So how hard is RPG solodev? An AMA thread

[Tyranicon]

Are you looking into using AI art for graphics to some extent if at all

Oh yes, and not just art but generative voice and other utilities as well.

I'm afraid I'm not using AI for anything simple or productive such as increasing the production value of my games. Instead, all of my games have always been hyper focused on AI development and I'm using generative tech for esoteric outsider art.

In short, weird shit.

Such as:

 

[Hell Swarm]

Are you looking into using AI art for graphics to some extent if at all (or are you already using it for your next game)? Ignoring artists' seething about it, when I look at low budget/solo indies and especially RPGmaker games in particular, the art tends to be hit and miss (mostly miss) and your above post already mentions the "woes" with sourcing the art and it ending up being too generic and same-y. Even from trying out Dall-e for a bit, it's obvious to me that tons of games can enormously benefit from it when there aren't means to hire "proper" art team seeing you have the creative control and, well, now the tool supplement lack of potential drawing skills (without making a judgement about yours in particular.)

AI Art looks fine even if it hits uncanny here and there. Recently I've been playing SOVL and the units having AI art enhances a simple game in a way that wouldn't be possible without real money that's clearly not available. It looks better than the generic anime stuff you see showed in basically every indie game that can't afford art. There's some great games ruined by deviant art artists drawing the character portraits and anything that avoids that is a win.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

I would not play any of your games honestly. My take on it is, you can make the game you want or the game you think will sell. So I was a bit surprised to read that you like the games you make. For me the only thrill with making crap games would be that at least I was working for myself.

But generally speaking probably there is very little overlap with what sells and what you like to do. Time is a large factor. Making a game is not technically difficult as such but it is time consuming and thought consuming.

I have no desire to make a porn game or a game that is just there to sell well. I do however want to finish my isometric RPG and I have some kind of fantasy that I will make enough money off it to do it as a job.

I used to work as a programmer. Its far too draining to make a game and be a programmer. So now I am no longer working an office job. Hopefully this gives me enough energy to complete my mission.

My question is how do you prove a concept before you launch into development. How much time do you commit to a project if you decide to go ahead with it?

 

[Hell Swarm]

My question is how do you prove a concept before you launch into development. How much time do you commit to a project if you decide to go ahead with it?

These are questions you should have been asking before you quit your job..

 

[Fedora Master]

All game devs are scum.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

My question is how do you prove a concept before you launch into development. How much time do you commit to a project if you decide to go ahead with it?

These are questions you should have been asking before you quit your job..

Maybe I was fired?

 

[Hell Swarm]

My question is how do you prove a concept before you launch into development. How much time do you commit to a project if you decide to go ahead with it?

These are questions you should have been asking before you quit your job..

Maybe I was fired?

These are questions you should have been asking before you were fired and decided to join an industry where less than 1% of people make over $100s on multi year projects.

 

[Maxie]

what's your anal circumference

 

[Borelli]

I have noticed that several indie games (Fez, Cave Story, Banished) all have devs that have worked 5+ years as programmers before jumping into solo dev waters.
Did you notice among the indie devs you interacted with that those kind of people on average succeed more than those fresh out of college?

 

[NotSweeper]

All game devs are scum.

The gamedev is immunized against all dangers: one may call him a scoundrel, parasite, swindler, profiteer, it all runs off him like water off a raincoat. But call him a gamedev and you will be astonished at how he recoils, how injured he is, how he suddenly shrinks back: "I've been found out."

 

[Tyranicon]

My take on it is, you can make the game you want or the game you think will sell.

Why even be gamedev?

I could make more money doing a thousand other things than gamedev.

My question is how do you prove a concept before you launch into development. How much time do you commit to a project if you decide to go ahead with it?

Lol you're asking the wrong person. I do some preliminary market research but other than that I just brute force my way through.

I don't work on projects because I think they'll be successful. I work on projects because I like them.

I have noticed that several indie games (Fez, Cave Story, Banished) all have devs that have worked 5+ years as programmers before jumping into solo dev waters.
Did you notice among the indie devs you interacted with that those kind of people on average succeed more than fresh out of college?

Succeed?

I can name only a few successful small/solodevs that I've interacted with, and most of those are people who make those episodic DAZ porn games. The other ones work on very niche games like text-based CYOAs with very low profit margins when it comes to the work it takes.

None that I know of have any previous programming experience. Solodev programmers in my experience tend to take forever to make games because they're perfectionists that constantly iterate rather than finishing.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

My take on it is, you can make the game you want or the game you think will sell.

Why even be gamedev?

I could make more money doing a thousand other things than gamedev.

That wasn't really the point of my comment. Its about self sufficiency. You can still make games and get some satisfaction that at least you are doing that for yourself. However you may not get to make the games you really want to make.

The gigging wedding musician could make more money working shifts in McDonalds. And he also isn't going to get to play whatever songs he wants. Rather, he has to cater to the desires of his customers. But they would still prefer that lifestyle than making money in other ways.

 

[NotSweeper]

The gigging wedding musician could make more money working shifts in McDonalds.

lol
lmao even

 

[Tyranicon]

Its about self sufficiency.

If this is important for you, look anywhere else but gamedev.

I'm sure you've done enough research by now to know that this industry is horrible for anywhere close to a stable income. Even people who have sold very well on one game are unable to replicate successes.

