All of us here that frequent the General Gaming Software section hate seeing posts where someone asks for people to help them make a game, but follow the info you are about to see to help you in asking.
Some general things to consider:
Include a description of the game
Say what you do
-if you plan to be the 'boss' and tell people what to do DON'T make a topic about it. (See below and read my conversation with Boelens about this.)
Things to consider whilst writing a post:
Dont use text affects, unless you bold/italicize/underline a word here and there. No one wants to read something if it looks like:
-Hey guys I'm making a game
Use paragraphs/basic sentence structure. No one wants to read a wall of text with no spacing/run on sentences. If you can't appropriately write a sentence don't do it!
Saying 'English is not my first language' to excuse a fast written post, is not acceptable. Take the time to carefully write the OP, a carelessly written post is carelessly read.
Keep it concise, short and to the point.
No one wants to PM you for info. (Well some may, but think they won't) If you say 'PM me for info' instead of writing out the details about your game, just assume no one really wants to PM you.
It is all really this simple! There aren't very many rules to follow! Yet everyday (mostly, there's been a decline lately however) we see things that don't.
Examples(good and bad):
EX. 1: I'm making a game, it is called Example112389. I need coders and artists
EX. 2: I need coders and artists for a game I'm making. I will organize/tell people what to do in the group.
When you could do this:
Hey I'm making a game, it is called Example112389. In this game you will play a character who protects the galaxy from the evil GlaPers. There will be online play where you and a friend can protect the galaxy, or you and your friend can go head to head and see who would win in a battle. It will be a top-view 2D game, with a nice lighting system and good graphics.
I currently am doing coding for the project. I can do small pieces of art, but I will need someone else to help with it. I will also need someone to help with sound.
(just substitute coding in the above paragraph with something other than boss or its synonyms and we'll be able to see you will actually do something)
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Notice how in the good example the game was explained nicely and the person who wrote the OP is ACTUALLY doing something towards the game. You may say 'But a boss person would help the game too.' Well sure maybe once in the beginning when you tell them what to do, but after that you are really never needed. The coders will consult other coders, artist other artist, and writers other writers. Notice how none of them will consult the 'boss' because he/she isn't doing anything towards the game.
Looking to be part of a 'team' here on the forums? Look for what you do below and how you can find some projects to do in your spare time!
Art
Starting out:
So you are looking for an art job, eh? What a great place to start! Something before hand is to note at what kind of art you do well. Second, make a portfolio. What is a portfolio? A portfolio is a nice grouping of any and all art you've done. This art could make or break your job in the team, so make it good! another good thing to note is that you will most likely not get paid for any job you do for people on the forums, as most projects are abandoned, no need to worry however. You can get your art skills better with the odd jobs here(My pixel art has much improved!).
Where to go:
So now you actually want to find the job? What a bothersome bunch you are! Look through recent topics to see if anyone needs help. If no one needs help, this is one area where I would consider it OK to make a new topic for this. Simply title it along the lines of 'Looking to do art'. Inside the topic be sure to neatly organize your information on what art you do, and don't forget that portfolio!! Now simply wait for replies, and that's about all you can do.
Constructing an art portfolio:
The first step is finding good art of YOUR OWN CREATION! Look and see if you can find any on your computer first. If you don't find any, or you haven't created any, spend some time making some. Doing a million little tid bits of art in 10 minutes WON'T CUT IT! 2 pieces that took a few days t make will look better than 10 that took a day to make. The next thing you'll want to do is upload it to an image site. One thing to look into is making a DeviantArt account. On DeviantArt you can upload pictures for others to see, basically a blog for art. I most always link my DeviantArt to people because I keep my good pixel art there so I don't lose it. Another site you could use is Imgur, which allows simple picture uploading for a short period of use, you can upload more than one picture at a time too! Make sure to link either or both of these in your topic/comment to a post so the person looking for an artist will see it!
Programming
Sound Effects/Composing
Well that's about all from me. If someone else thinks I should add something let me know!
PS Read what I said to Boelens below for some more about just being a boss
YOU BEAT ME TO IT! I give it a read through later and see if I can find anything to add to it.
I was overflowed with dislike towards these threads, I had to put it all into this one. I do feel quite better now, but I know people will still do their own thing when making a thread like this...
