Please take note that...
by Charles D'Arienzo · in General Discussion · 07/05/2001 (3:49 pm) · 11 replies
...if your looking for a team to work with to make a game do not say such things like:
-i have good ideas. thats what i do.
ideas are not a skill to be leveraged
-i need you to make me a game based on my ideas.
why in gods name wouldent i make a game based on my ideas?
-i need programmers, level designers, audio people, artists, modelers. Me? i think of "stuff" and run "things"
for the love of god at the very least learn something.
-WHEN we get a publisher ill give you some of the over all profits
your joking, right?
-Pay: $0 but negotiable and you will have to relocate.
your joking again right?
-im making an MMORPG
:D
thank you for your time
-i have good ideas. thats what i do.
ideas are not a skill to be leveraged
-i need you to make me a game based on my ideas.
why in gods name wouldent i make a game based on my ideas?
-i need programmers, level designers, audio people, artists, modelers. Me? i think of "stuff" and run "things"
for the love of god at the very least learn something.
-WHEN we get a publisher ill give you some of the over all profits
your joking, right?
-Pay: $0 but negotiable and you will have to relocate.
your joking again right?
-im making an MMORPG
:D
thank you for your time
#2
07/05/2001 (4:42 pm)
Finally someone says it. I don't think there is anything wrong in asking for help, it's just the way you go about doing it.
#3
True dat..
BTW, I'm somewhat of an intermediate programmer with a team making a game from the v12 and to keep my plug brief, we need help. :-)
I think I'm ok with most points there, except the pay thing. I just can't afford taking time away to make a game AND money away for developers. Of course it is a risk that the game might not get publushed, but hey, you take risks driving in a car or walking down the street.(if that means anything :) )
07/05/2001 (7:14 pm)
>>-im making an MMORPG True dat..
BTW, I'm somewhat of an intermediate programmer with a team making a game from the v12 and to keep my plug brief, we need help. :-)
I think I'm ok with most points there, except the pay thing. I just can't afford taking time away to make a game AND money away for developers. Of course it is a risk that the game might not get publushed, but hey, you take risks driving in a car or walking down the street.(if that means anything :) )
#4
ill begin.
i tell you guys now. you will NOT find some guy willing to shell out his time to make your game.
its almost as impossiable to find someone to join you on a game which they have an = part in developing.
the best way to go about it, i have found, is this:
begin hanging around a mod community. half life is perfect for budding game designers. thats where i began. (hang around the hostileintent.net forums....shamless plug)
learn the terms, the programs used, etc. get to know the community.
get to know people. thats key.
dont burst in to the irc channel with "hey, i got a great idea to make a game!"
come in and say hello. feel around who the moddelers and programmers are. make friends.
while your doing that pick up mapping or audio. the 2 easiest parts of mod making. hell, become a "spriter" easy easy easy to be a spriter. spriter. def. guy who makes sprites.....:D yes. its an actual "job" in the HL community.
now, with this knowledge and a few contacts see if you can join a mod team. the game they are making doesnt even have to be something outstanding i.e. boxwars (although i love boxwars)
if your in a team pay attention to how it works. get to know the inner workings of it. notice the PROBLEMS and dont make the mistakes that lead to those problems. notice what goes right and pay attention to what caused the good thing to happen.
after about a year (yes, i suggest at least a year of mod experence one way or the other) begin your own....and this is how......
...talk to your buddies. see what they would like to make. an aline vs human fps or whatever. then ask. simple ask "hey, you guys want to make "something""
for the most part they will say sure. some will say no but dont worry. you will find people down the line.
but the most important talent you need, in order of greatest to least is:
programmer/"scripter"
mapper/level designer
modeler
animator
eveyone else
then begin the work. have a good design. BUT before that have everyones input on what the game should be. if your the team leader be a good one. that means dont rule with an iron fist. but dont be a little pushover bitch either.
listen to your people. be NICE to them. give them all the time they want. what i mean by that is listen to everything they say even if you really really dont want to.
then come up with a good design. for a mod you dont need 20 pages. you can get away with 4 or 5 and add as you go along.
when you get that mod out your good as gold. i dont know if you can really use that as leverage to get a job but its excelent experence.
then, well, maybe il write abotu where i am and how im "breaking into the biz" later.
but for now think about that.
wow. threw that together in 4 minutes. spelling mistakes and all :D
anyone else have anything to add? imagine your talking to some kid under your wing and shoing him what you have learned. hell, its fun :) im sure someone will bennifite. even the old timers.
night
07/05/2001 (8:20 pm)
maybe, instead of bringing new guys down, i, no we, should help them with tips.ill begin.
i tell you guys now. you will NOT find some guy willing to shell out his time to make your game.
its almost as impossiable to find someone to join you on a game which they have an = part in developing.
the best way to go about it, i have found, is this:
begin hanging around a mod community. half life is perfect for budding game designers. thats where i began. (hang around the hostileintent.net forums....shamless plug)
learn the terms, the programs used, etc. get to know the community.
get to know people. thats key.
dont burst in to the irc channel with "hey, i got a great idea to make a game!"
come in and say hello. feel around who the moddelers and programmers are. make friends.
while your doing that pick up mapping or audio. the 2 easiest parts of mod making. hell, become a "spriter" easy easy easy to be a spriter. spriter. def. guy who makes sprites.....:D yes. its an actual "job" in the HL community.
now, with this knowledge and a few contacts see if you can join a mod team. the game they are making doesnt even have to be something outstanding i.e. boxwars (although i love boxwars)
if your in a team pay attention to how it works. get to know the inner workings of it. notice the PROBLEMS and dont make the mistakes that lead to those problems. notice what goes right and pay attention to what caused the good thing to happen.
after about a year (yes, i suggest at least a year of mod experence one way or the other) begin your own....and this is how......
