[R>Artist 2D] [R>Programmer] Unpaid I am confused what to do I looking for another team.

[UglyBastard69]

Hi there!
I want to create a visual novel where you play a young elf character who has to rescue her mother and sisters. The genre is Dark Fantasy Survival with RPG elements and relationships with characters. My team artist bailed on me because I didn't write the Game Document like she wanted and haven't started the skeleton of the game quite yet but I starting right now refreshing on the basics and I want a programmer to help me. I don't like using default assets for the skeleton of the game the art doesn't have to be perfect. We got an argument that I need to create the skeleton and I say "How I am going to create a skeleton with no content or assets."

Anyways the concept for the game an evil overlord pillaged her village and she escapes the game as a Dark Fantasy Survival with RPG elements and relationships to gather allies to fight off the evil forces then I want it turn into a village management but I stretch because artist it would hard to or confuse the player all a sudden is a management game but it still be an RPG Survival game exploring the village and the world being invade by certain amount you have you must defend than the end depends you win or lose with other endings in the village or world.

To be honest I straight up ne I don't know to do that I would to make this game come to life your art doesn't have to perfect for the rough my plan is to post it on itchio and explain to the players.

We have a fight in the rough draft.

 

[bnuy_pronouncedbunny]

a couple of things to consider
your team will be as competent and as determined as your payment - meaning that for you, starting out, the first game you create will be the most difficult as it is unpaid
the amount of work and communication and coordination for a complex project will always balloon over what you plan for (even if you try to plan for that too!)
a democratic type of project management will always by less efficient than a strict top-down leadership (good execution of a bad plan is better than bad execution of a good plan)

so
you should reduce the scope of your first game DRASTICALLY, you should plan all the mechanics and all the needed assets beforehand, you should give clear instructions to your team, you should ideally have good compensation (paying well for 2-3 assets of a small game is better than paying little / nothing for many assets of a game that will be in development for a long time)

my recommendation is: scrounge together enough to pay somebody for 2 or 3 sprites of your main character, fully plan (look up "game design document" templates) the smallest version of your game (just clicking through dialog and perhaps a single stat that can be increased) and speedrun your first game. the probability that a first amateur game dev project succeeds is microscopic. the probability of an amateur game dev project succeeding from a person who has already finished a game is very high. the size of the game matters very little. optimize your first game for being "finished" at the cost of all other aspects (size, quality, etc).

 

[UglyBastard69]

a couple of things to consider
your team will be as competent and as determined as your payment - meaning that for you, starting out, the first game you create will be the most difficult as it is unpaid
the amount of work and communication and coordination for a complex project will always balloon over what you plan for (even if you try to plan for that too!)
a democratic type of project management will always by less efficient than a strict top-down leadership (good execution of a bad plan is better than bad execution of a good plan)

so
you should reduce the scope of your first game DRASTICALLY, you should plan all the mechanics and all the needed assets beforehand, you should give clear instructions to your team, you should ideally have good compensation (paying well for 2-3 assets of a small game is better than paying little / nothing for many assets of a game that will be in development for a long time)

my recommendation is: scrounge together enough to pay somebody for 2 or 3 sprites of your main character, fully plan (look up "game design document" templates) the smallest version of your game (just clicking through dialog and perhaps a single stat that can be increased) and speedrun your first game. the probability that a first amateur game dev project succeeds is microscopic. the probability of an amateur game dev project succeeding from a person who has already finished a game is very high. the size of the game matters very little. optimize your first game for being "finished" at the cost of all other aspects (size, quality, etc).

Fuck game documents I rough draft two and still not freaking clear to people.

 

[UglyBastard69]

a couple of things to consider
your team will be as competent and as determined as your payment - meaning that for you, starting out, the first game you create will be the most difficult as it is unpaid
the amount of work and communication and coordination for a complex project will always balloon over what you plan for (even if you try to plan for that too!)
a democratic type of project management will always by less efficient than a strict top-down leadership (good execution of a bad plan is better than bad execution of a good plan)

so
you should reduce the scope of your first game DRASTICALLY, you should plan all the mechanics and all the needed assets beforehand, you should give clear instructions to your team, you should ideally have good compensation (paying well for 2-3 assets of a small game is better than paying little / nothing for many assets of a game that will be in development for a long time)

my recommendation is: scrounge together enough to pay somebody for 2 or 3 sprites of your main character, fully plan (look up "game design document" templates) the smallest version of your game (just clicking through dialog and perhaps a single stat that can be increased) and speedrun your first game. the probability that a first amateur game dev project succeeds is microscopic. the probability of an amateur game dev project succeeding from a person who has already finished a game is very high. the size of the game matters very little. optimize your first game for being "finished" at the cost of all other aspects (size, quality, etc).

I am fucking broke.

