Making indie video game, or my way how it must be done.


Table of contents

1. Introduction
2. Getting the idea (First steps)
3. tEH 1337 GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPhigs (Designing graphics)
4. Now its time to take in pen and paper. (Designing the game)
5. In old days everyone made handwork, nowadays we use robots! (Editors)
6. Looking into the masses of binary numbers (Coding)
7. "7-1, 1", "7-1", "Use artillery to paralyze enemy on the spot 6621 1432" "7-1" (Enviroment and Teaming)
8. Me and my friend (Multiplayer)
9. Cliché is to make cliché game full of cliché (Avoiding null game)
10. Selling you work of art! (Marketning)


1. Introduction

First you must forgive me about my bad writing english, but hope you can read this article. This article is made of what I have learned in click community and from personal test. There is tons of ways in doing games and also as many articles, but this is my opinion how it must be done.I havn't made and games myself, but I have helped few and also have done half-done-games myself a lot, so I know a bit what I'm talking about, or I'll think so...


2. Getting the idea

This is the vital part. PLANNING! Now there you make a game, which can take even few years to get completed. Now here is my problem. I'm running 100 projects, but can't get anything done. This is a big problem to many klikers here. You need to stick in one project, and one only. If you make 2, then it goes easily to 3 or 4, then you are not doing anything. Mostly I have heard people saying about this: "I played mass effect and I want to make scifi!" So when making games, don't play games or play only games in same genre.

Now first you need to thing what kind of game. Now I'm talking about scifi, RPG etc. Yes but you can also compare the game into other video game. Lets say I want to make zelda like game. Now there isn't genre for Fan games. Fan games are horrible! There is 1000 sonic clones, which are all like you rip sprites and make sonic run. Yay... Also totally ripping games is horrible, because think this. If you have super mario 1 on nes. Who wants to play sucky clone? Or if it has succeeded, do you want to get sued by nintendo? I understand fan games, if they are made with totally different graphics and its a story how mario kidnaps Peach and shoots Toads with marshmellow gun, or something like that. You get the idea. You can rip some small things, but not much. Also the best rule is to add something that others can't see, like character template. If you add a quest in rpg, use sonic to run through the map. Then I'll delete the hole game.

The rule of games is start with five small games with highscore and then start doing bigger games. If you take too big slice of cake with one bite, your gonna choke.


3. tEH 1337 GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPhigs

Now this is also a annoying thing that I see in many games. People make a stick character with madonnas face on it. WTF? Only question, what I want to ask from the makers is. How bored you were and who you think plays this shit? This is a fact! Now then we start thinking of the style of the graphics to be made. Well people are all different. Everyone isn't artist when they born. When you see a game with fancy 40x80 characters you are like: "Wow, I wun make tEH 1337 GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPhigs." Well mostly it doesn't work. Making so big characters takes time, or they look like shit in toilet walls. This is why you need to learn the magical look of small pixeled graphics. What if you make a character with 8x10 pixels? It looks good and you can get 200 good pictures instead of 1 40x80 picture.

Now how do you find your own style. The easiest way is to adopt other makers style. This is ripping you can do, if you just make it look like different. As for example I would say that adopt graphical style of final vision. This game shows how it is done.

Now you know of the graphical style. Then you need to think about the colors. Making a game with bright colors, send the game into deep sea of unknown. Also too bright colors are boring and mostly it would look like fallout3's landscape. I would succest about dark colours. Also the palette is vital. If you are making a game with all 16 million colors, then you could say byebye into you interest. Basicly you only need black and white. But mostly if I need something on my palette Ill add it and also a Shadow colour to it. One green, one grey, one blue and so on.


4. Now its time to take in pen and paper.

Yes now we know what the game is like and also, how the graphics are done. Now we take pen and paper and start planning the game. First you must do the basics of the game. If you are making rpg, you need to plan combat system, leveling system, skill system. You need to plan ahead about the formulas, races and basic magic system. Now after these are done do them! Then you get something solid into your project. It gives you some energy boost in doing more. Now the start doing basic enemies, equips and items. Then do them! And then we do Story, bosses and plans of maps. Then do them! And lastly some add features, like grafting skills, day/night-system, mini-games and bacround stories. Then do them! And now you see game is done! Everything should be planned and then done. But if you don't plan, you don't make the game into end. Or if you plan everything, then you don't start making the game.


5. In old days everyone made handwork, nowadays we use robots!

Yes, know if you are making a big game and have hundreds of swords and thousands of quests, you need something to help you to create them easily. This is why everyone must do editors. It is really pain in the ass to delete, edit or create thousands of items, without database. Also it helps in making maps. Your don't need to get the people, who only have mmf, but if you make editor, theyonly need that. Also making a good editor can be very useful in your future projects also. So after making the basic system make editor!


6. Looking into the masses of binary numbers

You start a project and you don't know how to code... This dooms many projects. Even myself somethimes need help in something and I understand if some small things need to be asked. But if you don't know where to use alternative values, or start making MMORPG with moosock, then I succest of forgetting about the game making and start learning it. Also good way is to look into clickteams forum and loading example files, which can give you more ideas to implement into your game, or making the game smoother.

Now we go into coding part. The way I am doing things are pretty simple. I have "Playground" Which is a map and I'll test there everything. When it's bugfree, it can be implemented into the game. I have dozens of files, but you only need to copy the object or group of events. Now there is few things you should do in the lines of code.

