The very beginner artist need some little guidance

[frostysh]

Greetings!

I am trying to learn how to draw, with aim to create eroge-video-game to achieve some money. Those I have some questions...

Spoiler: Preamble

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

1. Is it possible to achieve 1000 USD per year with creating eroge on crowd-founding so-called resources for beginner artist?
   
   I will be very happy of 50 — 100 dollars per month even...
   
   
2. Which program choose for the game?
   
   UNITY — for now is my choice, but I have a problem of understanding if must to pay UNITY before I will be able to sold my future game? There is also Python-program build eroge, it is free, but the problem I think I need a study much of programming in this case. Any other free for commercial use programs for developing a video-game (eroge in particular) that is good in my case?
   
   
3. Which programming language to learn I should?
   
   Any suggestion of good literature like "Electronic engineering for dummies", I mean usually if I study something, I need a barely understand of it is basics, those to me is super hard to study programming because I have a poor knowledge not only in it, but also in 'how computers works'.
   
   
4. Which way is easier, 2D or 3D images and some very simple and small animation for eroge video-games in term of time and resource consuming?
   
   I have studied eroge-video-game for a while. There is some good 3D pictures and good 2D pictures, for myself tastes good both if they are made good. But I am totally alone, I mean I have no any studio or partners, even a skill in art of myself is very poor, so I think 2D will be easier, or I am mistake?
   
   
5. What do I need to know about legal laws if I want to try to sell my future video-game on the "Steam"-program?

P. S. This is an example of my small drawing in attempt to repeat some videos of academical course of drawing for children that I have studied some time ago after a large pause. I mean I can draw an easy objects already, but I want to study something that will help with my future game parallelly to drawing study, obviously.

P. P. S. My gratitude for the time that somebody may spent to read and answers in this topic on this large, unique, remarkable internet-place with many users from all different parts of the Earth...

 

[FromOtherSpace]

Hi,

2 - Unity and Unreal engines both have a business model based on your sucess. If you don't make money, it's free ; if you gain more than x, you pay a percentage on x. I don't remember how high it is but it's high enough to make those engine virtualy free for small studio.

There are free alternatives to those engines. Godot is one of many. You can find a list on this forum.

3 - Maybe Im' wrong, I think that, unless you plan to make something crazy for a beginner (like an MMO), you don't need to deeply know how your computer work.

As far as I know C and C++ are used behind Unity and Godot engines. I don't know for other.

4 - 2D is less tricky. What you draw, is what you get. 3d need one program to create, than to find how to export in your engine. As the purpose of a game engine and of an 3d modelling software are not the same, it could be difficult. (There is a series of vids called, I think, "Blender to game engine : Closing the gap" which explain this)

Edit :

Playlist about blender and game engines

You must be registered to see the links

 

[frostysh]

2 - Unity and Unreal engines both have a business model based on your sucess. If you don't make money, it's free ; if you gain more than x, you pay a percentage on x. I don't remember how high it is but it's high enough to make those engine virtualy free for small studio.

Good idea of corporations if you want to help standalone developers in terms of creatig video-game. Probably.
So what is more friendly for newcomer, Unreal or Unity programs on your opinion Mr. FromOtherSpace? Is Godot solutions good for hypotetical "Steam" marketing, or its only for Patreon like things? I mean I saw a lot of games on Unity on "Steam", and some large and rich games, and costly on Unreal Engine but I saw in the same time, zero video-games made and working on Godot.

3 - Maybe Im' wrong, I think that, unless you plan to make something crazy for a beginner (like an MMO), you don't need to deeply know how your computer work.

It is kind of psychological complex, you hard to do somethings like programming, that not understanding, at least on minimal level, the mechanism behind of it. Long time ago I wanted to study programming, but unfortunately instantly bored and left this idea, because I don't understand how this hell things works...

4 - 2D is less tricky. What you draw, is what you get. 3d need one program to create, than to find how to export in your engine. As the purpose of a game engine and of an 3d modelling software are not the same, it could be difficult.

Yep, as I suspected, I think it is wise to start with simple 2D video-game! 3D looks complicated to me, I have tried to learn "Blender", but it is horrible program and annoying interface so called, hard to learn to me, so I abandoned the idea...

Of course some video-games that I have studied on this large and divers resource in the internet (F95 I mean), was impressive in terms of 3D graphic pictures and even animation.

