How do you work on your game project?

[Blue]

I'm curious to know how people organize their game project.
Do you write a story or do you just start and see how it goes. How carefully do you plan everything out before you start putting it all together?
Any do's and don'ts?

My first game was created kinda backwards. I started doing backgrounds and developed the story around them. I wonder how the professionels go about it and in what order they do things.

[Retro Wolf]

I get an idea, then build around it making it up as I go along. Sometimes I'll write down on one piece of paper the general stuff, like a mini project plan. Most of it I make up as I go though. I take turns with artwork and coding dependant on what I feel like doing or the current demands of the project.

Whether it actually gets finished is another thing entirely.

[vertigoaddict]

For Jacob, I just haphazardly put it together, but that was my first game, so it's whatever really.

For a simple fix, I wrote and outline (begining, middle, end) and then developed a script from there first, gave myself about 3 days and then started working on the other game assets from there, tweaking the script slightly when I felt I needed to while putting everything together.

For All Gone Son I just wanted to enter MAGS and didn't really have much of an idea of what I wanted to do for a week or so, so I tried to get myself inspired and I wrote the song "Shoebox" in a matter of minutes and basically wrote a "main script" around that song. Did the assets (character graphics, backgrounds, other music) and later whilst putting it all together, I started branching the other dialog choices, adding and taking things out as I play tested the game; I feel this made the gameplay more organic, in my opinion anyways.

For All Gone Soon 2 I had a "concept script" where I just wrote a bunch of scenes that I thought would be good or cool or whatever came to mind. Basically it was a text document with a bunch of fragmented scenes in no chronological order, I picked out the scenes that "might work" or would flow with each other well and wrote how point A went to point B. I alternated working on the assets, background, then character graphics, background, character, music, and while I was doing this I tweaked the script while I was writing it into the actual game.

I guess my process is to write some kind of "open draft" that finalises during later development. I guess I like to tweak the script while creating the art or music 'cause I could look at what I've managed to do and be like "Hmm with this music ('cause I'm no expert and I usually just mess with the midi program) it would sound better if the character says this" or "These graphics don't look as somber as I would like and I can't seem to fix it, what can I make the characters do or say to change the mood to what I want?" yadda yadda.

I think doing what you did with your first game may not be such a bad way to do it, in a way you're getting yourself inspired, maybe it's a good way of making a moodboard of sorts for a potential bigger game where you can be more organised.

Inspiration is the key here, motivation is the biggest obstacle but if you keep getting (making yourself) inspired then you don't have to worry about being overly "organised" in the traditional sense, things will fall into place (maybe up to a point). There will probably be a point where you have to step back, take a look at everything and decide whether or not to expand or subtract from the story or merge/change a background or even try to tie everything up in a neat little knot.

Do

1. Work on something you feel like working on first, be it the script or a piece of music or background, just to get inspired, get the creative juices
   going, you need a catalyst to create an explosion, right?

2. Leave some shimmy room for change, if the adrenaline rush is still there and you feel like adding another sub-plot or another background or character,
   go for it, you will enjoy making your game even more and it will shine through; however if you're starting to get lazy it might be time to step back
   and decide whether or not to forget about that one quest or that one extra room between locations (maybe it would still make sense for the wizard to be
   in the same room as the baker? Maybe the wizard loves those cream puffs! Have npcs around town comment on how the wizard is always at the bakery shop,
   yadda yadda, we don't need to make a wizard's den).

3. Write down every idea into one whole document to look at later and cherry pick the ones that work well with each other to build up destination
   goals/ milestones for your game. It will actually help with structuring your game if you aren't usually the kind ot plan everything out to the tiniest
   detail on paper before gathering the graphics and music. (However in a more professional setting, it is encouraged for you to write up a proposal or
   treatment, especially if you plan on working with other people).

Don't

1. Spend too much time drafting and re-drafting (unless you're planning a huge game, but even then I personally would break it down into several small
   drafts and work on the games chapter by chapter, treating it like a bunch of small games put together. If you spend too much time on concepts you might
   never actually get around to making the game.

2. Force yourself too much ('cause all good things do require a bit of force- may the force be with you). If you're not enjoying developing the game at
   the moment, either it is time to condense things, or you give yourself an hour each day (or somethng like that) to work on that thing you don't really
   want to do and slowly get through it. I prefer the first option 'cause that usually means I'm eager to work on something different.

