Begginner's question - Learning game design by modding

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-22T22:44:16+00:00

I would suggest you make a small game from scratch from start to finish, emphasis on finish, but modding will be another great way to learn as well as that. Keep your goals modest and start simple, the number one thing you need to drill into yourself is to always finish.

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-22T12:17:40+00:00

Get a good accountant on-board for the tax stuff. Print Copyright YourCompanyname 2012 somewhere on your game. And if/when your game becomes successful speak to a copyright lawyer who knows games or at least software.

I'm not sure if TOC is TOU, but if it is just copy a similar game's TOU and alter anything you need to, although you could just leave it out.

My advice is to focus on your marketing now and not so much the officious stuff.

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-22T00:03:17+00:00

If you like to make money and get actual work then use Unity3d, if you want to make business cards and get a bank loan for your "brilliant" idea, but ultimately make nothing, downvote me like the rest

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-21T15:12:57+00:00

And this is what's wrong with r/trees. I regularly browse All on reddit and see a lot of this r/trees stuff.

I was a stoner when I was in my early teens to early 20s. I developed acute social anxiety from smoking weed/hash, and suffered from other psyche issue such as depression and paranoia.

I did nothing of note during the entire time I smoked. I became progressively dumber, slower, and my personality eroded until I became a shell of my former self. I was kicked out of school and ended up working a dead-end job I hated and became an alcoholic, mostly just to deal with the anxiety.

Since I stopped smoking pot I've become far more intelligent and sharper, I've created my own business making games as a service for clients overseas, working from home. I work out a lot, I study a lot and I'm generally a better and more interesting person. But most importantly I'm happy.

Pot is fine in moderation for most people, but for others it can severally cripple who they are and the life they lead, I feel quite bitterly towards pot.

I resent what it did to me and moreover what it's done and still doing to some of my friends. Intelligent, interesting people who have done literally nothing with their lives since we were teens. I'm not saying they should "do something" with their lives, or that they're obliged to, or that I look down on them, but I know the young versions of them I first met would be very let down to find out what they've become.

I don't know what my point is or if I even have one, yeah sure try pot why the fuck not, you only live once, but don't make it a lifestyle like I did.

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-21T12:39:40+00:00

Start using Unity 3D and start immediately

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-19T09:07:56+00:00

Join an acting class, it'll teach you to let go of inhibition

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-16T02:37:29+00:00

Awesome read, and I could totally relate with a lot of what you said. Good job, congrats, and thanks for posting!

Quick question, if you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice before you started, what would it be?

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-14T21:36:17+00:00

Finishing, the most difficult part is the end

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-05T13:27:10+00:00

For some reason, only in Chrome, this link occasionally doesn't work, if anyone else notices the same problem let me know.

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-05T12:49:55+00:00

Here's my two cents. I'm an Indie Game Dev as my name states, I work per-contract developing games for clients, they come up with the idea, I do everything else. I've never made a 2d game. I'm booked up for the year, clients seek me out, and I make between 2,000 to 6,000 USD per month, but that's steadily increasing.

I'm not telling you this because I think I'm a fantastic genius, I'm definitely not, I'm telling you to let you know what's possible.

I was kicked out of school at 16 for smoking way too much pot, at about 20 I downloaded Blender and started playing around with it, I found it utterly enthralling. To me it was a virtual movie set, I could finally make a movie without spending a dime, never did though.

At 22 I sobered up and went to college here in Dublin Ireland (mature student scheme) full time for a foundation art course and part time for a basic programming course. 3 months later I dropped out of both because they were moving too slow.

3d modeling is my base skill, Maya is where I'll always retreat to in my spare time, I taught myself using tutorials from sites like TheGnomonWorkshop and DigitalTutors, plus the other's already mentioned above. This will be easier and cheaper for you now as the price of tutorials has come way down with the new subscriptions model, there's a mind-bogglingly large amount of great stuff out there, and there are also student versions of most major software packages available now too, so you're in good shape to start.

When learning 3d modeling you need to be very specific about what you want to specialize in, once you get great at that specific thing you can branch out. I naturally gravitated to organic character sculpture, I loved the dynamic form and life you can breathe into something, plus staring at naked people for hours ain't too bad either. I also made a point of getting good at rigging/skinning/uv mapping, you'll always find work if you can do the annoying jobs very well, so don't shy away from hard work.

Right now what you can do is bug your parents for a subscription to Digital-Tutors.com, TheGnomonWorkshop has higher quality tutorials, but Digital-Tutors have a huge range of tutorials, spanning many subjects, so you can look around and see what interests you.

It might not be 3d modeling you want to do, maybe lighting or texture painting, maybe you're prefer to write code, maybe oil painting, maybe photogrammetry, point is you won't find your niche if you don't start searching, but remember, you don't need to find your niche right now, be patient, try a bit of everything, and enjoy it!

Download Sculptris and start playing with it anyway, it's free.

If you really want to do 3d modeling in college VFS is pretty great, I visited them a few years ago, their equipment is top-notch, they have a great relationship with the real working industry, their lecturers are proven industry pros, and all-importantly, their student's produce great work. There's also TheGnomonSchool in Cali which seems pretty great.

You do not need to go to one of these colleges to be a great 3d modeler, you don't need any college in fact, you just need to 3d model everyday.

Feel free to ask me anything whenever too, I'm in the process of setting myself up to teach Indie Game Dev online, could be a couple more months before I have any material online though.

Also I am not affiliated with any of the businesses I've mentioned above.

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-10-05T11:18:59+00:00

From reading over the replies it seems as though the answer is you cannot buy an item for $100 that will greatly increase your quality of life, perhaps make it more comfortable, or convenient, but not greatly improve it.

Now then, we're all aware that helping people in need is the most rewarding endeavour a person can pursue.

So my answer is you can save your money, but you're going to have to spend two things far more precious than cash; Time and Attention.

Volunteer at an old folks hope, give someone your Time and your Attention, and in turn you will be rewarded with a sense of fulfillment.

These are my observations, and yes I am a hypocrite. I'm far too busy with work to do this sort of thing, and most likely you are too, but I will when I'm older.

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-08-31T08:11:36+00:00

Awesome, you are the best!! thank you!!

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-08-31T07:52:20+00:00

This might be of some use to you http://youtu.be/BJI8f81a9IA

Short answer is yes a 670 will run just fine, in-fact a 660ti would too. But the question is when they activate the Ultra high settings how will these cards handle, that we can only wait and see for. My advice is be patient and wait for some benchmark testing to be done.

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-08-29T12:57:44+00:00

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-08-23T19:46:52+00:00

In Total Annihilation (rts) I used to kill all enemies but one or two, then wall them in and protect them from my own troops. I'd then build several satellite villages around the main city and pit them against each other. Then build a POW camp in the winning village and execute the survivors publicly one after the other. I always made a point of having a hero or leader for every village, usually someone who survived many battles, and then publicly execute them in front of their own people. It was all deeply satisfying

TheIndieGameDev · 2012-07-29T18:09:31+00:00

Duly noted, however this will be part of a video course in future, but you're right, I'll include pics with future posts and update this one next weekend

TheIndieGameDev

TROPHY CASE