JulieWilhelmine said:

• What made you decide to create your game? Did you start out with the idea of what you wanted to make, or knew you wanted to make something and then found out what it would be?

I've been interested in game development for nearly thirty years. The most I ever created was a pong clone, but I've had my dream game or franchise idea since 1997, but I'll elaborate on why I never made it on your last bullet point.

JulieWilhelmine said:

• Did you start out alone? Joined or created a team? What's your take on working alone or with others?

I've always been a loner cause any time I trusted someone I got stabbed in the back. For example, I teamed up with a guy back around 2007 and quickly found out he stole everything and claimed it as his own work. He quickly disappeared from all the forums I knew him on when the truth came out. Thankfully what we teamed up to make never moved forward so nothing lost.

JulieWilhelmine said:

• What is your best experience with game dev so far? And what is your worst?

I actually no longer consider myself a programmer nor a game dev. I sadly found the wrong groups starting out and instead of “can't solve this, let's help you out" I got “can't solve this, you have no business being here.” This forum is exempt from this analysis, but I have noticed over recent years that a lot of “beginner welcome” forums and sites have suddenly adopted an elitist attitude and instead of helping beginners, they attack or take stack overflow's approach of “that's been asked to death, learn to google” with the argument that it teaches self-reliance, which would be true assuming the beginner knows enough terminology for what they are wanting to do.

What is sad is a lot of developers were fast to knock down ideas. I recall my dream project since 1997 was to make a RPG that combined elements of 3 of my favorite RPGs [Final Fantasy, Suikoden, and Shining Force], but when I stated it, all anyone saw was “I want to make the next FF/Suikoden/Shining Force” and got met with “give it up now, you'll never succeed”. Depression set in and I've never made anything beyond the pong clone.

• What made you decide to create your game? Did you start out with the idea of what you wanted to make, or knew you wanted to make something and then found out what it would be?

It's both most of the time; when I wanted to do something new, and when I just want to make something I ever wanted to make. Usually the latter is when I'm lazy and I got to produce something with barely enough energy left to develop.

• Did you start out alone? Joined or created a team? What's your take on working alone or with others?

Created a team, but now alone. Maybe it's just because it works for me alone, currently.

I'd say working with others would be best if you got them more or less right to you, professionally. The game can go as big as the team's capability. The downside is this is more on management than game development itself. People come and go for whatever reasons in whatever ways, and you have to be ready on when to say no before they take advantage of you/your work or simply having a miscommunication that destroys partnership/friendship. It's best when you already know what you're doing and pick specialized partners according to what you need. You feel great, they feel great, ship sets sail.

Being a loner means the product scale is limited, so the scope of work must stay within the capability of myself, in terms of delivering a product timely. However, your mind is free. A true hobbyist moment. I'm enjoying it.

• What is your best experience with game dev so far? And what is your worst?

The best experience? When actual random gamers like my games and share it to a social media. I feel great when I deliver, and people actually play my games. More especially when they like it, even more when it earns for a living. It's just that simple.

The worst? Hard to say really, nothing feels that bad I had to say anything worse. Maybe I'm just that ignorant to myself.

@JoeJ
I appreciate your honesty and kindness - it’s sad to hear that you’ve experienced this place to have become less peaceful and friendly, and maybe it is as you say - that it reflects the industry in its current state as well. I’m still new, and probably rather naïve, but I hope it’s not the case. If it is, I hope to be one of those who makes an effort to turn it around ?

Your journey is really inspiring and impressive - thanks for sharing! I really admire those who can immerse themselves into problem solving and figuring out how things work from the ground and up - often they’re also the ones that can try to beat a boss or a game over and over again, without giving up for letting the feeling of defeat take the fun out of it. By the contrary, they’re often fueled by the challenge and experience even more sense of accomplishment in the end when they succeed. Not trying to apply that to you or anyone though, just sharing my thoughts ? I wish I had that in me as well - I’m however one of those who’d rather turn the difficulty down when I get stuck, hah.

Sorry again to hear about how your experience on here turned out - I’m glad you could vent a bit about it here, and it certainly is interesting for a new member to read, although I of course hope I’ll get to experience something else.

Wish you the best of luck in whatever you chose to do - I certainly hope to see you around here, but I understand if I won’t. And thank you for answering my questions! ?


@BHXSpecter
Thank you for answering my questions - I really appreciate it!

Oh wow, I’m so sorry to hear that you got backstabbed like that and that your work was stolen. I cannot understand how someone can steal what’s someone else’s, claim it as their own and continue to live with themselves - there can’t possibly be any sense of pride or accomplishment in that. But then again, people are surprising in the worst of ways.

