I agree. It doesn't do anyone any good if you try to pass off your company or your group as something they're not.

The real way to get team members is to be honest with them up front, tell them your plans, keep them involved, and make sure everyone's involved and having fun. Most importantly, remember that unless you're paying them REAL MONEY, they're not employees.

I wrote an article on this a few months ago; it's available on my site.

Mason McCuskey
Spin Studios
www.spin-studios.com

I am glad that someone finally agrees with me.

Every programming team has to start somewhere, and all of the successful ones have started like this.

Perhaps most of them have failed, but some succeed. Id software is an example of this.

btw, your game looks boring, mason. Ray-traced pre-rendered graphics is old technology, and certainly nothing I'd want to blag about.

yours,
An amataur game developer

When did prerendering became bad looking because its not some "cutting edge" routine?

Also, all the routines that are "cutting edge" supposedly are mostly old-hat for graphics workstations, so if you are truly bored by things that arent cutting edge, you shouldnt like anything out there today.

-Geoff

I agree and disagree. I think that everybody needs experience, and if this is what they want to do, let them.On the other hand. I, too, think that there are a LOT of people who pretend to be real developers.

Me for myself did kinda the same, but after a while I stopped. And went working for my own again. I'm more like a graphics dude lately, effects and stuff. I got some real ideas which should be new to the industry, and shouldn't be too hard to implement. Once I finished my education, I will make a demo with all these effects implemented, and see what they think of it.

Is THIS a better way, in your views, Gromit?

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Dance with me......

I agree that you shouldn't try to pass yourself off as something you're not, but if you start a group, and someday they actaully do publish the game you made, you'll want to have all the profit cuts sorted out so there's no disputes. Some of these groups have good ideas; if they can make it work, and it gets published, great, if not, then you chalk it up to experience. But they shouldn't go out thinking it will- just that it might.

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Lack

Now, Now, Don't get me wrong now. I think it is great that new game programmers are getting together and developing something. I just don't think that it is right calling your self a company when you are not. Just because you have a free website on geocities does not make you a company.

As for the slander that took place on this thread #@*% you. If you are going to give feed back on someones game, then do so.. creativly. if you just want to bad mouth it, then #@*% off, the world can do with out you.

Bob -

My god! You're right! I don't know why I didn't see it before! Thank you for saving my reputation... trying to release a game with pre-rendered graphics would have been the most embarrassing mistake of my career!

See, I did some research... turns out there are virtually NO ARTISTS working in the game industry, because no real development shops use pre-rendered art. That's why you see so many artists looking for work on the message boards, and why rendering packages like 3D Studio and Maya are hardly ever purchased by real game companies.

Last night I scrapped Qua and started coding a game that generates all its art on the fly. It's pretty basic now, but in a couple of days it should be able to generate stuff that looks like Diablo II or Baldur's Gate... only my art will be so much better, because it won't be pre-rendered!

Thanks for opening my eyes.

Mason McCuskey
Spin Studios
www.spin-studios.com

Yeah, I agree there, I felt that was quite inappropriate of Bob to say that.

I also agree that young people getting together to make a game is cool, but they just brag about it. For instance, they'll say that they're working on a new RPG which will be the best ever. Does anyone ever see that game? No, it's never finished. These groups are taking on projects which are too big for them to handle and complete. Just my two cents...

I would like to see what Bob feels he has to "blag" about.