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Post by tharindu on Jul 6, 2017 15:38:27 GMT
Guys, I believe some of you have been in the game industry working for some studios while some of you are new developers coming from different backgrounds. Essentially what I've realized over the past few months of my unity experience is, it's not really about tools, or coding skill that finally brings an end product. It's sheer determination plan and an extremely proper workflow. To this end, what sort of workflow do you guys follow in your game development projects ? Would love to here on this from everyone
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 17:08:40 GMT
I'm a hobbyist, my workflow that I use is I start with coding (like multiplayer, or coding in general), if I can't code it, I'll try to find a way to make it work, then I make my way to models, decor, etc. but currently I haven't released any games yet but I'm still prototyping
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Post by tharindu on Jul 6, 2017 18:08:33 GMT
I'm a hobbyist, my workflow that I use is I start with coding (like multiplayer, or coding in general), if I can't code it, I'll try to find a way to make it work, then I make my way to models, decor, etc. but currently I haven't released any games yet but I'm still prototyping You and I are pretty much in the same boat then. Truthfully this is the boat that I want to get out of haha. We're starting with our comfort zone But that may not be the best way to go.
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Workflow
Jul 6, 2017 18:12:00 GMT
via mobile
Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2017 18:12:00 GMT
I'm a hobbyist, my workflow that I use is I start with coding (like multiplayer, or coding in general), if I can't code it, I'll try to find a way to make it work, then I make my way to models, decor, etc. but currently I haven't released any games yet but I'm still prototyping You and I are pretty much in the same boat then. Truthfully this is the boat that I want to get out of haha. We're starting with our comfort zone But that may not be the best way to go. Yeah, definetly
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Post by shadex on Jul 6, 2017 21:42:46 GMT
Honestly, for me there is an overall workflow (Prototyping the game) where you test the things you made, to see if they work well with your other systems. Typically i have a UI scene, a stripped down basic testing room with unlimited waves of enemy's, and a completed or near completed level.
Then there is a Prefab/GameObject workflow. For object creation that is usually blender or pro-tools, for enemies it's typically invector AI and ICE Creature Control, which involves morph3d for humans for now. I like to make one prefab for each system that is as close to complete as i can make it, then copy that prefab and adjust to make the enemy/object/weapon. I spend about an hour a week attempting to improve this system, or speed up the process. Right now, a fully customized enemy with sounds, weapons, animations for multiple weapon types, etc takes me about an hour, which is mostly hunting to find the right animation or sound.
Then there is the "Pass" workflow. This is usually just tweaking things like changing all the sword hit sounds, or adding a few more attacks and fixing some animations i did earlier, and lots of balancing weapons, spells and skills. This is easily the most fun, and the one i get to do the least atm.
I have 3 rules
1) Never write a piece of code that you only use once. 2) The more you use a system the more effecient it needs to be (Weapon creation, Enemy Creation, object placement) 3) level creation, lighting, etc gets done last or in "Passes"
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Post by uberwiggett on Jul 8, 2017 13:17:00 GMT
I have got a reply for this but ironically I am lacking in the time to sufficiently write it up
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Post by keldryn on Aug 3, 2017 17:15:17 GMT
One of the biggest mistakes that I see new developers making is to start building and adding content before they have any actual gameplay developed. I've lost count of how many people I've seen start developing their epic RPGs by creating terrains in Gaia or Terrain Composer, feeling like they're making great progress... I'm sure that my preferred approach isn't the only one, but to me the three most important things to do in the early stages are: 1. Implement the primary gameplay elements in broad strokes without getting lost in the details (those will come in later passes). 2. Don't add or build anything that I can't immediately test in the game. 3. Make regular builds of the game. Preferably every day that I work on the game. Definitely after adding any major 3rd party assets or significant features that I coded myself. I always aim to build a good "vertical slice" of the game that is representative of how the mid-game should play before I start adding a lot of content (levels/regions, more monsters, more spells, more weapons, etc). Assuming a single-character real-time game (considering where we're discussing this), that means I'll have a PC model, 1-2 weapons of each distinct animation set, 1-2 spells of each broad type (self-buffing, AoE, direct target, whatever), and 2-3 enemy types. I stick with using simple ProBuilder environments until I get all of the critical gameplay systems implemented; as soon as I start bringing in Gaia or 3DForge kits, I get distracted and lose myself in the fun of environment/level design, which frankly I enjoy more than the programming/system development side of things. So I need to keep all of that stuff out of my project until later on or I kill my productivity. This approach isn't terribly different from how I tend to work on projects in my actual day-to-day job (business and web software development). I used to have a tendency to just let myself go off writing code without continually stopping to test, as the biggest consequence was usually just a bit of wasted time. I spent a couple of years working in the gaming industry a while back, and that quickly cured me of that bad habit. Particularly when I was a designer at Rockstar; the studio heads constantly reminded us that if they can't see it on-screen in the game, then it doesn't count. Don't spend hours working on something before putting it into the game; get the simplest functional version working and put it in the game, then iterate on it. (Oh, and DON'T BREAK THE BUILD)
