Day 30: 4 March 2013
23:01: I don’t have much to write tonight. I’ve actually been working on trying to see what I can do to make my 3D models look nice, but this is going to take some time. It’s probably not good to spend so much time on something I already know I’m not that great at when the last couple of days have already been bumpy.
I know I said I’d put out a new release, but that’s going to have to wait for another day again.
:(
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1 Comment
Windwalker
5 March 2013 at 01:26 am
Hello RB.
Maybe you are mistaken in your statement about 3D models… Maybe they do not need to be “nice” or “beautiful.”
Creating detailed, intricate models is not the target. Sure it would have been nice, but you won’t be able to do it in time. You would have need an artist who works along with you in these 100 days to make it happen. And even then, there is this problem. You see, “beauty” is uncountable, and thus you can’t measure it and create a solid target. Because, and as a result, there will always be “better” graphics. Since, as you say, you are so emotionally invested in your game, you will not easily be satisfied about the beauty of it, no matter how many hours you invest into modelling. Even if you finally create something which you think “good enough”, it will not be good enough for others. Because you will be competing against AAA games in players minds, and you will definately lose against them. You will be competing in their turf. Instead…
Dwarf fortress is made up of ASCII characters. Minecraft is made of blocks with low-res textures. There are extremely good “rogue-like” games out there without any graphics at all. Maybe you could move your focus away from graphics? You can always “update” your game with a patch which includes better ship models, better textures, and better menu controls. But you can’t (as easily) update the gameplay.
In the beginning you said something about how you want your players to care about their ships,.. and how modern RTS games are about fast clicking, and you wanted to change that. This should mean your primary strength lies there. I don’t know what you had in mind to do that but I am sure it will be good enough to make people cry in terror when their belowed ships are being torn apart.
And this 100 day thing… It is a little bit inaccurate. You are going to spend 28 weekend days and 72 weekday evenings, during which you will also be working in your primary job and are exhausted alreayd. For it to be really 100 workday, it should be like 300 calendar days or so. I would advice that you could use that extra 200 days to create additional content, graphics etc. for your game and deliver it via updates. (The real healthy use of DLC, since you will be delivering them for free.)
How that sounds?