How do you plan how to make a game?

Ubiguchi

I've got a couple of different angles on your first bullet about writing things down: firstly, as a first time indie dev, and secondly working at a studio for hire, where we predominantly help AAA games build out their multiplayer and live services.

From the indie angle, I did various experiments, decided on what I was going to tackle and then I wrote a 2-page conceptual design doc. Definitely not a full GDD, but enough to get me started, and once I'd worked out various things, I then proceeded to a) develop in Godot, and b) write a full GDD.

While I know docs are often frowned upon, for me the conceptual and GDD docs kept me on the path, and stopped me from running off in all manner of directions, which would've been fun, but would've elongated development.

In the AAA side, I've seen everything under the sun from shelves of design docs, through to absolutely nothing. My takeaway from that is docs clearly aren't always necessary, although usually having your core ideas, design and plans written out helps a lot.

Danimal

kuligs2 the "AI" is still not human like

That depends on the players tastes and game genre (I´m a single player supporter); it also add lots of complications, makes the scope way bigger and gives the game a "caducity date", which is when you can´t find anyone else to play with. There migh be bots with the very same defect you exposed to prolong it´s life, but creating a multiplayer game with players 10 years later is impossible for most indie developers. While a single player game can be enjoyed 20-30 years later without any problem.
Thanks for the teamplate tip, will do.

Erich_L Ask AI to break down the project for you

AI is kinda alien to me. Can it really offer something? I keep on hearing it just tells you what you want to hear without being critical or contradicting the user.

Ubiguchi from shelves of design docs, through to absolutely nothing

So it goes both ways, you can either plan everything or nothing at all... My fear is that I enjoy far more the 3d modelling work, so I migh end up spending whole months making the models and then bump my head against my inability to code and feel like I wasted everything.

Ubiguchi, as pro in the sector what do you advise? I think I will limit myself to make just a few testing/finished models and then stop until I have tackled whatever I need/planned to code next. That´s the reason I feel like I need some planning, so I don´t get lost on things I like or things I can´t do. Motivation is a finite thing and I have big boy responsabilities, so the little free time I have needs to be used as efficiently as possible (there is a lot to say about employing it on games, but...) while also making me feel fulfilled.

xyz

Danimal Perpetually wip pseudo design document is a must. The rest is optional. Tracking stuff with a kanban board or a similar system is extremely beneficial to project health. Especially if you struggle with time or motivation.

kuligs2

Danimal That depends on the players tastes and game genre (I´m a single player supporter); it also add lots of complications, makes the scope way bigger and gives the game a "caducity date", which is when you can´t find anyone else to play with. There migh be bots with the very same defect you exposed to prolong it´s life, but creating a multiplayer game with players 10 years later is impossible for most indie developers. While a single player game can be enjoyed 20-30 years later without any problem.
Thanks for the teamplate tip, will do.

you dont have to create mmo multiplayer game, just have an option to play with people - coop/pve pvp.. there are plenty games that incorporated this. and they are still playable years later..

Toxe

kuligs2 Well, you don't just flip a switch and your game magically supports multiplayer. Depending on your game MP support adds a bloody lot of hassle and complications and you can't just slap it on later but ideally know it going into it. And ultimately you have to judge if all of that is worth it and I'd say: for most indie games the answer is a clear "hell no". Unless of course you want to make a real MP game like Among Us, but a MP mode for let's say The Talos Principle, Spelunky, Hades, Disco Elysium or Stardew Valley wouldn't add much to the experience or make sense or be something that a lot of people would play. That time is better spend elsewhere.

Danilo

kuligs2 Exactly, there are games like Left 4 Dead, Overcooked, and Rocket League offer multiplayer experiences and remain popular over the years so you can just incorporate these modes into your game

SnapCracklins

Honestly, I've had to learn as I go. The horror title I've been working on has taken a while. But I've gotten a "flow" to it that works for me, especially in Godot. It boils down to three steps in this order.

Make it work
Make it work better
Make it pretty

To go in more detail, make your "core loop" first. All games revolve around this. Graphics, you have to see, are window dressing for what code is saying. It's easy to get those somewhere. For instance, if I were making a shooter, I would make a little test arena, make code for my player walking around and make sure that "core system" works first. In my horror game, I made my main player and enemy first and built a "skeleton" of the world before even starting eventing and such.

