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TIPS ON MAKING A GOOD GAME MORE QUICKLY?
Posts
CashmereCat
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CloseHey guys
I was wondering if you had any tips on making a good game more quickly? I know Craze is good at it, but the few things I can think of are: using default resources but in a clever way; knowing where to look for what you want; not being too perfectionist where you don't need it; having experience in things like battles to make them interesting and therefore pad out the game in a paced way.
I know people can make interesting games in about a week or even a month but I want to be able to do that.
I was wondering if you had any tips on making a good game more quickly? I know Craze is good at it, but the few things I can think of are: using default resources but in a clever way; knowing where to look for what you want; not being too perfectionist where you don't need it; having experience in things like battles to make them interesting and therefore pad out the game in a paced way.
I know people can make interesting games in about a week or even a month but I want to be able to do that.
I don't know if any of the contest games I've made could be considered "good". However, having that mostly-set-in-stone time-frame to make a game has been a pretty good way to make sure I get something done.
SnowOwl
5188
Knowing where to work your magic definitely helps. Not aiming above what you will be able to accomplish in the timelimit also is necessary.
One of the problems is that if you have a short timelimit it's hard to get good feedback, making it hard to balance them properly, which can take a lot of time and often requires some back and forth feedback from other people.
Try entering a couple of contests here with a timelimit, it's a lot of fun and you learn alot. You are also guaranteed to get some reviews or at least feedback from judges, so that's a good thing if you aim to learn.
Speaking of which, when is the next one?
One of the problems is that if you have a short timelimit it's hard to get good feedback, making it hard to balance them properly, which can take a lot of time and often requires some back and forth feedback from other people.
Try entering a couple of contests here with a timelimit, it's a lot of fun and you learn alot. You are also guaranteed to get some reviews or at least feedback from judges, so that's a good thing if you aim to learn.
Speaking of which, when is the next one?
While I envy people who can churn out a great game in a very short time, I'm not exactly able to. I'm fast compared to some, but it still takes me weeks to do what others can do in days. It doesn't bother me though, as long as the finished work is good.
If you want advice, a lot of making a game quickly is knowing what you want your game to achieve, spending time wisely, and being able to make time for Gam Mak, every day if possible.
If you want advice, a lot of making a game quickly is knowing what you want your game to achieve, spending time wisely, and being able to make time for Gam Mak, every day if possible.
Housekeeping
3571
Plan your game smartly. Think about how long it's going to take you to create your resources, and establish a premise based on using your own limitations in a clever way. Keep the game time low, too. People will appreciate a thirty minute experience that's handled really well more than a longer game that has some design issues, and you'll be able to finish a lot faster, anyway. The more familiar you are with your own limitations and the limitations of the engine, the easier it is to plan out a reasonable time frame.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
There's a saying when you're hiring a serviceperson, for things like repairs or construction. "Fast, Good, Cheap: Pick two."
I think it applies here too. If you want your game fast and good, spending money seems to be the way to do it. Doing everything yourself in your free time is what takes forever. A lot of the work is probably gonna need to either be done in place of your paying job, or be done by someone else you're paying to do it for you.
And yeah, this too:
I think it applies here too. If you want your game fast and good, spending money seems to be the way to do it. Doing everything yourself in your free time is what takes forever. A lot of the work is probably gonna need to either be done in place of your paying job, or be done by someone else you're paying to do it for you.
And yeah, this too:
author=kentona
stop dicking around on rmn
I love all this advice coming from these legends. Especially kentona's one. I do find that I am much more productive when I stop dicking around on rmn. The irony of that statement... I should probably log out now. Cya! ;)
- Know what you are good at and what you will need help with. This will help you plan out a bit better how you'll go about things.
- Inspiration. Use it. Have some music play while you work - it sounds silly but doing this helps you focus a lot more. Even better if the music is of the area that you're working on. This has a two-fold effect. If you get sick of the music after a while you know that your players will probably get sick of it too, so either make sure you replace that piece or that they don't stay in that area for long. Secondly, it will help that area feel more close to the musical piece as you work in small ways - little touches here and there that fit the music will naturally occur and eventually you'll have a place that just fits.
- Don't fuss. Yeah, you want a certain quality, fine, but don't aim for perfection to start with. Put down the basic blocks, get it done and then refine. Refine, refine, refine. Why? When it comes to projects you start off worse than you end it - your skills naturally grow. So why throw everything you have into the start when you're going to do better at the end? Instead, get the bare bones done and then refine the fuck out of it. Not only will it feel more polished but you'll also get a piece that is of the same quality all the way through.
- Don't rush the details. It's fine to get the bare bones in like mentioned above, but when it comes to things like systems and balance, take your time. A stitch in time saves nine sums it up nicely. Do the work correctly the first time through, while it's still relevant, and you won't have to jump back wondering what the fuck you were thinking when you first put it all together.