This guide is total ********, and I'll give some points :
A boss? Doing nothnig later on? That's just plain ********. My brother works at a company with a boss who doesn't do coding, artist, anything juts leading the things. What do these people do?
Publishing,copyrights,sometimes advertising,making sure everyone does their job, constantly makes tasks for everyone, possibly test and report bugs, and if you have a good boss he/she might try learning some programming too and help out a bit.
The example, also stupid. You don't need to be a programmer to start a game. You can be the artist, sound maker, whatever. You need a team, alright. Programmers are often needed but everytime someone asks for a programmer doens't mean it's a stupid topic that won't work out, sure it is 9/10 of the time but you're giving a bad example.
Also, the boss isn't doing anything to the game? No boss = no game.
Concise? No. Not short and to the point, a detailed game document is much better.
I completely disagree, and it's a poorly made guide in my opinion.
I completely based this off of everything everyone else says....it is not my fault you never say anything to these poorly made threads asking for people in a game development. About what you said for bossess:
1)Publishing? Really? Have you seen the threads people make? These games aren't usually for selling.
2)Copyright? When was the last time a game was made here and it was copyrighted?
3)Advertising? Anyone with half a brain can advertise you don't need a boss to advertise for a small game.
4)Making sure everyone does their job, OK I see the point in this, but then again you could obviously tell if people weren't doing their jobs without a boss.
5)Constantly makes tasks, the only point here I agree with, halfly. See my part down below about the group I was in, we didnt need a boss for tasks!
6)Everyone working on the game can report bugs you dont need a boss for this
7)Or instead of learning programming while the game is developing you could learn it before and help a lot, and just be a programmar...
I never said it was limited to programming, I was giving an example with a programmer starting the project.
No boss=no game? wrong! I have been with a few people before and all we did was consult each other with ideas and kind've dicuss them and see if they were good or not, none of us lead the group.
I'm using concise here because I know people that read this will probably fail at doing most of this the least they could do is provide a nice little description.
Also to: Publishing/copyright, the only game I have EVER seen here for sell is Crea
If that person is going to be the boss of the team then he needs to pay ****ing money, which none of these people to do so your argument is completely invalid Boelens
There's a difference between a project manager working with a professional team to make a commercial game and some kid who came up with a rough concept for a video game during class and wants minions to build a game to satiate his or her whim.
I'm convinced that folks who know what they're doing and can put together a team to successfully produce an indie game or mod are not the folks who come on the general gaming section of the minecraft forums to put together a team. If you want to find folks with which to collaborate, perhaps it would be prudent to reach out to forums and sites more geared towards game developement, such as ModDB, tigsource, UDK, Unity, ect. ... y'know, places where game/mod makers congregate? On a side note, if a project's your first project, you probably shouldn't be the team leader...
If you're a "manager" or "ideas guy", don't post anything.
I dont agree with this, there are many simple yet creative idea that need to be made, and many coders would like good concepts to work on (An indie game that isnt creative is usually going to be crap compared to the original stuff)
I dont agree with this, there are many simple yet creative idea that need to be made, and many coders would like good concepts to work on (An indie game that isnt creative is usually going to be crap compared to the original stuff)
The point is if you have nothing but ideas to contribute to 'making a game' then you should not make a topic. Coming up with ideas is the easy part. Programming and doing the art are the hard parts. People are not going to do the hard work for you, while you lay back and do absolutely nothing. You would be better off not posting a topic at all, unless all you're doing is giving the idea away.
So the point is.... Don't post a topic asking for programmers to make a game if all you have is an idea. That is pathetic and the topic will go nowhere, no matter how good your idea is.
Programmers typically have enough ideas of their own. If they don't have their own ideas for a game, then they won't be making video games anytime soon. People learn how to make games because they have a passion to do so. With that passion come the ideas.
And if someone has their own passion and ideas, then they can learn to contribute to a game first, before expecting anyone else to make a game for them.
At first I thought the article was complete stupidity.... but I actually read to the end and I saw where they went with it and I actually agreed.
You do have to read past the first two pages though.... It does not start making sense until the third page. I'm assuming this is because it is written by 'The Escapist', and they all tend to go with the "Hey, look at me! I can offend you and make you laugh at the same time!" personality.
But anyone with a "game idea" definitely read the article - No one wants your game idea. No one.
