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HOW LONG SHOULD A GAME TAKE TO MAKE?
Posts
Radnen
1806
Radnen
View playlists
CloseMy heart tells me: As long as it takes, but my brain tells me: Whenever is feasible.
These two thoughts just tear at my consciousness whenever I lay down a freaking tile. See, I've been working at my Blockman project here for months, but there would be long, very long periods of time where I don't do anything at all. Do you guys have similar experiences?
The problem is that mapping and story become very monotonous, even if the mapping and story (I believe) are very good. I figure that if I go faster I make a crappier project. I have a lot done, but then I realize the more I work on it I have far less than I thought.
It's quite daunting, really. It's not that I'm adding too much unnecessary things. I mean, it's things like shops, player status screens, and a working inventory. I must program these from scratch and make them error free and smooth to use.
I can get this project done, but I hate seeing it gather dust here for long bouts of time. It's as if I'm not working on it or that its somehow on hiatus... But its not! What's the best coping strategy? Am I loosing focus too often?
These two thoughts just tear at my consciousness whenever I lay down a freaking tile. See, I've been working at my Blockman project here for months, but there would be long, very long periods of time where I don't do anything at all. Do you guys have similar experiences?
The problem is that mapping and story become very monotonous, even if the mapping and story (I believe) are very good. I figure that if I go faster I make a crappier project. I have a lot done, but then I realize the more I work on it I have far less than I thought.
It's quite daunting, really. It's not that I'm adding too much unnecessary things. I mean, it's things like shops, player status screens, and a working inventory. I must program these from scratch and make them error free and smooth to use.
I can get this project done, but I hate seeing it gather dust here for long bouts of time. It's as if I'm not working on it or that its somehow on hiatus... But its not! What's the best coping strategy? Am I loosing focus too often?
Zephyr
1241
I started working on my project over 2 years.
It is sorta finished and could be released, but I've decided it is not fully complete yet, so it's so-to-say "it's out when it's out".
I have taken minor breaks in the game making-process like a week off or two, but I've never considered truly putting it aside for an undefined period of time. I would only consider it on hiatus if I "abandon" it and start working and giving focus on something else.
It is sorta finished and could be released, but I've decided it is not fully complete yet, so it's so-to-say "it's out when it's out".
I have taken minor breaks in the game making-process like a week off or two, but I've never considered truly putting it aside for an undefined period of time. I would only consider it on hiatus if I "abandon" it and start working and giving focus on something else.
It comes to a point when the daunting amount of work left in front of you suddenly seems relatively tiny and it's like watching your child grow up. In all honesty I believe it takes as long as it needs to for you, as a developer, to be satisfied. My original, over-a-year ago demo was well received, but I thought it was shit. I basically rebuilt almost from the ground up, and now I have only a few more areas to do before I begin working on sidequests and final polishing.
Losing focus is something that can I happen. I find it happens more often with my stories nowadays than it does with my games, but I have taken up and dropped many a side project. I think having side projects lets me learn what not to do in order to get my game done.
Also, when you do near your end, don't do as I do and put it off for three months because you don't want to the experience to end. Never do that. I'm just extremely sentimental and it's like "NO IT'S DONE WHAT DO I DO WITH MY LIFE NOW?!"
Losing focus is something that can I happen. I find it happens more often with my stories nowadays than it does with my games, but I have taken up and dropped many a side project. I think having side projects lets me learn what not to do in order to get my game done.
Also, when you do near your end, don't do as I do and put it off for three months because you don't want to the experience to end. Never do that. I'm just extremely sentimental and it's like "NO IT'S DONE WHAT DO I DO WITH MY LIFE NOW?!"
As long as it takes, but plan out exactly what you want before you start. That way, you can actually estimate how long it will take when you start working on it (and thus cut stuff). =D
Emanzi
168
Good idea Craze, I have a personal note book where I write anything concerned with my current project. Also its never good to rush something, the result will always be poor.
