Nameless

I’m making a game! I know I have stated in past posts that I have been working on a game but I always stopped after a few weeks. This was due to the prototype not being fun or, the more likely option, I just became bored, uninterested and could not be bothered with it anymore.

Now I really want to make and complete a game. I should be able to accomplish this feat at least once in my lifetime. So I am making sure that this time it is going to be different. I have got a core game feature already planned out. This time I have even created a game design document where I outlined what I am going to do.

My first goal is to have a prototype done within a few weeks. This will then allow me to test to see if my game is fun. If it is not, I will then have some time to tweak it to make it fun. Even if I cannot make it fun, I am still going to finish the game so that I have something to show.

I have learned a few lessons from the past few times I tried to develop a game. Hopefully I will follow this advice this time or else it is going to be tough times ahead for me.

1. Stay Motivated
   I need to break up my game into smaller chunks. This will allow me to cross stuff out faster and keep me motivated.
2. Create A Prototype
   As soon as possible, I should have a playable prototype. This will help me with two aspects. It will first help to test out if the core mechanics all work as intended. If they don’t, then I will need to fix them first before I continue. This is to make sure I am not building a game on a broken foundation. The second aspect it will help me with is to test whether the game is fun or not. If the game is not fun, then I will still have time to tweak it to make it fun. But I should not add stuff to it as that will not make it fun.
3. Don’t Procrastinate
   Every time I get that feeling come which says “I can’t be bothered today” or “This is no good”, I am going to ignore it and keep on working. The more I will think about this stuff, the less likely I will do any work on the game. I just have to push these thoughts out of my head and keep on working. Which brings me up to my next point…
4. Don’t Overwork
   Overworking = less focused = more errors
   This will mean all the errors I create now will have to be fixed tomorrow. This will eventually waste valuable amount of time.
5. Release Game
   Even if it is not the Citizen Kane of games, I need to release my game. The feedback, both positive and negative, can only help me to either improve the game or give me ideas for a new game.

There are many other points that I should consider. I have not added any of them on the list since I never got that far in creating any game. Hopefully this time I will listen to myself and take these points into consideration when I am developing the game. Now a bit about my game. So far I could not think of a decent name for the game and since that is not important yet, I have given it the working title Nameless. The game is going to be a 2D platformer where the player will be fighting against AI using weapons, mainly swords and sticks. I want the fighting to be precise. By this I mean if the player hits high and the AI defends high, the hit will be blocked. If the AI did defend low then the AI would either get damaged or die, depending on what weapon it was hit with. I want the fighting to be dynamic as well. Something like Overgrowth by Wolfire Games. This video shows what I mean by the fighting to be precise and dynamic. To be fair, I want my game to be the 2D version of Overgrowth! But with more interactivity with the environment.

My next plan is to start working on the game. I will write more about what I have done once I have got something done. When the game is finished, I will be posting it on the Outbot Studios website to download/play for free.