mechanics I have rolling around in my mind?

To everyone itt...

Where's Your Game?

>have the core game

>learning to use engines

>story isn't needed for this game but I'm a ghost writer as a real job so ain't a problem if necessary

>don't know where to start with music

>have no fucking clue about art

Hey, maybe I will find some good anon on /Mu/ or /draw/

I have been doing 3D art for years, but I have no programming skills and no matter how many classes or guides I attempt, it just goes straight over my head. I have so many concepts for games or mechanics in my head, but I have no idea how to put it into code.

Truth be told, I would rather have a partnership with a programmer rather than coding myself, as I always worked better in a team.

>>23294

Realistic or stylized? High or low poly? Do you do level design?

What about the themes? Science fiction? Fantasy? Modern military? Something else?

I haven't started yet but I have plenty of __Ideas__ for games.

Currently learning Lua and will move to Love when I cement my skills.

I can draw well enough to make sprites and can compose a tune or two when the need arises, what interests me is the whole development thing.

I keep getting distracted by pictures of cats on the internet.

I suck at art.

>>21421

My biggest problem is the engines I use, I used to use flash but couldn't hang in when AS3 came through.

and after thinking I was something other than a game dev for a few years I came back and still can't program.

I even used Stencyl and that shit is giving me problems too!

Languages for multi-faceted projects are a pain.

Go is nice but shit for games so I have to mix in C, also GC and runtime shit.

C is simple but the standard library is ass.

C++ is C+Java, standard library is still shitty.

D is nice but... I don't think it's ever been used for games. Hmm. Anyone have experience with D? It seems to be between C and Go in speed. A less cancer C++

Rust - lol Mozilla no

>>23886

>C++ is C+Java

No. C++ predates Java, and has little in common.

C++ is C with classes, incredibly strict typing, and a big focus on metaprogramming as part of the language standard instead of as a preprocessor. On a linker level, C++ is incredibly different, with name mangling and namespaces and such.

> Standard library is still shitty

Not since C++11 and C++14. The standard library is fucking great now, as long as you're not expecting to be able to do windowing or graphics rendering directly in it, or something stupidly platform-specific like that.

>>23886

I should have read your entire post before responding.

>D is nice but... I don't think it's ever been used for games. Hmm. Anyone have experience with D? It seems to be between C and Go in speed. A less cancer C++

I've used a bunch of D in the past, but it's been a few years. I did a few commercial projects in it, and programmed a light-weight CGI framework that I used to develop some production websites for clients.

D is cool, but there are the following issues:

- Garbage Collection is shit. You can technically turn it off, but that will break pretty much every major library you might want to use.

- It's also shitty that the reference implementation has a closed-source backend.

- The most annoying thing for me with D was that there is no "standard library". The community-accepted standard library is Phobos, but that's a recent decision, and not enforced by the D standard.

- I dislike that `class` and `struct` are the same thing, except `class` is heap and `struct` is stack. `class` is garbage collected, struct is scope-destroyed (being stack). `class` may be inherited, and `struct` can't. `class` is passed by reference, `struct` is passed by value. `struct`'s destructor running is guaranteed, whereas `class` may or may not ever run its destructor, based on garbage-collection. It's a dumb distinction in my mind, and I think it's stupid that location of storage is determined by the type itself instead of the code that uses it.

- Properties are stupid. If a function is executed, it should have function call syntax. I'm not saving any time nor am I making the code more readable by omitting a single pair of parentheses.

- The reference implementation (dmd) is shitty and slow, and produces slow code. The alternate implementations (gdc and ldc, namely) are way better, but also unstable and less-reliable.

- 3 constness specifiers: const, final, and invariant. Dancing around constness while programming in D can be a serious pain in the ass, especially with transitive constness (in D, a const pointer to int is a const pointer to a const int), and the fact that you can't assign a non-const value to an immutable value without making a duplicate.

- Tons of extra power makes compiling D code really fucking slow.

[cont...]

>>23886

>>23905

[...cont]

The positives are nice:

+ Natively-compiled, and way faster than most non-compiled languages, even beating the shit out of Java and C# in speed.

+ Real fucking module system.

+ Compiled language with a defined ABI, so all libraries will work with all compilers

+ Real shared library support. For some reason, so many new compiled languages (like Go and Rust) make it either impossible or shitty to make a dynamic library.

+ Metaprogramming is done in the same syntax as the main language. No shitty separate template language for code generation. You can make most computations that can be evaluated at compile time forced with a single static keyword (like turning an if (...) into static if (...)).

+ Multiple implementations mean extra choice, and give the advantages of a mature existing codebase like GCC and LLVM.

+ Garbage collection can be nice if you want it, though it should have been opt-in, instead of the reverse.

