While I can relate to your situation, I see two problems:

1 - Basing your future finances on indie dev is a VERY big risk in itself. This is definitely something you want to start on the side, and let grow, to the point where you realize "ok, I can live off of this now". Like you said, poor resumes, missing references, I wouldn't bet everything on indie just yet if I were you...

I'm not expecting to, although it would certainly be nice, wouldn't it?
I will probably go to college, which I will get for free. I will need my current savings (and as much as I can possibly add to it up until then) to live off of, though. That was the point I was trying to make.

[quote name='Orymus']2 - You have not answered my major concern I've expressed:

I'll have to agree however that you've made quite a few "project swings" in the last couple months/weeks. I believe serious applicants may need a tangible reason to believe that Illium isn't just another step in your "progress to the real project" aka, that it is not a standby until you get something better, not just a training of some sort.

Generally, the project sounds appealing, but you do not sound convinced/dedicated to it.[/quote][/quote]
Such a project is honestly something I had originally intended to make several years ago (in fact, the reason for my learning programming and getting involved in an open-source MMORPG project like Open-Tibia was originally to make a similar game), so it is not some wishy-washy idea I came up with. I have a plethora of (admittedly, poorly structured) concepts for a project like this that have been bouncing around in my head for years now. If I don't seem convinced of success, it's probably because I'm a bit shaken by my recent experiences, I guess.

Regardless of doubts, I'm going forward.

[font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif][size=2]1. You should directly mention your military service somehow in the OP (previous experience, qualifications?). It'd make note of your ability to lead and commit to a team.

2. Definitely go to college. With your skill level, you'll probably find actual classes boring/easy, but use it as an opportunity to network (a classmate could be cheap/free labor or a business partner!).[/font]

3. Have you considered starting with a smaller project and expanding from there?

[font="arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif"]1. You should directly mention your military service somehow in the OP (previous experience, qualifications?). It'd make note of your ability to lead and commit to a team.

2. Definitely go to college. With your skill level, you'll probably find actual classes boring/easy, but use it as an opportunity to network (a classmate could be cheap/free labor or a business partner!).[/font]

3. Have you considered starting with a smaller project and expanding from there?

That was the idea with Legendarium. Smaller = quicker = more effective. But the concept artist wanted an online game, was pretty insistent on it. I had originally wanted to make an online game anyway when I began programming, as I've said before, so I was pretty open to it. However, believe it or not, the basic features I described in the OP are pretty easy to implement even in a networked setting.

I prefer not to pull the whole "military" card. Also, military leadership isn't all it's cracked up to be. Generally it's just yelling really loud and making angry faces until the things you want to happen actually happen, which is pretty ineffective over the internet.

EDIT: Disregard. It appears that a bunch of disgruntled sailors who can't download their movies or view their emails is enough to get lazy civilians to work.

Generally, the project sounds appealing, but you do not sound convinced/dedicated to it. The reason that strikes me for that is that you do not have the "vision". You think like an engineer, you see the technological challenge, where it will lead you, what you'll need, but you do not appear to be emotionally attached to the project, and cancelation may cause frustration, but not much more. In the industry, a producer such as me would be the reason why your project needs to go on, potentially because I represent either the publisher or the client. In the indie environment however, the producer slot normally pairs with the head developer (a designer or programmer notably). While you have the means, resources and will to proceed with that project, it seems you still need someone to set the direction and boundaries. Is my assumption correct?

I'd personally suggest hiring some kind of a serious freelancer designer, but, based on your previous venture, I'd understand your hesitation (his previous partnership with a designer didn't work so well because the designer was more interested in making "his own game" than using the bases he had laid down).

As it turns out, I found a "publisher" of sorts. Smubo Games. I'll be one of their pilot projects.

Another programmer and a pixel artist have joined the project.

Also, a toast to the guy who ended the longest game of hide and seek ever.

I suppose that this is a bit belated, but some changes have been made.

Given Smubo's poor financial backing, I have decided that an online game would not be appropriate. This will be an offline game. The other developers have agreed.

I have updated the first post.

I saw that you do not have a composer. I would like to fill that gap in your team.

About me: I am a versed musical composer, first and foremost. The music that I write is usually for String Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. I can do Symphony style work aswell. The genre of music I compose is normally Romantic Era music (example composers of this era would be Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff). To many, this style of music would sould like regular Classical music, which I can also do. Although these genres of music are my specialty, I can also write more modern sounding music (like rock, jazz, marches, etc...). Starting with the most experienced instument, I am proficient at the Trumpet, Sax, and Piano.

The software I use to compose my music is called Finale. It can be found here: www.finalemusic.com/. This software is a program where I am writing songs note for note. I do not use samples or anything that has been previously made. The compositions sound real, as if it were professionally recorded in an Orchestra Hall. Additionally, if you can read music notation, I can send you the score and you can review the composition. The highest quality file type I can extract is a .WAV file.

If you are intereseted, please email me back at [email="leosmithii@yahoo.com"]leosmithii@yahoo.com[/email].

Leo Smith II
(pseudonym)