Even good game ideas suck. The sooner you realize that, the better.
I have added a section to my long forgotten post about finding a job. I have requested this be moved to the Software Section, as that is where indie games are now.
As of yet only the music section is done, and I'm not sure that is completely finished. Feel free to leave ideas, etc. for me to add. Also visit CosmicSpore's post about Game Design!
Wow we must share the same thoughts! I was thinking of doing this same exact thing! Lol, you beat me to it though.
haha beat you to it by 6 months my friend
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More for the post coming soon I suppose, right now I'm enjoying my time not studying for finals for one night. I'll probably update the post in the next few days or so with more info on finding jobs here, until then, cheers!
--------
More for the post coming soon I suppose, right now I'm enjoying my time not studying for finals for one night. I'll probably update the post in the next few days or so with more info on finding jobs here, until then, cheers!
Wow i need to look at the dates before i think its brand new
General GamingSoftware section hate seeing posts where someone asks for people to help them make a game, but follow the info you are about to see to help you in asking.Some general things to consider:
Include a description of the game
Say what you do
-if you plan to be the 'boss' and tell people what to do DON'T make a topic about it. (See below and read my conversation with Boelens about this.)
Things to consider whilst writing a post:
Dont use text affects, unless you bold/italicize/underline a word here and there. No one wants to read something if it looks like:
-Hey guys I'm making a game
Use paragraphs/basic sentence structure. No one wants to read a wall of text with no spacing/run on sentences. If you can't appropriately write a sentence don't do it!
Saying 'English is not my first language' to excuse a fast written post, is not acceptable. Take the time to carefully write the OP, a carelessly written post is carelessly read.
Keep it concise, short and to the point.
No one wants to PM you for info. (Well some may, but think they won't) If you say 'PM me for info' instead of writing out the details about your game, just assume no one really wants to PM you.
It is all really this simple! There aren't very many rules to follow! Yet everyday (mostly, there's been a decline lately however) we see things that don't.
Examples(good and bad):
EX. 1: I'm making a game, it is called Example112389. I need coders and artists
EX. 2: I need coders and artists for a game I'm making. I will organize/tell people what to do in the group.
When you could do this:
Hey I'm making a game, it is called Example112389. In this game you will play a character who protects the galaxy from the evil GlaPers. There will be online play where you and a friend can protect the galaxy, or you and your friend can go head to head and see who would win in a battle. It will be a top-view 2D game, with a nice lighting system and good graphics.
I currently am doing coding for the project. I can do small pieces of art, but I will need someone else to help with it. I will also need someone to help with sound.
(just substitute coding in the above paragraph with something other than boss or its synonyms and we'll be able to see you will actually do something)
-----------------------
Notice how in the good example the game was explained nicely and the person who wrote the OP is ACTUALLY doing something towards the game. You may say 'But a boss person would help the game too.' Well sure maybe once in the beginning when you tell them what to do, but after that you are really never needed. The coders will consult other coders, artist other artist, and writers other writers. Notice how none of them will consult the 'boss' because he/she isn't doing anything towards the game.
Looking to be part of a 'team' here on the forums? Look for what you do below and how you can find some projects to do in your spare time!
Art
Starting out:
So you are looking for an art job, eh? What a great place to start! Something before hand is to note at what kind of art you do well. Second, make a portfolio. What is a portfolio? A portfolio is a nice grouping of any and all art you've done. This art could make or break your job in the team, so make it good! another good thing to note is that you will most likely not get paid for any job you do for people on the forums, as most projects are abandoned, no need to worry however. You can get your art skills better with the odd jobs here(My pixel art has much improved!).
Where to go:
So now you actually want to find the job? What a bothersome bunch you are! Look through recent topics to see if anyone needs help. If no one needs help, this is one area where I would consider it OK to make a new topic for this. Simply title it along the lines of 'Looking to do art'. Inside the topic be sure to neatly organize your information on what art you do, and don't forget that portfolio!! Now simply wait for replies, and that's about all you can do.