+ Doesn't fuck around with being backwards-compatible to a previous language, so there are no retarded out-of-place things like C++ enum scoping.

+ Can easily interface with existing C and even C++ code (though the C++ linkage is shaky at best)

The biggest language feature, in my mind:

+ Arrays (and strings, which are immutable arrays of char) have extra data at a language level. In D, arrays can be implemented as either a start pointer and an end pointer, or a start pointer and a length, so any array or string operations that need to take length into consideration are instant, and strings can have embedded nulls at a language level without issues. The language features to easily manage, concatenate, search, etc. arrays is pretty much unprecedented in a compiled language. It's also trivial to split an array/string into substrings without using any extra storage or copying, beyond a single 8 to 16-byte structure (though this feature doesn't work without garbage collection, unfortunately). C++ has better strings as well, but it doesn't go the extra distance of improving the definition of an Array itself. The way D did it makes it actually unnecessary to have a native string type.

I don't think I'd call it a "less cancer C++", and not just because I really do like C++. I'd call it a "different C++". It's got so many advantages over C++, but also so many weaknesses. It's like a marriage between C++ and Java.

I love the idea of D, but I do wish the community had more C++ influence and less Java influence. I'd love it more if it was actually a better C++, with all the shit removed and without unnecessary C compatibility, and not what it is, which is C++ melded with Java.

If D was more stable, gave the fuck up on DMD and just made GDC or LDC the reference implementation, had a written language standard instead of just a language implementation, and enforced better compatibility for running without a garbage collector on libraries, I'd probably use it at least as much as I use C++. As it is, I don't know if D will ever be fully production-quality.

There have been a couple video games made in D: http://wiki.dlang.org/Current_D_Use#Video_games

>>23906

Guys from OpenMW were using D at the start but then have rewritten everything in C++

I can't recall why though, probably because a lot of people wanted to contribute but didn't want to go extra mile learning D.

>>23923

OpenMW started 2008. D was introduced 2007.

My guess is that it was that people didn't know D and also because D was an immature, unstable, and virtually unusable language still in its infancy. D was still iffy for actual production use when I was using it some years ago (though that was during the Phobus vs Tango fiasco), so I can only imagine how unusable it was in 2008.

>>21421

I hardly know anything about tech, coding, art, and all the other necessities of creating a game. I also haven't looked at much resources. The biggest problems are lack of time, patience, health, attention span, and frame of mind to sit down and read guides on the internet. Also a newfag with mental disabilities and depression.

>>21809

I am going through the same thing now. How do some of you deal with it?

I work on what a toaster would consider a toaster (I have to program on an old version of code blocks and most libraries won't run) and can't get a computer until next year because low income.And my art skills are deviant art tier. However programming is easy, and I can't get into the trickier parts of the game for the reasons already mentioned.

fear of failure leading to indecisiveness at key points meaning I can't go with A or B, and rather than make the 'wrong' choice I'd rather just never make a choice.

Also I get distracted easily and ADD meds suck.

>>23970

Hello /monster/

>>21421

Where to start.

>>24563

Start by assessing what you can do and what you want to achieve.

>>23996

>And my art skills are deviant art tier.

Dust: An Elysian Tail made enough money for the dev to live comfortably and make video games full time, and his art is LITERALLY DeviantART yes I know he did the art for Jazz Jackrabbit 2, but come on, have you SEEN Jazz Jackrabbit's art? Not batting a thousand.

1. I'm finishing my bachelors in computer science and am about to jump into a masters and then possibly a doctorate in artificial intelligence.

2. I have not found any motivated folks to work in a group with, and am having a hard time working on a project completely by myself.

3. In about a year and a half the money set aside for my college will run out and I'm actively seeking out tech-related side jobs to push that date back further or be able to support myself.

I'm tired all the time.

Today I tried to nap and got shivers and got a blanket and the maid was making noise and I moved outside to the net and my dog was barking.

So I ate some icecream with chocolate. But it was too few.

Such is the life of a nodev.

Also I'm trying to read a book callled Game Programming Patterns, but so far it's only talked about C++ optimization shit, like, I'm using JavaScript, what do I care about linked lists? C'mon.

And before that I was trying to modularize my code, separate it into spells/npcs/maps modules, but then I got such lazy willpower and tried to think up other things to do.

I dunno, it's just how my mind works. Can't focus. Someday I'm getting some of those smart pills and dev like no tomorrow, but my psychiatrist is being a close-fisted bitch, setting all kinds of requirements, like staying on an anti-convulsant for weeks, like what the fuck?!

>>22849

>Spreading misinformation about Barkley. Come on now mate, you should know it was made with gamemaker.

If I get hung up on a problem I usually grind my head on it until I'm wore out and lose interest. I am also bad at planning out what I want my games to do.

I did some stuff and felt motivated.

