# Game development



## Moronik (Mar 5, 2014)

Hi, I've got an idea for a theme-park style game. 

I've pretty much worked out all the rules and how it would all fit together. I considered making it myself, but I dont have the skills or the time to learn. I think it would sell to a niche crowd with a possibility of a lot of dlc.

So I was wondering what my options are?

a) If I took it to a developer... how would I keep control? or would I simply sell the idea? Not sure of the process.

b) Try and get crowd funding. Find someone to code it. Is it likely I would get funding, considering I have no experience?


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## FridgeMagnet (Mar 5, 2014)

You will have to get money together and hire a developer and presumably artists as well, which will be expensive, or you will have to find somebody who really believes in the project and wants to do it enough to not get paid and won't just run away with it (which is unlikely to happen).

Nobody will give you money without a development team, and nobody will pay for a game idea. So really, what I'm saying is "become rich or learn to code".


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## Moronik (Mar 5, 2014)

Balls.

Thats what i suspected.


Thanks for the answer.


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## classicdish (Mar 5, 2014)

Try hooking up with people in the modding scene - find people doing something similar and contribute to a shared project.
eg.
http://www.moddb.com/forum
http://modsonline.com/Forums.html


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## Silva (Mar 5, 2014)

I know the feeling. Unfortunately, I know a guy who's into game development and released one last year, but he's been a twat recently, so I'd rather just keep my ideas on a file.

You can also try to find an open source remake project (for Theme Park or Rollercoaster Tycoon) and try to get in the team. Some developers strictly want to replicate a game, while others are more inclined to add new features. A few years ago I was part of the OpenTH team, and some ideas deviating from Theme Hospital (such as, for instance, doctors appearance changing according to experience - younger doctors would wear jeans, snickers and tshirts with something printed on, regular doctors would keep the same as the original game, while consultants would look older) were well accepted, while in others it's a big no-no to even suggest things before the core being completed.
The biggest problem is that many - if not most - open source game projects are done by a few guys on work/school breaks. OpenTH died because of that, many others suffer long months of inactivity before being forgotten.


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## FridgeMagnet (Mar 6, 2014)

I don't mean to be harsh, but people who say "I have a really great idea for a game" are a long running joke in the game dev scene. "I have a really great idea for an album, can somebody do the music?" "This would be a really good plot for a novel, can somebody write it and I'll give you half the profits?"


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## fractionMan (Mar 6, 2014)

What fridge just said.  The old gamedev forums had an entire subforum dedicated to people saying "I've got this great super secret idea for an amazing game, all I need it is the people to make it for me and they can have half the money".   It was called "help wanted".

Ah, here it is.  Slightly different but still there. http://www.gamedev.net/classifieds

Stuff like this popped up 20 times a day: http://www.gamedev.net/classifieds/item/2897-looking-for-skills-in-our-new-team-synthetik-games/ http://www.gamedev.net/classifieds/item/2910-new-studio-recruiting/ ... http://www.gamedev.net/classifieds/...rogrammer-and-graphic-artist-for-prototyping/

Ideas are easy.  Even nowadays, with far better frameworks available than ever before the programming required is _hard. _ Doing the graphics is _hard_.  Both require specialist skills.  What works better imo is programmers looking for artists and visa versa.  At least the effort split is more equal.


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## captainmission (Mar 6, 2014)

If you can't programme you could consider making it as a board game. If a stratergy game in a basic form can't work as a board game it probably wouldn't work as a computer game anyway.


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## Moronik (Mar 6, 2014)

captainmission said:


> If you can't programme you could consider making it as a board game. If a stratergy game in a basic form can't work as a board game it probably wouldn't work as a computer game anyway.



I have designed it as a board game, but it require calculations constantly which only a computer could do. Otherwise it simply wouldn't be fun to play, and would just be tedious.

It would be similar to Theme Park, Prison Architect, that kind of thing. Where different objects influence others constantly.

I have designed all the mechanics. Just need to get it 'done'. 

I'm also wary of entering a field I know nothing about, which is why i would like to work with an established team. Even if it got made, there is no reason to expect it to do exceptionally well. 
I just wanted to design it for the thrill. I was just interested in the viability of taking it further.


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## Moronik (Mar 6, 2014)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I don't mean to be harsh, but people who say "I have a really great idea for a game" are a long running joke in the game dev scene. "I have a really great idea for an album, can somebody do the music?" "This would be a really good plot for a novel, can somebody write it and I'll give you half the profits?"



I know what you are saying and I don't take offence. 
In this case though it is more like 'I have written a script, can someone make it into a play'.

And while you may scoff about the music thing, that does actually happen.
There are engineers who do exactly that. 
You give them the bare bones and your ideas and they make it for you. You just advise.

I was hoping for something similar actually!


But as you say..... ideas are cheap (free). Getting professionals on board is not!


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## fractionMan (Mar 6, 2014)

Moronik said:


> You give them the bare bones and your ideas and they make it for you. You just advise.



There are plenty of people/companies that do that.  But as it's their job, you have to pay them money to do it.


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## Moronik (Mar 6, 2014)

Thanks for the input everyone. I appreciate it, and I'm sorry if i have asked some silly questions. I really don't know much about the industry, so I'm just trying to figure out whether this is a project worth pursuing or not.


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## fractionMan (Mar 6, 2014)

They're not silly.  I think most people underestimate just how much effort it takes to turn even a simple idea into a game.


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## Moronik (Mar 6, 2014)

no... I do understand! I did computer programming at A level, although i was not that great at it. I did consider learning to code myself to do it....but it would take years.  I'm not sure I want it enough for that..


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## fractionMan (Mar 6, 2014)

Moronik said:


> no... I do understand! I did computer programming at A level, although i was not that great at it. I did consider learning to code myself to do it....but it would take years.  I'm not sure I want it enough for that..



Nah, you should DO IT! 

If you get some prototype code together you may be able to get an artist interested.


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## Buddy Bradley (Mar 6, 2014)

There are plenty of game development toolbox type things around - I think FridgeMagnet linked to a few in an earlier thread on a similar topic.


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## fractionMan (Mar 6, 2014)

I got back into software development by writing games.  I was a _terrible_ programmer back then and I expect my code was horrific to look at.  But it got me coding and the games eventually worked, which was GREAT.  Now I write software for a living.

Start with something small - just one aspect of the game.  Get that working, then add the next bit.  Implement the mechanics - just the logic.  Worry about putting it on the screen later.


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## Silva (Mar 6, 2014)

You could always try Python (with the Pygame library). It has a lot of samples and tutorials around.


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## fractionMan (Mar 6, 2014)

Silva said:


> You could always try Python (with the Pygame library). It has a lot of samples and tutorials around.


People are using to produce things like the OP too: http://pygame.org/project-VillagerSim-2882-4700.html


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## fractionMan (Mar 6, 2014)

This looks amazing for java 3d: http://jmonkeyengine.org/features/introduction/

this was written using it: http://ghook.speedrungames.com/


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## Moronik (Mar 6, 2014)

thanks! I'll take a look at Python...


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## fractionMan (Mar 8, 2014)

fun series of 'games' about game design.  Take 5 mins each: http://www.kongregate.com/games/pixelate/understanding-games-episode-1


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