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Community => Adventure Related Talk & Chat => Topic started by: ShiningRice on Wed 28/11/2018 17:56:25

Title: Most hard to find skill
Post by: ShiningRice on Wed 28/11/2018 17:56:25
What is everyone's opinion on the most hard to find skill when creating adventure games?
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: selmiak on Wed 28/11/2018 18:03:17
making a good game /thread 8-)
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: HanaIndiana on Wed 28/11/2018 20:21:45
Good or not.. just finishing a game.
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: HandsFree on Wed 28/11/2018 23:35:34
Doing anything well is difficult anyway. But musicians and scripters are easy to find (yes, the two things that I myself can contribute with).
Artists though, thats what everyone is looking for in my experience.
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: Radiant on Thu 29/11/2018 08:48:17
Animators, hands down.
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: Danvzare on Thu 29/11/2018 10:57:22
Quote from: HandsFree on Wed 28/11/2018 23:35:34
Artists though, thats what everyone is looking for in my experience.
And that is exactly why I spent four years teaching myself how to draw, despite hating it.
Also, agreed. That's by far the most sought after skill when it comes down to creating adventure games (or any project that requires art.)

I'd put music to a close second though. Simply because I have no idea where to even begin making music. And all the tutorials online assume that you can already make music. (Which defeats the purpose of a tutorial in my opinion.)
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: CaptainD on Thu 29/11/2018 11:43:14
Quote from: Radiant on Thu 29/11/2018 08:48:17
Animators, hands down.

From my own experience, definitely this.
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: dactylopus on Thu 29/11/2018 19:49:28
Quote from: CaptainD on Thu 29/11/2018 11:43:14
Quote from: Radiant on Thu 29/11/2018 08:48:17
Animators, hands down.

From my own experience, definitely this.

Agreed.
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: HandsFree on Thu 29/11/2018 22:08:01
Quote from: Danvzare on Thu 29/11/2018 10:57:22
I'd put music to a close second though. Simply because I have no idea where to even begin making music. And all the tutorials online assume that you can already make music. (Which defeats the purpose of a tutorial in my opinion.)
Yes, learning to compose can be very hard (and I don't claim to be any good at it). That's why I'm surprised there are so many composers. Just look at the 'Offer Your Services' thread. Music is offered more than anything else, so I wouldn't say it's a hard to find skill.
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on Thu 29/11/2018 22:38:51
Three skills :
1) persistence (finishing the game). People often get overwhelmed by the possibilities until they realized they blown too much steam on irrelevant stuff.
2) good puzzles. People make rooms and write a story only to realize at the end that they didn't make an adventure game but instead tried to shoehorn a good story into a soulless succession of "FedEx quests" (use X on Y).
3) animators. You have a nice engine, a nice story, a nice character and potentially nice backgrounds. But then everything that's meant to be moving in your game looks stiff and tasteless and cheap... because animating stuff is very time consuming when you don't have lots of experience. Even when it's only clouds passing by in the sky or water flowing.

For the music I've always used free of rights music so I can't really discuss that topic.

Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: Cassiebsg on Thu 29/11/2018 22:52:39
Personal opinion? What ever skill you are lacking!
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: cat on Fri 30/11/2018 09:15:42
Doing animation isn't that hard (except for walkcycles, maybe), it's just a lot of work. And even for walkcycles there are tons of tutorials and templates out there.

I guess most people are just too lazy to do animations themselves. But if you consider something tedious and time consuming, why should someone else want to do that work for you?
At the beginning, I also hated to do animations, but then I got to rather like it, because my mindset changed. It is very rewarding to see the characters you have created come to life (it also helps to have good software, I strongly recommend Aseprite for pixel animation). On the other hand, I'm not sure I would want to animate other people's sprites.
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: Danvzare on Fri 30/11/2018 12:34:56
Quote from: Monsieur OUXX on Thu 29/11/2018 22:38:51
2) good puzzles. People make rooms and write a story only to realize at the end that they didn't make an adventure game but instead tried to shoehorn a good story into a soulless succession of "FedEx quests" (use X on Y).
People struggle with that part?
Huh... I guess I must find it easy because I more or less build the story around the puzzles, rather than the puzzles around the story. (Which in turn can lead to a mediocre story in my opinion, but what're you gonna do.)
Either that or all of my puzzles are crap and I just don't realise it. (laugh)
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: Mandle on Fri 30/11/2018 15:32:45
Quote from: cat on Fri 30/11/2018 09:15:42
Doing animation isn't that hard (except for walkcycles, maybe), it's just a lot of work. And even for walkcycles there are tons of tutorials and templates out there.

I guess most people are just too lazy to do animations themselves. But if you consider something tedious and time consuming, why should someone else want to do that work for you?
At the beginning, I also hated to do animations, but then I got to rather like it, because my mindset changed. It is very rewarding to see the characters you have created come to life (it also helps to have good software, I strongly recommend Aseprite for pixel animation). On the other hand, I'm not sure I would want to animate other people's sprites.

I still remember you telling me in RL "What the hell was I thinking to make a character that walks with a stick?" and then how you walked up and down your hallway with a stick to figure out how it must look.

Now that's gotta be a lot of rewarding work when you see its result ingame.
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: cat on Fri 30/11/2018 18:33:56
Well, that was a bit insane, I guess. Maybe I could have flipped the walking frame instead of keeping the stick in one hand. But actually, I think the animation turned out quite well and I'm a bit proud I pulled it off.
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: ShiningRice on Fri 30/11/2018 18:57:18
I find it interesting what cat said "On the other hand, I'm not sure I would want to animate other people's sprites.". It seems that their might be plenty of every talent out there, but getting someone interested in your project and convincing them that everyone is truly dedicated enough to finish can be difficult. Also if its not your passion why would you spend your time on it?
Title: Re: Most hard to find skill
Post by: Mandle on Sat 01/12/2018 11:03:41
Quote from: ShiningRice on Fri 30/11/2018 18:57:18
Also if its not your passion why would you spend your time on it?

For most people the answer would be $$$.

I, also, do get paid for some stuff that I do for game dev, but I wouldn't do it if I didn't believe in the project.