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I'm not actively developing any more, but I've actually just released my first indie game so I speak from experience. - What is the concept of your game? It's

by mmccomb 15y ago

I'm not actively developing any more, but I've actually just released my first indie game so I speak from experience. - What is the concept of your game? It's an asteroids clone with a bit of a twist. The asteroids can be one of a number of colors and the player has to switch bullet colors to match their target asteroid. Hit an asteroid with the wrong color bullet and it spawns more. - How far are you in development? Complete - you can check out some pics and download (it's free) from the official site... http://www.mattmccomb.com/Coloroids/index.html http://www.mattmccomb.com/Coloroids/index.html As for the trials and tribulations... + Use frameworks - I handcrafted my engine from scratch. My maths/geometry isn't bad but implementing the physics and rendering took me much longer than any other aspect of the development. And for what gain? I learnt a bit about maths/physics but it's not useful to me. I would have been better off using a library (cocs2d, unity, etc.) and pouring my time into gameplay. + Finishing is the hardest part - Adding features and tweaking control systems, that's fun! Coding menus, creating icons and writing app descriptions, not so much. I left all the dull stuff to end. I spent my last week of development writing emails to app review sites and creating promo images/videos. I suggest that you plan ahead and do some of the dog work as you go. It'll make completing much easier. + Feedback is Critical - find a diverse range of testers, old, young, gamers, non-gamers and let them play your game from day 1. They are the most vital source of feedback you will find. NEVER rely on your own judgement - you're your own worst critic. + Enjoy the process - build a game you enjoy playing and believe in.

JonLim 15y ago
Thanks for the awesome post! A few questions: - Were you not aware of Cocos2d / Unity when you started? Or did you think you could do it better? - What sort of feedback did you get and how did you go about getting it? - Are you not planning to develop any more games? (Based on your first sentence.)
- mmccomb 15y ago
  - Were you not aware of Cocos2d / Unity when you started? Or did you think you could do it better? I was aware of it, although not to the extent that I am now. Awareness wasn't the reason for the decision however. The decision was a mix of naivety and a desire to learn as much as possible about game design/development. Writing my own engine was therefore a bit of a self-learning process. It certainly was beneficial but not a process I would repeat or recommend for a commercial/releasable game - especially for indie devs. - What sort of feedback did you get and how did you go about getting it? Prior to release I pestered friends, family and strangers. I would make a concerted effort to mention what the game in conversations (if the other person reciprocated with interest). This often led to a description of the concept, mechanics and a short demo/play test. I did this from day one - when there was literally a ship on screen with a control pad. Immediately I was told that the controls were too sensitive - but as I alluded to you become blind to these things when you spend your days play testing your own game. - Are you not planning to develop any more games? (Based on your first sentence.) For me the process was about two things - 1. the challenge and 2. the experience. Games are difficult and they involve some fairly complex design/coding problems, that was the attraction for me. I don't have a particular affinity/interest in games development - so I'm not sure I would jump into another game immediately. I would however love to remake the game using a framework and with some more polished graphics. I actually really enjoy playing it and think the concept works well. Unfortunately my own decision to custom design the engine has potentially hindered the enjoyability and limited the functionality.

by mmccomb 15y ago

JonLim 15y ago

Thanks for the awesome post! A few questions: - Were you not aware of Cocos2d / Unity when you started? Or did you think you could do it better? - What sort of feedback did you get and how did you go about getting it? - Are you not planning to develop any more games? (Based on your first sentence.)

mmccomb 15y ago
- Were you not aware of Cocos2d / Unity when you started? Or did you think you could do it better? I was aware of it, although not to the extent that I am now. Awareness wasn't the reason for the decision however. The decision was a mix of naivety and a desire to learn as much as possible about game design/development. Writing my own engine was therefore a bit of a self-learning process. It certainly was beneficial but not a process I would repeat or recommend for a commercial/releasable game - especially for indie devs. - What sort of feedback did you get and how did you go about getting it? Prior to release I pestered friends, family and strangers. I would make a concerted effort to mention what the game in conversations (if the other person reciprocated with interest). This often led to a description of the concept, mechanics and a short demo/play test. I did this from day one - when there was literally a ship on screen with a control pad. Immediately I was told that the controls were too sensitive - but as I alluded to you become blind to these things when you spend your days play testing your own game. - Are you not planning to develop any more games? (Based on your first sentence.) For me the process was about two things - 1. the challenge and 2. the experience. Games are difficult and they involve some fairly complex design/coding problems, that was the attraction for me. I don't have a particular affinity/interest in games development - so I'm not sure I would jump into another game immediately. I would however love to remake the game using a framework and with some more polished graphics. I actually really enjoy playing it and think the concept works well. Unfortunately my own decision to custom design the engine has potentially hindered the enjoyability and limited the functionality.