Then I jerked off and now I don't feel like doing anything but drinking and sleeping.

I think the main benefit of working at an office/library/coffee shop is that you can't jerk off in front of everyone and waste all of your precious dopamine.

I should get out more.

>>24794

Oh wow, dude looks like Chris-Chan, except I guess he's managed to channel his autism to something worthwhile.

>>24794

He's an animator of some sort, characters from Dust look like animation frames from Jazz Jackrabbit 2 (I'm pretty sure he did those too), stripped of all details. Which looks okay in movement but borderline abysmal when the image is completely static.

I only know code (and not that well) and story/writing, and the games I want to make are all RPGs which are impossible for a single person.

I could learn music and art but that would take years, and then I'd be that many years older. The actual construction of the game would then take more years... you get the picture.

>>21682

kek

scope

i can't come up with ideas that fit within my abilities in both programming and art. so i'm stuck in an endless cycle of just getting better at both.

for example, say i want to make a 3D platformer (basic run and jump, item collection, enemies). i can make the character model fine, i can get it in a game with the camera moving, i can even build some 3D assets for a level and maybe an enemy or two, then realize how big this project is and get discouraged.

from there i decide to make the game smaller and see that it isn't fun. and this happens over and over.

i need to get better at shrinking games down to their core mechanics somehow while keeping them fun and simple enough for me to stay motivated. this is the hardest thing for me more than actually building a game

My job is such a nightmare that when I get home I want to kill myself, and it kills every motivation that I have for my game, which no one cares about anyway.

I'm a perfectionist and I recently realized that everything they told us about OOP only works for incredibly trivial systems. Having bad code triggers me very much, but I don't see another way to structure shit without switching to another paradigm. That's why I'm looking at FRP now.

>>24908

fucking quit your job then.

>>24963

alone* fuk

I've been posting on half-chan and it saps my will to work to see that the indie game making ~community~ is such poisonous dogshit. It doesn't help that the people around me who I talk to about making games (or just content for games) or ever show my work to behave in basically the same way. I used to enjoy making stuff, but now, opening the tools just reminds me of all the bullying I'm going to get if I show anyone anything I do.

>>24979

I won't bully you anon, sorry to hear about that ;_;

I am sure if you think hard about the games you want to make, you can get to good places.

Don't go much on half-chan a lot anymore, what threads/boards they have on game developing? Are they worth the time to read and learn?

Lack of skill, mostly, in every single aspect of development.

Whether it be music, art, storytelling or mechanics, I'm not really good at anything, and I'm too fucking lazy to get good. Occasionally I'll try, but then fail and give up.

Hell, I already gave up on coding and decided to go with fucking Game Maker, but everything else is equally shit so far.

Worst part? I know I can do it.

I've made what I think is decent music, but I can't replicate it anymore. Haven't made anything remotely decent in a few months.

I've drawn decent sprites of characters, but I can't do that anymore either. Just looks like shit now.

I have an interesting concept for a story, but whenever I start writing it down, it ends up being shit.

Doesn't help, of course, that I'm a fucking pussy and afraid of putting shit out there. I hate myself enough as it is, and people rightfully criticizing my content would hurt, like it always has.

I just need to stop being a fucking pussy, get off my ass and just, like, make game.

/blog

Right now, it's trying to get the Unreal Engine to work on Linux Mint.

I'm an artist, I mostly work in 2D and I'm good with character design.

I am also a writer, I write stories and plots for comics, books and other shit.

Sadly, I suck balls at everything else.

I can't do 3D modelling, music, code or anything important.

I'm an artist, I mostly work in 2D and I'm good with character design.

I am also a writer, I write stories and plots for comics, books and other shit.

Sadly, I suck balls at everything else.

I can't do 3D modelling, music, code or anything important.

I'm an artist, I mostly work in 2D and I'm good with character design.

I am also a writer, I write stories and plots for comics, books and other shit.

Sadly, I suck balls at everything else.

I can't do 3D modelling, music, code or anything important.

HOTWHEELS FIX YOUR SHIT

I can't decide where or how I want to start. I've got so many ideas cooking in my brain, but every time I start seriously thinking about pursuing them I start to doubt if I could even do it, and suddenly what seems like a simple starter project becomes a monumentally impossible task. I mean, the easiest idea I have is a nice-looking Pong clone, but even then I see all the little things that I haven't even begun to think about, and when I start to consider them my head starts swimming and I chicken out of doing anything productive.

I have no idea how to get around this. I know the general advice is to break everything down into smaller portions, but I'm the kind of guy who can't do that because when I try to work on something individually I still feel the weight of the other hundred things I need to do pressing down on me and I freeze.

Combine that with a genuine lack of knowledge in any area other than ideaguying, and I'm stuck dreaming about games I want to make with nothing to show for them.

