Combining Teams and Resources
by Infinitum3D · in Jobs · 09/13/2006 (6:06 am) · 44 replies
In this forum there are programmers looking for 3D artists, 3D artists looking for 2D artists, musicians looking for programmers, and every other combination. Has anyone actually finished a game as a loner?
Look, everyone has a great idea for a game, and everyone in this forum needs help. Why don't we join forces and all work together on ONE project, which will be a combination of all of our individual projects.
Rather than a hundred individuals working on separate projects, we should have a hundred individuals working on THE SAME project.
If you're a programmer you won't have time to do art, and if you're an artist (like me) you don't know how to program, and if all you have is an idea then you don't have a team. If we all work together we can actually finish a game.
If there are others out there who, like me, have a few resources to offer, but not enough to finish by myself, then join with me and others, or allow others like me with similar ideas to join you.
My concept is to start small;
- One player/character
- two buildings
- a very small (100meter square) land mass
- one quest
- one enemy to defeat
. . .
Once that is complete, we add to it. One single person can probably do it, given enough time, but why should one person get stuck doing it all.
Let's join together and make sonething worthwhile. What do you say!
Tony
Infinitum3D
Look, everyone has a great idea for a game, and everyone in this forum needs help. Why don't we join forces and all work together on ONE project, which will be a combination of all of our individual projects.
Rather than a hundred individuals working on separate projects, we should have a hundred individuals working on THE SAME project.
If you're a programmer you won't have time to do art, and if you're an artist (like me) you don't know how to program, and if all you have is an idea then you don't have a team. If we all work together we can actually finish a game.
If there are others out there who, like me, have a few resources to offer, but not enough to finish by myself, then join with me and others, or allow others like me with similar ideas to join you.
My concept is to start small;
- One player/character
- two buildings
- a very small (100meter square) land mass
- one quest
- one enemy to defeat
. . .
Once that is complete, we add to it. One single person can probably do it, given enough time, but why should one person get stuck doing it all.
Let's join together and make sonething worthwhile. What do you say!
Tony
Infinitum3D
#2
www.lowpolycoop.com/
Scott
09/13/2006 (6:42 am)
Feel free to add in our free environment models, just include the creative commons license along with any distributions.www.lowpolycoop.com/
Scott
#3
>>But what should be the rules for a commercial project?
It would not be a commercial venture in the beginning. Volunteer/Hobby projects almost never succeed, but you have to start somewhere.
>>- same shares to everyone involved?
I hate to use these phrases, but I would recommend freeware/opensource in the beginning, however a discussion is needed. If we start small, version 0.01 would obviously be freeware, and even versions 0.02 - 1.0 could be.
>>- art and code sharing, so that anyone can use the art and the code for his own project?
I would be willing to submit free art, both DIF and DTS as well as .MAX, .3DS, and .OBJ files, however, if we allow anyone to use the free/community art/code, then 'anyone' will, not just people in the group. Members will come and go, many taking communty resources with them.
>>- may GG support the project and provide distribution?
That's fine with me. GG needs to show completed games in order to keep promoting Torque.
More?
Tony
Infinitum3D
09/13/2006 (8:11 am)
Yes! A community project.>>But what should be the rules for a commercial project?
It would not be a commercial venture in the beginning. Volunteer/Hobby projects almost never succeed, but you have to start somewhere.
>>- same shares to everyone involved?
I hate to use these phrases, but I would recommend freeware/opensource in the beginning, however a discussion is needed. If we start small, version 0.01 would obviously be freeware, and even versions 0.02 - 1.0 could be.
>>- art and code sharing, so that anyone can use the art and the code for his own project?
I would be willing to submit free art, both DIF and DTS as well as .MAX, .3DS, and .OBJ files, however, if we allow anyone to use the free/community art/code, then 'anyone' will, not just people in the group. Members will come and go, many taking communty resources with them.
>>- may GG support the project and provide distribution?
That's fine with me. GG needs to show completed games in order to keep promoting Torque.
