New here! Asking for tips as a future game developer

[Nagozo]

Be careful with your ambitions. I started just like you, even worse, the games I use as reference ARE Twine sandboxes, and I thought, hey, I can do mine as well.

Turns out, even with a programming background as mine, with an easy entry software like Twine, is quite an enormous task. It took me 1.5 years to do something that could finally be called game, and even after that, my game only have 4 locations (I'm adding a fifth on the next update). If you go the open-world/sandbox/free roam route, be prepared to program, HARD.

Ah man, reminds me of the days I thought I could make a game like Free Cities in a few months. Good times.

Yazen_ , games with actual gameplay are great, but like everyone else is mentioning, they're more technically challenging. Something I think is easy to overlook is that next to just being able to program efficiently, you also need to manage your game's structure in a way that keeps working down the line. Large projects quickly become a mess unless you pay close attention to your organisation and workflow, in my experience. That's yet another reason why it's easier to start small.

 

[yz.vn_]

Yeah I'd say for now, dial back your scope a little bit, at least until you're out of college. It sounds like your plan isn't so much to make a porn game (Which is kinda what we do here xD), but instead to make a game, which happens to have porn in it (presumably).

At that point you'd be needing actual coding skills, and you'd have to be well versed in what I'll call an "actual" game engine, like unity, or unreal. You may have these, I don't know. Not to discourage of course, but first projects of that kind of scope just don't really end up happening. (Think like those kickstarter projects you see that promise the world, but then never end up delivering.)

For now, if you want to tell your stories, pick up one of the the 3d softwares that Icarus linked, and maybe make a short visual novel of one of the many stories you want to include in your open world game. If nothing else, this will help you to get into the rhythm of creating, and gives you exposure to visual storytelling.

I'd definitely suggest against throwing your all into an open world game while in college though. I'm doing a basic visual novel with branching, and even being able to work on this for 10 hours a day wouldn't give me enough time to get things done at the rate I want. An open world game is gonna be that x100 I suspect.

As the others have said though, (most of us) don't bite, so never be afraid to ask these questions.

(I think the others have basically already said most of this, but yeah. Good luck on whatever form your project ends up taking.)

Well it's still a porn game in essence, there would just be a main story line that the players can do whenever they feel like. The porn aspect of it will be the side quests of the game since the protagonist is also a casanova on the side lol. Well it's a dating sim if not a puzzle solving detective game. It's gonna be really broad I know but I agree with you. I gotta take steps back for now and not invest so much on a large scale project that could ultimately end up like a nothing burger if I jump straight into it.

I really appreciate how friendly the community here is, wow. You've all taught me something today!

 

[yz.vn_]

The uploaders here may be anyone, as long as they have a working copy of your game, it's just a minority of games that have the devs managing their threads. Sometimes players rush and upload here unfinished betas of a game, when the dev is not confident enough to launch it. It's rare, but it happens.

Ahhh damn. That's unfortunate.. But yeah, I'll try creating a mini project to jump start this game developing career and we'll see how it fairs for me. Probably not this year though.. I'm currently developing and directing animation films for school projects so I'm packed with work. xd

 

[Atemsiel]

I really appreciate how friendly the community here is, wow. You've all taught me something today!

Like I said, I can't speak for open world stuff, but if you end up trying to make something with Ren'Py or HS2, feel free to PM. Happy to answer technical questions on topics I can actually assist with.

 

[yz.vn_]

Ah man, reminds me of the days I thought I could make a game like Free Cities in a few months. Good times.

Yazen_ , games with actual gameplay are great, but like everyone else is mentioning, they're more technically challenging. Something I think is easy to overlook is that next to just being able to program efficiently, you also need to manage your game's structure in a way that keeps working down the line. Large projects quickly become a mess unless you pay close attention to your organisation and workflow, in my experience. That's yet another reason why it's easier to start small.

I see, well I'm glad that you guys share your experiences to teach me the reality of developing games early on, at least I won't be setting the bar too high for myself this early. Yeah, I'll start small for now. Thanks!

 

[yz.vn_]

Like I said, I can't speak for open world stuff, but if you end up trying to make something with Ren'Py or HS2, feel free to PM. Happy to answer technical questions on topics I can actually assist with.

My best shot right now is renpy haha. I'll try to research and study it for the time being and prepare for the small project I'm gonna publish in the future, I'll be sure to ask you if I encounter any confusing stuff, thanks!

 

[Atemsiel]

My best shot right now is renpy haha. I'll try to research and study it for the time being and prepare for the small project I'm gonna publish in the future, I'll be sure to ask you if I encounter any confusing stuff, thanks!

You must be registered to see the links

Here's the playlist I used to learn it. I think I got about half way through the playlist before I determined I knew enough. Still haven't watched the last half. It also details how to actually get it downloaded and running, which isn't as obvious as it seems.

While it is based on python, and you can use python in it, basic renpy code is a lot simpler. You'll see that if you watch the videos. Good luck with your animations for college. Hopefully you get some time at some point to make your thing.