A few things

>no knowledge, the only "experience" I have is making a shitty tf2 map

>trying to code has given me severe headaches every time I tried

>I probably would have to work with someone else to finish my game, and I hate working with other people.

That last one is probably the biggest reason.

>>24543

also I willingly acknowledge that I am a crappy programmer

I'd rather work with someone who likes to program but sucks at being creative than be stuck as one person trying to do both.

My mind cracked in college. I used to make small games that were more of programming exercises. Now I can't settle for any kind of dev tool. I used to use gamemaker, and I would love to make something with c++, but whatever tool I look at either has too many bells and whistles or not enough. I'm currently avoiding gamemaker because I need to register an account for the free version, which goes against my religion.

>>25155

I can relate, I start by making a checklist but get overwhelmed just by all of the things that I have to add to the list. I recommend this podcast I heard recently. It's called Setting and Achieving Goals and it's in two parts.

http://schoolsucksproject.com/podcast-401/

http://schoolsucksproject.com/podcast-402-setting-and-achieving-goals-2-of-2-ten-tips-for-success-in-2016/

They cover self defeating attitudes and the feeling of being overwhelmed. I think it could really help people struggling to complete goals.

Also, nice dubs

>>25198

>I used to make small games that were more of programming exercises. Now I can't settle for any kind of dev tool.

Yeah... Been there too. Just pick anything. Don't be like me.

I started making my own engine. Then started making my own portable multimedia application development environment. Then I started making my own language. The language features need OS level hardware tricks to guarantee security and speed... so I started to make my own kernel driver for Win & Lin. The language would be a "device" that compiles and runs virtual machine image files, sort of like how game carts work. I ran into some bullshit that Linux let me do but windows threw wrenches at me (generating code signing certs -- they want a fucking thousand dollars for each executable my driver generates!) That won't work for end users... So, then started building my own portable operating system. It can run as an application inside Linux or Windows, or be installed on the hardware directly. I was going to do this by bundling an emulator, but holy shit ARM and x86 are crap to emulate, and since I'm doing a virtual machine anyway, I created my own chipset. I'm implementing the chip using VHDL, so the chipset could be made into real chips. However, the VM for applications is coded in x86 and ARM assembly, and its bytecode can be compiled to native code to run programs directly on the metal (bytecode + Ahead of Time compilation).

The first iteration of the chipset was a success, but I figured out a few ways my design decisions hindered speed, so I can make it much faster on bare metal while keeping the memory protection guarantees in application mode without too much overhead. The instruction set is made more complex in that it needs to be translatable to ARM and x86[-64], and the VM runtime has a new form of incremental garbage collector that leverages segmented address modes.

I'll probably be able to make some text based games after the next revision of the chipset has been implemented and bugs worked out. But before games I have to program an assembler in machine code.

Good thing I'm not doing this for a living.

I really do want to make a game, but now I also want to build my own language / chipset / VM / [dis]assembler / debugger / high level language specifically for games.

What's holding me back is a bad case of enginitis. I actually do have a game design that utilizes the new features of the subsystems to achieve game mechanics that wouldn't be possible otherwise... but I could totally just like make games on existing platforms, if I had the self control.

Every time I put the project down to JLMG, I end up thinking:

> Oh man, if only I could use [cool feature in my language] here it would make this so much nicer.

Then I end up working on The Monolith again.

Take my advice. Settle on anything and start learning it by making tetris or space invaders. Don't catch enginitis. You might not ever just like make a game if you get a bad enough infection.

>>25264

that post sounds so ridiculous that I'm considering it's fake, surely no one would go through so much engine after engine making to not make something at all with it

>get bullied by /agdg/

>"well it's just 4chan, whatever"

>get bullied by my friends

>"well they're just weird gmod nerds, whatever"

>get bullied by 8ch

>"well they're just random internet people, whatever"

>get bullied by randoms I meet in pubs

>"well they're just random internet people, whatever"

>realize that there is no one who won't bully me, no matter what I do

why bother? game dev is a consumer-oriented field. clearly, nothing I ever do will ever be good enough. why bother?

>>25362

That can mean one of 3 things:

1. you're an obnoxious cunt

2. you think critique is bullying

3. you get triggered easier than a landwhale from tumblr

>>25362

>"If it smells like shit everywhere you go, maybe it's time to check under your own shoes."

>>25266

Honestly, this all sounds badass to me, I wish I had the tinkerer mindset and not my stupid philosopher's one.

Why go solo though? Why not contribute to something open source?

>>25362

Fuck them, do it for yourself. Hold yourself to your own standard, make the games YOU want to play or YOU want to make. Fuck pleasing anyone else.

>>25266

Are those scanlines in a screencap?