More?
Tony
Infinitum3D
#4
09/13/2006 (9:04 am)
Call me old grumpy man, but I'd say that such a project would stall in endless voting sessions on everything. I'm actually desperately trying to remember any community project developing an entertainment product, which has been finished. If there are any, I'd be glad to hear about them and take a lookie at what set them apart from hordes of projects with outdated milestone lists exceeding number of lines of the actual written code.
#5
I've never known a hobby team to finish a project. I spent five years on one (failed), and more time wasted recruiting than coding.
That's why I'd like to start with something very simple, and build on it WHILE we are discussing rules. Rules aren't as important as a completed project. If we open up all the resources as "free to all comers", we may lose a few lines of code, and a DTS or two, but who really cares. We would be working toward a completed project.
Keep talking. This is good!
09/13/2006 (9:06 am)
Well put, Nauris.I've never known a hobby team to finish a project. I spent five years on one (failed), and more time wasted recruiting than coding.
That's why I'd like to start with something very simple, and build on it WHILE we are discussing rules. Rules aren't as important as a completed project. If we open up all the resources as "free to all comers", we may lose a few lines of code, and a DTS or two, but who really cares. We would be working toward a completed project.
Keep talking. This is good!
#6
09/13/2006 (9:41 am)
Community project seldom finish but for one I would like to join in. It is good way to learn from other people. I like the idea start simple. If you start too big then you will most likely fail. 
#7
09/13/2006 (10:16 am)
Well there was RealmWars (community project) and Game Beavers (community assets) and I think that the end result is that those projects weren't too successful. I agree with all the various lone wolves out there forming a team, but I think that you'd be better off in that sense. Pick a project, form a team, but don't let people just wander in and take your assets, require some sort of registration and commitment or else you'll just get the lone wolves to come out take what they want and go back to their own projects.
#8
so, this is going to be a FPS, right?
Which theme? fantastic, sci-fi, current, heroic-fantasy?
what's the storyline?
STef
09/13/2006 (2:53 pm)
Quote:My concept is to start small;
- One player/character
- two buildings
- a very small (100meter square) land mass
- one quest
- one enemy to defeat
. . .
so, this is going to be a FPS, right?
Which theme? fantastic, sci-fi, current, heroic-fantasy?
what's the storyline?
STef
#9
Theme is open, though personally I prefer fantasy RPG.
Storyline will be developed over time. For now,
My concept is to start small;
- One player/character
- two buildings
- a very small (100meter square) land mass
- one quest (find the wand?)
- one DTS (a wand or something)
no combat or AI needed yet.
09/13/2006 (5:05 pm)
Isn't all Torque FPS?Theme is open, though personally I prefer fantasy RPG.
Storyline will be developed over time. For now,
My concept is to start small;
- One player/character
- two buildings
- a very small (100meter square) land mass
- one quest (find the wand?)
- one DTS (a wand or something)
no combat or AI needed yet.
#10
And then you have to consider that the more people you have the more time is required for communicating between them, and the less clear it is what the project actually is. There are benefits as well, but I think they only occur when the project is very well managed.
What I think would be better would be some sort of royalty-free asset sharing. The only problem with this is that it's hard to get assets that are actually reusable.
Still, you can do whatever you want. Either way, it's irrellevant to me because I don't use Torque or 3d resources. I just thought I'd put my two cents in.
09/13/2006 (8:57 pm)
From what I've read on various forums, it seems like large indie game development teams usually consist of a couple of people who do alot of work and alot who contribute only a small amount. It's not always that some people are slackers - some are quite busy and others decide that they aren't really interested in the game after all.And then you have to consider that the more people you have the more time is required for communicating between them, and the less clear it is what the project actually is. There are benefits as well, but I think they only occur when the project is very well managed.
What I think would be better would be some sort of royalty-free asset sharing. The only problem with this is that it's hard to get assets that are actually reusable.
Still, you can do whatever you want. Either way, it's irrellevant to me because I don't use Torque or 3d resources. I just thought I'd put my two cents in.