3. Leave your game alone for too long without a reminder, even though you may not touch it for several months or even years (this might help avoid that)
   ,if you constantly remind yourself about your game (do blog posts, logging in your progress, e-mails to yourself, post it notes on your door, mirror,
   fridge, the guilt might just push you enough to try and wrap things up at least, just to tick it off the list. 'course that's just me.

Hope this helps.

[Blue]

Hope this helps.

It does. Really useful advice. And nice with such detailed input.
I took a look at your blog and stumbled across something you wrote back in July, 2013:
"I should write it as if I'm writing a movie, then work around the obstacles to make puzzles." - How did that work out? That is similair to what I'm trying to do with my second game. I visualize the story and write it down chronologically. I don't know if it's a good way or a bad way of going about it.
It helped to kickstart the beginning and backstory of the game, but I'm still unsure of a lot of things. I do have a lot of locations and characters planned out but I have no clue about who my main character is going to be which feels kinda odd. Also it feels like I'm doing a lot more work than I need to since a lot of it is not going to be used but on the other hand it lets me explore the personality of the characters.

[vertigoaddict]

Always glad to be some kind of useful

Also glad someone is actually looking at that blog (On another note, while I haven't blogged much recently about my games, I have actually been writing the titles on the back of my hand now and again with a marker before I go to sleep, I don't have as much time now to work on them, but I'm still thinking about it- the guilt is strong in this one).

The sentences surounding that one went like this:

"I should go to costa or something and write, just write. The game that I'm really feeling like making is that gay love story. I should write it as if I'm writing a movie, then work around the obstacles to make puzzles. At this point, I need to just do it."

And I eventually came up with the game "All Gone Soon", there were meant to be puzzles in that game, but I got sick for most of the month and condensed it to the point that it turned into an interactive drama game. It did help with building up the basis for the sequel which was more of an actual adventure game and kind of goes back to what I said earlier about "making a moodboard of sorts for a potential bigger game where you can be more organised".

"I have no clue about who my main character is going to be"
In this situation, I would go about it in a couple of ways:

1. Take an existing character you like and give them a reason to be in those locations, it'll build up their motives and from there build up 'character' (kind of like the Wizard example from my last post).

2. Put "yourself" as the main character of the game, then it would be so much easier for you to know what the character would say or how they would react to a certain situation, you'll find that along the way you might go against what you would do in real life and the character will take up a personality of their own, or maybe not- either way you'll have a basis of comparison/ to work with when you are trying to get the character from point A to B.
i.e.
You have 2 BG, BG1 is of a wheat field and BG2 is of a labratory. Very contrasting backgrounds, but how do I tie this in together as point A and point B? Who's my character? What if I put myself in there, why the hell would I be in a wheat field in the first place? Personally I like to find quiet, isolated areas to just lay about and relax or read a book (yes, I'm that kind of person, in fact there's an abandoned water tower I go to that's not too far away from my house). So the character is at the wheat fields to relax, away from the busy city life (there you go), but how do/ did I get into the laboratory? Alien abduction? A research facility? My own secret lab? If I follow the Alien story, what would *I* do to try and escape, would I try to escape? Wouldn't I just freak out? If it's a research facility near the wheat field I might want to take a look ('cause I am quite a curious person- I did find that abandoned water tower), do I get in trouble (probably) is it a place where they experiment on humans and turn them into zombies?(that escalated quickly). As for having my own secret lab, is that really something I'd do? If not then maybe it's something "the character" would do? Why? Well I used to torture lizards as a kid and there was that one time I kept a dead bird in the cupboard for weeks (that's...a whole other story) but they say children who do stuff ike that may be showing signs of psychopathy (I'm pretty sure that's not the correct word, but you get it) so this story/character becomes one about a psychopath feeding his urges. think Dexter...in Dexter's laboratory... oh hey!