 

[FromOtherSpace]

For marketing purposes, I can't provide any answer.

I've read that Unreal is hard for beginner. I can't say more on it.

Unity have a lot of free and easy to find tutorials for every aspects (every time I search something game related on YT, dozens of unity vids pop up) and seem accesible (I hav'nt try it but it seem to be efficienty oriented with premade things you can import easily, sliders and checkboxes ready for most used proprities, this kind of things).

Godot, which I use for no reason except it's open source, is middle ground : it got its own code which is not (too) hard to learn (based on C++ I think), it got a smaller community, meaning less tuto and out-of-boxes stuff, it got a library of premade stuff but its small compared to Unity. For 3d related games it has a poor reputation.

PS :

I must say that these 3 engines are not focused on a game genre, so they are less user friendly than others, more specifics, engines like Renpy or RPGMaker (this last one is only a paid software). You may have to choose what genre you want to make before choosing a game engine. Or pick an engine which can deal with everything, learn it and be able to do whatever you want later. (Best option on long run in my opinion)

 

[frostysh]

I've read that Unreal is hard for beginner. I can't say more on it.

RPG-Maker is looks alien to mineself. But I checked some time it on "Steam", and it is not very costly, I mean I can pay 30$ USD if I very need something. The problem with RPG-maker that this game-style which you cannot change, I mean the view from above, all characters has same height and size with large heads and so on. Good that it has ready-to-use things, but the point all library of things can be large, but the things like characters and building are made in the same style... Which is mean I must 'bend' the style of my future video-game for that style of RPG-Maker. Not good.

The genre — an interactive Visual Novel with RPG elements of course.

Unfortunately this genre require to me to study a lot of other stuff which I don't want. The hard choice indeed between 'engines', but due to I am newbie, it is probably will be Unity or Unreal Engine. But I will see...
Renpy is focused on video-games? I have checked a lot of games from this internet suite which build on Renpy, and my opinion — games on Unity is looks more like a common PC video-games than Renpy, where you scroll backward, forward, it is more like a Visual Novel stuff.
IMHO Unity and Unreal can do everything, by the both looks too complicated to me and resource consuming. I am checking topic called "Bloo tutorial" or something, on this particular suite, there are is a list of game-engines.

Well, Unity has their own official learning resource, which is not a bad for newbies.

 

[Saki_Sliz]

1. once you are consistent and have a bit of community, yes (and you don't need to make a game).

Being a consistent artist is the challenging part. What makes consistency hard is time. Being able to complete your art in a timeframe that is acceptable to yourself. Each artist is different, balancing skill, time per piece, and deciding what is an acceptable quality.

Spoiler: 2. Game engine

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

3. you don't need to unknow how a computer works. That's not what makes programming hard.

2 things make programming hard for people starting out:
1- learning to think and solve problems abstractly,
2- And not knowing how to code something (a lot of programming relies on already knowing how you want to program something before you even start program, ie, creating a 'character' class data type to throw all you data into for each unique character)

Spoiler: Solutions

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

4. Depends, you have to make a choice:
1 - Compromise perfection for practicality, which will affect your style
2 - If you are able: do what makes you happiest even if it takes longer (assuming you want a particular style or quality)

Spoiler: What kind of choice is this?

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

5. Don't know. I know with twitter you don't have lewd profile picture and no lewd banner.

Since you mention steam again, a focus on game, let me point out that games do not generate constant flow of money. Sure having a patreon and a following does generate a lot of money more money than artist typically get, but thats only serious projects. something that takes a team. Selling a game on Steam generates most of its money in the first 3 days, and to maximize this takes marketing skill and time. But after those 3 days that's it, money will still flow in, but no where near the 1000 you may want.

If money is desired, focus on art first, then explore game making. develope a following and a community, and try to be regular with your art. Once people notice you do art regularly, you start to get people to interact with you. Once you get people to interact with you, you can start having a following and a community. Many artist do art on the side of their actual job, sometimes doing commissions to generate money, but bouncing back and forth between commisions and doing their own art, they have to do their own art so that they can keep their community active. Commisions are usually not what interest other viewers, but rather the things you like to focus on in your art that gets you regular followers.

After that, its much easier to market your game if your already an artist with a small following.

Art looks great, shading better than what I can do. What you'll probably need to explore is 'figure drawings' so that you can design and create characters, figure out a style, and then use your shading skills (and other skills, the shaping/construction on that hand shear looks pretty spot on). I know a lot of artist do hybrid art. they use 3d characters as a base, draw ontop of the 3D (often adding in their own shapes, such as a bigger butt or something) and paint using their own style.