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Post by uberwiggett on Aug 6, 2017 9:04:44 GMT
So today I decided that I was having serious motivation issues compounded by the loads of video games I have installed on my PC that detract from my pc time, primarily PUBG. I uninstalled all the games on my PC (save for the VR titles that I recently got, I use some for exercise! ) and now I am resolute in focusing my PC time to game dev. On that, I thought I'd finally get around to sharing how I prepare my workflow plans, some of the pitfalls, and how I break things up into smaller achievable goals. My Workflow GuideStep 1: Getting an IdeaThe majority of projects I start all spring from a random idea that pops into my head while I'm at work or out and about. Often it's a cool idea for a story, or a game mechanic, sometimes I might see something and go "hey that would make a cool game" or I'd look at another game and go "that would be even better if it had ______". Getting an idea for a game is an important step, I actually deem it essential to game development. You can approach game development in one of two ways, you either have an idea that you want to see put into action, or you just want a skillset you can use to generate an income. I deplore the latter of the two, not that I wouldn't like to generate some income from my projects, but because the mindset of creating something purely for profit really detracts from the creativity that you can explore with games development. To me, games development is about creating artwork, it should never be about how much money you can make, or tailoring your game to meet a financial market's desires, it should always be about the idea you wanted to put forward. Once you have your idea, it's time to figure out where it fits. Step 2: Defining the IdeaAs the previous step states, most ideas can be split into two categories. 1) Plot: You have a story that you want to tell, be it something really interesting, something with a political or moral message, or something that opens up discussion on a topic you feel needs to be discussed. This is usually where I like to start when developing plans for a full fledged video game. 2) Mechanic: You have an idea of a neat game mechanic, perhaps a rework of one you've seen elsewhere, or something entirely new. Whilst you might find your ideas stemming from wanting to change something that already exists, you can pretty much classify that change into one of the above two categories. Now that you've thought about where your idea might sit, you need to weigh up the potential outcomes of your idea. I'd like to first focus on the Mechanic idea, as it's a bit shorter. When you think of a new game mechanic, you need to really sit and think about what you want to accomplish. Do you really need to showcase that mechanic by making a full game? Can you possibly abbreviate your workload by focusing on developing a tech demo to showcase how your mechanic works? often, you may find that by developing a full title based around a mechanic, you will detract from making something that is actually enjoyable, and it will kill your new idea. You may fall prey to repetitive gameplay, or lack decent story as you try and shoehorn one in to cater to your mechanic. I am of the belief that your mechanic should always be tailored to meet your plot, not the other way around. By creating a tech demo, you may just inspire yourself, or someone else to use such a mechanic in their game, that could turn out to be super enjoyable. If your idea is to modify a mechanic already present in another game, also have a think about creating a tech demo to start, to see how that mechanic actually integrates with the other mechanics in the game, if it works, you can develop it from there, if not, at least you haven't wasted a bunch more time on it. Now to my more preferred idea stem, the PLOT. A plot is arguably the best way to start your game development journey. A plot is devised irrespective of the video game's development, it's not behest to your ability as a games designer, nor current technology. A plot is purely your imagination, your feeling, your art-piece. If you spend the time to focus on this, you will end up with a clear vision that will benefit your greatly when you begin development. Don't be disheartened if this doesn't go well the first time, you might think you have everything fleshed out, but when you go to develop it digitally, parts seem tedious and you lose your way. THIS IS COMMON. You may be distracted by new emerging technologies or mechanics that you think might fit your game and waste time exploring them to no avail, then lose a bit or morale. Having a strong artistic vision isn't something that always comes naturally, it can be a skill honed through practice. With a bit of patience and perserverance, you can start to understand more about yourself and what pitfalls you're susceptable to, and how to avoid them to keep your vision strong. When you can, I suggest figuring out your plot, the story you want it to tell and the messages you want to portray, once you've fleshed out from start to finish, you can move onto the next step. Step 3: Translating the idea into a digital signalA little disclaimer here, this section is really written from my perspective and based in the majority around my own situation. I've very little knowledge when it comes to