>>21421

Because the central mechanic to the game I want to make is really complex procedural generation that I'm really not sure how to go about. As far as I know, the type of shit I want to do hasn't been done yet, because I have looked EVERYWHERE to find some kind of info about it.

I can do the rest pretty easily, though.

>>24979

Do you make 2D side-scrolling platformers?

>>21456

You could try http://opengameart.org/ for art and music (I would say especially for music, so as to give your game a distinct look, but I am sort of a visual person so I might be biased... (furthermore, I'm sure there's plenty of unused art on there))

I'm not sure, but it might be a terrible idea to try making indie videogames for money unless you are the Christ or something; you might end up making well below minimum wage. Do a little math guesstimation.

>>21430

>i have a great song in my head, but on paper...

If it helps anon, what I do is record myself whistling and beatboxing all the parts of the song and then use those to get the right notes on paper (as in: 1. whistle 2. try note 3.works? Yes, next note/ No, lets try another one)

What is the easiest way to learn DirectX? I use a windows box with visual studio community 2015.

>>25401

You are my hero, man. Keep this shit up. There is no reason for shit to be as sloppy as it is today, I mean none. How many times do we have to patch broken shit before we throw it out, start out from scratch, and keep the end goals of efficiency, usability, and security in mind?

I can't learn anything sufficiently enough.

I can't code, but can kinda understand it when reading it.

I can't art, but i've been learning quite a bit of photoshop over the past few years.

I can't model/animate/rig/etc, but I can kinda make basic shapes and forms in blender.

I can't sound design, don't even know where to begin with that.

I can't make music, I followed a tutorial for famitracker but can't even make basic cover songs. Also I don't have proper audio equipment for recording instruments that I don't own and don't know how to play.

I can't make levels, at least not proper ones. This is because modern visual design in games has shifted towards saturating the level with models that I wouldn't be able to make.

I've tried Unreal (3 and 4), Unity (4 and 5), CryEngine (2? 3? I don't remember), and Source (1).

I've been meaning to try out Lumberyard and maybe Game Maker for shits and giggles.

The only thing that marginally clicked with me was Hammer tutorials, but I feel like that was because I had a lot of friends to turn to that knew how to help me with my problems. Self teaching is the worst shit, that's not at all how I learn anything.

I feel like if I were to get good at any of this stuff, I'd need a mentor or a teacher or just someone willing to put up with me until I can take off the training wheels and just experiment with my knowledge.

Other than that, I'm an ideas guy trying to find a way to stop being an ideas guy.

>>25401

You are one of the rare individuals that have broken free of the C cult. C is garbage in the modern world and should have been retired decades ago. By the way, is your name Terry?

I can't make music and I can't get a simple idea, I always end up going overboard and getting discouraged.

>>25451

Know how you feel there, when you don't even include school/work getting into your free time, there are so much stuff to learn about coding and gamedev that you are just not sure how to pick one to start with. I will be doing an intro to programming class next week, hopefully it will help me understand the very basics and I can then write some simple software.

>>21433

Looking for a music guy. Needs to be dark, foreboding, etc. Think you can help? I've got programming down and I've got an art guy. Interested?

>>25548

Well I forgot to look at timestamps. Shit.

>>25546

What would you reccomend for someone trying to learn OSDev? Like where to start. Also you are doing gods work, like a true wizard.

>>25505

I use Kevin Macleod music in my games. His music sounds great when used right.

>>25511

I would totally do that but I'm NEET. I have all the time in the world to self teach but i'm cursed with having a completely incompatible learning style.

>>25584

>just like, make game

A good starting point for learning programming is to just fuck around with code. Go into a game engine and make pong or some shit. Its easy and fast to learn if you have fun with it.

>>25546

How would you learn OS development? Should I start learning how to write a compiler / JIT compiler first? Do you have any recommendations for books?

Also, can you accomplish your OS goals with ARM?

>>25597

I don't have that much knowledge of code.

>>25608

Its basic logic. The trick to code is figuring out the absolute basic properties of your problem. Just choose a engine like unreal and use the blueprint system or go into a visual programing ide like Alice and start from there.

Because first I need to start making money with art, since it's the only skill I'm remotely decent in. I started drawing because it's useful for game development, so I'm not really wasting my time.

I've been reading about Unity a bit, too, lately, I'm hoping to start making tons of tiny projects in it soon-ish.

I should probably get into music composing, too, since I have a shitload of free time these days, but I spend most of the time worrying about not drawing enough.

>>21421

I can't program. I can't draw. I can't compose music.

>>26986

ideaguy@tutanota.com

I was plagued by severe hyperphantasia first half of my life, still able to spin shit from thin air, can do some art but can't code beyond basic bitch hello world.

Email me and write what you do want to work on. Themes, genres, anything you can think of. I work good with feedback so it'd be optimal if you're as much into the subject as me.

