Tech issues aside, what is YOUR adventure game making process/production like?

[Uhfgood]

I know I've asked this before, but it was at least a year ago.

Basically I want to know how YOU make an adventure game.  Like what is your process like from start to finish?

[Danvzare]

Well so far my process has been to:
1 - Work on gui, story, and puzzles.
2 - After the gui is finished, begin drawing the backgrounds.
3 - After the backgrounds are finished, begin drawing the characters and their animations.
4 - After the characters are finished, start implementing all of the rooms, their walkable areas, the objects in the rooms, and the hotspots.
5 - Then implement the puzzles.

I do all of that for one act of the game, and then start again for the next act, and so on.
It seems to be working for me so far, but overall, I do feel as though each step is a little too segmented. I usually get nervous going from one step to the other, because of how long it takes, which usually means it's been a long while since I've either done programming or art.

[janleht]

It grows.... Story grows...
Everything makes sense.
Everyhting turns into shit.
Everytging is vain.
Story grows...
Everything makes sense.

[jwalt]

It grows.... Story grows...
Everything makes sense.
Everyhting turns into shit.
Everytging is vain.
Story grows...
Everything makes sense.

For some reason reminds me of the five stages of grief.

[NickyNyce]

I believe it depends on what you are looking to make and how much knowledge you have in making games. Are you the kind of person that doesn't finish games that you have started? If so, it's important to make sure you keep having fun while making the game. I like to have a character made that I'm happy with so that while I make the game, I get a good idea of how things will look while having fun seeing my character move around. Staying interested in your project is very important. When I run into things in my game that I don't want to do, I make sure to always keep progress moving by doing something that I enjoy. Bg's, character animations, inventory objects...etc.

I actually have a hard time making a game on paper. Sometimes the best ideas or parts in your game are the ones that only pop into your head after you have made a bunch of connecting rooms. I always say, don't be afraid to stray away from what you originally planned.

[Slasher]

NickyNyce:

I actually have a hard time making a game on paper. Sometimes the best ideas or parts in your game are the ones that only pop into your head after you have made a bunch of connecting rooms. I always say, don't be afraid to stray away from what you originally planned.

I like to keep things flexible. Sometimes an original idea will change.

Have a story basically mapped out but loose.
Choose res and colors for my game.
Draw / revamp sprites as best as i can, including backgrounds.
Import plugin's /Modules that may be required.
Decide on some variables that i feel will be needed.
Look at all the ways I can do something and use appropriate scripting.
Tweak everything until i am happy with it.

Generally:

Spoiler

1: What is my game about? Do I have a rough outline of the story.. The start and the end are the most important and keep the middle flexible...
2: Decide on the resolution and colors for the game and stick to it...
3: Start doing the first room background until I'm happy with it and try to keep some kind of style throughout where possible...
4: Based on the background and colors used I can construct gui's...
5: Start to construct my characters..
6: Is there a puzzle in that room and if so what is require to solve it and what does the puzzle solve?
7: When confronted with a puzzle i decide on the best way to implement it.
8: Make objects required for that room.. along with hotspots etc.
9: Make walkable and region areas...
10: Add variables if required.
11: Decide progress after that room...
12: I repeat this for each room with a simple outline of where i'm going to with the story and game play.

During this process I decide how i want the gui's to display. Create a custom text window/ normal gui for Display if required.

Keep looking at the story and how it is playing out and change/tweak if required. Sometimes other ideas can also be added to the room that improve it. Do i require some plugin's / modules? Also alternating between scripting, drawing and thinking helps keep it fresh.

[close]

My important ingredients are commitment and passion..

[Danvzare]

Are you the kind of person that doesn't finish games that you have started?

Doesn't that describe 99.9% of all hobbyist game developers?

Also, thanks for sharing the detailed list of how you make your games Slasher. I've always wondered about that, since you usually make your games quite fast.
I might have to try something similar one day.

[Cassiebsg]

Like most, I also start with idea->general story plot->->determine game resolution->backgrounds->character sprites->AGS->choose a template, do the needed changes and adjust general settings->add BG->add sprites->create walking areas and eventual hotspots->create characters and views-> start building the game and adding "meat" to the story, develop puzzles... etc. Objects I do them as I need them... like "I need a ladder here".... go make ladder, import add... repeate. GUIs I do also as needed. In game GUIs I do them right from the start, other GUIs, like main menu, etc. I tend to wait. Credits is usually the final dot on the game.

[NickyNyce]

I must be part of the .1% that completes everything I start.

In my case, I need to have fun while I make a game. Seeing a character that I like move around the game world while I make it pushes me through the boring and tedious parts of making a game. So for me, I always want a character very early in the game making process. It seems like both me and the character are creating the world at the same time. The character helps guide me on the path to funny or serious and helps to build puzzles when I know who and what the character is about. This is strictly about staying focused and to help finish your game which as Danzare mentioned...99.9% of game makers don't finish some projects that they start.

[Dave Gilbert]

My process changes from year to year and game to game. It depends on the game and what the focus is. For Blackwell, the focus was always the character and the dialog, so I always wrote that first. For Unavowed, I really want to focus on the exploration and interactive elements before the dialog, so I make sure to get that solid before homing in on the dialog stuff.

For example, I usually start by sketching out ideas in my notebook. Most everything I cross out, but eventually something coalesces into something I think is good. Like this fight with a sea monster:



Then I open up MS Paint and start making placeholder graphics and implementing puzzles and designs.



I figure if I can make a scene with my crappy line drawings and STILL make it fun and interesting, then I'm confident enough to move on to final art:


(ended up putting the monster to the BACK of the boat so we could have a chase scene instead)

Then I start writing all the dialog and flavor text to support it.

And then for the next game I will do it all differently!

[Ibispi]

Although I've been working on different kinds of games lately, my process for designing an adventure game consists of:
1. writing the story/plot and the journey of the character
2. designing the puzzles while having the idea of how the environments would look

Sometimes I think of the puzzles while writing the story. Basically the puzzles are there to progress the story, an obstacle the character faces.

[Grundislav]

For my current project it's gone a little something like this:
1. Write out the history and the lore of the world.
2. Write down a summary of the characters and their personalities.
3. Write down a structure for each individual case (including flowcharts)
4. Sketch out placeholder backgrounds and use placeholder sprites, build scenes, write dialogue and make something playable.
5. Add art, edit dialogue, polish gameplay.
6. Get someone to play it.
7. Listen to feedback and make changes as necessary.
8. Rinse and repeat.

[Uhfgood]

Thanks for everyone's posts!  I'm starting work on my own small game, just your basic 'escape the room' style game, intended to get me acquainted with the process.  I've never actually made an adventure game, which are my favorite type of games, although I've started a few over time.  I needed something small enough but with the ability to expand.  So this has helped a lot!

I do wish more people would have posted their production process but that's the way it goes.