These were all produced over a period of 18 hours from twitter (hashtag: #97thingsgamedev)
http://twapperkeeper.com/hashtag/97thingsgamedev?sm=&sd=&sy=&em=&ed=&ey=&o=&l=10000&from_user=&text=&lang=&nort=1- Concept/ Ideas
@zarawesome Everyone thinks ideas are precious up to the point they need to pay for one.
@Jayenkai Never be afraid to try something new, but don't be scared to throw it away if it doesn't work out!
@TerrierGames Don't copy everyone else. Do things that haven't been tried before - it might be great.
@S0phieH program blindly, experiment, play jazz. if you think it's fun.
@KommanderKlobb Spend time in the real world, being interested in things which aren't games
@rafaelborven Also, watch movies beyond sci-fi, fantasy and super-hero ones. Grab Copolla, Hitchcock, Kubrick, Kurosawa, Stone, Allen
@rafaelborven Read more books than you average nerdy ones (i.e. LOTR, Hitchhiker's Guide, etc.) Read classics, economics, political ones
@homembarata Start with a small project, forget about MMOs, seriously.
@robotduck build a Pong, Pac-Man, or Space Invaders before attempting a Warcraft, Starcraft or Minecraft :-) #97thingsgamedev
@retroremakes Make that MMO if you want. You'll probably fail but who gives a fuck? Failing is fun and learning from failure is valuable.
@S0phieH don't forget your heritage goes back more than 30 years, it also includes everything from chess to Shakespeare and more.
- Design
@zarawesome If the player doesn't see it, it doesn't exist.
@S0phieH if the player doesn't see it, but *thinks* it's there, it exists.
@adamfsk If a player doesn't see it, it's a 'hidden feature'.
@zarawesome Games don't have to be fun. Games don't have to be anything.
@zarawesome A cliche is a double-edged sword.
@zarawesome A little innovation goes a long way.
@zarawesome Do not pad your game with minigames. Minigames take at least 20% of the "master" game's time to make, -each-.
@zarawesome The game designer's friends: Ghosts. Amnesia. Deserted islands. Crates. Lava. Fog. Levers and buttons. Large rocks. Zombies.
@NamoDyn Enough Fucking Zombies, please.
@zarawesome You don't have to use every idea right now.
@zarawesome When in doubt, err in the side of simple.
@dedhedzed Better short and sweet than long and dull.
@black_golem Start smaller than you think. You will grow bigger than you are.
@andrewcarvalho you are allowed to remove game content. Short and sweet is a good thing.
@DriveByBaptism your making a game to please your number one fan: you.
@dedhedzed You'll never please everybody. Make sure you at least please yourself.
@HilariousCow Top Down Vision, and Bottom Up Design only mesh by bouncing off each other. Figure out the fastest way to iterate the cycle #97thingsgamedev
@Jayenkai It doesn't matter, as long as it plays well.
@jack19750331 : If it don't work on paper, it probably won't work in the machine. #plan
@S0phieH being original/innovative isn't the goal, it's just sometimes a side effect of doing what YOU want to do.
@clintmakesagame Elicit an emotion with your game, good or bad, and know what that emotion is!
@alicemonstrinho Don't make a game thinking about the next game you're making after that one gets finished. Focus and don't save ideas.
@fizzychicken Focus on making games people want to play, not software engineering for its own sake.
@wiebow Design your game concept without graphics or style in mind.
- Code
@zarawesome What language/libraries to use mainly depend on what platform you want to get to.
@zarawesome Learn trigonometry and probabilities, since you obviously didn't do so during college.
@zarawesome Keep track of all the little shortcuts you took, because a lot of bugs will be fixed by removing those shortcuts.
@zarawesome Leave rewriting code for the next game.
@zarawesome Your freedom to push the envelope ends where the game engine's freedom to crash like a rickety china cabinet starts.
@CrociDB Stop thinking you'll rule the world as a Game Designer. Go study programming.
@CrociDB It doesn't matter how many games you played in the last year, but how many lines you coded.
@Joeeigel Have some kind of plan, don't program blindly.
@Joeeigel If you try coding with a negitive mindset you won't get anywhere, take a break and come back refreshed.
@thegamedesigner "If you aren't sure which way to do something, do it both ways and see which works better." - John Carmack
@rafaelborven A pretty game is good, but a well programmed game is far better.
@thegrieve Version control is your friend
- Tools
@jonmanatee don't skimp on making good tools
@hanlsp ideas are cheap until they're implemented. Make putting ideas into the game cheap and fast, then test your ideas for real.
@wiebow Do not be afraid to buy tools from time to time. Someone out there probably createda better tool than you can make.
- Gameplay / Mechanics
@zarawesome Don't make your game just a tutorial for your awesome new mechanic.
@zarawesome Physics looks neat, but it's hell to make consistent puzzles out of it.