>>26987

PS Hope tutanota doesn't block my goddamn indbox. Tryhard technicool email services.

>>21421

I'm mainly a writer and coding scares the shit out of me. I can't draw very well plus I have no idea how the fuck people make pixel art. I've got no idea at all how to make music even though I can think up amazing songs in my head.

I'm lacking skill and there's so much to learn, it's super discouraging. It's mainly programming, I don't want to do that shit at all but I know I have to learn it.

>>27012

There's a roguelike engine though, I think librogue or something like that.

Would cut your work in half, and TOME was made in it last I checked.

I can program, model, and I could do music if I really had to, but I can't develop an idea to save my life. I have the same problem with creative writing: I can imagine characters, personalities, appearances, give them backstories, build a setting, but I can't make them /do/ anything. I can't come up with a present struggle for anyone, and I can't come up with any sort of game I'd actually like to make.

>>27010

My kindred spirit, I am primarily a writer myself and I've found the most success with Python, because it's the only language I've tried that I actually understand from a basic syntax point of view. Coupled with Godot or pygame (or Blender engine if you're loony enough), I know you can do it.

>>27046

I wouldn't reccomend gamemaker, it's gonna die any time now.

Jump shit before you fuck yourself over.

>>27035

i'm trying to learn python+libtcod, making beginner progress. the algorithms for dungeon generating scare the shit out of me though.

java+squidlib might be worth a try

>>27047

Care to elaborate? I'm not seeing any evidence of that.

>>27059

http://www.vg-resource.com/thread-29054-post-613447.html#pid613447

>>24985

Gamemaker is only good to make very simple games and it's buggy as fuck. If I made games with it as a lazy and stupid kid than it's never gona be that good. You will always feel like you will never get somewhere with it.

>>27080

> You will always feel like you will never get somewhere with it.

What do you mean?

>>27081

I mean that it's full of bugs that you unnecesarily have to fix. Look at undertale if you press 2 keys at the same time while against the wall the character sprite goes fucking nuts. You work on a code for like a day and it always turns buggy even if it is correct. I guess if you get sorta good at it and look up enough guides for assistance it may work well enough but still it's really buggy.

>>27082

Game maker has bugs like any other engine I get that but untertale's 2 key bug is completely related to what toby coded, you can come up with some weird shit when you create a small bug by yourself. Game maker doesn't know what a wall is and won't do anything when you press 2 keys unless you make it too, so he fucked up somewhee.

I coded quite a bit in gamemaker and when it did turn buggy it was 90% my fault. I am assuming you are a bit new to the engine but don't let that get you down, it's actually very useful once you get used to it.

>>27084

>New to the engine

No I used it as a kid and even so I would ask on fora what I did wrong but they ould just explain that it was mostly how game maker cannot handle too much strings of code and how I just would spend days long coding just to fail because gamemaker can't handle too much codes and no it wasn't even that bad it just coudln't handle shit and yes there were ways to go around it ofcourse it was still really sketchy. I mean it could work out for you but assuming you're an adult I would suggest using a different program even though I am sort of a noob at Unity it seems to have possibilities in bulk compared to GM. I'm not saying it's specifically a bad program I'm just saying you might struggle with it even though it may still be a competent program it lacks certain possibilities.

>>27085

Dude, you aren't making any sense. You say that game maker can't handle too many strings of code and that's really vague. What do you even mean by this, it can't handle a lot of scripts? You are wrong. I only script in GM, never use drag and drop and trust me that I used a shitload of scripts and a lot of things need to happen in my game every frame.

I understand you are saying that is not bad, and I also realize Unity is way more powerful and I will try to use it at some point. But I'm just saying that you are being really vague with the code examples. And I personally used a lot of scripts and I know it doesn't have problems with loading them.

>>27089

Yeah I may have been unclear I'm not very focused today a little sick.

There definately were errors when using too much script though just saying that it was a bit buggy at times.

I mean whatever you feel comfortable with as long as you make good games and stuff.

>>27046

This is exactly the way I feel.

I've been wanting to make games for a while now, but I never had any idea of where to start. Nowadays I know I wouldn't really want to do it as a full time job (sounds really miserable) but with the recent surge of games mostly made by self taught amateurs I do feel an urge to make something on the side. My issue is that I'm in a shitty tech job that's totally unrelated to anything resembling game design, so it really would be amateur attempt. Hearing gamemaker is shit is a shame, not sure what I should work with to make a 2D game.

>>27095

>not sure what I should work with to make a 2D game.

Love2d/Godot

>>21703

Same here, mate. Commute transportations wastes 4 hours each day, leaving like 2-3 hours to do all else.

Also drawing sprites slowly. Also RL.