 

[yz.vn_]

You must be registered to see the links

Here's the playlist I used to learn it. I think I got about half way through the playlist before I determined I knew enough. Still haven't watched the last half. It also details how to actually get it downloaded and running, which isn't as obvious as it seems.

While it is based on python, and you can use python in it, basic renpy code is a lot simpler. You'll see that if you watch the videos. Good luck with your animations for college. Hopefully you get some time at some point to make your thing.

I couldn't thank you enough for the help you're giving me, thanks again! I saved the playlist now, I'll probably listen to it while working on my animation film. And maybe practice after that.

 

[nulnil]

Not to be a party pooper (again), but I'm going to be real here. Visual Novels are an oversaturated market filled with terrible design practices. If you want to make a VN, go ahead, but don't be too shocked that it's one of thousands.

 

[yz.vn_]

Not to be a party pooper (again), but I'm going to be real here. Visual Novels are an oversaturated market filled with terrible design practices. If you want to make a VN, go ahead, but don't be too shocked that it's one of thousands.

It's alright, I respect that. What do you mean by terrible design practice? If so then I might add a little bit of a sandbox aspect into it. Nothing too grindy, I've also been thinking of adding a turn based sex combat system in the game but I'll have to study more about it to make it even function.

I have a lot of ideas in my head right now that I can't even be sure if its possible to execute but I'll die trying.

 

[nulnil]

It's alright, I respect that. What do you mean by terrible design practice? If so then I might add a little bit of a sandbox aspect into it. Nothing too grindy, I've also been thinking of adding a turn based sex combat system in the game but I'll have to study more about it to make it even function.

I have a lot of ideas in my head right now that I can't even be sure if its possible to execute but I'll die trying.

"Terrible design practices" refers to things like galleries, half-assed gameplay, and inserting grind for the sake of it.

The thing about games here is that they typically don't understand basic (well, maybe it's a little advanced) game design and anytime something good is made, it's pure accident. Gameplay isn't something you can just cram into something to make it more intresting, like how you shouldn't cram in porn into a boring story.

Making good gameplay isn't easy, but the thing about porn games is that you can get away with a little worse gameplay than a full game. The biggest part of good (skill-based) gameplay is being able to measure bad players from good ones. How much can a player be punished or how much can they be rewarded?

For example, a turn based combat game usually means hitting the other guy until they drop dead. On the other hand, in DMC(5 at least) you can dodge attacks and masterful players can take down bosses in seconds with insane combos. It's even possible to complete missions without any damage. The gap between skill levels is vast and easily visible.

Anyways, I reccomend you not implement any gameplay mechanics if you plan on a visual novel. It's something that can do more harm than good if you don't plan it out or aren't ready to stay consistent.

 

[Atemsiel]

"Terrible design practices" refers to things like galleries, half-assed gameplay, and inserting grind for the sake of it.

Gotta ask how galleries are a terrible design practice? Players always ask for it if it's not included, so I'd argue that within the context of vn's, NOT including a gallery is a terrible design practice.

 

[kintarodev]

Scope down... a lot. To the basics.

You simply cannot go from 0 to a 100 jumping all the previous steps.

Becoming a solo dev implies gathering exp in MANY fields, and there's no shortcuts to that. It's a long long journey

For example, if some day you start coding, you may think everything is difficult and requires a lot of work.
But after years of experience, every new problem will be solved almost automatically by your brain connecting previous knowledge. Still, that's because you gathered that knowledge for years...

Trying to achieve what only very skilled pros can (specially as a solo dev) when you just don't have the skills and the exp will just burnout you right away.

 

[xXx_BingChillin_xXx]

If you plan on doing 3D, get a beefy Nvidia card, 2 if possible.

I'd compare Daz Studio to learning piano, fairly easy and logic to understand if you plan on playing easy and stick with this.
It only gets harder if you want to play with crazier stuff.

 

[yz.vn_]

"Terrible design practices" refers to things like galleries, half-assed gameplay, and inserting grind for the sake of it.

The thing about games here is that they typically don't understand basic (well, maybe it's a little advanced) game design and anytime something good is made, it's pure accident. Gameplay isn't something you can just cram into something to make it more intresting, like how you shouldn't cram in porn into a boring story.

Making good gameplay isn't easy, but the thing about porn games is that you can get away with a little worse gameplay than a full game. The biggest part of good (skill-based) gameplay is being able to measure bad players from good ones. How much can a player be punished or how much can they be rewarded?

For example, a turn based combat game usually means hitting the other guy until they drop dead. On the other hand, in DMC(5 at least) you can dodge attacks and masterful players can take down bosses in seconds with insane combos. It's even possible to complete missions without any damage. The gap between skill levels is vast and easily visible.

Anyways, I reccomend you not implement any gameplay mechanics if you plan on a visual novel. It's something that can do more harm than good if you don't plan it out or aren't ready to stay consistent.

