I went through your post and hope one day you can reconsider and create your own game. It sounds like you have some genuine interest in reading the guides and using programs like DAZ. I think you can create a better story than you think if you give it some time. I would wager you can make a pretty good story if you ever decide to revisit and give it time to grow.
I wouldn't discredit yourself either buy saying your not a developer. A developer isn't someone with a degree or the ability to code. A developer is someone who can use tools to create a great product. Seeing how you were able to use DAZ with some level of proficiency and you started brainstorming an outline of a story I would say you are a developer.
Maybe.
My point is still valid though.
And, you can see how many games land in the "abandoned" category that were once promising but then there weren't.
My uneducated opinion is, burn out, loss of direction, funds, time or all of the above.
I think aiming for brilliant renders is not the way to go. The story is.
But honestly, i haven't played a game (stopped playing the games here for a year now), that had actually a good story. The only game that comes to mind that had a story i could relate somewhat was LOML.
Most games have only one goal, sex, which means you probably have a very shallow story.
Games usually don't teach you anything, but there are some games i could remember that at least made you think. A game like Soma.
For games on this platform, is of course to get busy.
Mind you, there is nothing wrong with a game that has no meaning besides sex. A
Here is a render i was doing couple month back and i really liked it.
https://f95zone.to/threads/daz3d-art-show-us-your-dazskill.4764/post-14686368
But there is still a lot of room above. Meaning, to render that particular scene.
Early on, i was fascinated with Dforce but it became a menace or more of nuisance. It makes renders also slower and the flow itself.
A story is really hard to hammer together.
It reminds me sometimes when Pete Townshend was interviewed (guitar player of the Who) about the songs and he said, without vocals there were lousy.
And its true in the sense that if you take away the sex part of games, they are merely shallow of a wasted cookie.
If i would wanted to make a game, it would had to be something else. Something that wasn't done before.
I think DAZ would be the lesser problem besides buying all the assets of course but to make whole. I think that is the challenge in making a game. Anyone with some talent can make renders, there isn't magic in it. But what you want to tell through the scene. What you want to invoke.
Most of the time i see clownish faces where it is hinted the dude is bad and has sinister things going on. But instead you see someone with a grimace.
Anyway, i have time but do i really want to do that? I have to think about it.