@rafaelborven How yr char acts (jumps etc) & reacts (damage etc) is very important. If it feels "off" the player can't connect. Refine it
@TomSennett if it's not gameplay, get rid of it
@TomSennett if your game doesn't have unlimited lives and automatic saving - in 2011- you are an absolute failure
@clintmakesagame Every mechanic must be fully fleshed out at some point; just thinking about it isn't enough.
@clintmakesagame If there is only one good choice which requires only time, and no skill, make it automatic or get rid of it.
- Level Design
@rafaelborven The real meat is on the game and level design, not in the game mechanics or innovative ideas.
@andrewcarvalho invisible walls are only visible when the player finds the world you created boring.
@thatshelby Never design levels when you're burnt out or when you dont have ideas ~ its not fun to play!
- Difficulty
@zarawesome Each player demographic wants a different kind of challenge and will treat the others as obstructionism.
@zarawesome Try to suit both the player who solved Hitchhiker's Guide and the player that didn't get Pick Up The Phone Booth And Die
@zarawesome Difficulty settings are bullshit. Difficulty settings that can't be changed halfway through are double bullshit.
@jwaaaap never never never let yourself decide if your difficulty is good or not
- Interface / Ergonomics
@zarawesome Everybody has opinions about the interface.
@zarawesome It's useless to try to refine interface design before the user/client looks at it.
@zarawesome Things always forgotten in short games: Pause key, sound mute, key config, joystick support, save progress.
@TerrierGames Controls are 1000,000% more important than that shader you're using.
@Matt_D_ dont get caught up on the colour of the door knob if you haven't yet built the house. spend your time wisely!
@S0phieH find out what 'Ergonomics' is, making your players physically uncomfortable is usually a bad idea.
@alicemonstrinho ergonomy is fundamental - read nielsen:
http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html@nuclide Good UI design makes a game understandable (via Dieter Rams
http://bit.ly/7TE8yS ).
@adamfsk Make the basic controls for your game as simple, smooth and responsive as possible.
@TomSennett if you can do it with two buttons, you can probably do it with one button
@retroremakes A complex UI does not make a game complex. Just FYI.
@adamfsk Music/sound 30%, Controls 50% Original idea 20%. Make your time well spent.
@carlostinca this [->] look better than "Press Right Button to move forward"
- Scheduling / Motivation
@zarawesome Your most precious skill is knowing how long you'll take to do something.
@zarawesome Have the wisdom to make decisions final or the project will never finish.
@zarawesome You just finished coding the engine, so the game's practically finished? Oh, you poor fool.
@8vius You are your worst critic and greatest demotivator, and you know, procrastination. DEFEAT THEM!
@ChristinaCoffin you'll never run out of ideas, but you will run out of time to implement
@thatshelby Ultimately, you will never be happy with your final product. Just make sure it's polished!
@webbedspace "if you miss a day, you may as well throw out the project, because it's not going to get done" -@rinkuhero
@ymstudios when you think you are done... you are about halfway through...
@S0phieH Giving up is for other people.
@KommanderKlobb time spent not thinking about your game consciously is not time wasted. Let your back-brain mull things at length
@clintmakesagame Finish a game, even if it sucks! Finishing begets finishing.
@X360_Gav Don't worry about finishing your game on time. You can always just patch it. Then patch it again. And again. And again.
@S0phieH realise when you have been caught in a distraction and break free (gonna go do some 3D modelling now ;P )
@hanlsp make it work, make it right, make it fast. In that order. Having working software keeps you motivated and tweaking
@thegamedesigner Finishing a bad game is better then failing at a great game.
- Testing
@zarawesome You will get bored of testing the game halfway through.
@TomSennett PLAYTEST, PLAYTEST, PLAYTEST
@kiithilurin PLAY TEST
@neonleif tweak and polish when your game is done - doing it before kills the game
- Feedback
@zarawesome Feedback is okay, but -good- feedback is rare and precious like gold.
@zarawesome What people -think- they hate in your game often has no correlation with what people -really- hate in your game.
@zarawesome Players don't see "good AI" or "bad AI", just "fair AI" and "unfair AI".
@Joeeigel Just because one person dosn't like your game dosn't mean you should give up, only person you have to please is yourself.
@S0phieH it helps to have a split personality, adopt a 'new player' persona when testing to see problems before you let others play.
@theicebreaker You will never get *bad* criticism from your friends, because they want to be nice to you.
@realnoyb Rarely if ever does a tester give you negative feedback because he's jealous of your brilliance.
@TomSennett If one player says your game is too easy, and one says it's too hard, THEY'RE BOTH RIGHT
@jazmcdougall Beware well-meaning but flawed advice - especially from successful people who don't understand their own methods.
@robotduck Watch inexperienced players play your game (before it's finished!)
- Marketing
@zarawesome At some point you'll have to decide if you want to make a game or sell a game.
