My rant on closing games

[Callan S.]

I think for some people reseting the database is perfectly acceptable if something goes wrong. Me, for example "Ah, what'd that player do? Well, he thought it was for the best, but here comes Mr Reset!"

For others, it isn't acceptable.

It's not calling anyone a moron to try and talk about that difference and why for some it isn't acceptable. There may be a whole series of aesthetic values there that the person finds very important. This is a DIFFERENT subject to 'I know it has exploitable code in it' - an entirely different subject and to keep changing subject to the exploits is the act of not listening to the other person.

Creative processes can be very difficult and discussion can sometimes help. Atleast with me, I've often found discussion to show some new perspective I otherwise wouldn't have seen, from engaging someone elses perspective. Let's assume it'd be of worth to do so (which maybe it wouldn't be, I totally pay) - it's hard to start that discussion process when the other person takes it as an insult to try and start a discussion.

Okay, rant over.

Hmmm, I'm not very good at rants, am I?

[hallsofvallhalla]

haah well I guess this is directed at me and so be it. I apologize if i upset you or made anyone think I got upset and threw a tantrum.

I am going through a ton of stress right now over some things and honestly got sick of the miscommunication. I will gladly reopen the game and put up the source and host the game if that's what everyone wants. I just have no interest in helping. I am not mad at anyone and once again I appreciate all the players and apologize if this was all taken wrong. i closed the game because I have no interest in it and we all know what happens to community projects when no one works on them. Also we barely had anyone playing or sign up. It was a blast while it lasted.

[metacatdud]

Well... That is the problem on most of indies. Lack of engagement from the community, money, expenses, the idea itself. The indie concept is relatively new in the game business and to get started in this branch could be hardcore. There are a lot of things that comes through your mind the night before you get started, while you are staring at the ceiling through the dark.
- Will it work (you don't know)
- Will it grow (you don't know that either)
- What is the motivation to start this (passion, money, fame - in this order)

First thing first. If you start this alone, there are 80% chances to drop the whole thing. Get a team custom to fit your first needs. For instance for a web game, at first, you will need 1x programmer and 1 x adv. designer or 2x designers (am talking about execution speed and then the quality).
If you want to start a client based game... well, this is complicated because you will need to add 2 more members at least:
- a modeller - if it can add textures to models even better
- a network architect - You can't ping your status like a moron, once per millisecond. It will go on fire. This guy have to know how to predict next events (if for the last 150 frames you are walking north then you will probably walk to north for the next 10 frames too, therefore I will signal to the rest of the users the after 10 frames position ).
and here you'll probably need special tools, some of them are free, most of them aren't. You will need acceptable to powerful hardware. This is why you can't jump onto coding, YOU NEED TO CAREFULLY PLAN YOUR ROUTE

Secondly. Take small steps that will allow you to do sharp turns:
- Well, they didn't like how my navigation is displayed. Huuuh, thank god is dynamic and embedded into a template now i can easily move it else where and redesign it

Thirdly. The COMMUNITY is the most important part of an indie project. This will probably sound gay, but believe me or not it's the fifth chamber of your heart. It will push you forward, pull you out from the depression and it will keep pumping adrenaline until you will get on screen BUILD COMPLETE...

I totally dig hall. I have gone through this too, twice. Is not cool and is not a cool sensation. You feel pathetic and weak and puny.
Now put your self together and start fresh. IF YOU REALLY WANT TOO, YOU WILL GET THERE

Other than that ... Well. Good luck (Sh|t!! Was that a rhyme?)

PS. If you fill like giving up and the community won't let you, then my friend you are on the right track.

[Callan S.]

I think that dependency on community is one method of building. It's not the only method though. Granted though, perhaps that I think in terms of finishing a browser game, rather than working on it for 10, 20, 50 years/the rest of my life (!) which may not be how everyone else wants to embrace it (though seriously, never finishing building a game - that's the rest of your life span?) and unless you think that way, then community IS the only method, probably. I don't know. I just hate working inside of any paradigm where other peoples random actions can screw up my creative output. So I avoid those paradigms.

[metacatdud]

Agreed. Community is such a strong word. The community can be your close friends or the family if you want. I know that sometimes a community build with strangers, cause this is what we are here to one another, it can lead to mess and confusion to the team but hey ...

[Chris]

Callan you are looking through the eyes of a pro, amen to this whole thread.

A little to add to the designing topic Callan was on about, everything must start with planning, not just chaotic ideas scattered around in a notedbook, you have to plan when you want to think of those ideas. Take the leveling system for example, prepare an evening to design it. It's easy to come up with a formula to turn xp into a certain level, but it's what the players can do at that level, and again not only stats wise, but storyline wise and quest wise. Once these ideas are organized you can make a planning of when you want to write about them. To really go into detail, if it is all planned in advance, you should simply be able to calculate the whole game to find the length it will take to complete, this will mean for minimal game testing needed to be done. This is in no means a short process and takes a lot of good planning. Think of yourself as your teacher, and you are giving yourself a homework assignment, if you don't get it done, you'll not be allowed buy something new etc.

[Callan S.]

I think this is foremost about the nuturing of creativity myself, while planning comes after that. But anyway, lets try not to dog pile the thread or anything, the moments pretty much over.