- Databasing with tables. Create your items, armour and weapons out-of-engine to start with. You don't have to be too detailed with it, but at least have them listed in an order that works for you game. Same with character skills.
-= When using the database leave a lot of room between types. That is, give x amount of slots for healing items, then about 5 spare spaces between them and the next items (say, crafting goods for example). Same with weaponry and armour. Either group them by character use (Hero 1's weapons then 10 spots, then Hero 2's weapon list). Why do this? Because if you decide you need more items or armour or weapons at a later date, it's a lot easier to use a spare slot already existing than to make a new spot by copy/multipaste and going through changing every instance of the other items. Also it looks better to have like things grouped. Messy inventories are the worst.
- Plan your sessions. When you start a game making session have a general plan of what you want to complete during it. Aim to finish it and if you can't, write down what you didn't finish so that you can pick it back up next session.
- Blog. Now this one's a bit questionable but it can help some people when they need to clear their minds of the ideas they've dealt with or straighten themselves back out. It doesn't necessarily have to be public but some kind of summary of what you got done after each session can be helpful at letting you see both how far you've come and how far you have to go. It can also bring forth new ideas, though be careful about getting carried away.
- Cut away the excess. Something you don't need and that you're unsure of? Make a note of it somewhere and then drop it. After the initial finish, double check the list of dropped items and see if there's anything that could help the game be better (that is, does the game fall a little flat in some aspect? Would one of these ideas actually help fill that hole? If not, ignore. If so, look at it again and see if it's doable.)
- If you find yourself inspired to make a new game, open a document and just type everything you can think of about said new game. Just let the thoughts run wild. After that, re-read, affirm that it's either good or not and save it to a folder just for game ideas. Acknowledging the idea and storing it away for later possible use often gets rid of the itchy fingers of creation. If need be, tell yourself "After this I can do that", then work on your game. By noting it down you've expended a lot of the creational 'juice' that was fueling the desire to create that piece. If you still feel the urge, talk to a friend about it - tell them the whole idea and ask them to pick it to bits. Usually just the act of talking about something you want to create can help not only finalise the design in your mind but also get the itch to leave you. When talking to said friend about the 'new' game, try to compare it with the one you're working on - this can link the two in your mind and allow the 'juice' to flow to the current one a bit too. Trick yourself into being excited for the current one~
I feel there's a lot more that could be said but I've ran out of ideas. If I can think of anything else, I'll put it up.
Oh, the most important thing though - have fun. Find a way to trick yourself into having fun with it - that's usually where the music comes in handy.
- Inspiration. Use it. Have some music play while you work - it sounds silly but doing this helps you focus a lot more. Even better if the music is of the area that you're working on. This has a two-fold effect. If you get sick of the music after a while you know that your players will probably get sick of it too, so either make sure you replace that piece or that they don't stay in that area for long. Secondly, it will help that area feel more close to the musical piece as you work in small ways - little touches here and there that fit the music will naturally occur and eventually you'll have a place that just fits.
- Don't fuss. Yeah, you want a certain quality, fine, but don't aim for perfection to start with. Put down the basic blocks, get it done and then refine. Refine, refine, refine. Why? When it comes to projects you start off worse than you end it - your skills naturally grow. So why throw everything you have into the start when you're going to do better at the end? Instead, get the bare bones done and then refine the fuck out of it. Not only will it feel more polished but you'll also get a piece that is of the same quality all the way through.
- Don't rush the details. It's fine to get the bare bones in like mentioned above, but when it comes to things like systems and balance, take your time. A stitch in time saves nine sums it up nicely. Do the work correctly the first time through, while it's still relevant, and you won't have to jump back wondering what the fuck you were thinking when you first put it all together.
- Databasing with tables. Create your items, armour and weapons out-of-engine to start with. You don't have to be too detailed with it, but at least have them listed in an order that works for you game. Same with character skills.
-= When using the database leave a lot of room between types. That is, give x amount of slots for healing items, then about 5 spare spaces between them and the next items (say, crafting goods for example). Same with weaponry and armour. Either group them by character use (Hero 1's weapons then 10 spots, then Hero 2's weapon list). Why do this? Because if you decide you need more items or armour or weapons at a later date, it's a lot easier to use a spare slot already existing than to make a new spot by copy/multipaste and going through changing every instance of the other items. Also it looks better to have like things grouped. Messy inventories are the worst.
- Plan your sessions. When you start a game making session have a general plan of what you want to complete during it. Aim to finish it and if you can't, write down what you didn't finish so that you can pick it back up next session.