#11
1) Universe: Heroic fantasy.
2) One player's character
3) 2 buildings
4) a map
5) a single quest: find the wand
6) 1 DTS a magic wand
Style: I suggest something like the TLK's shaman showcase in
STef
09/13/2006 (11:24 pm)
@steven: Comments are welcome to light up the discussion. 8-)1) Universe: Heroic fantasy.
2) One player's character
3) 2 buildings
4) a map
5) a single quest: find the wand
6) 1 DTS a magic wand
Style: I suggest something like the TLK's shaman showcase in
STef
#12
Now, what i think would be fun (or just plain funny) would be a round-robin type of project, like i've done a number of times in grade school. One person starts a story, then after five minutes stops and hands it to the person next to/behind him or her, and then that person continues the story... so on and so forth until a number of people have worked on the story and you have a humorous, nonsensical story at the end.
That would be an interesting concept to apply to a game (albeit probably rather difficult).
09/13/2006 (11:40 pm)
I rather like this idea as well. However, i also have to agree that these types of things start strong but don't end well. Now, what i think would be fun (or just plain funny) would be a round-robin type of project, like i've done a number of times in grade school. One person starts a story, then after five minutes stops and hands it to the person next to/behind him or her, and then that person continues the story... so on and so forth until a number of people have worked on the story and you have a humorous, nonsensical story at the end.
That would be an interesting concept to apply to a game (albeit probably rather difficult).
#13
1) Universe: Heroic fantasy.
2) One player's character
* 3) 2 buildings
4) a map
5) a single quest: find the wand
* 6) 1 DTS a magic wand
Just tell me where to post them.
@Andrew - isn't that how all volunteer projects go, someone starts, someone else joins and changes it, and the starters end up leaving?
-Tony
ps. What ever happened to Realm Wars?
09/14/2006 (4:52 am)
Are any programmers interested in starting? I have the DIF's and DTS's for the early concept;1) Universe: Heroic fantasy.
2) One player's character
* 3) 2 buildings
4) a map
5) a single quest: find the wand
* 6) 1 DTS a magic wand
Just tell me where to post them.
@Andrew - isn't that how all volunteer projects go, someone starts, someone else joins and changes it, and the starters end up leaving?
-Tony
ps. What ever happened to Realm Wars?
#15
@Steven, RE:"royalty-free asset sharing" I recommend that anything used in the community project is available to anyone in the community who contributes.
@Scott, the Gilman Pack at lowpolycoop.com looks great!
Does anyone know if the source/graphics for RealmWars is available? If it's defunct, maybe we could pick up where the others left off. Did they make progress?
Tony
09/16/2006 (7:55 am)
@Stephan, I have an old version of cuteFTP, which may not work. I think it's 16bit or something. Anyways, it said it "could not resolve host". I'll buy a more recent version of an FTP prog this weekend and try again.@Steven, RE:"royalty-free asset sharing" I recommend that anything used in the community project is available to anyone in the community who contributes.
@Scott, the Gilman Pack at lowpolycoop.com looks great!
Does anyone know if the source/graphics for RealmWars is available? If it's defunct, maybe we could pick up where the others left off. Did they make progress?
Tony
#16
I sent a new email, the subdomain was wrong. privftp is the correct one.
STef
09/16/2006 (8:06 am)
@Tony: good to hear from you.I sent a new email, the subdomain was wrong. privftp is the correct one.
STef
#19
STef
09/16/2006 (3:05 pm)
Darn, Realm Wars doesn't work on my Intel Mac. I really need the screen of the G4 based laptop being fixed. It looks so good...STef
Torque Owner Stephan - viKKing - Bondier
If this thread starts to follow-up and brings enough interest to the community, I'm in.
But what should be the rules for a commercial project?
- same shares to everyone involved?
- art and code sharing, so that anyone can use the art and the code for his own project?
- may GG support the project and provide distribution? BTW, see my other thread in the forum. :-) (not posted yet).
STef