@zarawesome Making games to the "long tail" doesn't work when they expect as fancy a treatment as the head's getting.
@zarawesome Many successful developers nowadays have released the first version of their games for free.
@zarawesome You'll have to spread the word of your game in some way. Even artists have vernissages.
@Flimgoblin If noone knows about your game, noone can play it. Marketing isn't (necessarily) evil it's just telling people you exist.
@RJpoofy Believe it or not there is a large amount of people who like quirky, don't be afraid to go for the cult fan base!
- Teams
@zarawesome The game designer is king, but the game programmer is God.
@zarawesome A programmer is not a voice-operated game designing tool. Learn to use the tools provided.
@KommanderKlobb work with other people, especially if they aren't people who usually make games
@VexingVision Document. Document. For the sake of all the gods in your game and the sanity of your potential publisher, document.
@thegamedesigner Don't be alone. Email and skype other indies. They're nice and you'll learn stuff.
- Art
@zarawesome There -is-, in fact, bad pixel art. If you can't tell, you're not an artist.
- Music
@rafaelborven Music and sound effects are like 30% of the experience. Don't mess with them, and don't think they're less important
- Prototypes
@S0phieH all great craftspeople practice with quick/short throwaway projects and sketches, you should too.
@S0phieH it's inevitable, some of those 'prototype' graphics that were only for testing are going to make it into the final game.
- Other Games
@adamfsk Before thinking outside the box, try to find the box.
@adamfsk Your idea is only original if someone else hasn't already done it. Watch your competitors.
@TomSennett Pay attention to games outside of your computer/television. More people have played Baseball than Halo.
@realnoyb If your game relies on an innovative feature, would it still be worth playing if another game did it first?
@dedhedzed Take something tried and tested, learn how it works, and do it yourself. You'll learn a lot and might even improve it.
@retroremakes There is no golden age of gaming. It wasn't better back then. It was rubbish. Be the now. Be the future.
- Multi-Classing
@S0phieH Don't complain you need an artist/programmer, you are plenty capable.
@andrewcarvalho stick with what you are good at. If you can't draw, then don't.
@thegamedesigner Don't be 'just' a game designer/idea person. Learn to code, draw, or fill out paper work. Better yet, all 3!
@thegamedesigner If you're a programmer, learn colour theory. If an artist, learn a little scripting.
@inverso Don't mess with the story, leave that to the writers
- General Advice
@S0phieH planning was made obsolete when they invented undo.
@S0phieH there's not much more important than your attitude.
@Switchbreak Don't listen to anyone. There are no rules.
@Switchbreak Listen to everyone. There are a million pitfalls to avoid.
@jack19750331 : Your first ten games will probably suck. The eleventh...
@andrewcarvalho Games should leave the player with something more than what they came in with.
@andrewcarvalho Show don't tell is applicable to everything
@clintmakesagame If you're not working on a game...work on another game! Or some music, or some art...but always create when you can.
@glitchypixel Making games is an art, but also a craft. You will get better at it if you keep making more and more of them. d(
)b
@offwhitefox Measure twice, cut once
@retroremakes This is your manual:
http://is.gd/kzsob this is your guide:
http://is.gd/kzsoA@theBanov if you don't have fun making it, your players won't have fun playing it
- Enough Already
@NamoDyn Also, stop making movie tie-ins, or at least try harder.
@NamoDyn I have minority interests so I'm not important!
@TomSennett achievements are fucking stupid
@TomSennett if you call your game "art", it's not.
@TomSennett I don't play games to read. If you do, you're a loser. Go read a book. Square.
@S0phieH if you have tech in the game's title (X-3D, X-HD etc) you are probably missing the point, ask why you are making the game.
- Random
@HilariousCow I haven't finished a game yet, and SO CAN YOU!
@S0phieH there are contradictions in this topic because rules are there to be tested, find what works for you too
@Jayenkai I'm 30, and live with my Mum. Don't listen to anything I say!!!!!
@TomSennett Actually stop paying attention to video games completely. Everyone's regurgitating the same stuff. Go outside or something
@TomSennett DON'T BELIEVE TWITTER CAN MAKE YOU A BETTER GAME DEVELOPER
@thegrieve don't get all your advice from twitter
@theowitter Stop reading this, go make a game!
@NamoDyn make sure you keep pumping out the same drivel instead of expanding your userbase!
@TomSennett your game will never be as good as Tetris
@adamfsk If someone misses the point and uses bad grammar, be sure to call them up on it:
http://is.gd/kyi1y@retroremakes Call yourself a railwaynaut?
@retroremakes Go outside. Seriously.
@jwaaaap don't play games, games are for nerds
@gabriel_may_uk Send me a free...I mean "press copy" of your game :D
@thegrieve You must use every idea right now!
@fizzychicken Your brain is finite. Take care picking the right stuff to put in it.
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