Also, catering to customers and the fad du jour is how talented people become furry commission artists. Nothing wrong with that if that's how you pay your bills, but I actually do know a few of these and they all have grown to hate their lives and bitch nonstop about how their talent is being wasted.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

The gigging wedding musician could make more money working shifts in McDonalds.

lol
lmao even

And for those ambitious enough it also comes with career progression.

 

[NotSweeper]

And for those ambitious enough it also comes with career progression.

Clearly you've never played a gig at a drug dealer/loan shark gyppo wedding.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

Its about self sufficiency.

If this is important for you, look anywhere else but gamedev.

I'm sure you've done enough research by now to know that this industry is horrible for anywhere close to a stable income. Even people who have sold very well on one game are unable to replicate successes.

Also, catering to customers and the fad du jour is how talented people become furry commission artists. Nothing wrong with that if that's how you pay your bills, but I actually do know a few of these and they all have grown to hate their lives and bitch nonstop about how their talent is being wasted.

My point is not that independent game dev offers a reasonable salary. What I am saying is that the goal is self sufficiency doing what you enjoy doing. I think the challenge though is making the business work by making the kinds of games you want to make. Well in my case at least, as I am doing old school isometric RPG stuff, not furry porn.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

And for those ambitious enough it also comes with career progression.

Clearly you've never played a gig at a drug dealer/loan shark gyppo wedding.

I only ever played one gig at a very large party for free. At the end of the set a girl came round with a cap, and asked us if we would like to contribute towards the costs of the venue. That's where my music career ended.

 

[Tyranicon]

I think the challenge though is making the business work by making the kinds of games you want to make. Well in my case at least, as I am doing old school isometric RPG stuff

I think there's a fair amount of interest in old school iso RPGs. Definitely enough to support a solodev if you play your cards right.

For example, a fallout/IF engine style RPG that's set in any of the following settings (post-apoc, medieval fantasy, space opera, cyberpunk) with a solid combat system will probably sell well. But there's a lot of factors that determine success.

The problem is limiting costs and development time. "Sell well" has a different meaning if you put 8+ years into the project.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

I think the challenge though is making the business work by making the kinds of games you want to make. Well in my case at least, as I am doing old school isometric RPG stuff

I think there's a fair amount of interest in old school iso RPGs. Definitely enough to support a solodev if you play your cards right.

For example, a fallout/IF engine style RPG that's set in any of the following settings (post-apoc, medieval fantasy, space opera, cyberpunk) with a solid combat system will probably sell well. But there's a lot of factors that determine success.

The problem is limiting costs and development time. "Sell well" has a different meaning if you put 8+ years into the project.

Well yes this is the problem. Its very time consuming to produce a quality old school iso rpg. It would need at least a decent combat system and inventory system and so on. I will need a few years of focused effort to complete it. Another problem is deciding what to go for. I am going to have to really pair down what I am going for in order to have any chance of releasing this game, at least on this side of the afterlife.

But it has been done, its possible. Its a game of time and chance.

 

[Hell Swarm]

And for those ambitious enough it also comes with career progression.

Clearly you've never played a gig at a drug dealer/loan shark gyppo wedding.

I only ever played one gig at a very large party for free. At the end of the set a girl came round with a cap, and asked us if we would like to contribute towards the costs of the venue. That's where my music career ended.

Should have asked her if she wanted to contribute to your ejaculations.

 

[HoboForEternity]

I am currently learning to be a solodev and decided to do the main things alone.

1. Programming: 0 knowledge, currently taking free lessons, mainly from harvard's CS50 series

2. Art: doing lessons from drawabox.com

3. Learning music theory and composing from various sources.

It's an insane thing to do and i probably will never reach a goal of shipping a game, but so far the process has been fun. I enjoy learning for the sake of learning and it is at least a distraction from my day job. I would be lying if i dont hope to make money from this, but keeping my expectations as low as possible. So far it's really low pressure activity and creating my own creative outlet because in this modern world, life is increasingly monotonous between working corporate job and consuming media. In my 30th years i just feel i wanna create something to express myself.

1 month in, i probably havent put as much hours as i should have but juggling different things really help my ADHD riddled brain from getting bored. The little milestones kept me from getting bored too.

 

[The_Sloth_Sleeps]

I am currently learning to be a solodev and decided to do the main things alone.

1. Programming: 0 knowledge, currently taking free lessons, mainly from harvard's CS50 series

2. Art: doing lessons from drawabox.com

3. Learning music theory and composing from various sources.

It's an insane thing to do and i probably will never reach a goal of shipping a game, but so far the process has been fun. I enjoy learning for the sake of learning and it is at least a distraction from my day job. I would be lying if i dont hope to make money from this, but keeping my expectations as low as possible. So far it's really low pressure activity and creating my own creative outlet because in this modern world, life is increasingly monotonous between working corporate job and consuming media. In my 30th years i just feel i wanna create something to express myself.

1 month in, i probably havent put as much hours as i should have but juggling different things really help my ADHD riddled brain from getting bored. The little milestones kept me from getting bored too.

I found the endless amount of art tutorials very helpful in improving. For me the flipping point came when I realized I ought to be drawing the form, not the line interpretation. I also found that investing in a decent but cheap drawing tablet, and Krita(free) to be well worth it.

 

[Tavernking]

What country do you live in? If you'd rather not say, what region of the world? (Eastern Europe?)

 

[Tyranicon]

What country do you live in? If you'd rather not say, what region of the world? (Eastern Europe?)

US, and not in a very low cost of living area, so solodev is harder for me than it may be for some others, financially speaking.