1. Use behaviors. Then you only need to copy your object, all codes are inside it.
2. Use qualifiers. Yes these makes your coding smoother and it takes less time. NOTE: You can't use qualifiers in behavior list.
3. Comment your code. If this is done and you need to find something. I promise, you don't!
4. Name your variables. So you know what variables do.
5. Use groups. It eases on finding something into ocean of code.
6. Sub-application is the second best of you after active object. Use it to everything: item menu, Speech bubble, data storage, Multiplayer making etc.


7. "7-1, 1", "7-1", "Use artillery to paralyze enemy on the spot 6621 1432" "7-1"

When making a game you need to be undistracted. Close up into your room. Open window to get fresh air, and don't listen to music or have tv on next to you. It can take 5 minutes and you are watching tv.

Team members are also a good plus. If you have team members which does game with you and always talks about it. Then it will be a good start. But if you have friend, who says next to you like: "Lets try your new ps3 game" or "lets watch one video on youtube." Then I succest on forgetting that one out of the crew.


8. Me and my friend

Now I ask a question from you! Who wants to play a game where you shoot thousands of mindless zombes on yourself? Answer is none. But if you add few friends to play the co-op, then the sales goes up. Now this is the problem of games in these days. Everyone plays MMORPG, because there are friends playing it also. If the game has good multiplayer people buys it. Most good games that are bought consist great story or good multiplayer. But many people doesn't play on online. It have to have story co-op. Yes there is versus games, but playing versus on 1on1 is a heck of a boring (not in strategy or fighting games). Nowadays every game almost has this option. Now for example I think bonesaw was good game at start, and it had potential. After a while --> Delete. But if it would have 2 player co-op, then I would still play it.

Making offline co-op is simple. Just make 2 subapplications and transfer the data of the other players with global values. Now why there isn't these games? Now I am waiting to buy tormishire, because it has co-op!!! And the co-op gives me 50% of the desision, why I buy this game. Rest is because the game looks absolutely great.

Now there is also a new way of doing multiplayer games, thanks to aquasoft. But people think Lacewing = MMORPG. Dööd wrong answer. Making a MMORPG is pretty pain in the ass, and many people need team to back it up. Now also you need servers and everything else on the matter. So when you start making MMORPG --> forget it. Now there is few things that can be done nicely with the lacewing. dsMORPG, which means dedicated server massive multiplayer game. So you make a dedicated server, which everyone runs on their computer and then there can be like 30 people playing rpg game. Also you can create Lan games, or small multiplayer Co-ops, like diablo. You need 2 computers, then have split-screen and wolaa, you have 4 player campaign. It's like playing diablo or some other nice game. With your friends the gameplay is much nicer than alone. Always! There is also a cliché! If you make a game, where is dedicated server system and no one plays it. It sucks... If you make one system make sure about the players, so everyone starts playing it and so there is 50 players online everyday at least!


9. Cliché is to make cliché game full of cliché

First we talk about story. Making a big klik game, needs to have addicting story. If you find a key, then you would guess that it will unlock a door. But if you need to put it into horses ass and he kicks you and you fly through the door. The player would be like: "LOOOOOOOOOOOOL ." Making the biggest mistakes is to do boring story or making it like it can be predicted. How if you have played boring life in space ship. Now alert comes in. Radar shows Big vessel coming in and motor had broke down. When you look out of the window, you see nothing. But what if the motor broke down, because it wasn't maintenased in a long time and the radars vessel vas just sunbeam, which burned a wire. Make the story with passion! Also add some side knowledge of the world. I like myself to read about the books and stuff like in morrowind. And I know I'm not the only one in the world. Also if your actions affect the story, it will give a new playthrough to the game.

There has to be creative. If you make game, what makes them pley them? Good graphics is already used! Don't go with Mario. Do not do pipe maps if possible. If there will be 2 or 3 different ways of doing a task, the player will be more happier. Umm, this is my opinion, but mostly I hate games with Huge areas, and too much to do. For example The elder scroll serie. It is like MMORPG, but alone. Who wants to play that. None. Although this was an example I'm fan of morrowind and oblivion, but mostly in europe people do this kind of games. This is why I mostly like Japanese RPG. If you make a horror game, which isn't scary you are one maker of bad horror game. If player dies in corridor, next time he shoots the zombies, before, they even notice. But what if they spawn randomly? Also, if you want your players to play the game a lot or even by it. How do you reward after then? I succest you make like a new difficulty and consept art section or something. What about having new console innovation, xbox360 archivement or Ps3 trophy like system?


10. Selling you work of art!

If you plan to get money of your game, there is few rules, which you should use.

1. Making klik game is mostly pretty non-profited, so make it so good, you can sell it. It must have at least 10 hours of gameplay.
2. Do NOT sell game which has something ripped!
3. Make fancy netsite and make a blog of the progress.
4. After it is released give it everywhere! If your game has netsite and it is promoted on daily click, it won't sell much. Give demo to klikdisk, post it on every indie forums. Here in Finland there are magazines and tv-show that every nerd watches. They also make reviews of small games, which are free or non-free. Send a copy if you know something like that.
5. Every indie game makers dream comes true, when they have their game turned into xbox 360, Wii or Ps3. So send to those companies, who make the game a copy and mayby they want to turn it into consoles.
6. Give money to those you succest friend to buy on copy. Let's say it a small fee.
7. If you can go ask from game selling stores to sell a copy of your game.
8. Ebay, why not?






Hope this article did help you on making a game!

-Neomonkey