For those of you who have published games, made them for fun, helped, or in the process, what is the hardest part of the game creation process? Also, what is your advice on making that part run smoothly?
Thanks
-Austin
What is the hardest part of game creation, and what's your solution?
Wed, 01/24/2018 - 22:27
Wed, 01/24/2018 - 23:52
#1
I think for me, is first
I think for me, is first making sure the game works as well as you imagine it to be. Sometimes I find myself writing a game up, spending a couple hours crafting a crude prototype... only for it to go south!
Its important for me to be able to nail the juicy part or parts that make the game stand out and hook the players into wanting to give it another round. Sometimes I keep trying and trying things and the concept just doesn't seem to be as interesting as it appears in my head.Sometimes I scrap the game for a while and play a bunch of published board games, of all genres and game play... and sometimes an idea just pops out. Playing other games can inspire your own mechanisms and by expanding or simplifying an existing mechanism you can practice your design muscle a bit.
Thu, 01/25/2018 - 02:44
#2
To figure out when it’s time
To figure out when it’s time to stop polishing it.
Thu, 01/25/2018 - 05:26
#3
Letting things go.
I creep to much (henceforth my avatar).
That is also the reason why I didn't attempt a commercial game. I guess, I have the luck that I can be realistic about myself.
Thu, 01/25/2018 - 11:46
#4
I think the hardest part is
I think the hardest part is getting your idea out of your head and onto the table in some crude form. Game ideas are a dime a dozen, but once you actually stop procrastinating, and finally sit down and create a playable version of it, no matter how simple, it actually becomes real and you can see if it has potential or not.
Thu, 01/25/2018 - 14:36
#5
Hi Austin,
I would go with
Hi Austin,
I would go with "development" part. After you make your first prototype with rough idea, you should start to develop it. This might be 1-2 iterations or even 50+. Depends on the game complexity etc. In my case, what started with the A4 scribbled with pencil and 3 dice, ended up as midsize euro 2 years later. All the time I knew, I need to keep the original idea. So this is the difficult part. You should know, what is the "essence" of your design and do not deviate too much from it. Otherwise you get lost on the way. I have learned it hard way. There is sooo many options your design can go, and if you do not control yourself, it will trick you into endless loop.
What I would advise to run this part smootly? Well, take your time. While I believe in passion in design, it will hardly work all the time. You need to step back and take a perspective on your design. You need to take break from it. Let it grow in your head and then come back. If you dont come back, you know, that it probably didn't have potential.
Anyhow, every person is different, so maybe it will be different for you.
cheers and good luck
Thu, 01/25/2018 - 20:43
#7
Quick comment
Like most of the other comments, I think taking an "Idea" to a working prototype is really the difficult part. I can count on dozens of "Great" ideas that I have had when thinking up of new sorts of games... but very few of those ideas actually work out.
And it's not because the ideas are "bad"... It's just HARD to bring together all of the various elements together. Sometimes the ideas seem to be worthy of an NDA ... then you realize, like it's just an idea. Turn it into a "Game" and maybe people will have FUN playing it. But that's the tricky part.
So for me the hardest part of game creation is going from "Great" idea into reasonably "Good" prototype. That's the challenge I find with each idea that I get. And believe me some "bad" ideas have good "elements". I try to use and recycle those elements in other designs too!
Cheers mate! Hoping you design an awesome game.
Good thoughts. I usually write down the "main bit" or the "best parts" as soon as I get the idea so that I don't forget it. If you can't include the main bit, then it might not be worth fighting to make work. Of course, you may need to adjust it or evolve it, but at least get the main ideas down first.
Development definitely seems to be a difficult thing, why? Because that is where the work is! The idea is great and all, and some ideas are really good, but really all ideas are worthless without work and completion into something. Development is that process.
Playtesting seems to be another big one. You need to keep playing your game, and you need to get others to play your game. Play it to win, play it to have fun, and play it to break it. These are all great points!
Austin