Hmm I understand the doubt. Not a lot of games out there execute the gameplay elements very well. I'm quite ambitious though. I've already designed a basic gameplay that could work well with the story I'm trying to create. I'm still gunning for an interactive novel but I wanna bring the immersion with it up a notch. I want the players to be able to explore the world themselves and get to know it by finding pieces of the story around the map. And I don't plan on making a massive playing area that could get players easily lost within. I plan on making a few areas where a lot of events happen and get triggered once they reach a certain progress.

The turn based battle gameplay I thought of revolves around sex. It's a porn game alright? The players will be able to roam the map and obtain "knowledge" aka learn certain sex skills. They will be given a UI where they will be able to upgrade these certain skill. Each stage of the skill will be different that the previous one. From beginner, to experienced, to expert. These skills will be upgraded through skill points which is obtainable by interacting with the girls. When the "battle" begins, it's not some kind of pokemon type of battle lol. Players will be given choices on what action they will choose to perform in the situation, only then they will have to hit certain buttons successfully to be able to perform it. If they fail, they will lose the chance and the girl will do the next move. The battle runs till one of the stamina bar of either the player or the girl runs out. If the MC loses, he will lose affection points from the girl. Depending on the girl, the consequences could be much worse (eg. the MC getting reported to the authorities, losing days and affection points from the girls if they found out.) The battles will of course be animated and have varying dialogues to avoid repetitiveness in experiencing it. The positions will also be depending on what the girl's preferences are, some skills will have a huge effect on them than others.

Other than this certain type of gameplay, I plan to also implement some mini-games that doesn't necessary require puzzle to do lol. Just stealth mini-games and other perverted plays that could occur at certain moments. I know this sounds too complex and too good to be true but that doesn't discourage me from trying. I'm also tired of playing games that are inspired by other games just told in a different way.

Visual novel with gameplay does sound like a foreign idea from what people are generally used to. But if the interaction only really depends on the player choices then I have to agree that it doesn't make much of a game but more of a story being told infront of you. I enjoy VNs don't get me wrong, I just wanted to create something that people would enjoy.

Being a solo developer is hard I know. I'm always willing to learn. I know all the basics and the direction where I'm heading and what's in for me. What I will lose along the way but I'm ready for it.

 

[Winterfire]

I want to create a game of my own too. But I don't know where to start. I have a big project planned in mind

First mistake spotted, that's how abandoned games are born

 

[yz.vn_]

Scope down... a lot. To the basics.

You simply cannot go from 0 to a 100 jumping all the previous steps.

Becoming a solo dev implies gathering exp in MANY fields, and there's no shortcuts to that. It's a long long journey

For example, if some day you start coding, you may think everything is difficult and requires a lot of work.
But after years of experience, every new problem will be solved almost automatically by your brain connecting previous knowledge. Still, that's because you gathered that knowledge for years...

Trying to achieve what only very skilled pros can (specially as a solo dev) when you just don't have the skills and the exp will just burnout you right away.

What I'm trying to create is expected to be developed for years, of course I'm not expecting it to be easy. I know how to program on java, c++, c sharp, or python. Just the basic knowledge of it and not mastery though. I'll be able to use python in my case if I were to use Renpy as my engine. I know when to look for answers if I need to. Not everything has to be formulated within my head. I could base things from similar codes and tweak it until it functions properly for me. If I happen to run it with errors then sure I will take a step back and study it until I get to the point where I'm able to solve the problem.

Sounds too tall of a task I know, but as dedicated as I am, even though I prefer making art more than coding, I know it has to happen. Until a community I created backs me up on this, I'll keep on pushing to develop something that would be entertaining for others. If I manage to get people to support me, only then I'll start seeking other people to join me.

 

[yz.vn_]

First mistake spotted, that's how abandoned games are born

I know, I've dialed down on it a bit though I'm still planning to take a tall task. Who cares if I don't finish it if I haven't even published it. I'll only do when I finished the game but I'll release it by patches. So that if anything could be improved via player feedback, I could mess around a bit onto the later versions.

 

[yz.vn_]

If you plan on doing 3D, get a beefy Nvidia card, 2 if possible.

I'd compare Daz Studio to learning piano, fairly easy and logic to understand if you plan on playing easy and stick with this.
It only gets harder if you want to play with crazier stuff.

I see, well as much as I'd want to have Daz as my first game's art style, I'd probably stick with 2D drawings and animations. Taking the opportunity to improve my skills further in art. I'll study Daz on the side though. Until I'm able to get a powerful computer, I won't start any 3D game projects just yet. It's in the bucketlist though.

 

[Winterfire]

I know, I've dialed down on it a bit though I'm still planning to take a tall task. Who cares if I don't finish it if I haven't even published it. I'll only do when I finished the game but I'll release it by patches. So that if anything could be improved via player feedback, I could mess around a bit onto the later versions.

You are just wasting your time, start smol.
You have no idea of how many things you can learn from making a simple short game, and they can be enjoyable too.

Also, before doing anything, learn how to create a Game Design Document if you haven't already, that should be the first step.