...talk to your buddies. see what they would like to make. an aline vs human fps or whatever. then ask. simple ask "hey, you guys want to make "something""
for the most part they will say sure. some will say no but dont worry. you will find people down the line.
but the most important talent you need, in order of greatest to least is:
programmer/"scripter"
mapper/level designer
modeler
animator
eveyone else
then begin the work. have a good design. BUT before that have everyones input on what the game should be. if your the team leader be a good one. that means dont rule with an iron fist. but dont be a little pushover bitch either.
listen to your people. be NICE to them. give them all the time they want. what i mean by that is listen to everything they say even if you really really dont want to.
then come up with a good design. for a mod you dont need 20 pages. you can get away with 4 or 5 and add as you go along.
when you get that mod out your good as gold. i dont know if you can really use that as leverage to get a job but its excelent experence.
then, well, maybe il write abotu where i am and how im "breaking into the biz" later.
but for now think about that.
wow. threw that together in 4 minutes. spelling mistakes and all :D
anyone else have anything to add? imagine your talking to some kid under your wing and shoing him what you have learned. hell, its fun :) im sure someone will bennifite. even the old timers.
night
#5
Yes deffinetly everyone on a team must have some skills to add to the project. One thing you CANT overlook though as the Dev. leader is steering a steady course towards the end paying special attention to the landmark goals in between. There has to be one person that can never be derailed from keeping everyone else moving toward completion. This can get tough when everyone has a slightly differant perspective on what the game eventually will be. I dont consider myself a veteran modder but I have left a few teams because things got so turned upside down that I could plainly see that the original game idea was completely lost. From my experience a totaly "green" team could still make a mod/game despite large setbacks/delays as long as you have a strong captain steering the team to success.
07/05/2001 (8:48 pm)
my 2cents...:)Yes deffinetly everyone on a team must have some skills to add to the project. One thing you CANT overlook though as the Dev. leader is steering a steady course towards the end paying special attention to the landmark goals in between. There has to be one person that can never be derailed from keeping everyone else moving toward completion. This can get tough when everyone has a slightly differant perspective on what the game eventually will be. I dont consider myself a veteran modder but I have left a few teams because things got so turned upside down that I could plainly see that the original game idea was completely lost. From my experience a totaly "green" team could still make a mod/game despite large setbacks/delays as long as you have a strong captain steering the team to success.
#6
07/05/2001 (8:49 pm)
Well I'll say what I've learned just from hanging around this site. If you want to get people to work on you're project you have to be a bit professional. Saying "hey you want to make my game?" will get you no where. Have a plan for your game, if you're a company have a business plan. Most people don't want to get involved in anything if it doesn't have potential so try to have something to show them. Whether it be screens of a level you're building or maybe a few 3D models, try to have something. Also try and find something you're good at doing. You might say you're good at managing, but try and find something that gets you more involved in the project. If you show you can produce they'll have more faith in you. When posting a job opening try to check your spelling. It sounds stupid, but I've seen so many ads that just turn me off because the person spelled a bunch of stuff wrong or used horrible grammar. It just makes people doubt your capabilities. And finally the biggest piece of advice I can give to anyone here....DON'T LIE. People don't like it when you promise them $40 an hour and then don't pay them a dime(not that I ever got ripped off before, ahem last week). Things like that destroy a reputation and word of lies can spread like a wild fire around these forums.
#7
Actually, it's very true, this is why I personally consider our project a HOBBY and only have people working on it that are "Friends" of some sort, who also happen to have the HOBBY of game development.
I'm always amazed at how many people start an MMORPG but they don't even have the slightest clue about how the net and data transport works...
That's why we do a nice little simple huge oversized totally unfinishable-with-just-7-people utopist revolutionary unbeatebly great and utterly perfect puny ridiculously obsolete... real time strategy game. ;)
Keep in touch with reality, guys, its fun to dream but sometimes, get real... we at SL know our potential, but we also know our limits.
Thygrrr
www.optionoverkill.com
07/07/2001 (12:56 pm)
Haha, got a good laugh out of that :)Actually, it's very true, this is why I personally consider our project a HOBBY and only have people working on it that are "Friends" of some sort, who also happen to have the HOBBY of game development.
I'm always amazed at how many people start an MMORPG but they don't even have the slightest clue about how the net and data transport works...
That's why we do a nice little simple huge oversized totally unfinishable-with-just-7-people utopist revolutionary unbeatebly great and utterly perfect puny ridiculously obsolete... real time strategy game. ;)
Keep in touch with reality, guys, its fun to dream but sometimes, get real... we at SL know our potential, but we also know our limits.
Thygrrr
www.optionoverkill.com
#8
For my V12 project I model, map, program, web design, recruit, teach, provide, and on and on... I also have a team :) but no skinners :(
and I didn't make tetris, but I made battleship :)
07/07/2001 (1:14 pm)
roflmao. I hate people like that, who say that they have a great idea and they will be the "leader" while everyone else works...For my V12 project I model, map, program, web design, recruit, teach, provide, and on and on... I also have a team :) but no skinners :(
and I didn't make tetris, but I made battleship :)
#11
07/08/2001 (9:21 am)
I think those count too nick :) 
Torque Owner SR
And if I see one more posing about an MMO game I think I'm going to snap. In fact, I think I'll add this to your list (with all due respect).
- i want to make the perfect game
Have you even made tetris yet??