I guess its good to know when to call it a day though, you don't want to spend all day and night on rpg maker, that would lead to a serious burn out, might make the best game ever but die of exhaustion.
I guess its good to know when to call it a day though, you don't want to spend all day and night on rpg maker, that would lead to a serious burn out, might make the best game ever but die of exhaustion.
It depends on the project and the developer's work ethics.
So many people claim to have worked on their game for over two years, but if it's yet to be released then there's no way of telling how far along they are, nor how long they've actually spent working on it. In that case it's usually a matter of "I started this 2 years ago", and not "I've been working on this for 2 years". Unless you're actually clocking the time you spend making a game (Deckiller is doing this with his Encephalon series), there's no real way to answer this question.
So many people claim to have worked on their game for over two years, but if it's yet to be released then there's no way of telling how far along they are, nor how long they've actually spent working on it. In that case it's usually a matter of "I started this 2 years ago", and not "I've been working on this for 2 years". Unless you're actually clocking the time you spend making a game (Deckiller is doing this with his Encephalon series), there's no real way to answer this question.
Carvonica
1023
post=212532
maybe 4-5 years. and not Duke Nukem Forever years.
Uh, this is a little lengthy. I wouldn't have the patience or willpower to work on a game this long. A lot of factors comes into play when deciding on how you would like to spend developing a game. However, depending on your effort and dedication, I would say about six months to a year.
Corfaisus
"It's frustrating because - as much as Corf is otherwise an irredeemable person - his 2k/3 mapping is on point." ~ psy_wombats
7874
post=212535post=212532Uh, this is a little lengthy.
maybe 4-5 years. and not Duke Nukem Forever years.
Some games like Everlong have been worked on in some way, shape or form for the past decade. When you really think about it, 4-5 years isn't all that much and can pass fairly quickly.
Pokemaniac
3559
If it goes past 2-3 months it's probably doomed for me. This is why I've given up on epics!
Radnen
1806
So, how far along before I release a demo? I was thinking of it having like 7 chapters. A demo per chapter? The culmination of a chapter happens sometime after the end of a boss battle. Because the game will be open ended... What I guess I can do is release a chapter per area of the game to explore, and that in its own right gives you something more to do.
How else should demos be released? It's hard for me to know when a good cut off point is. And, if I do release a demo, will I still be able to continue making the game or will it fall into the pit of being "demoed forever"?
How else should demos be released? It's hard for me to know when a good cut off point is. And, if I do release a demo, will I still be able to continue making the game or will it fall into the pit of being "demoed forever"?
Radnen
1806
post=212728
Once you finish 3 chapters put out a demo with ONLY the first chapter.
Hey, good idea! But I think I'm going to have to release the first two chapters as a demo, since one must lead into the other. As in, it'd be a weird cut off point.
So, I guess I must do 4 chapters before then?
Get a demo when it has enough content for the player to get a feel for how your game and games systems might work, while also being appealing enough for them to want more. If you're really quick about it, might be 1-2 months for this. Could be more, the demo does not need to be rushed. Releasing the same game 7 times (1 demo a chapter) seems like a bad idea to me to be honest. If I forget the save game or if the save game doesn't work well with each version, then you're gonna have to play that beginning part over each time. I'm more of a "one demo, see how the reception is, make changes and work on the full game". That's what I did with Paradise Blue.
For me, it's taken me 2 weeks (contest game), 1 month (Ever Blue), 6 months, a year, or even 2 years+ for a release for a project, depending on the content of the game and all. Paradise Blue I *think* took 2 years. Might have been a little more but I tend to work on multiple projects at a time (spriting, helping out, or testing game ideas) so it might be faster for other people.
For me, it's taken me 2 weeks (contest game), 1 month (Ever Blue), 6 months, a year, or even 2 years+ for a release for a project, depending on the content of the game and all. Paradise Blue I *think* took 2 years. Might have been a little more but I tend to work on multiple projects at a time (spriting, helping out, or testing game ideas) so it might be faster for other people.