I understand what you’re saying, and I can even - to some extent, see the mindset of “that’s been asked to death, learn to google”. What puzzles me there though, is the removal of all the context - I mean, a forum and community should be about sharing and helping each other out, and unless it’s a closed space where the people have all been there from day one and have been required to keep track on what everyone else’s talking about, there’s bound to come new people thought the doors (should be a goal, in my opinion), and us who do cannot possibly be expected to read through and look for all and any questions previously asked to know if ours is “fresh enough”.

If those who run the forum would prefer everyone to google, a “no questions” policy should be made, and then the only purpose left would be sharing, I guess? Hopefully the feedback there has a motivating focus ?

I’m sorry you got your ideas shut down from people like that - I do hope you find motivation to take up a project and dare to dream, cause I think it would be an awesome feeling to prove those people wrong ?


@xrbtrx
I really appreciate you answering my questions - thank you! ?

It’s interesting to read what you write about being in a team vs alone, and there are certainly things to consider and keep in mind. I’d think that a clear concept of the scope, needs and wants are crucial to find the right person to do specific parts of a development process, and can make the situation less prone to misunderstandings for sure.

It must be really nice though, to have enough of a skillset to be able to create a finished product on your own ? And the feeling of having someone like and play your games, I can’t even imagine - a dream for sure!

I have to agree with the above posts, I've been on this forum for a LONG time, and when I first read the original post, I got that same ‘warning’ sense.

However, I don't mind sharing my experiences.

I always wanted to make games as far back as I can remember, as a kid I would constantly try to make board games, with old cardboard boxes, marbles, and coins.

When I learned to program in the 80's on an apple //c, a whole world opened before me. The sky was the limit (well, maybe the RAM was)

Made tons of little games throughout the years, but none really sold.

Eventually met a woman, who had great ideas but no experience with game making.

We worked together and created a really fun RP game.

That was the best of times, all the fans, merch in stores, we felt like celebrities.

Then some fans started to get stalky, trying to find our addresses, phone numbers, social media, etc…

That was probably the worst experience, really creepy, and a bit scary, considering my partner and I have kids.

But all in all, its been a great ride, I would encourage anyone to just DO

Most people will sit and plan and have ideas, and talk about it, and play games that they want to remake, etc.., but they never actually START, they never just get in there and CODE.

Sometimes you just need to start walking the path even if you aren't sure where it will lead you.

SelethD said:

Sometimes you just need to start walking the path even if you aren't sure where it will lead you.

Ha, ha, That's like most of my projects.

SelethD said:
Sometimes you just need to start walking the path even if you aren't sure where it will lead you.

Not just sometimes. You never know where any of it will lead you. Walk, but in a direction you think will lead you to places you want to go. You may not get there exactly but someplace as nice or possibly even better.

TDGperson said:

I'm a newcomer to this forum too and I'm shocked that this is how you treat newcomers. I also see that a mod has agreed with you.

I suppose we all make mistakes.

@SelethD

Thank you for sharing your experience, I appreciate it! ?

Love how you started with the physical stuff - making actual board games. And it sounds amazing to be able to have an adventure of making something successful with someone you love. Sorry to hear about your experience with stalkers though, I’m a mother myself and would find that really scary. I hadn’t thought it to be a risk in this industry, but there are loons everywhere apparently.

I get what you’re saying about just starting and getting hands on for sure. Personally I absolutely adore planning - it’s a huge motivation for me to write stuff down and have a starting point, make a path by sketching etc. before heading into the actual building - knowing myself I know that’s where my lack of experience and skill will hit me the hardest, so I need all the motivation I can muster from the start, to help me keep going ? So I'm really enjoying working with the conzeptualizing and Game Design Docs so far. Hopefully they might be helpful if I'm going to share the idea with people down the line to get some help as well

@JulieWilhelmine Of course everyone has their own approach, and you really have to work in the way that is best for you.

Don't think I am against planning, or trying to discourage it, planning is necessary to some degree.

I guess I have just seen too many people get stuck in the creative phase and never really move past that point.

The planning is however, by far the most fun part for me when working on any project. I get to play with all my grid paper, fancy pens, whiteboard, etc :P

Hello, my name is Rashmika Singh Roy. I am a skilled and dynamic individual who is passionate about creativity and innovation. Furthermore, I take pleasure in solving everyday problems for people and connecting them with local service providers.?