I need some guidance please

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7 comments, last by 3Ddreamer 9 years, 6 months ago

I want to develop a turn based multiplayer online card game for my friends and I to play. I have the game logic in my head but I don't have a clue where to start. Please assist.

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Get a coder and an artist and make them work. You'd probably need money since most people won't work for free.

If you want to make it yourself, then either be a coder or an artist, or both. If you choose to be a coder, then your first step is to pick a popular programming languageand search the internet for beginner tutorials.

Okay... Let's take a step back. (Warning: ample amounts of coffee has been consumed!)

1. It's turn based.

2. It's a card game

3. It's multiplayer

4. It's all in your head at the moment

Therefore, the number one first step you NEED to do is get it out of your head and onto something solid. As it stands at the moment, there is no reason this needs to be a computer game at the moment. What you want to do right now is prototype the hell out of this card game. That's really easy for a turn based multiplayer card game. Get a bunch of paper, some scissors, pens/pencils, a couple friends, and make some cards. Explain to your friends how the card game is played and then play it. Does it work? do the mechanics work? Is it fun? Do you actually have a game on your hands? What needs to be tweaked/modified? It's super easy for you to modify all of the game rules when they aren't written into code!

Once you have a super fun, well balanced card game prototype working in the physical world, THEN think about creating it on the computer. You'll then seriously know what works and what doesn't work and you won't be scratching your head at the keyboard wondering if a game mechanic works and trying to test out ideas in isolation by writing lots of code which may or may not get thrown away. You'll have the game you want to make, so the rest of the struggle in your development will only consist of writing up the code and the networking, rather than trying to design and develop simultaneously (don't do this! okay?! Design first, develop second! trust me. Doing this will save you months of time and rework!!! You can thank me later.)

Let's talk about why you NEED to get this game out of your head and onto physical medium (documentation, spreadsheets, cards, rulebooks, etc). IF you are building this game by yourself, you need to keep your rules straight. If they sit in your head, you will forget. Head space knowledge shifts like the winds, so tamp it down by writing it down. If you don't, you're going to have constantly changing requirements which will be a nightmare to code for. IF you are going to bring OTHER PEOPLE onto the project, then you need to COMMUNICATE to them what needs to be built in very explicit detail! Communication is the word of the day. If there's anything YOU need to do really well, it is communicate your idea perfectly so that everyone understands it exactly the same, exactly how you envisioned it, and everyone on the team knows exactly what needs to be done. None of this can happen if the whole idea is in your head. Nobody is a mind reader. They can't reach in there and figure out what's going on in there, and if you say something, there is a high chance that it can be interpreted wrong. Therefore, super good documentation, preferably a physical prototype of the game, and a way for all team members to talk to each other spontaneously in a face to face setting will be the best thing you can do for your project at this stage.

Chances are also very good that the idea in your head seems to work in your head, but there's this nasty thing about head space ideas: they are like dreams. If you look at them at a quick glance, it all appears rosy and clean. But if you start focusing in on something in particular, it gets murky and uncertain. Determining how exactly that vision should look at the granular level is what separates the pros from the amateurs. Thus, documenting and prototyping the details is to your benefit because it brings up these weak points in the vision and forces you to address them.

Once you have all of this done, and only when you have this done, should you start looking at building the game in the digital space.

If it's just a card game, make it on paper first. Find out if it actually works as a game first.

And if you start learning to program now, you might have the necessary skills to pull this off on your own in about 4 or 5 years.

[Formerly "capn_midnight". See some of my projects. Find me on twitter tumblr G+ Github.]

Maybe check the site lackeyccg.com out, i haven't used it myself, but i believe it's exactly what you re looking for.

What engine are you going to use. Is this 2d or 3d. I would look into what you can afford and then what your expectations are for your vision, or visions.

Next put together a team or keep looking for one. the more help you have the better the outcome of the vision in your head becomes reality. Try out your idea on Facebook.

Create a fansite of your idea and see if it takes off. Talk about your idea on Kickstarter and see if you get any bites from there. There are so many ways to start development but

getting actually feedback is best to see if anybody will actually play the card game.

Sometimes Fantasy is the Only option.

Because you gave limited information, you got limited response. It would also help to give your thread a descriptive title to attract more people and let people with ideas about it know that you could use specific suggestions.

Is this for smart phone or all small mobiles?

Is this for computers only?

Do you want complete hardware cross-platform publishing?

What coding language will you be using?

How much art experience do you have?

Etc.,Etc.,Etc...

Personal life and your private thoughts always effect your career. Research is the intellectual backbone of game development and the first order. Version Control is crucial for full management of applications and software. The better the workflow pipeline, then the greater the potential output for a quality game. Completing projects is the last but finest order.

by Clinton, 3Ddreamer

He saying he has a game, but wanto make it online, i guess.

I,m using winsock for that sort of thing, TCPIP, good for card games.

Very simple to implement, try winsock.

S T O P C R I M E !

Visual Pro 2005 C++ DX9 Cubase VST 3.70 Working on : LevelContainer class & LevelEditor


I have the game logic in my head

It doesn't sound like a working game to me.

Personal life and your private thoughts always effect your career. Research is the intellectual backbone of game development and the first order. Version Control is crucial for full management of applications and software. The better the workflow pipeline, then the greater the potential output for a quality game. Completing projects is the last but finest order.

by Clinton, 3Ddreamer

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