Neophyte
155
Releasing a demo more than once is treading in bad territory. Developers tend to get very lazy once they put their product out there. You lose the motivation you once had, and showing something off too much is also a sign that there is a lack of motivation, seeing as you need to be recognized for every little screenshot you make to continue onward.
Not working on a product for a long time is really bad in practice. I've learned that there's a time limit for every game you make, whether you like it or not. It varies from person to person (and it depends on the product as well), but if too much time passes between the start of your project and the end of it, too many complications arise. The obvious one is quality. As a game developer, you grow pretty quickly over time, and your interests and overall quality of work increase. If you take too long to progress, you'll find yourself constantly going back to older scenarios in your game revising things because it now doesn't reach your standards (thus the time limit). The best advice I can give is to decrease your work load in any way possible. I found that when other people provide things for a project, the time limit of their "quality" tends to last a lot longer than if you actually did the work yourself. It's kind of a psychological thing, I guess. Decrease the amount of work you have to do, and focus on your strengths/highlights. Work on something every few days (preferably every day), even if it's just for 10 minutes.
And yeah, write everything down. That's probably the most important thing. I also keep a very pretty completion chart on every detail of a game from beginning to end, and when something gets done it gets highlighted in pretty colors! Makes you feel good. =)
Not working on a product for a long time is really bad in practice. I've learned that there's a time limit for every game you make, whether you like it or not. It varies from person to person (and it depends on the product as well), but if too much time passes between the start of your project and the end of it, too many complications arise. The obvious one is quality. As a game developer, you grow pretty quickly over time, and your interests and overall quality of work increase. If you take too long to progress, you'll find yourself constantly going back to older scenarios in your game revising things because it now doesn't reach your standards (thus the time limit). The best advice I can give is to decrease your work load in any way possible. I found that when other people provide things for a project, the time limit of their "quality" tends to last a lot longer than if you actually did the work yourself. It's kind of a psychological thing, I guess. Decrease the amount of work you have to do, and focus on your strengths/highlights. Work on something every few days (preferably every day), even if it's just for 10 minutes.
And yeah, write everything down. That's probably the most important thing. I also keep a very pretty completion chart on every detail of a game from beginning to end, and when something gets done it gets highlighted in pretty colors! Makes you feel good. =)
Everything that Neophyte just said should be kept in your game dev notes.
You do keep notes, right? You have index cards scattered everywhere, notebook pages full of ideas, too many .txt and .rtf files to count? Right?
You do keep notes, right? You have index cards scattered everywhere, notebook pages full of ideas, too many .txt and .rtf files to count? Right?
With all of these contests, you can make a game in 1-3 days. I can make Flash games in 1-3 days too.
However, to really make something good and long lasting that people will love, you need to pour at least 100+ hours into making it. I recently pondered this. I've poured 600+ hours into my game already... so I would need to get 600 people playing it at least 1 hour to be "worth it." Or 300 people playing the game 2 hours :-) Otherwise, its just a wasted part of my life.
Its really UP TO YOU!!! What I'm really striving for is 100 people playing my game 10+ hours.
However, to really make something good and long lasting that people will love, you need to pour at least 100+ hours into making it. I recently pondered this. I've poured 600+ hours into my game already... so I would need to get 600 people playing it at least 1 hour to be "worth it." Or 300 people playing the game 2 hours :-) Otherwise, its just a wasted part of my life.
Its really UP TO YOU!!! What I'm really striving for is 100 people playing my game 10+ hours.
post=212787
Everything that Neophyte just said should be kept in your game dev notes.
You do keep notes, right? You have index cards scattered everywhere, notebook pages full of ideas, too many .txt and .rtf files to count? Right?
Oh god yes. Except replace .rtf with .xls.
Checking now, I have 187 files in 3 folders taking up 6.17MB...all just NOTES on my game ideas and development.
...I guess I don't have too many to count, in retrospect.
(Fun fact: I released a demo per chapter for Hero's Realm)
