Have you ever noticed how many people are working on First Person Shooters nowadays? I''ve got so many of them, both bought and downloaded (like my HL uplink, which got deleted), that sometimes I get sick of them. I''m just ranting right now, so feel free to not listen. Basically, I think we should start getting more diverse in what we make. A lot of the newbies I know start out saying "I think I should make a FPS for my first game..." (they failed, of course). Maybe we could even combine different types. I had an idea for a good RPG\RTS. Just make more diverse games, dang it (hey, SS2 and Thief were the most innovative FPS I''d seen in a while). Thank you for listening to my rant. Au revoir... - DarkMage139 "Real game developers don't change the rules. Real game developers don't break the rules. Real game developers make the rules!"

since when do you use your hears to read (sorry)?

MENTAL

You''d be surprised at how many people here are NOT working on a 3D FPS. I''m working on one though. Anyhoo, I''m no newbie and I''ve been programming for about 3-4 years and it has been my life long dream to make another doom...um...I mean...quake3. If I fail, I still get a learning experience. I''ve already learned a lot from gamedev alone.

Heh, the first game that I worked on was a 2d shooter. I wrote it for a Commodore64 (geeze, I''m aging by the minute here). I would like to work on a FPS just to have the knowledge of making the real-time environment work.

Instead, I think that I''ll try to convince a couple of my friends to help me make a "different" type of first-person game: cartoon. I''m thinking more like Tom & Jerry. With all that stretch and squash going on. And the suspension of reality (paint a door in a wall and be able to use it).

But, I agree that too many people are trying to make FPS games just because they see how successful Unreal and Quake have become. What we need are people trying to shove design down our throats more, not graphics.

[ Start of Rant ]

Or, better, maybe people should realize that great games out there use something called programming skills. I''ve seen a lot of posts where someone wants to make a big game... and they''ve just bought their first book on how to program. That''s nice. But, they are going to either create something at most mediocre, or give up. They just expect to sit in front of their monitor and type in the world''s best program. Ain''t happening.

We need to realize that we can create utilities quickly. But, any project is more than just utilities. We need to know how every piece works with each other. And, we need to realize that it ain''t going to happen while typing. Buy paper and pencils. Lots of paper. Use it. Write down your ideas. Learn different algorithms for doing the same thing (bubble sort, quicksort, heapsort). Question yourself on paper, not while coding. Design your program on paper, not while coding.

[ End of Rant ]

-MartinJ
Better living through creative confusion

I''ve taken MartinJ''s suggestion a little far. I use formal design process in my games (boring, but effective...)

I also rarely develop my own engine (this may be taken as a sign of weakness, but at least I get my game done a whole lot faster!)

- DarkMage139
"Real game developers don't change the rules. Real game developers don't break the rules. Real game developers make the rules!"
"Originality (in games) is the spice of life!"

DarkMage139, the opposite is true for me:
Always coding low level engines and stuff, but I never come to creating a full game...

(low level coding is too much fun!)

I''m a newbe and I will be happy just to make a tetris clone.. and anyhow my real passion is not FPS but strategy and RPS.. Unreal Tournament is fun but I''ll play starcraft until diabloII is released.

Just my one cent.. the other one I lost on the way down the list.

I never buy FPS. I''m always annoyed by my lack of periferal view. For some reason, I feel more boxed in, in a FPS.

I''m making a "Third person shooter" game engine. Who knows if I''ll ever finish the game I''m making it for, I''m just having fun making a really cool engine.

E:cb woof!

Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight lets you switch from 3rd person to 1st person view.
Heretic II is completely 3rd person.
We need more TPS!!!


- DarkMage139
"Real game developers don't change the rules. Real game developers don't break the rules. Real game developers make the rules!"
"Originality (in games) is the spice of life!"

yeah but TPS are real clumsy to control... FPS are so natural to play...you''re looking out of the characters eyes, etc. The problem isn''t that everyone''s making FPS all the time... the problem is that no-one''s making orginal FPS. If you''re going to make a FPS, it had better be either absolutely astounding, or really innovative (well done Looking Glass). Originality is the best way...System Shock 2 was amazing because it combined FPS and RPG

"Born of a Broken Man, but not a broken man."