Then, once the code is doing what I want it to do, then I optimize. Does this bullet need to move faster? Are the controls sticky? Does it feel good? How is the camera handling? Optimizing is easier when you have something working and know what it should do and what it should not do.

Worry about making it pretty later on. There are tons of artists out there who can help or will sell you assets. It's much easier to drop something in later when it's all functional, especially on the graphic/sound side. And by that time, you should know your system/code so well that you're less likely to break something if you add a feature.

I realize I am an amateur and this is MASSIVELY watering down this process (bug testing, loading optimization, etc) but it's what works for me.

Wyattus

I’ve worked with a game art outsourcing studio before, and it made things a lot smoother, especially when I needed consistent 2D and 3D assets without juggling extra hires. Their team handled everything from style matching to quick turnarounds, and the communication felt pretty effortless. If you’re looking to keep your project moving without stressing over the art pipeline, checking out a game art outsourcing studio can be a solid move.

goldangelcorp

I get started writing GDD first to the begin develop my game. You can find a template on web or buy books about game design its a good idea too. Draw some artworks for your game to give to you an overview about the game that you gonna start. Thats all.

Danimal

Hi, well, my ideas are way too ambitious with nothing to back them up for now. Coding is not my forte and life gets in the way in every way it can. But I need to get to it and make something simple.

DaveTheCoder

For the only significant Godot game I've made, I started with an existing simple game (Dodge the Creeps), and a game concept that provided direction, and incrementally added features.

Danimal

I have been thinking lately in doing something which I can build upon and won´t be a crazy big concept from the very start. Cartoony post-apoc dude who lives in a city, right in the middle of mountains of trash, think of Deponia (very fun graphic adventures).

You are a scavenger and find a blueprint for a wind generator while sorting trash, build many of it with neccessary scavended pieces, sell energy to city, improve generator with money, scavenge more zones, find more energy generation methods. Go clean or go dirty (trash burners generators vs plant trees, make anti-trash walls...) and in the end reap what you sow.
First person, simple combat (critters among the trash in need of a whack on the head), a bit of automation. Latter suprising the player by making them worry about their generators not exploding by lack of cooling...

I know for sure I would have fun making the 3d models, not so much for the coding.

DaveTheCoder For the only significant Godot game I've made,

Is it available somewhere?

Tomcat

Danimal Do you guys know of better tools or what I´m missing?

https://godotforums.org/d/28944-free-software-for-content-creation

Sound editing: Audacity

Why is a program that collects user data so popular? Are there really no other audio editors? Well, at least ocenaudio.

DaveTheCoder

Danimal Is it available somewhere?

I haven't published it. I'm stuck on some last steps, such as deciding on a name, whether to make it free or charge for it, and submitting it to a store.

Tomcat

DaveTheCoder I'm stuck on some last steps, such as deciding on a name

For a modest percentage, I'm ready to come up with a name. 😹

Tomcat

Here's a good idea.

https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@Conz@social.tchncs.de/116111014414099234

BTW Another World was created without any design document and turned out pretty well.

kuligs2

Tomcat
Good game, it has part 2

Gowydot

Currently going through making a game right now and I came up with this formula.
(your skills in coding + your skills in making assets) / 2 = game most likely be published.

Danimal

Gowydot (your skills in coding + your skills in making assets) / 2 = game most likely be published.

I always considered being published as a pipedream, nowadays games needs insane levels of polish. Not even indies can get away of it, there is so much market saturation that standing out is nearly imposible.
When I finally put myself to make a game, it will be because I want to make something I would like to play, getting money out of it would be welcome but unlikely.

Gowydot

Danimal
Well making a game is one thing finishing it is another. But if the game is finished you gotta publish it, somehow, just share what you make because that is the point of making it + a chance of making the money.

Making good money off it IS the pipedream somewhat but more like luck too I think, remember flappy bird? or calculated targeting like many nintendo games, Simple , fun , family oriented. No need for insane AAA level and It's still possible.

That's why I learned you should plan according to your skills so it doesn't overwhelm you halfway.

Tomcat

kuligs2 Good game, it has part 2

This game is very popular in Russia. But we mainly play this game in real life.

I can't speak for The Sims 1, but in The Sims 2, you could already mess with your neighbors. I guess it's a must-have feature for any social game.