Your Game Development Routine

[Dawson]

Thought I'd try getting some more discussion out of you guys so, what is your game development routine? How do you go from thinking, "Hey, I wanna make a game!" to actually having a game in front of you?

For me, it starts in my head. I decided I finally had the time to be able to commit myself to a new project and thought of various ideas of what I could create. This actually went on for a good two weeks or so, thinking about all the different storylines, gameplay mechanics, features and systems I could develop. Then countering that with the time and effort it'd take to fit all of that into one game, then trying to whittle down the features until I have a reasonable project that I can realistically accomplish in a sensible amount of time.

After that, I get a small A5 notepad and pen and write down all of the things I'd thought about. So the front page of the pad reads like a sort of checklist of design features and checklists for me to work through.

Following that, I start writing the code for the systems in the notepad. Something that I've found to be quite important to me, as I'm often prone to losing concentration and making a stupid error or two in the code, and then having to spend a longer period of time, finding and correcting the silly error.

Then I start sketching out interfaces for the systems that need to be displayed on screen at some point, along with map layouts. At the same time as this, I'm also actively coding the systems as well.

Afterwards, I start taking some of the the code from the notepad and transferring it into RMXP. After which, I'm left with a bunch of random objects on the screen which activate the systems, mainly just for me to test them out.

Finally, I start to turn all of the raw code into something semi-playable, by finalising the code, developing the event that activates the system to begin with and building the map around it.

I then go and repeat the previous four paragraphs.

And, there you are. An insight into the mind of an amateur game developer. Your turn. Hopefully, this can help some of the more inexperienced aspiring developers in the kind of pre-planning and design process that goes into a game.

 

[Waudby]

It's strange how a like this sounds to what I do :|

I've got about two A5 notepads full of ideas and map designs as well as pictures of random things - buildings etc.

I usually like to plan an idea out in my head and then the code kinda just flows from there, sometimes I can be known to spend hours just thinking about better ways to improve the code that was written.

I personally think that this is a far better way of doing things than just starting a game and making it up as you go along.

 

[Neo-Dragon]

I am doing Game development in college, and I have been trying to use methods used by most development houses, but I only really started doing that since the revamp (when I got the mouse patch), but here is what I did from the start.

When I have the core idea in my head (how I want to make this game), I set up a folder in google docs. I then write everything from storyline to ideas to general stuff.
Have a look:


I had to black one out there because it's something I haven't shown off.

Anyways, you can see I have a battle folder, in that I keep track of all the variables and switches I use and any pictures are displayed.

I have a currently working on doc, which is actually like a game diary. I keep track of what I do each day I work on the game then have a section called "Currently working on" so I know where I left off, and have a "Need to work on" and keep track of anything I should do in the future.

I have a general idea doc, and storyline doc, explains themselves. I just go into detail on each.

I spent about 3 months before I first showed off Protectors, then with the revamp, I spent around a month putting in the mouse control and D/P overworlds before I showed it off here.
If I had my way, I think I wouldn't update until the battle system is done since I hate posting random screenshots, but hey, I have to keep people happy lol.

My advice to anyone serious about it, is really do set up a gmail account, or google docs account. You can access it anywhere (handy for free time in college) and set up different docs going into detail about your game, and write done everything before you code.

 

[Ninja Tree]

1. Start a project
2. Make it up as I go along

 

[Forever Forbidden]

in order,
map,
event NPC's,
event story,
graphics,
systems.

 

[Yuoaman]

My process is a little less complex than yours Dawson, but I do follow a similar formula.

First I come up with a premise, then I jot down anything I happen to think of on anything I have handy, then I copy all of this into a notebook. With this I come up with the framework of the plot, and the world which will be played in. And the last step before I begin mapping the world is creating the characters, and refining the story.