3. The common denominator with the above examples is that the "character" is really just based on their actions. you can go the "silent character" route that a lot of JRPG games go with. The concept behind the silent character is supposedly that players are able to put themselves in the shoes of the protagonist better, but honestly I feel as if it's more that it helps people/ players make up their minds on who the character is based on their actions. Take a look at Chrono Trigger, why is this guy who barely talks, time traveling to save the world from an alien who burried itself into the ground thousands of years ago? Why would he care if it destroys the world in a future he won't even be alive in? Say something goddamn it! But the other "supporting" characters do a good enough job of reacting to the situation and you get a sense of who he is from the people he surounds himself with. So you've got a bunch of locations and characters planned out, try making a silent character that just "goes along with it" and have these other characters be like "We've got to get the eleventh eye back!" and have your main character just do it, just tag along with no resistance. There's a fear though of having your character be like a rag doll getting dragged along everywhere, but if you ever feel like it's become like that, just step back a moment, look at the character's 'actions' so far and you'll see a core personality in there, you can fill in his dialogue/monologue after some kind of personality is established.
For example, let's say in your notes you have a section about killing a werewolf that's been terrorising a villiage, the supporting character just wants it dead, your currently silent character just does it. A little later on in development, you still can't figure out who your main character is, you go back to this quest:
Oh so he's a guy who doesn't mind killing the werewolf, despite the fact that it's a werewolf and that means it was once human or could still turn human.
Maybe it does bother him, but he does it anyways, maybe he's the kind of person who feels that sometimes there are things that need to be done, even if you
don't like it. How would his words form?
When asked to kill the werewolf:
"Are you sure there's no way to turn him back? Is this the only way?!"
Before landing the last strike to kill the werewolf:
"I'm sorry"
He's now sympathetic. But why is he that kind of person? Is that how he was raised, maybe his dad was very pragmatic and tough on him but his mother was caring and gave him a caring heart (maybe it's the other way around- let's not be sexist =P).
I know I'm going off on a tangent a little bit, but I feel as if this pretty much shows how I develop my games.
What was the question again? lol.

"it feels like I'm doing a lot more work than I need to"
Usually that is how it goes, but it helps create more rounded characters and people would be able to feel it. Also if anyone questions "why did he do that? Why would anyone do something so disgusting?!" You'll have an answer "James Sunderland put his hand in the toilet bowl to fish out his wallet 'cause he's a freak, he's so much of a freak that he doesn't wash his hands afterwards either, it turns him on".

This line also might mean it's a good time to do the whole "Step back and look at what you've done so far" If it (your game) feels too over-complicated you can condense it and maybe save the stuff you haven't used for a different game or a sequel.

"It helped to kickstart the beginning and backstory of the game"
Have you thought up an ending? If you do that, then your attempts on getting from point A to B turns into getting from point A to Z, if you know what I mean.

"I visualize the story and write it down chronologically."
I've done this in the past as well, but in my experience at some point I'm forced to work a little bit non-linear. Figuring out how to end your story gives you an end goal and helps witht he focus. Sometimes writing some scenes ahead will help you "fill up the gaps" faster. However everyone works differently because no one person is exactly the same. In the end, do what you're most comfortable with, experiment and try to use different methods of development for sure, but if you find a method that works well for you, you'll end up using it sub-conciously anyways. I mean if you look at my development explination in my first post you'll see that they're not that different from each other, I'm pretty much just repeating myself in different ways lol.

Hope one of these parapgraphs answers your question.

[selmiak]

wow, my tip would be: don't read on internet message boards how to do it but do it. It is always helpful to have a rough draft or even better worked out scenes on a storyboard. yeah. But then if you are feeling it just do it and build everything you need around it. Spit it out, make it rough, then polish it. Or lock yourself in a room for 2 months and write down everything in every detail. Whatever works best for you.

[Blue]

wow, my tip would be: don't read on internet message boards how to do it but do it. It is always helpful to have a rough draft or even better worked out scenes on a storyboard. yeah. But then if you are feeling it just do it and build everything you need around it. Spit it out, make it rough, then polish it. Or lock yourself in a room for 2 months and write down everything in every detail. Whatever works best for you.

Well I'm not looking for "a way to do it". I'm merely gathering inspiration from others. :-)

[Blue]

Also glad someone is actually looking at that blog

I hope you're not disappointed when I tell you that I've never known about your blog until you answered my post. Then I had a look. :-) - If you were posting frequently I would probably be a returning visitor. (But who am I to point fingers at others when I can't even keep my own website up to date).