Just food for thought.

 

[frostysh]

Being a consistent artist is the challenging part.

Some time ago I have spent a lot month and nerve cells to find a drawing course that I will accept. Your humble servant long time ago was in Science School of some University. Despite my performance there was in the bottom, after barely finishing that school my brain is hard to study anything that is not made by a professional pedagogics.
Finally the consistent course has been found! (And downloaded, unfortunately with 'discount', because I have no financial resources.) It was few videos made by teacher of children government classic art school from Moscow (before the cursed full-scale war started). The course looks to me so wonderful compared to dozens and dozens education things that I have tried before, that I immediately started to work.
Unfortunately, the course is hard, and soon I have totally bored and made a few large pauses due to my feelings and obstacles (the cursed real life).
Anyway, nowdays I making repeat attempt to study of that very course. Some of my junk is attached into this post below.

Game engine epos continued...

I have made some attempts, downloaded Unity, following its learning 'pathways', a not a bad idea to include official studying course into actual program packet.
I have checked Unreal — looks a very impressive, and in the same a very complicated...
The RPG-Maker looks right what I want, almost... — Unfortunately there is a single-style game can be made, no any other option to change that 2D view from above and made it at leas some isometric with different characters has different heights and so on... I don't know if it customizable enough, I should try to look for some tutorials for RPG-Maker things.
Some time was spent on Game-Creator, for the first view it is good (no coding looks good to me, almost), and it is somehow connected to Unity, but unfortunately it is too costly... Cannot afford totally me. The program "Game Creator 2" and "Game Creator 1" by somebody called Catsoft Works, standalone I can afford, but with problems (60$ USD is not so small resource for myself), but then I need to by "Inventory" which cost near the same, and "Quests", and "Skills", well obviously the game is useless without inventory of characters, without skills and quests... No comment.

How to start...

The art is the thing, the point for now I am drawing only academic style, not good nature mortes, I have doubts that is any point exist to share such content for a money on some crowd-funding resource in the global network.
The problem — all this 'engines' and programing stuff, is not easy to learn to mineself, that I thought that will be wise to study it parallel with drawing. By the way, a studying course of Unity (official) is totally idiotic, hard to stay focus, but I will try for some time...

Programming

It is looks that I need just find a good academic course of chosen program language. Obviously it must start with some introduction into mathematics, then radio-electronics, then algorithms (abstract things indeed) and so on and so on. But I fear it will take an eternity to study alone such things, usually academic courses it is minimum half of years of everyday hardwork for 3 — 6 hours without holydays lol... It is not a very bright thing to think about, totally make me bored... (I hate drawing actually, and I hate programming too. Never liked both.)
In addition in the pool of garbage in the global network will be hard to find a good academic course of programming which I can hold myself. Just remembered how hard was to find a cursed normal course of drawing, OMG...

Money

I no need constant flow of money, only near 1000$ is enough to mineself to live for a year in my village. Basically the year income of me (I am contributing = zero) and my two very old relatives which I living with is something near 2500$ USD per year. I have checked a lot of eroge video-game — most of them is not good on my opinion, but humans paying money for such games! And authors achieving like thousands of this dollars! I mean, I can create not much worse video-game (I have some critical thinking, and academic-style approach to any questions and problems), achieve less financial resource than those authors and still be not bad.

Well, of course it is theory, but on practice, I fear will be much worse...

 

[OsamiWorks]

Hey, while I think there are a lot of reasons for people wanting to make adult games, I dont think youre approaching it in a healthy way from what I saw in your preamble. There are definitely parts in there that are disturbing. If you do it to make money, and it actually does conflict with your personal views you'll regret it because it is difficult. You'll need a lot of time and money not only to live but to sink into things. There are easier skills and generally better options to just make money.

1.Is it possible to achieve 1000 USD per year with creating eroge on crowd-founding so-called resources for beginner artist?

I will be very happy of 50 — 100 dollars per month even...

Spoiler: Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

2.Which program choose for the game?

UNITY — for now is my choice, but I have a problem of understanding if must to pay UNITY before I will be able to sold my future game? There is also Python-program build eroge, it is free, but the problem I think I need a study much of programming in this case. Any other free for commercial use programs for developing a video-game (eroge in particular) that is good in my case?

