I'm starting to approach the idea of developing my own game. But before I do so, I wanted to break down the steps needed start getting into development.
Not the actual development of a game, but how to get to the stage where you are ready to develop.
As this site doesn't seem to have a guide, I'm writing my own and asking for feedback to see if I'm even on the right path in the first place. These steps can likely be switched around, but I wanted to ensure the basics are all there (and to get some further suggestions before I actually proceed).
1) Play a variety of games.
See what other people are doing, learn from it. Check out their writing, their graphics and their code. Find out what they are doing right and wrong.
2) Write your story.
The basis of any game is a good story. You can change story details later, but this will help you flesh out your approach to the game, and have something to show and work towards. As a newb, a simple basic story to start out is best. You can go further as you are more experienced. (You really want a world-spanning story? That's chapter 20. Your first game is the intro. Not even chapter one. The intro.)
3) Pick your coding and graphic tools.
This depends on many factors including your own existing ability, the learning curve and what would work best for the story itself.
4) Learn.
Review tutorials, read forums (any suggestions?) Practice your coding/design skills. Take your time to ensure your skills are up to snuff before starting. Taking a year or more on this stage can be recommended.
5) Proof of concept.
Practice, practice. Build a proof of concept game to see how much you can do as practice. See how well the vision of your story can match your capabilities. Adjust as needed, (learn more or downscale or get help..) Don't bother releasing this publicly except to perhaps a few testers.
6) Build a team.
This may or may not be optional. But a team to work with you and help you develop specific aspects where you are weak can help enormously. You need to have a clear 'pitch' for them first, and clearly understand how and where they will help and how you can best work with them.
7) Plan.
A good game can possibly take years to complete, especially if staggered into monthly Patreon releases. Make plans for how you are going to manage the project longterm reasonably considering your capabilities. (always UNDERpromise and over deliver.) Be mindful of how to achieve this without burning out, which is a curse for many developers starting out.
8) Limited release Demo?
A small release demo to gauge feedback. Perhaps here alone. ;-)
Note: How to best release and market a game is an art to itself.. You should consider your first release as a test of your vision. Be mindful of what you wish to achieve here, and how you want to market the game. Some people like more fleshed out first releases, so you should be mindful of what you are providing for that first impression.
I'm quite sure there are many more steps involved, but these sound like good recommendations for someone to start out. Any criticisms or further suggestions?
Not the actual development of a game, but how to get to the stage where you are ready to develop.
As this site doesn't seem to have a guide, I'm writing my own and asking for feedback to see if I'm even on the right path in the first place. These steps can likely be switched around, but I wanted to ensure the basics are all there (and to get some further suggestions before I actually proceed).
1) Play a variety of games.
See what other people are doing, learn from it. Check out their writing, their graphics and their code. Find out what they are doing right and wrong.
2) Write your story.
The basis of any game is a good story. You can change story details later, but this will help you flesh out your approach to the game, and have something to show and work towards. As a newb, a simple basic story to start out is best. You can go further as you are more experienced. (You really want a world-spanning story? That's chapter 20. Your first game is the intro. Not even chapter one. The intro.)
3) Pick your coding and graphic tools.
This depends on many factors including your own existing ability, the learning curve and what would work best for the story itself.
4) Learn.
Review tutorials, read forums (any suggestions?) Practice your coding/design skills. Take your time to ensure your skills are up to snuff before starting. Taking a year or more on this stage can be recommended.
5) Proof of concept.
Practice, practice. Build a proof of concept game to see how much you can do as practice. See how well the vision of your story can match your capabilities. Adjust as needed, (learn more or downscale or get help..) Don't bother releasing this publicly except to perhaps a few testers.
6) Build a team.
This may or may not be optional. But a team to work with you and help you develop specific aspects where you are weak can help enormously. You need to have a clear 'pitch' for them first, and clearly understand how and where they will help and how you can best work with them.
7) Plan.
A good game can possibly take years to complete, especially if staggered into monthly Patreon releases. Make plans for how you are going to manage the project longterm reasonably considering your capabilities. (always UNDERpromise and over deliver.) Be mindful of how to achieve this without burning out, which is a curse for many developers starting out.
8) Limited release Demo?
A small release demo to gauge feedback. Perhaps here alone. ;-)
Note: How to best release and market a game is an art to itself.. You should consider your first release as a test of your vision. Be mindful of what you wish to achieve here, and how you want to market the game. Some people like more fleshed out first releases, so you should be mindful of what you are providing for that first impression.
I'm quite sure there are many more steps involved, but these sound like good recommendations for someone to start out. Any criticisms or further suggestions?
