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Carpetwurm
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« on: May 17, 2015, 05:48:51 AM »

     So I've been wondering if other people also cancel their games over design. I've been wondering this recently because, well, I cancelled my game since I didn't like its design.  Shrug Mostly I thought that the main mechanic of switching your powerup item wasn't fun, and the art wasn't that great either. Getting back on track, would any of you do the same? Or have you done something similar to this?  Gomez

Cancelled Game: https://sites.google.com/site/caplselastic/
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jgrams
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« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2015, 03:29:13 AM »

I bet many people do: e.g. mondo posted this link under Design: http://gmentor.com/blog/2015/5/6/designing-an-awesome-video-game

Quote
2.7. Excited Yet? (If Not, Try Again)

At this point, if you’ve got a strong concept and you’ve worked out how to make the controls fun, you should be incredibly excited about your game. If you’re not excited by it, then you don’t have a game destined for greatness yet. You need to go back and redo those first two steps.

Back when Noel Llopis was blogging, he had at least one article about how many ideas he goes through before choosing one. Lots of ideas, pick the ones you like best and do quick prototypes, throw out the ones which aren't actually fun.



Hmm...now that I write this I'm realizing that's not the same as cancelling a game after you've already put a bunch of work into it. But there's lots of stuff like that out there about trying to do everything you can to make sure you have a strong fun concept before putting a lot of work into it...so people definitely do think it's important...
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guille
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« Reply #2 on: May 18, 2015, 08:41:10 AM »

If you have to cancel your game because you find design issues during its development, you need to work hard on improving your game core design skills.

And that's why you should make a small prototype first and then scale from there.

Now, ditching a proto, that's totally normal, when there's nothing else you can do to fix it...
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DanglinBob
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« Reply #3 on: May 18, 2015, 09:04:10 AM »

I think we may be splitting hairs here. A prototype should still have a design and abandoning a prototype (normal) is the same as abandoning your design.

Other issues come up with established studios (IE: Blizzard) where their reputation is SO valuable that cancelling a project, even when it is 80% finished, may be their only option since releasing a product that doesn't live up to expectations could damage their image and future sales of better games. At the end of the day sometimes the best plans in the world turn out to be total crap :D

No plan lasts past first contact with the enemy!
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Carpetwurm
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« Reply #4 on: May 18, 2015, 02:22:00 PM »

If you have to cancel your game because you find design issues during its development, you need to work hard on improving your game core design skills.

And that's why you should make a small prototype first and then scale from there.

Now, ditching a proto, that's totally normal, when there's nothing else you can do to fix it...

I really should have done a prototype first, but the project in question started as a gamejam game. And it would have taken way too much time to make the main mechanic fun. Since it was a platformer, and those are usually hard to make original/interesting in the first place, there was basically no chance of saving this project.
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« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2015, 02:55:13 PM »

Ive cancelled at least two of my games over design issues.
The first was Sluggy's Other Adventure, a side scrolling platformer that was actually pretty far along, but I just couldnt decide on a structure for the games' various levels. A world map with paths like in Mario 3, a simple sequence of levels with warps to secret side-levels, and I even tried a branching paths sort of thing. I tried so many things and always gave up, it always felt like it didnt quite fit. Eventually I just lost interest on it, stuck on the silliest of things. This was back in around 2007 I think.

The other project had a more serious, insidious problem though, Recession. Its a game I had been working on for years,a huge metroidvania type of deal. I gave up on it because the overall level design of the game was a complete mess. It had started as a small, simple game made in a game jam where you go around collecting treasure and racing to the end, and it had slowly transformed into this giant nightmare of interlocking paths and areas. I didn't add to the game with a plan in mind, I just kept adding more areas and paths haphazardly all over, and the result was complete nonsense, with way too many crossroads and paths and not enough direction. It had grown too much in too many directions, it couldn't be salvaged. Its too bad too, the game had a crazy amount of content. Dozens of enemies, dozens of bosses, customizable weapons etc... Still, I did release two older, less messy versions of it along with the Tales of Games game pack, a kickstarter reward for backing Barkley 2, so it wasn't all lost. One version was the initial tiny prototype when everything was simple and short, and the other one was a merely halfway-nightmarish version, when it was just on the cusp of growing out of control.
I also learned a looot about programming, game design and pixel art while working on it. I stopped this around maybe 2009-2010?

Maybe someday I'll finish them up properly and put em out there, who knows...
« Last Edit: May 18, 2015, 03:04:04 PM by FrankieSmileShow » Logged

Carpetwurm
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« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2015, 03:39:32 PM »

Ive cancelled at least two of my games over design issues.
The first was Sluggy's Other Adventure, a side scrolling platformer that was actually pretty far along, but I just couldnt decide on a structure for the games' various levels. A world map with paths like in Mario 3, a simple sequence of levels with warps to secret side-levels, and I even tried a branching paths sort of thing. I tried so many things and always gave up, it always felt like it didnt quite fit. Eventually I just lost interest on it, stuck on the silliest of things. This was back in around 2007 I think....

I understand completely. I mostly relate with the part I just quoted, since the project I mentioned earlier was pretty similar to it. (With the world map, level structure problems, etc.) If I was in your shoes and looking for something to do, I'd probably make a mini-version of the second game you talked about. But hey, that's just my opinion.  Wink
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« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2015, 05:54:09 PM »

I'm working on a simple game that at various stages didn't feel right in terms of design. We decided to persevere rather than abandon it altogether, although it's a significantly different game to what we originally had in mind. I've since learn't the value of prototyping and early feedback.

I think it's also very challenging to finish a game and it can become a bit of a grind at times and feel easier and more exciting to start something new. If you originally saw potential in the concept, maybe there's still be something in it that can be found by experimenting or taking a break and revisiting with fresh eyes.
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« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2015, 06:29:59 PM »

I just cannibalize one project into another, and that into another... and then I put it on the back burner at which point I repeat the process several times over with a handful of other projects... and then I try to jam them all together and this new hybrid project I then cannibalize into another, and that into another...

Also, I am constantly chopping away things but then pulling bits I chopped from one project into another, and so on. I am horrifically indecisive and I have way more ideas than I have time for but not enough will power to not chase them all.

It would probably be merciful if I canceled a game, but I just keep dragging them along all malformed and chimeric. I'd like to believe that someday all the butchery and patchwork will lead to some kind complete hideous mutant that only a father could love. If not, at least it's been a fun ride.

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