Constructing an art portfolio:
The first step is finding good art of YOUR OWN CREATION! Look and see if you can find any on your computer first. If you don't find any, or you haven't created any, spend some time making some. Doing a million little tid bits of art in 10 minutes WON'T CUT IT! 2 pieces that took a few days t make will look better than 10 that took a day to make. The next thing you'll want to do is upload it to an image site. One thing to look into is making a DeviantArt account. On DeviantArt you can upload pictures for others to see, basically a blog for art. I most always link my DeviantArt to people because I keep my good pixel art there so I don't lose it. Another site you could use is Imgur, which allows simple picture uploading for a short period of use, you can upload more than one picture at a time too! Make sure to link either or both of these in your topic/comment to a post so the person looking for an artist will see it!
Programming
Sound Effects/Composing
PS Read what I said to Boelens below for some more about just being a boss
Thanks for reading
Make sure to visit:
CosmicSpore's post on Game Design and what you need to know to make a game
I was overflowed with dislike towards these threads, I had to put it all into this one. I do feel quite better now, but I know people will still do their own thing when making a thread like this...
I completely based this off of everything everyone else says....it is not my fault you never say anything to these poorly made threads asking for people in a game development. About what you said for bossess:
1)Publishing? Really? Have you seen the threads people make? These games aren't usually for selling.
2)Copyright? When was the last time a game was made here and it was copyrighted?
3)Advertising? Anyone with half a brain can advertise you don't need a boss to advertise for a small game.
4)Making sure everyone does their job, OK I see the point in this, but then again you could obviously tell if people weren't doing their jobs without a boss.
5)Constantly makes tasks, the only point here I agree with, halfly. See my part down below about the group I was in, we didnt need a boss for tasks!
6)Everyone working on the game can report bugs you dont need a boss for this
7)Or instead of learning programming while the game is developing you could learn it before and help a lot, and just be a programmar...
I never said it was limited to programming, I was giving an example with a programmer starting the project.
No boss=no game? wrong! I have been with a few people before and all we did was consult each other with ideas and kind've dicuss them and see if they were good or not, none of us lead the group.
I'm using concise here because I know people that read this will probably fail at doing most of this the least they could do is provide a nice little description.
Also to: Publishing/copyright, the only game I have EVER seen here for sell is Crea
The last time a small, no publishing free ware game advertised was never.
I'm convinced that folks who know what they're doing and can put together a team to successfully produce an indie game or mod are not the folks who come on the general gaming section of the minecraft forums to put together a team. If you want to find folks with which to collaborate, perhaps it would be prudent to reach out to forums and sites more geared towards game developement, such as ModDB, tigsource, UDK, Unity, ect. ... y'know, places where game/mod makers congregate? On a side note, if a project's your first project, you probably shouldn't be the team leader...
I dont agree with this, there are many simple yet creative idea that need to be made, and many coders would like good concepts to work on (An indie game that isnt creative is usually going to be crap compared to the original stuff)
The point is if you have nothing but ideas to contribute to 'making a game' then you should not make a topic. Coming up with ideas is the easy part. Programming and doing the art are the hard parts. People are not going to do the hard work for you, while you lay back and do absolutely nothing. You would be better off not posting a topic at all, unless all you're doing is giving the idea away.
So the point is.... Don't post a topic asking for programmers to make a game if all you have is an idea. That is pathetic and the topic will go nowhere, no matter how good your idea is.
Programmers typically have enough ideas of their own. If they don't have their own ideas for a game, then they won't be making video games anytime soon. People learn how to make games because they have a passion to do so. With that passion come the ideas.
And if someone has their own passion and ideas, then they can learn to contribute to a game first, before expecting anyone else to make a game for them.
At first I thought the article was complete stupidity.... but I actually read to the end and I saw where they went with it and I actually agreed.
You do have to read past the first two pages though.... It does not start making sense until the third page. I'm assuming this is because it is written by 'The Escapist', and they all tend to go with the "Hey, look at me! I can offend you and make you laugh at the same time!" personality.
But anyone with a "game idea" definitely read the article - No one wants your game idea. No one.
Even good game ideas suck. The sooner you realize that, the better.
As of yet only the music section is done, and I'm not sure that is completely finished. Feel free to leave ideas, etc. for me to add. Also visit CosmicSpore's post about Game Design!
haha beat you to it by 6 months my friend
--------
More for the post coming soon I suppose, right now I'm enjoying my time not studying for finals for one night. I'll probably update the post in the next few days or so with more info on finding jobs here, until then, cheers!