I really don't know where to start. do I just jump into an engine and get working or what? I only very little of python and java but I had just picked up a C++ book and started that.

Nothing's actually holding me back today OP, although my progress seems excruciatingly slow sometimes.

In the past, it was primarily ignorance of technicalities on my part: Not just magically understanding how build systems and toolchains worked, or library usage, or creating assets, or, or, or...

Slowly and surely I climbed out of that pit of ignorance and now I can at least work on slowly implementing my ideas, and not just basic gruntwork.

Good thread btw.

>>27096

It's probably parented (or 'padded') to another grouping anon. If that's Maya, check the outliner window and you'll be able to tell at a glance. If so, try breaking the parent connection and see if the behavior changes.

The fact that I can't open these damn .kar files.

>>27070

Anon, thats online content. anything you create offline is safe.

>>27080

stop talking shit anon. game make is just fine.

I've thought a lot about this and I guess the main reason is that making a game (by one person alone) is simply a bad choice. It might be fun, it might be fulfilling but at the end it's just a bad way to invest time. It takes a huge amount of time. This alone isn't necessarily bad. However considering that chances of actually succeeding (it being recognized/liked/sold) are very low (not because lack of skills but because games with much bigger budgets/teams failed) it makes it a foolish endeavor.

Reality is simply that "making a game" is simply no thing to do just like you don't "make a movie" with only yourself. Unless the game is a very simple game a game is made by a variety of specialists and one or two lead designers who put all the things together.

So in order to force myself to work on it I have to distract myself from thinking about how foolish every step I take actually is and just think about that finished game and how great it will be. And not only that I also have to distract myself from all those reasonable, healthy, profitable choices I have to invest time. I continue for no other reason than having it finished.

>>21421

>howto GL

Minimize drawcalls. Theres many talks on how to do good batching. But honestly a lot of it should be intuitive.

If you are using legacy GL then go murder whomever told you it was okay.

>>22704

My brother we share many qualities

I have a low opinion of QT though. Its bulky as hell, and I infinitely prefer either HTML or ad hoc for UI

I'm a proud dropout myself, managed to land a job at a prestigious company for 10 months. I recently walk-out-resigned because anxiety attacks. But I have 4-7 months of savings, so I can not give a fuck about money for awhile. Still not enough time to finish my game.

The big thing that fucks me up with gamedev is I get overly ambitious with every feature. I can never concentrate on something until completion before getting distracted by another feature.

Or if I try to do a rough naive impl of a feature and go broad, then I get stuck architecture astronauting.

I got into computer programming because I wanted to know how games work.

I had note books I'd fill with ideas on games, and drawings, but now that I have the skills the ideas are gone.

I stopped enjoying games because I'd rather think about how they work more than playing them.

(implementation anxiety -- programmer's monkey see monkey do, i.e. suicide)

I can't think of anything that would be fun, because I don't have fun.

The only reason I'm considering getting back into gamedev is because interactive graphics impress normies (employers) more than pure algorithms and computer stuff (last project was compiler)

I'd like a job, but don't want burn my eyes out for Sanjay writing useless software in the C#/SQL/JAVA/PHP/FULLSTACK/BALLSACK all day.

I'd rather work with engineers, physicists, math guy or something, but I'm not AMPL enough and I'm pretty fucking degenerate.

I wish I had my old hard-drives. It would remind me that I once had passion for this.

>>27545

>interactive graphics

>work with engineers, physicists, math guy or something

A defense industry contractor is where you want to be

>can't draw with a mouse

>can't make sound

art and drive, mostly the latter.

however I am at this point heavily editing sprites to fit a concept I'm working on.

think Hotline Miami but if you could stop time, slow time, and 'skip' time.

oh and throwing knives, claymore, c4, revolver, and maybe a wormhole gun.

You'd work for the PD dealing with a extra planar terrorist organization that turns out to be a bunch of nihilistic humans who came from different lost places in history.

As in Atlantis, maybe like five Egyptians, a bunch of fags from that one town in Maryland that disappeared, the fuckers behind the Green Children or whatever they were...

Being that my expertise is shifting away from computer science and more towards astrophysics and math, I'm finding that the universe demands more attention than my incomplete project.

I guess you could say that I'm out of time

>>27645

Have you tried any of the other VN engines like KiriKiri or Novelty? They might give you the control you're looking for.

>>27645

I would just code it in game maker if I were you, spend like one or two months making a solid VN engine in it and you're set. Better than doing it from scratch or being limited by other engines. There are way more complex projects out there so a VN should be easier.

>>27648

>The problem is, I barely know code as it is.

>My crowning moment is making Asteroids in GM without any drag-and-drops.

Follow Shaun Spalding's tutorials on GML and never ever use drag and drop except for adding a script when something happens (duh).