Spoiler: Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

3.Which programming language to learn I should?

Any suggestion of good literature like "Electronic engineering for dummies", I mean usually if I study something, I need a barely understand of it is basics, those to me is super hard to study programming because I have a poor knowledge not only in it, but also in 'how computers works'.

Spoiler: Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

4.Which way is easier, 2D or 3D images and some very simple and small animation for eroge video-games in term of time and resource consuming?

I have studied eroge-video-game for a while. There is some good 3D pictures and good 2D pictures, for myself tastes good both if they are made good. But I am totally alone, I mean I have no any studio or partners, even a skill in art of myself is very poor, so I think 2D will be easier, or I am mistake?

Spoiler: Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

5. What do I need to know about legal laws if I want to try to sell my future video-game on the "Steam"-program?

Spoiler: Spoiler

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

 

[frostysh]

How to add an image to Unity billboard program? Like in this tutorial —

You must be registered to see the links

, because I am trying to do like described (this is because I don't like primitive, totally empirical manuals with decrease the size of paper like for vacuum cleaner) in the above mention manuscript, and image actually replaced the Billboard program... Which is not suppose to happens...





— Added —

I have spent a hour and still have no idea how to add plain 2D text into this platformer video-game into billboard, this Unity start to annoy with idiotic stupidity like that...

Hey, while I think there are a lot of reasons for people wanting to make adult games, I dont think youre approaching it in a healthy way from what I saw in your preamble. There are definitely parts in there that are disturbing. If you do it to make money, and it actually does conflict with your personal views you'll regret it because it is difficult. You'll need a lot of time and money not only to live but to sink into things. There are easier skills and generally better options to just make money.

I don't want to go very far into offtopic, to not anger administration here, because if me get ban that will not good for chances to me will successfully create a video-game. Neverless...

I have long time ago half of year course of Philosophy on which I mostly was absent, unfortunately. So I cannot cite Aristotel or Kant Mr. OsamiWorks, but I can use my primitive critical thinking, basic logic and my intuition to speak with you about what is 'healthy way, what is not' and answer for your question, I will try to answer.

— What exactly the better ways to achieve the financial resources for your humble servant? I am physically weak (even army not taking me), I have kind of a little ranch (or what a heck its called in America) from which I cannot leave for too long (another reason which making army not a variant), lets say I have no much of social real life, and more important — don't want to. Also I can easily confront humans with my beliefs and somehow they usually become aggressive very soon, you will see if you continue to speak lol... (I am joking.)

My ideals and moral (which is pretty strict) + my knowledge (which is poor) + my physical abilities (the bottom) + my current life condition (thanks to gods, a humble isolation in low population village) = I can only make what capitalistic society will buy on PC designed in America... And what they will buy? — Of course the pleassuare. It is logical instant conclusion based on such obvious factors, and I doubts that it is totally wrong...

About Unity vs Python and DAZ 3D from point of view of the newbie

1) DAZ 3D Studio is looks impressive, indeed, the problem I have a heck no understanding if it possible to use free version for commercial project, but the point there is exist cursed Blender Software, which totally and completely free.

2) Python-styles visual novel I don't like, it is mostly kinetic, I have doubts that I will be able to add some game features there without deep knowledge in programming.

3) I don't know how will be in Unity to create game from 0% to 100%, but it has inscribed tutorial-self-study courses! Impressive...

About computers

I know that I do not need to know even on minimal level how this cursed box work, I don't always do what is need only, but it is my own aesthetics to understand at least something even if it is not necessary, maybe I will read some small history book, it will be enough maybe.
Thank you for advices about programming, I will type it to not forget and I have read about legal issues on some 'platforms' from your post Mr. OsamiWorks, I will keep it. I don't want to create forbidden by laws of USA content.

 

[OsamiWorks]

How to add an image to Unity billboard program? Like in this tutorial —

You must be registered to see the links

, because I am trying to do like described (this is because I don't like primitive, totally empirical manuals with decrease the size of paper like for vacuum cleaner) in the above mention manuscript, and image actually replaced the Billboard program... Which is not suppose to happens...

There is your "Billboard" object and then the "Billboard Content" object which is a child of the billboard:
You need your image on the child object "Billboard Content", it sounds like you dropped it onto "Billboard" by accident

 

[frostysh]

OsamiWorks

And I have added Child Object so-called, and Image object to this Child Object of Billboard via "Add Component" interaction, and drugged resources sprite in proper place... And... Nothing! Nothing appeared. Idiotism. The same with text.

