Sophie Houlden
Games:
Boxgame
The Linear RPG
Dinosaurs didn't have keyboards
Fib
Lottie's Dungeon
Web:
www.sophiehoulden.com
Contact:
[email protected]
How to start making games:
An introduction to being totally awesome!
Pre-requisites for making games:
1) You have to want to make games
2) You have to be
determined.
Wanting to make games:
Just because you like games and do art/program/whatever,
doesn't mean you really want to make games.
Wanting to make games:
Wanting something is a strong desire,
it's not 'oh it might be nice'
It is 'I'm going to DO THIS'
You have to WANT IT, whatever stands in your way.
Being Determined to make games:
You will want to give up, take many breaks, do anything else.
You need to be able to tell yourself off.
This is tough, but you have to be tougher.
Have guts, be strong willed, develop your never-give-up-ness
Kind of the same thing:
If you want to make games bad enough, you wont ever let go
and you will be determined anyway.
Some people I know in fact think, if you aren't working hard at
something then you don't really want it,
but I'm calling them separate things because...
But not the same thing:
...wanting something is a desire,
Determination is a behaviour.
You can learn to be determined,
You CAN NOT learn to want something.
If you don't want to make games...
If you don't want something, what is the point?
Find something else to do, something that makes you happy :)
If you do want to make games...
So I'll assume everyone here wants to make games, or heard
about the refreshments, so let's push on!
What is making games?
Not getting too philosophical here, I just want to explain what I
mean by 'making games'.
Specifically, I do not mean 'making parts of games'
I mean making actual games, yourself. DIY style.
Indie FTW!
Making games independently is cool, sexy and pays way better
than getting an industry job. (this sentence exaggerated to
make my job sound cooler)
But the main bonus is creative freedom.
And this is what I mean by making games.
Making games is easy!
So, assuming yo have those 'wanting to make games' and
'determination' things going for you,
Making games is EASY!
(or at least way easier than you think)
1) You don't have to be good at it.
You will totally suck!
You will make horrible, horrible games!
Hardly ANYONE will ever play them!
…
But that's OK!
1) You don't have to be good at it.
If you get rid of those high expectations, you won't break your
heart when you make games before you know what you are
doing.
Embrace your suckiness, it will make it easier to see the areas
you are improving as you go along :)
2) It's lika a J-RPG
Not that indies have spikey hair and get to carry around
oversized weapons (we totally do though)
I mean if you want to improve your skill...
… just grind!
The more time you spend making games, the better you will get
at it.
2) It's lika a J-RPG
It might seem obvious that practice makes perfect, but I see too
many people trying to sidestep it.
If you want to get good at something, just put in the time.
3) It doesn't take that much time
Yes I just said you need to put in all the time you can, I know it
sounds contradictory.
But to star out with, you wont need to put in that much time
before you can make a game.
Lot's of software is easy to learn.
Especially things like game maker.
3) It doesn't take that much time
If you find a tutorial you like the look of, you don't have to put
aside a few hours,
It will only take a few minutes to read/watch.
Even if you don't follow he practical bit, you will be learning and
when you do get round to the practical stuff it will be easier.
This takes less time than browsing lolcats or reading tvtropes ;)
4) Making games is super cool
Telling people you make games is pretty cool.
Not as cool as rocket scientist, brain surgeon or trampoline
tester...
...but still pretty damn cool
And it's not just the sexy (more lies) image either, it's just cool to
be making games.
4) Making games is super cool
It's hard to beat the feeling of finishing a game, its even hard to
beat the feeling of getting bits of the game working.
This is why I barely play games any more,
it's just way more fun to be making them!
So that's why it's easy
1) Don't have to be good to start
2) It's like a J-RPG, just grind.
3) It takes less time than you think
4) it's super cool
So just star making games, you'll get the hang of it in no time so
long as you get stuck in :)
^__^
So, that probably bored everyone, but here is the summary
before we move on:
- only make games if you want to
- get stuck in and don't give up
- it's easy!
Software for making games
Software you need to make a game:
- stuff to make the game logic (programming)
- stuff to make the visual stuff (art)
- stuff to make the sounds (audio)
Software for making games
Programming (Game engines):
- klik 'n' play
- Game Maker
- Flash (Flixel/FlashPunk)
- Unity
If you are a programmer, you want to make your own game
engine...
...but you're only making work for yourself.
Software for making games
Art:
2D:
- Photoshop
- easy paint tool SAI
- the Gimp
- Paint.net
- GraphicsGale
- mspaint
3D:
- Blender
- 3D Studio Max
- Maya
Normally you get what you pay for, but there is plenty of decent
cheap/free graphics software.
That's pretty much it
That's pretty much all I can say for getting started making
games.
The best thing to do if you want to start, is just start :)
People on forums/chat will help you out whenever you ask.
Download software, get busy!
That's pretty much it
Thanks for listening/putting up with me.
Any questions?