- Blog. Now this one's a bit questionable but it can help some people when they need to clear their minds of the ideas they've dealt with or straighten themselves back out. It doesn't necessarily have to be public but some kind of summary of what you got done after each session can be helpful at letting you see both how far you've come and how far you have to go. It can also bring forth new ideas, though be careful about getting carried away.
- Cut away the excess. Something you don't need and that you're unsure of? Make a note of it somewhere and then drop it. After the initial finish, double check the list of dropped items and see if there's anything that could help the game be better (that is, does the game fall a little flat in some aspect? Would one of these ideas actually help fill that hole? If not, ignore. If so, look at it again and see if it's doable.)
- If you find yourself inspired to make a new game, open a document and just type everything you can think of about said new game. Just let the thoughts run wild. After that, re-read, affirm that it's either good or not and save it to a folder just for game ideas. Acknowledging the idea and storing it away for later possible use often gets rid of the itchy fingers of creation. If need be, tell yourself "After this I can do that", then work on your game. By noting it down you've expended a lot of the creational 'juice' that was fueling the desire to create that piece. If you still feel the urge, talk to a friend about it - tell them the whole idea and ask them to pick it to bits. Usually just the act of talking about something you want to create can help not only finalise the design in your mind but also get the itch to leave you. When talking to said friend about the 'new' game, try to compare it with the one you're working on - this can link the two in your mind and allow the 'juice' to flow to the current one a bit too. Trick yourself into being excited for the current one~
I feel there's a lot more that could be said but I've ran out of ideas. If I can think of anything else, I'll put it up.
Oh, the most important thing though - have fun. Find a way to trick yourself into having fun with it - that's usually where the music comes in handy.
Avee
5794
Cut down as much time as possible by doing the following:
-Use default systems like the engine's DBS or use existing scripts.
-Use RTP resources or rips downloaded on the Internet.
-Don't add fancy lighting effects and stuff.
-Settle for a short story, short dungeons, simple animations, etc.
-Don't mind the plot holes.
-Don't test your game.
-Make the same game over and over again.
Seriously though, my only advice is to make games. Practice.
Everything is difficult before it becomes easy.
Spend time to become a good, experienced and knowledgeable designer. Then you'll make good games quickly.
-Use default systems like the engine's DBS or use existing scripts.
-Use RTP resources or rips downloaded on the Internet.
-Don't add fancy lighting effects and stuff.
-Settle for a short story, short dungeons, simple animations, etc.
-Don't mind the plot holes.
-Don't test your game.
-Make the same game over and over again.
Seriously though, my only advice is to make games. Practice.
Everything is difficult before it becomes easy.
Spend time to become a good, experienced and knowledgeable designer. Then you'll make good games quickly.
Aegix_Drakan
6037
author=Liberty
- If you find yourself inspired to make a new game, open a document and just type everything you can think of about said new game. Just let the thoughts run wild. After that, re-read, affirm that it's either good or not and save it to a folder just for game ideas. Acknowledging the idea and storing it away for later possible use often gets rid of the itchy fingers of creation. If need be, tell yourself "After this I can do that", then work on your game. By noting it down you've expended a lot of the creational 'juice' that was fueling the desire to create that piece. If you still feel the urge, talk to a friend about it - tell them the whole idea and ask them to pick it to bits. Usually just the act of talking about something you want to create can help not only finalise the design in your mind but also get the itch to leave you. When talking to said friend about the 'new' game, try to compare it with the one you're working on - this can link the two in your mind and allow the 'juice' to flow to the current one a bit too. Trick yourself into being excited for the current one~
This was what I did just the other day and it REALLY helped me lose that itch.
I really wanna finish my current project (I spent a MONTH on the battle system, so I wanna see it done!), and now I have a really awesome idea on the side to work on.
Speaking with friends about it helped me get that secondary idea settled. I also got confirmation that it's positively loopy. XD
So yeah, this advice is great.
EzekielRage
191
start with a prototype, test all ideas and gamplay mechanics before you start with ANYTHING ELSE. Neyt step is basic mapping without details just to have maps in place. GO into alpha status, that means you ca run through the entire game without any details from there.
THen start adding in stuff you need and have planned for, dungeon mechanics and stuff like that. Then have people test this over and over again, this is called beta phase. let it rest for a while during beta phase, maybe a few weeks or even months. during that time do the prototype of your next game.
come back to the beta, testing again, add polish - you are done. that is the best and fastest way to develop a full game using template files.
THen start adding in stuff you need and have planned for, dungeon mechanics and stuff like that. Then have people test this over and over again, this is called beta phase. let it rest for a while during beta phase, maybe a few weeks or even months. during that time do the prototype of your next game.
come back to the beta, testing again, add polish - you are done. that is the best and fastest way to develop a full game using template files.
Here's my proest of pro-tips! Cheat! Prepare for fast game making ahead of time!