 

[frostysh]

After a lot of time I have solve the problem with empiric method. I simply tried to add different things (with some logic in mind), and figured out that program "Image" and "Text" will not work without other module called "Canvas", and canvas can only contain a single graphics resource which nobody mentioned in the tutorial...



In addition there is no any point to make "Child" object with text or image, the machine anyway will place it on the scene as it has no any connection to Billboard sprite, simply over it.
With such struggle and stupidity on the beginning "Unity" is looks for mineself as low quality project. Well... And obviously it will require to advanced skills of programming to fix such nonsense on serious gamedev.

Yes, yes, yes... I am complaying, and Unity has inbuild tutorial interactive (amazing), and it is free, and I cannot make even near program to Unity, but... I will complain further.

 

[frostysh]

I have made exactly things by this step-by-step "do that, and do that" —

You must be registered to see the links

, when I have drug script to the fire object to implement activation by a spacebar, the idiotic rectangles appeared, despite "Render" and "Color over Lifetime" programs saying that all is fine... Sometimes this Unity makes me mad...

— Does anybody know how to fix it?

 

[frostysh]

I have fixed it by deleting the full object and restoring it from the copy made earlier. The point, the good thing to have a copy of the Object before start to use any Scripts on it. Because even a fully deleting of Script is not helping, it somehow broke the entire Object with those weird artifacts.

 

[frostysh]

What block I need to add to "Output Particle Quad" Context Nod in the "VFX Graph" program to achieve similar effect with "Texture Animation Sheet" in "VFX Particle System"? I mean as we can see, every particle is consist of all four different images connected together as in the texture image of the corresponding resource...



But I need to each particle consist of one of that four images, and it must be random one.

 

[frostysh]

I have found a solution in some video on the internet Youtube-server! And finally finished "Visual Effects" mini-module in Unity Tutorial.



Despite the program itself I disliked, the idea to inscribe default tutorial course (even with some tests) was ingenious!

 

[frostysh]

I have few script-programs in the Unity's tutorial instruction...

using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;

public class Idiotic_Ruby_Controller : MonoBehaviour
{
    public int maxHealth = 5;
    int currentHealth;

    public float maxSpeed = 3.0f;

    Rigidbody2D rigidbody2d;
    float horizontal;
    float vertical;

    // Start is called before the first frame update
    void Start()
    {
        rigidbody2d = GetComponent<Rigidbody2D>();
       
        currentHealth = maxHealth;
    }

    // Update is called once per frame
    void Update()
    {
        horizontal = Input.GetAxis("Horizontal");
        vertical = Input.GetAxis("Vertical");
    }

    void FixedUpdate()
    {
        Vector2 position = rigidbody2d.position;
        position.x = position.x + maxSpeed*horizontal*Time.deltaTime;
        position.y = position.y + maxSpeed*vertical*Time.deltaTime;
       
        rigidbody2d.MovePosition(position);
    }
   
    void ChangeHealth(int amount)
    {
        currentHealth = Mathf.Clamp(currentHealth + amount, 0, maxHealth);
        Debug.Log(currentHealth + "/" + maxHealth);
    }
}

using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;

public class HealthCollectible : MonoBehaviour
{
    void OnTriggerEnter2D (Collider2D other)
    {
         Idiotic_Ruby_Controller controller = other.GetComponent<Idiotic_Ruby_Controller>();
       
         if (controller != null)
         {
            controller.ChangeHealth(1);
            Destroy(gameObject);
         }

        //Debug.Log("Object that entered the trigger: " + other);
    }
}

And the error...

Assets\Scripts\HealthCollectible.cs(13,24): error CS0122: 'Idiotic_Ruby_Controller.ChangeHealth(int)' is inaccessible due to its protection level

So why it is happens and how to adjust the program to fix it?

— Added —

Oops... I just need to go to the next tutorial section where that error is being fixed.

 

[frostysh]

Somehow collision with damage to HP is not working despite I have followed the instruction:

You must be registered to see the links

, and this is my codes for player control character and for enemy, which chacter should collide and make damage to the its HP.

Spoiler: Scripts

You don't have permission to view the spoiler content. Log in or register now.

There is should be text about damage to HP when char colliding, but no such thing, which is not suppose to be so...