Drag and drop is absolute shit and GML will give you a lot of freedom. Try programming asteroids in gml.

>>27645

Are you serious?

Download and learn Ren'Py today. It is the engine of your dreams.

http://renpy.org/

I did it and never looked back. Forget everything else. I tried everything else for you so you wouldn't have to. And it was shit.

Btw I am not a coder, merely an artist. I can confirm that using Ren'Py is game development in easy mode. And the results are absolutely fantastic.

Lack of knoledge, school, lack of work ethic because I'd rather be lurking on here.

The usual.

>>27690

The skill doesn't come from a void. People learn because they really love doing it and they just do it, not read tutorials and post in 8chan and anything besides actually doing the thing.

>>27690

>Where did they learn all that stuff?

Most of the games here are shit made by reskinning game maker tutorials. It's not that impressive.

I'm shit at modelling and texture work.

>>27096

Give me the .blend, and I'll fix that shit.

I don't know how you fucked up yet, but I sure as hell know how to fix it once I get a look.

>>27714

> I'm not able to make a game engine in C++/OpenGL

Try SFML, it's built on openGL and it's quite clean. You can always add openGL later on.

>I don't know all the concepts around game engines

>where do other people get the info I seek?

Program until you get good. there isn't a magic trick for doing a game engine. The best tip you can get is: "make a game not a game engine". If you're lost and have no idea, just structure your game in 3 function: event(), update() and draw(). event for the keyboard stuff, update for updating the current state of the game(physic, animation, the weird piece of crap falling from the sky, etc) and draw, well, for drawing every sprite. Go on youtube and write alot of bullshit like "making c++ game progress/tutorial" and look how people did their code. Get a book on the subject(game programming gem). Also, do some math,...linear algebra, do alot of it. Most of the thing I wrote is probably thing you know.

> Should I wait until I finish college?

no

>I want to make games and I want to do it now

just do it, make that fucking RPG/platformer right now

>>27714

> I don't know all the concepts around game engines

What "concepts" are you looking for?

There's no one set way to do things, otherwise it would be completely pointless to make your own engine.

The only real thing that most games have in common is the game tick, and you could probably even do without it in the case of turn-based roguelikes for example.

>>27690

>>27693

Programming is pretty innate. The skills that make a good programmer are ways of thinking that aren't very trainable. You're either good or you're not.

You can learn whatever interfaces and even be a qualified expert at them, but still write shit code.

>>27745

>"You're either good or you're not."

>it is impossible to train someone on a piece of machinery like a computer

kys my man

There's no fucking FOSS turn based rpg it seems, and I get too scared over making something from scratch since I know I'll have to rework it a thousand times.

Shoot me

I specialize in 3D Animation so I got nothing really. I'm still trying to find a job but most companies out there want people with 5 years of experience or if it's an internship they want them to still be in school.

>>27746

>learning algorithmic creativity is the same thing as learning to use a GUI

I see you're the latter

Two things, lack of art ability and lack of health. I plan to get a good chunk of my game done and then look for an artist (or two, if my friend that can do sprite art falls through, but I'll need a portrait artist either way). I figure if I use my own money to pay for some commissions, and I have enough of a game done to start doing early promotions as soon as I put art into it, it'll help with recruiting.

There's not much I can do about my shitty health, but I pretty much work on my game whenever I'm up for it.

What's probably keeping me from starting what would most likely remain a personal project anyway is this feeling that I can't make something that isn't already out there in some form. I'm interested in making one of those autistic factory/logistics management sorts of games. I really enjoy Factorio and mostly enjoy Fortresscraft despite its various issues and absolutely autistic cunt of a dev, and I think that Farlight Explorers is the most like what I picture in my head for my game, but I can't shake the feeling that just taking pieces of other games and making my own "supergame" out of them is something a useless ideaguy would do.

Besides that, I can't art or music but that doesn't bother me terribly. I know I can learn Unreal or Unity, or some other thing.

>>27746

It's generally understood by anyone actually involved in computer sciences that the best programmers straight up love doing it. I've seen a few people that did muscle their way through the learning process but they never compared to those that already possessed the thought processes that suited the work.

The amount of time required to create all the content. It's really a two or more man job unless you wanna spend a year on it to make it good.

Optimal team in my eyes:

>1 programmer

>1 graphic artist, spriter & modeler

>1 audio guy, sound effect & music creation

All of them can work together on the story if your game has one.

Time and focus. Between work and family, even when I do find time, I just find myself zoning out in front of my computer. Like now

>>21421

Just programmed for fun for the first time in years and I think it'll turn into a game.

In short: absolutely nothing.

>what's holding you back?

Other than time? I'm such a nodev I can't even code Javascript, how's that?

>>28064

>syntax errors and variable typos

Just use a proper IDE? autocomplete and autofix