 

[UglyBastard69]

Fuck game documents I rough draft two and still not freaking clear to people.

People shouldn't bailed on me we I need help and they agreed to be unpaid we could work something else.

 

[UglyBastard69]

a couple of things to consider
your team will be as competent and as determined as your payment - meaning that for you, starting out, the first game you create will be the most difficult as it is unpaid
the amount of work and communication and coordination for a complex project will always balloon over what you plan for (even if you try to plan for that too!)
a democratic type of project management will always by less efficient than a strict top-down leadership (good execution of a bad plan is better than bad execution of a good plan)

so
you should reduce the scope of your first game DRASTICALLY, you should plan all the mechanics and all the needed assets beforehand, you should give clear instructions to your team, you should ideally have good compensation (paying well for 2-3 assets of a small game is better than paying little / nothing for many assets of a game that will be in development for a long time)

my recommendation is: scrounge together enough to pay somebody for 2 or 3 sprites of your main character, fully plan (look up "game design document" templates) the smallest version of your game (just clicking through dialog and perhaps a single stat that can be increased) and speedrun your first game. the probability that a first amateur game dev project succeeds is microscopic. the probability of an amateur game dev project succeeding from a person who has already finished a game is very high. the size of the game matters very little. optimize your first game for being "finished" at the cost of all other aspects (size, quality, etc).

I hate doing things alone I am lonely that is paritly I wanted a team.

 

[bnuy_pronouncedbunny]

"better-than-rough" draft a *single* document
reduce your game's scope
reduce the number of decisions that you need to discuss with your team
your team members might be broke too - that is why they are trying to get into game dev. even if it is not direct payment... a "promising" small game that they can be part of that actually gets finished is a significant boost to their prospects of finding paid game dev projects later on
download renpy and read the beginners renpy tutorial - create just a first introduction with your elf girl asset displayed in the center of the screen. create *something* to start the process and to entice better team members / motivate your current team members better

people WILL bail on you. your job is to create a project and team and atmosphere that will ATTRACT people instead of losing confidence. "agreements" are worth nothing if there is nothing at stake. <money> or <high probability of finishing a project to gain experience and a portfolio piece for future applications>

the easiest route is always money. you might be 110% determined to make a good game, no matter what obstacles you need to overcome - but other people cannot read your mind. they will evaluate the chances of success of your project constantly, every day, with every bit of communication you exchange. when their subjective estimate of the chances of success drop below their personal tolerance, people leave.
if you pay them money, they do not require "chance of success" because they are getting money in the bank.
without money, you need to REALLY attract people by working like the team leader of a project that has a high chance of success

 

[UglyBastard69]

"better-than-rough" draft a *single* document
reduce your game's scope
reduce the number of decisions that you need to discuss with your team
your team members might be broke too - that is why they are trying to get into game dev. even if it is not direct payment... a "promising" small game that they can be part of that actually gets finished is a significant boost to their prospects of finding paid game dev projects later on
download renpy and read the beginners renpy tutorial - create just a first introduction with your elf girl asset displayed in the center of the screen. create *something* to start the process and to entice better team members / motivate your current team members better

people WILL bail on you. your job is to create a project and team and atmosphere that will ATTRACT people instead of losing confidence. "agreements" are worth nothing if there is nothing at stake. <money> or <high probability of finishing a project to gain experience and a portfolio piece for future applications>

the easiest route is always money. you might be 110% determined to make a good game, no matter what obstacles you need to overcome - but other people cannot read your mind. they will evaluate the chances of success of your project constantly, every day, with every bit of communication you exchange. when their subjective estimate of the chances of success drop below their personal tolerance, people leave.
if you pay them money, they do not require "chance of success" because they are getting money in the bank.
without money, you need to REALLY attract people by working like the team leader of a project that has a high chance of success

I don't scale it down people just pisses me I want them on my team because I hate myself I do believe please someone join!

 

[bnuy_pronouncedbunny]

if you do not want to change your project and/or yourself to attract people to work with you - your only remaining option is payment
pay upfront
or
setup patreon / subscribestar with a prototype game for revenue share (even a single donating fan will signal to your potential team members that there is payment potential if they join and help developing the game)

 

[UglyBastard69]

if you do not want to change your project and/or yourself to attract people to work with you - your only remaining option is payment
pay upfront
or
setup patreon / subscribestar with a prototype game for revenue share (even a single donating fan will signal to your potential team members that there is payment potential if they join and help developing the game)

It's 1 am already why I am not surprised I am fucking loser like always!

 

[UglyBastard69]

I am sorry I am dealing with a lot right now I will try to make a prototype with default assets even though I don't like using them.

 

[UglyBastard69]

Or use what I have I really want a sex game with rpg and survival elements.

 

[UglyBastard69]

I still want some help with the prototype.