Game development is hard because of the very reason we got involved: there
are no real boundaries. Yes, there are system requirements, time constraints
and personal energy limitations, but if your dream was to make your own
version of Metroid, there really isn't anything to prevent that from
happening. It may be written in COBOL, have pre-2600 graphics, and provide
as much gameplay value as a stapler, but it could be done.
As addressed in my ABC column, an independent game developer's visions can
become the enemy instead of the friend. Creating a good remake of the
Nintendo classic Metroid would take months, a significant team, and good
programming/art skills to make it a professional product. We all know this.
However, in between thought and execution, our personal goal becomes
distorted:
Week 1: I plan on having the game done in 9 months with 2 player capability.
There will be 3 levels.
Week 2: I'm going to expand the game to 20 levels, with LAN capability for
up to 8 players.
Week 3: I'm spending this month gourand shading player 1's right arm. Next
month I'll start on the left.
It's not just a personal problem, though. One of the amazing things I've
seen in my couple of years on the Internet game development scene his how
critical we can be of each other. Letters like "Your game plays like [place
your explicative here]" and "Why doesn't your game have surround sound?"
makes a game developer think his or her product is NEVER good enough. That's
why my game Angel Hair (July 1999) was such a big deal to me: after years of
harsh criticism from peers and even from myself I released a near-complete
product. Some panned it, some praised it, but it didn't matter, since I
already knew my limitations and capabilities.
We need to give each other realistic expectations and positive
encouragement. A person's first RPG isn't going to be Final Fantasy VIII -
you should go buy a Playstation like everybody else if you want that. There
will be no cutscenes, morphing characters or an award-winning script in a
300 K game.
>From a solo game developer with proper support, however, the result will be
better than any manufactured product. It's one lowly, isolated person's
vision. It's a person's attempt at greatness. It's unfiltered, raw and ugly.
It's real and unchanged.
It is beautiful.
--
Written by Damon Brown.