Sometimes I like to check out game or RM resource sites (lots of RM ones are in Japanese and using Chrome with auto-translate does wonders for helping with navigation, finding resources, and their terms of service) and download stuff I like or has potential. This way if I don't want to use the RTP for whatever reason I can just pull up my pile of resources on my computer and find something I like or meshes with my ideas. Even if I don't intent to use it anytime soon you never know when a contest will come up and you get that spark of inspiration!
Scripts are similar: It's faster and easier to use a script when you already have experience with it and know how to configure it to make it work. Especially if you hit snags or script incompatibility while making your game. For example of how not to do it I used Yanfly's battle script with TDS' battle retry in one event recently. I've never used both of them together before and I discovered the two don't play nice together and it took a few hours to fix the issue*. Now that it's fixed I can reuse the corrected scripts for any future projects! This also applies to all kinds of little scripts I did in the meantime too.
* Battle retry is a required part of my vision and I make no compromises on that front
this may be related to why I never get anything done
Sometimes I like to check out game or RM resource sites (lots of RM ones are in Japanese and using Chrome with auto-translate does wonders for helping with navigation, finding resources, and their terms of service) and download stuff I like or has potential. This way if I don't want to use the RTP for whatever reason I can just pull up my pile of resources on my computer and find something I like or meshes with my ideas. Even if I don't intent to use it anytime soon you never know when a contest will come up and you get that spark of inspiration!
Scripts are similar: It's faster and easier to use a script when you already have experience with it and know how to configure it to make it work. Especially if you hit snags or script incompatibility while making your game. For example of how not to do it I used Yanfly's battle script with TDS' battle retry in one event recently. I've never used both of them together before and I discovered the two don't play nice together and it took a few hours to fix the issue*. Now that it's fixed I can reuse the corrected scripts for any future projects! This also applies to all kinds of little scripts I did in the meantime too.
* Battle retry is a required part of my vision and I make no compromises on that front
I don't know how valid my opinion is having only made one completed non-serious game to date, but I don't see why you can't apply Agile methodologies to RM.
I mean, I know there's a lot of emphasis on planning around these parts, but I'm a firm believer in getting things done by doing things. This is important because inevitably you'll hit snags during development, such as realising there's a particular functionality you can't implement because X script clashes with Y script, and when that happens a whole chunk of your original plan won't be valid anymore.
That's the type of thing Agile development aims to combat. As a double-edged sword of sorts, it also encourages frequent demos, so it's best to find a balance - in the immortal words of Robert Downey Jr., "You never go full Agile".
I mean, I know there's a lot of emphasis on planning around these parts, but I'm a firm believer in getting things done by doing things. This is important because inevitably you'll hit snags during development, such as realising there's a particular functionality you can't implement because X script clashes with Y script, and when that happens a whole chunk of your original plan won't be valid anymore.
That's the type of thing Agile development aims to combat. As a double-edged sword of sorts, it also encourages frequent demos, so it's best to find a balance - in the immortal words of Robert Downey Jr., "You never go full Agile".
@YM - Why do business/marketing types have to coin terms for every single facet of common sense.
edit: not that I disagree with the methods listed, in fact, I would tend to agree with a method that eschews rigid planning for exactly the same reasons, but I find it funny that it's considered "a thing" when it's just a really obvious mental manuever to make.
edit: not that I disagree with the methods listed, in fact, I would tend to agree with a method that eschews rigid planning for exactly the same reasons, but I find it funny that it's considered "a thing" when it's just a really obvious mental manuever to make.
author=NewBlackFun fact: Agile was started by a group of actual software developers who had enough of the business/marketing types slowing teams down with meticulous planning and overly-hiearchical power structures.
@YM - Why do business/marketing types have to coin terms for every single facet of common sense.
Agile is a "thing" because, shock-horror, common sense is not so common.
It's still pretty firmly rooted in a business/marketing-centric mindset though. He who fights with monsters!
and.. turning common sense into prescriptive methods is a surefire way to ensure it is even less common in the future.
and.. turning common sense into prescriptive methods is a surefire way to ensure it is even less common in the future.
I don't understand. Self-organisation ==> corporate slime?
Disagree with your second point on principle. Some people don't know what's good for them until it's spelt out with alphabet soup, and this soup could last for generations - you could argue that's why religious books are still so popular, hah.
Disagree with your second point on principle. Some people don't know what's good for them until it's spelt out with alphabet soup, and this soup could last for generations - you could argue that's why religious books are still so popular, hah.
Common sense is subjective - some people think it is common sense to document everything, in case you need to refer to it later. Others might think it is common sense to plan things out thoroughly, so that you can anticipate issues and circumvent, minimize or avoid them.
The secret is... common sense is circumstantial, and no one methodology is optimal for all situations.
The secret is... common sense is circumstantial, and no one methodology is optimal for all situations.
