I've noticed that I have a lot of ideas, but not enough time to do it. On the other hand, some of you are struggling to make like a custom platform engine and so on. There's been a bunch of approaches to this idea, like team projects, helping others, with the engine as payment, or those huge teams where people work separately, but share their engines and stuff with other team members. Well, yeah, those plans are fine, but you have to sacrifice your individual goals a lot to work with others, so in the end, it doesn't really accomplish much.
So, here's my idea... mentors!
One guy offers to be a mentor for a bunch of things he's interested in. Newbies Apprentices then make a game they like with him mentoring them. If they have a bug or trouble, they can go to the mentor who should be able to solve it. The mentor can also look over the apprentice's code and point out ways to make it less buggy, more efficient, cooler, etc.
The apprentice should work with something that interests the mentor though, say, that custom platform engine. The mentor would be someone who's perfectly capable of coding one himself, just lazy too busy. It takes some work to reinvent something. Obviously, the mentor has to give credit to the apprentices for using their work.
This way.. the new guys get to learn something on their own without getting stuck. And the guys making huge projects can get some help. Also, the new guys can create bigger and cooler things, that are part of a major project, but not beyond their skill.
And it could also be for game design - designing worlds, plots, where the apprentice's game is a part in a massive world. Or art.. the mentor could teach the apprentices to draw, and they help to draw backgrounds, etc. A nice bonus is that since they learned the same art style, they'll draw the same as the mentor as well.
So, thoughts?
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
Well, no, it's not "make me a sprite sheet". It's more of "I want to make some sprites.. can anyone teach me?" "Sure, but let me use some, I'll give you full credit for them too."
Say, I'm interested in developing a fantasy world set in a jungle setting. Some guy needs a storyline for his game or wants to develop a similar fantasy world. That guy can team up with me, make up one part of the world, while I make the other parts. Doesn't even have to be someone leading another, just the concept of working together without working on the same thing.
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
Yes, I think I understand this process. I'm not sure how you would co-ordinate it though, unless we had some sub-forum or section where the people who want help etc are posting and the mentor is closely following the forum/threads and replying and working with the apprentices. Though I guess once a mentor has paired up with his apprentice, they can organise their own way of communication ie PM/e-mail or MSN.
Just sounds like another variation of the normal to me. Even when the pros teach the n00bs how to do stuff, the n00b stuff probably won't be quite up to the pro's standards yet for usage. It would be just as much work for the pro as just doing it himself.
I've did this sort of thing with some klikers. It certainly doesn't need much time.. maybe like an hour a week.. or half an hour a day at worst. Far less time than coding it by hand. It's pretty easy to spot a mistake in the code, especially if they comment it properly.
Yeah, and it's easy to coordinate too.. the whole thing can be done in PMs/email. Biggest problem is that klikers tend to scrap projects a lot, but I'm hoping that with some sort of mentor, they wouldn't have so much trouble with bugs and can keep moving on.
Disclaimer: Any sarcasm in my posts will not be mentioned as that would ruin the purpose. It is assumed that the reader is intelligent enough to tell the difference between what is sarcasm and what is not.
The problem with all this game maken stuff is that when you're not good enough to create a whole idea you scrap it, but when you finally get good enough to do everything you never have enough time so you scrap it.
The only things that get done are the small things unless you have a lot of dedication.
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Edited by OMC
