What Does it Takes to be a Great Game Developer

[loonieboy9697]

I played my first video game when I was 3-4, and it was Evil Dead: Hail To The King for Playstation1 (Sadly I wish it wasn't) Ever since then I wanted to know more about video games and How they are made. But I focused on making Ideas for games writing every little detail in a notebook. When I was 7 Learned that games needed Coding. This made me confused, so I began searching for "easier" ways to make a game. That's when I began to improve in Art and drift to game art. When I started Middle School, My teacher told me about a program called "Atmosphir" that was still in beta. It allowed players to create games using pre-set models with no Coding needed. I quickly adjusted to the program, but i was only limited to the capabilities of the program. When I started the 8th grade, The program was shut down, leaving me nothing to create with. Since I was older and was about to start High School, I began to wonder more about coding. What is it, how it works, and how can i learn it. It seemed as I got further into it it got tougher. When I started 10thGrade I discovered Game Maker Studio. The Coding was much easier to understand. But the most I did with that program was make a small room with a small animated player controlled character and 1 enemy. It was pretty good for a first attempt but I didn't like it at all. And As I thought more about it I didn't even know the "Process of making a game" and was it possible to be a artist as well as a developer? (that kinda sound like a stupid question now when I think about it)

This video featuring @Mike_Z Helped ....ALOT (which I thank you)

But this is aimed towards Fighting Games. Can some of the information given relate to other genres as well?

Im starting the 12th grade this year, and the main thing on my mind is... What does it takes to be a great developer.

 

[Arcana]

money really helps,
also having a clear outline of what you want to do and making sure you are capable of coding in an engine that allows you to do that

 

[loonieboy9697]

money really helps,
also having a clear outline of what you want to do and making sure you are capable of coding in an engine that allows you to do that

Money, of course, Currency basically controls everybody's lives.

 

[ashxu]

Learn how to code.

There's no way around it, learn programming. It's not HARD, just tedious. If you're serious about being a game designer then I would recommend giving yourself a head start and making an effort to get going while you're still in high school.

 

[Zidiane]

Same thing it takes to be a great anything, I'd bet. Dedication, passion, diligence, sacrifice, self reflection, and personal flexibility are some of the qualities I'd put my money on. Keep at it, keep learning, and before you realize it you'll be leagues ahead of where you are now.

As far as learning more about game design itself (not just being great at it), check out these guys. I've seen all their videos, and it's very worth watching through them (and favoriting your favorites to watch again: I didn't do that and now they're lost in the sea of vids). Browsing around youtube, I'm sure you can find other channels that do what these guys do.

 

[Tomo009]

To be a great game developer you make a game.

Then you do it again.

Good luck! Noone is going to do your work for you unless you pay them, so get started now!

 

[Azzamacazza]

Watch Extra Credits on Youtube. This video looks like a nice place to start.

Or maybe these two are are what you're after.

 

[Tomo009]

Extra Credits are nice and all, but don't just watch them and think you are gaining incredible knowledge. They bring up questions but almost always fall short of giving you much substance. Some of their episodes are particularly great, but I think their short episodes ultimately doesn't do justice to the topics they try to cover.

 

[loonieboy9697]

Extra Credits are nice and all, but don't just watch them and think you are gaining incredible knowledge. They bring up questions but almost always fall short of giving you much substance. Some of their episodes are particularly great, but I think their short episodes ultimately doesn't do justice to the topics they try to cover.

I just started watching there videos. They are very good and heplful. But so far this statement is true.

I also watched The Indie Game Movie on Netflix. It was pretty legit. It showed me a lot of the problems that independent developers face. In the end it was very good.

 

[Nevins]

Thanks for the reminder on Indie Game The Movie. I've been meaning to watch that for a long time.
I've been w/an indie game team for 7 or 8 years, and working with someone who has good business sense who can help bring in an income is important, unless you're surviving off of savings or another job.

 

[Squire Grooktook]

You may already know this but, one thing consistent I've heard from every single game designer:

Play games analytically. Really think as you play them about the stuff like level design, telegraphing, risk vs reward, the movement, the types of skills nessecary, patterns, etc. Really think about what you like and what you don't like. If you don't like something, or find it boring or unimpressive, but you can't put your finger on it...don't leave till you can put your finger on it, and vise verca for something you like. Especially for something you like.

I actually got a chance to talk with one of the directors/designers/programmers for Shovel Knight at Comic Con (who also worked on a shit ton of games for Wayforward like Contra 4) and I told him some of my similar thoughts on level design etc, and he basically said that is the way you become a good designer, and that I was on the right track.

Also try to read interviews and stuff like Extra Creditz with designers you admire. They can give good insights. For example one of my favorites is this interview with a programmer who worked on Gradius, Contra, and Castlevania. He shares some interesting concepts like how he makes a game feel varied, his thoughts on randomness vs pattern memorization, (mostly in the last half of the interview) etc. At the same time though, learn to think for yourself and analyze things for yourself. You don't need someone higher up telling you how to think, because a lot of this is subjective and you'll have to develop your own philosophies to some extent (though you should also be VERY critical of yourself and constantly be seeking constructive criticism and multiple opinions).


Also as others have said: learn to program. Trying to make games without knowing how to program is like trying to be an artist who doesn't know how to draw (or do anything, for that matter). Games are made out of code, so you'll have to learn how to code if you want to make a game. It will be boring, it will be hard, it will take years and years, and that's because it's work like any work. So make sure you love games.

 

[loonieboy9697]

Squire Grooktook[/URL]]Play games analytically. Really think as you play them about the stuff like level design, telegraphing, risk vs reward, the movement, the types of skills nessecary, patterns, etc. Really think about what you like and what you don't like. If you don't like something, or find it boring or unimpressive, but you can't put your finger on it...don't leave till you can put your finger on it, and vise verca for something you like. Especially for something you like.

Yea I hear that, but not very often.
RPG's and MMO's really help me a lot.

Ive also been reading a lot of Gameinformer recently. They give good insight. I can never find good interviews sometimes.

 

[Fat-Ass ♪]

 

[Tomo009]

If only that was all it took.

 

[chickenwithtie]

Imagination is a good start for many things, but it's pretty much useless if not followed by lot of hard work.
Unless you wanna be the Ed Wood of gaming, that is.

 

[Solaris]

Don't do what EA is doing right now.
That's all you need to know.

 

[chickenwithtie]

Don't do what EA does anytime ever.