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[PompiPompi]

I am currently developing an FPS game called Shoe String Shooter. I enjoy developing the framework and game, and I am doing fun stuff.
There are a few issues though.

First, 3D asets are extremly hard to come by.
Even if I had money, stock assets arn't very good and are not in abundance.
Free lancing has it's issues as well. It will be quite expensive, and it's not always his first priority to do the work for you.
I can also team up with an artist, but this requires me to be alot more serious about this project(more on this later).

I am probably gonna get a job soon, so I won't be able to work on this full time, so that leaves me a few options.

1. Keep not taking the project too seriously. Enjoy myself developing it. Buying stock assets, getting asset "donations" and make the game free.
The issue with this choice is that assets are probably going to be scarce and a bottle neck.

2. Using my salary to pay for a freelance artist. Going to be more expensive, but also quicker and higher qualty assets pipeline.
I can still work on it as much or as little as I want, because I don't have a partner, and I will also have a job so I will have less time.
Possibly sell alphas of the game.

3. Find an artist to join me and work together as a team. This will provide me with "free assets", a more dedicated and serious artist that will care about work and deadlines. It will require me to be more serious about the project myself, as I can't let the artist keep hanging and waiting for me.
There is the issue that I want my code to be my property, because it's code I have taken from past projects and will use in future projects as well. So I need to agree on that with the artist.
Also could sell alphas of teh game.

4. Going full time indie... yea, no way, heh....

Any other ideas? I don't really know what to do. Either I accept slow progress in the artwork, and unclear future and direction of this project, which is actually more fun and enjoyable. Or I become more serious?

Not sure, please help me think what to do.

p.s. the IndieDB page of my game:

http://www.indiedb.com/games/shoe-string-shooter

[Chris Pavia]

How many assets are in the game (characters, environments, weapons, etc)? From my own experience I can't see one artist sticking through a whole 3d project this size (judging from what it looks like on the indieDB page anyway) to completion. Maybe you'll get lucky and can find someone who can model/texture/rig characters and environments and can produce enough content for an entire game, but those chances are pretty slim.  Specifically, when producing a large amount of content (particularly technical content like 3d) I've found that it's very hard to find people who will finish what they start, and getting paid doesn't affect that output as much as you'd think it does. I think if you can break it up more (someone for environments, someone for modeling/texturing, someone for rigging animation, etc), it may be more practical. YMMV.

[PompiPompi]

Actually, it doesn't got to have tons of assets.
Battlefield 1943(I think?) for the XBOX had only 4 maps.
I am think I was just confused since the project is in an early stage and I am not sure where it is going.
I think I will go with the not so serious development direction and try to set more clear goals.
I just want to think, what do I need to have in order to have a "complete game" whether I am going to sell it or not.
But this is more of a subject for the design thread.
However, if you have more ideas on how I can have better art pipeline, I would like to hear about it here.

[Laurent C]

I think you're aiming way too high on graphics for what you can do and pay for.
Assets don't mean the number of maps available.

I am think I was just confused since the project is in an early stage and I am not sure where it is going.
I think I will go with the not so serious development direction and try to set more clear goals.

If you have no idea where the project is going it's already not so serious.

[Christian Knudsen]

You can also choose an art style that doesn't require high poly/quality 3D models. Like going with a very blocky look à la Minecraft or abstract like the Love MMO.

[Chris Pavia]

Like Laurent said, a map is not an asset, but a collection of hundreds to thousands of assets. Besides, a large group of full-time artists worked on those 4 maps, so I'm not sure what the point of that statement was?

I'd go with Christian's idea if I were you.

[Laurent C]

You can also choose an art style that doesn't require high poly/quality 3D models. Like going with a very blocky look à la Minecraft or abstract like the Love MMO.

Ace of Spades comes to mind. Blocky, low poly, very basic animations.

[Christian Knudsen]

@Laurent: Yeah, that's a good example as well.

@Pompi: I just noticed that you also started a new thread in DevLogs asking for ideas on what your game should be about. And you had a very similar thread in Design a while ago. And on your IndieDB page, you're asking for ideas on what to work on next. I don't think your main problem is art assets. Your main problem appears to be that you have no idea what game you're making?

[PompiPompi]

Yea, I guess.
I havn't decided yet what exactly I want to do.

[Eigen]

That's the trouble with first person shooters. While easy to appreciate by the user, it's really difficult to find a motivation or drive to develop it. If the game's about some levels and shooting at nondescript enemies, then I would not go any further with it. But here's an idea (one I worked on myself a few years ago before giving up because I spent all my time working on the engine instead of the game).

Have you played Command & Conquer: Renegade? The single-player campaign was crap but where it shined was the multi-player mode. It was awesome! You could upgrade your character and buy vehicles and go and destroy the enemy base or defend your own one. So much team work and so much fun. So, my idea was to make a similar game but in single-player, with AI taking over rest of the players. I restarted the project a couple of times but you can have a look at some of the acient gameplay videos

,

or the newer stuff here and here.

This is just an idea.

[PompiPompi]

Well, I have an idea to mix RTS with FPS. Though it's alot more work.
I have set some modest goals in my devblog to have something people can pick up and play.
After achieving this goal I will see how to conintue.

I also had an idea for a spy vs spy kind of FPS, just setting booby traps, spy cameras and etc. But it will have to wait.

Here is my devblog http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=28632.0