Tips for starting an indie development team?

[Tsuki-no-Hikari]

I'd like to start making my own games (I already have some concepts), but am sure I couldn't handle it alone. What do you think are the best ways of finding people to join the team? I have a friend that could maybe help, but beyond that I'm lost.

[Alphasoldier]

I think you first need to lay out your concepts as far as in, what genre (rpg, adventure, sidescrolling shooter) , what enviroment (fantasy, history, swords and castles) and what people you want with which skills.

I think that would be a start, even though I have no clue myself, seeing I never made a game. =p

[Zam]

Exactly what Alphasoldier said.

If you plan to lead said team (Which I'd assume, since you're pulling them together) you'd also need to...


1) Set your goals. Like the AS said, picking your genre, your platform, type of game.

2) You should probally have the plotline, conecpt, or genera idea of what's going to happen in the game, what you want in the game...stuff like that.

3) You also should consider how you are going to be working on it. Are you going to be doing it over IRC? Or are you going to set up offices?

Also,  are you going to be doing this full-time? On the weekends? Hiring people?

Stuff like that.

[Toom]

See how much you can do on your own; you say you don't think you could handle it alone, but unless you try, you won't know for sure. It's a good way to determine your strengths and capabilities. Once you've got a clear idea of what needs to be done that you can't do yourself, start looking for people to supply the skills you need. The TIGSource boards might be a good place to look for talent.

Bear in mind that you really need to be involved in the development process. If you've got a bunch of concepts but no skills directly applicable to game development - concept art, in-game graphics creation, programming, level design etc. - I suspect you're going to have a harder time putting a team together. It'll probably be easier to attract people if you already have something in progress; it shows that you're genuinely determined to make something, and that you've already put some time and effort in, rather than just having a bunch of ideas with nothing to support them; it's the difference between saying "hey, I've made this, but I need some help, can you help?" and saying "hey, I've got an idea for something I want to make, now make it for me!", which is how approaching people with an idea but no product can easily come off. I've worked (concept art mostly, some in-game graphics) for dev teams where the project leader just spouted scenarios and mechanic ideas and expected everyone else to do the heavy lifting, and it's a nightmare. The team feels used and it can generate a lot of friction, plus the "ideas man", not feeling obliged to follow through once he's got his idea out, can lose interest rather quickly. The last developer I worked for ended up pissing me off so much that I just collected my fee for what I'd already completed and simply stopped replying to his e-mails, and I'm never, ever going to work for a developer like that again.

(If you're after a concept artist, btw, PM me with whatever you've got and I might be interested; it's been awhile since I've done that kind of work, and, despite the tone of the above message, I do kind of miss it sometimes.)

[Tsuki-no-Hikari]

I've already picked the genre, platform, and type of game, as well as a concept and the beginning of a plotline. I'm looking to do an RPG, and plan to at least write the whole story as well as the script/dialogue for the game's characters.  I'm not very good at drawing, but I could also help provide basic world designs that could later be refined. I would also plan to design various gameplay mechanics, but programming would be an issue.

I know that art and programming are my weakest areas (but learning programming isn't out of the question (I'd probably have to help a mian programmer though)), but does that at least seem like a good place to start? Where at TiGSource should I look for people?

[Toom]

http://forums.tigsource.com/

Perhaps post in the Projects forum. If there's a better place for it, mods'll just move the post.

I'm always kind of skeptical about people wanting to do RPGs for their first game; even relatively simple ones have a lot of stuff going on, and if you actually want a plot to speak of, you've got a lot of work aheaad of you. It might be an idea to avail yourself of a copy of such as RPG Maker and bust out a few very simple games on your own, to inform your sense of design more than anything else (it'll also give you a taster of how much work goes into even little games). Diving right into a densely-plotted RPG epic with loads of ideas but no prior experience is pretty much the definitive rookie mistake, screams "THIS PROJECT WILL NEVER BE FINISHED" right off the bat, and likely will not attract a team that really knows what the hell they're doing.

If you're serious about doing games development, you've gotta do your time like everyone else; start small, learn the basics, crawl before walk walk before run etc. Compare it to filmmaking; you don't immediately set out to film a feature-length movie with a cast of hundreds, you start with your dad's camcorder and four of your friends. Even if you did hand over a bazillion-dollar budget and access to all the nifty kit money can buy to an enthusiast who'd never actually made a movie before, the result would almost certainly be an absolute trainwreck. Passion and enthusiasm are important - vital even - but cannot and will not make a game happen on their own. You need to learn some aspect of game design as well as you can - and writing a plot is very different from designing a gameworld - if you're to make this happen, and the best way to do that is to start making small games now. Even if you later decide to opt out of the programming/art/music/whatever process when you finally come to making your dream project, you need the insight that experience provides if you're to effectively relate your ideas to your team.

[rinkuhero]

I second the "never do a RPG as your first game" thing. They're the hardest genres of game to do. I know from experience: in 1997 I started work on a RPG of my own. I never finished it. In 1999 I started work on a different RPG. I never finished it. And so on. Finally, in 2005, I decided to try a small shooter. I finished it. Then I made and finished a tower defense game. You really can't finish a RPG on your own unless you put in tens of thousands of hours of work (which by comparison is probably more time than you spent in high school over the course of four years). Whereas you can complete other genres relatively easily and you'd learn from them the skills you need to one day make larger games.

As for finding teams, I suggest volunteering to help others on their games -- like an apprenticeship. That way you can learn from someone who's actually doing it, and make friends among people who make games. I also recommend creating mods (perhaps mods of Aquaria), they're much easier than making a game from scratch and can teach you a lot about how to make a good game (especially about how to design good levels).

[Alphasoldier]

I expect that if he wants to create a game on his own he already has enough knowledge to do so.

[Toom]

You have absolutely no basis for that assumption, man! He says he can't program or draw like two posts back, and makes no indications as to his abilities or experience in any other relevant areas of game creation.

[Alphasoldier]

Then I suggest that he should learn some scripting or drawing first.

Oh and Toom, calm down man.

[Xiagan]

Oh and Toom, calm down man.

Nah, if it's too cool in here, the forum will freeze.

[Toom]

I guess it just irks me a little when people post in threads without reading them. It seems...counterproductive somehow.

[Skibs]

Hai guyz wats goin on in dis thred?

---------- / / ----------

Luke, you might find yourself saving some time on post-content justification if you were to re-insert the "Angry" prefix to your internet moniker.

[Toom]

I dunno, I'm not a fifteen-year-old pseudopunk anymore, d'you think I could pull it off? I'm not an angry dude these days but "MildyFrustratedToom" doesn't really scan as well.

[Xiagan]

good old times? 

What about "SlightlyPissedToom"?