Hope one of these parapgraphs answers your question.

I got a lot of answers and ideas from what you wrote. Not ideas to the story but ideas on how I could work more efficiently. :-) Thank you!

[SilverSpook]

I actually tend to like the painting of backgrounds nowadays.  I'll have a story, and I'll suddenly come up with something really cool by making a mistake while trying to paint a door hinge or something, and it turns into like a robotic spider that must be hacked, etc etc...

I have a more painterly art style though that is very interpretive in the Giger sense (objects are more subjective than object-ish).  This may not work for you but I would suggest looking at mistakes as sometimes the greatest strokes of genius, if you know how to airbrush them right.

[Blue]

I actually tend to like the painting of backgrounds nowadays.  I'll have a story, and I'll suddenly come up with something really cool by making a mistake while trying to paint a door hinge or something, and it turns into like a robotic spider that must be hacked, etc etc...

I have a more painterly art style though that is very interpretive in the Giger sense (objects are more subjective than object-ish).  This may not work for you but I would suggest looking at mistakes as sometimes the greatest strokes of genius, if you know how to airbrush them right.

Hehe.. that sounds a little like what I did with my first game though. Since I created the backgrounds before coming up with a story. I did a lot of "Oh, I painted this really weird background that doesn't make a lot of sense. Now how can I fit that into my game"

Still it's good to have room for letting the story evolve in a different direction than you originally intended if that makes it better. Balance is the key.

[COWCAT]

For my first (unreleased) games, I was young so I pretty much created things on the go! I have an idea, I implement it, then to the following etc... I'm not sure this is the right thing to do though, but it can make really creative games!

When I first worked on my remake, I replayed everything, kept what worked and changed what didn't, so it feels more consistent.
If you're interested to know more, I have written articles on the game creation on my Kickstarter updates. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/983902887/demetrios/posts/1376845

[SilverSpook]

I actually tend to like the painting of backgrounds nowadays.  I'll have a story, and I'll suddenly come up with something really cool by making a mistake while trying to paint a door hinge or something, and it turns into like a robotic spider that must be hacked, etc etc...

I have a more painterly art style though that is very interpretive in the Giger sense (objects are more subjective than object-ish).  This may not work for you but I would suggest looking at mistakes as sometimes the greatest strokes of genius, if you know how to airbrush them right.

Hehe.. that sounds a little like what I did with my first game though. Since I created the backgrounds before coming up with a story. I did a lot of "Oh, I painted this really weird background that doesn't make a lot of sense. Now how can I fit that into my game"

Still it's good to have room for letting the story evolve in a different direction than you originally intended if that makes it better. Balance is the key.

I am new to AGS, although not new to gamedev itself.  I've done full 3D FPS-RPG hybrids to 2D strategy, you name it.  I also teach game design.  I would say there isn't really a wrong way to do it, except that if the game isn't fun, then you've got to rework it till it is fun.  That takes playing games, making games, letting people play your games, and through experience eventually knowing what works and what doesn't. 

If you have a big team of people on a big project, with deadlines and such, then yes you're going to need a good solid plan or it's just NOT going to be fun, and most likely be aggravating, team-busting, friendship-destroying, lawsuit-generating chaos.

If you're on your own, you have the disadvantage of little production value and having to spread yourself thin with multiple hats, but you have the major advantage of utter creative freedom and flexibility.  If you're doing Assassin Creed 10 or whatever, you HAVE to sell on your awesome graphics and tried-trusted stealth-parkour gameplay and have virtually no flexibility due to the billions of dollars riding on the franchise and mass-audience, lowest-common-denominator expectations that must be met and to appease the super risk-averse stakeholders. 

If it's just you on your AGS maiden voyage (or second/third voyage), then you can do things like say, "Well, you know I don't think that the flying time machine with the dog-beard puzzle is working in this scene.  Let's turn it into a giant teacup with spiderlegs," or whatnot.  You're faster and leaner than some bloated AAA franchise or even a Tim Schaferian III outfit, and you need to capitalize on that, cause buddy, you're just not going to win the graphics war with your Army of One. 

The power of small-scale indie is the ability to be different and unique and evolving.  Don't waste time sticking to a shitty old script or game-design-document.  Change it!