coding, whilst I can look at and understand a fair portion of what someone else writes, when it comes to making my own from scratch, I draw a blank. My artistic skills are also not what they used to be, I can't make much beyond low poly 3d items and my 2d game also isn't strong. I prefer to buy premade assets and mash them together, and focus my skills on design and story creation, which I feel I am stronger at. Because of this, I have yet to really undertaken a tech demo or game mechanic project, I think I tried once with an integration here but put it on hold for an update. Most of the following will be about developing a game based around a story, but some of the points can be used for a tech demo too.So now you have your idea and you want to start devving. Firstly, make sure you've fleshed out enough of your source material (plot) to have a clear vision of what you want for your finished product, this will help avoid pitfalls later on. You need to analyse your idea and figure out how to best represent it in digital form. You'll want to compile a list of features you would like to see in your game, this can be as simple as looking at your source material (story?) and thinking about how to best represent that in a video game sense, will it be better as a First Person Shooter or TPS? Should it be action based or more cereberal/strategic? what kind of game do you want to make it? Once you've figure out what type of genre best represents your themes, you can then move onto what kind of system you want to drive the game. Are you going for an RPG based skills and attack system? or more of an arcadey hack n slash fest, do you need an inventory or will it just be pick up items and drop them to switch over? Write all of these things down on a list, this will become part of your milestone planning. Now consider all of the things on your list and what they culminate into, look at the different items you've listed and assess yourself as to how likely you are to succeed at each point. Do you have the code ability that will allow you to mash through the backend system? or are you more of a media artist? From this, develop a solution to any shortfalls you think you might face, whether you purchase the assistance of someone else (or assets from the store), or set aside time to learn how to craft something. Planning these decisions ahead of time saves you wasting time later while you deliberate. STEP 4: Planning a timeline This is an interesting step, it's really important in any project in life, if it's something that you want to do professionally or non-professionally. You will again need to asses yourself and decide what kind of approach you want to take, factor in life necessities and any other time restrictive issues you might face. For myself, I am a hobbyist game developer, I have no deadlines to meet, and my time for development work per day is limited by my life circumstances. Often, I don't have a formal timeline, but I do like to jolt my sensibilities by setting goals on a daily basis, small ones such as "I have 1600 items to get through, even if I don't have time to dev, I want to at least do 5 items a night". That way little by little I chip away at the issue without over saturating myself and losing focus during the tedious parts. This is extremely slow, however as I am a hobbyist I have all the time in the world. For a more focused and short term goal, set bigger targets and take more time to focus on your work. Having a written set of goals will help keep you on track and stop you from wandering into new territory or getting distracted by something else, or worse, forgetting where you were up to! STEP 5: Getting to it!So now you've got your planning set, your times and everything ready to roll. It's time to dig down and get started on your game. Fire up your dev tools and get cracking. Be mindful of your timeline plans, if they start to unravel due to something unexpected, seek help, or alternatively, have dual timelines, one for the bulk of the work, and one for the auxiliary or minor stuff, so you can jump between jobs if you get stuck somewhere and still make progress. This will help avoid losing interest from thinking you're floundering. There's really not much more to be said for workflow process, once you've completed your plan, you'll be in the test and adjust phase, where you check over everything and see what needs to be fixed before releasing. Notes on pitfalls and distractions:- Your timeline plan is a great way to keep motivated, but don't lose heart when you hit a rock. Find ways to help meet progression goals by either switching them around or having dual timelines.
- Be wary when using 3rd party assets, you could be digging yourself a deeper ditch with incompatibility issues. Ensure you have sufficient knowledge of every asset your purchase and how to implement them into your project.
- Other video games are a great inspiration tool for your project, but make sure you manage your play time against your dev time. And be wary of mission creep, don't be excited about some new game mechanic and try and shoe-horn it into your project, you could ruin it!
- If you do find a new mechanic that you think will really strengthen your game, go back to the planning phase and really think through how it will interact with the other mechanics, does it value add to the gameplay?
- Try and avoid emulation, your game is your artwork, other artworks might be great, and maybe you want to use a style that you've seen else where to help sell your message, but don't try and make an exact copy of something unless you intend only to learn how something was made. If your idea sounds anything like "I'm going to make my own Dark Souls" or "I'm going to make my own GTA V", you need to rethink your project try making a tech demo to learn how things were done, you might inspire yourself to create something much different or much better!
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