ID:235618
 
Is this a lazy community, or a confused one? I can't seem to find more than a few games that interest me. I started playing BYOND about 5 years back. I was really into the anime scene, but that died out quick as many of the game's creators have seemed to lose interest or slow on the development scene.

Do you guys all have games in development or something? I just don't understand. There have recently been a lot of people looking for something new to play that actually has a player base. I mean - Teka123's new creation looks promising - and he's still learning; yet he's DOING SOMETHING! I don't see a lot of any good games being created around here.

What will it take for more people to begin on the quest to develop exciting, entertaining BYOND games?

Maybe it's that we don't hook people up with what they need. They need something more tangible to learn from, or better demos and libraries that are pointed out to them.

Or maybe we need to attract more game developers from other websites - to show them why BYOND is the tool that they can use to be successful.
Some projects I'm aware of that are currently in development:

  • Eternia, by Writing A New One.
  • Vault of Heaven, by Techgamer.
  • Prism (no hub yet), by NefariousDevelopment.
  • Legends Online (no hub yet), by FIREking.
  • Suukou Faita, by Branks.
Everland looks good.
Decadence by SuperAntx
Darkness by Bravo1
Ultimate Jigsaw by myself; I know, shameless plug, but I still play it occasionally.
Pixel art. It's very costly and takes time to complete. There's also not much in terms of cash flow around here. Paying for artwork out of pocket is risky and almost not worth the effort.
I agree. There isn't a single game I can honestly say I'd put down my PS3 controller for on this site. Until there is, I fully agree with OrangeWeapons.
http://www.byond.com/forum/?forum=2

Also,

"What will it take for more people to begin on the quest to develop exciting, entertaining BYOND games?"

Money. Time. Motivation.
In response to SuperAntx
SuperAntx wrote:
Pixel art. It's very costly and takes time to complete. There's also not much in terms of cash flow around here. Paying for artwork out of pocket is risky and almost not worth the effort.

Yet, I'm sure that if you made an amazing project in which used programmer art, you could easily find someone on the internet to fund your project with a cash bonus return.
In response to Mr. Robert
Mr. Robert wrote:
http://www.byond.com/forum/?forum=2

Also,

"What will it take for more people to begin on the quest to develop exciting, entertaining BYOND games?"

Money. Time. Motivation.

You don't need $. Find funds after creating your project using programmer's art.

You don't need much time. This engine does a lot of the work for you. I'm sure if you could put in 5 hours a week for 3 months you could come out with something amazing.

Motivation? Throw on some music and grab some comfort food, maybe a cup of joe or a glass or orange juice to go along.
In response to A.T.H.K
A.T.H.K wrote:
Everland looks good.

I agree, I just started playing it the other day. Most of the time no one is playing it, sadly.

It's strange that most of the good games (well, the ones in development at least) are RPGs.
In response to SuperAntx
SuperAntx wrote:
Pixel art. It's very costly and takes time to complete. There's also not much in terms of cash flow around here. Paying for artwork out of pocket is risky and almost not worth the effort.

Shooting for your dreams isn't worth the effort? Maybe Decadence wasn't as popular as you wanted it to be, but it sounds like you've given up hope.
In response to Madow
Madow wrote:
A.T.H.K wrote:
Everland looks good.

I agree, I just started playing it the other day. Most of the time no one is playing it, sadly.

It's strange that most of the good games (well, the ones in development at least) are RPGs.

I think people miss the actual good components of Anime RPG's and feel that they need to mimic the norm - Naruto GOA brought something to the table that we haven't seen before, and I think it's been ridiculed too harshly for being anime-based.
Spirt Age by Chris Gayle seems to be nearing / in beta testing.
In response to Higoten
Higoten wrote:
Spirt Age by Chris Gayle seems to be nearing / in beta testing.

This game is epic ... although development is kind of slow its like a teaser I can't wait!
In response to OrangeWeapons
OrangeWeapons wrote:
Madow wrote:
A.T.H.K wrote:
Everland looks good.

I agree, I just started playing it the other day. Most of the time no one is playing it, sadly.

It's strange that most of the good games (well, the ones in development at least) are RPGs.

I think people miss the actual good components of Anime RPG's and feel that they need to mimic the norm - Naruto GOA brought something to the table that we haven't seen before, and I think it's been ridiculed too harshly for being anime-based.

I doubt any BYOND RPG developers would take any inspiration from the anime games here.

EDIT: Except the art styles.
In response to OrangeWeapons
OrangeWeapons wrote:
You don't need $. Find funds after creating your project using programmer's art.

Wrong. Considering most of the more mature and experienced developers are over the age of minorship and require to pay bills, money is required.

You don't need much time. This engine does a lot of the work for you. I'm sure if you could put in 5 hours a week for 3 months you could come out with something amazing.

Wrong. To satisfy with the current public common standards of a basic game, you're looking at 6 months at the least to get the programming alone done, mind you that includes the time needed to live a life, eat, sleep, drink, and do societal functions such as work and education. Add another 6 months for art. Another 3 if you're incorporating original sound. Plus a few more months to incorporate bug testing.

Motivation? Throw on some music and grab some comfort food, maybe a cup of joe or a glass or orange juice to go along.

That may be YOUR motivation, but you're not the one making the game now are you? That doesn't quite satisfy everyone's taste of motivation. Stop insisting that you can snap your fingers and developers come out of the woodwork with completed games or nearly completed games. Games take:

Time. Money. Motivation.
Ex: Avalanche Studios, Bethesda Softworks, BioWare, Blizzard Entertainment, Bungie Studios, Rockstar Games, etc. etc. Even indie game developers need money, time, and motivation.
SuperAntx wrote:
OrangeWeapons wrote:
Shooting for your dreams isn't worth the effort? Maybe Decadence wasn't as popular as you wanted it to be, but it sounds like you've given up hope.

That sounds a bit conceited coming from someone who never even tried.

I'm a 17 year-old kid that is trying his best to develop a design document while preparing for college and applying for scholarships in a shitty economy.

The truth of the matter is games cost a lot to produce. That money might not contribute directly to the game in terms of actual content, but it adds up in terms of food, electricity, and man hours. If you are looking to become an angel investor my Paypal address is [email protected].

Again - I'm 17. There are plenty of websites on the internet in which you could search for potential investors.
In response to SuperAntx
SuperAntx wrote:
Pixel art. It's very costly and takes time to complete. There's also not much in terms of cash flow around here. Paying for artwork out of pocket is risky and almost not worth the effort.

Art is one of the most ridiculous reasons NOT to make a game. With the graphical quality of most of the indie games coming out nowadays, there is no way a person could ever say "I can't make a game because I don't draw good enough." Just the other day I saw a game on the Indie Games blog that looked like the artwork was made by a 4 year old. That didn't stop the developer from creating the game, nor did it stop the game from getting recognition on one of the most popular sites for indie games on the web. Games don't need to have jaw-dropping visuals. If that was the case, no one would be playing Minecraft right now.

As for the OP, I haven't made anything because I can't figure out what to make. I spend hours just sitting in the chair thinking, and thinking, and thinking.
In response to EmpirezTeam
EmpirezTeam wrote:
Games don't need to have jaw-dropping visuals. If that was the case, no one would be playing Minecraft right now.

Minecraft is innovative, cross-platform, and can be played via web browser. It has much more going for it than just its art style.
In response to SuperAntx
And to be fair, Minecraft has a very intriguing and addictive art style, even if it is of low quality.
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