Taking a Game from Concept to Reality

For as many people out there designing games on the indie market, there are probably millions more with an idea for a game. This is great news for those of us who like to play games -- the more people conceptualizing games, the more unique gaming experiences we can look forward to having.

Unfortunately, a concept is about as far as most would-be game developers get. We've talked about how easy it is to pick up game development software these days, so what's the hold up?

One of the things which isn't apparent on the surface of any game design project, is how much problem solving goes into creating the game you want to make, and how many decisions that affect your end result come from those unforeseen circumstances. Often, these are minor and/or aesthetic things. As an example, when the EVOLV team was programming dialogue for the Spectre NPCs in Age of the Four Clans, we noticed an abundance of "..." placeholder verbiage which, oddly or not, seemed to fit the mysterious Tethys environment. We kept it (and henceforth, had the joke seen above).

Sometimes, however, changes to a game come in and affect the very concept of the experience. Developers, faced with limitations of software, complexity of programming a necessary feature, or just time and money constraints, make concessions, and in the end, make a very different game than what they'd first envisioned. Here again, this might be a good thing, and the resulting game could end up better for the workaround. There are times however, where the frustration of being unable to develop in a way they'd first intended, kills the drive for the designer and they end up abandoning the project entirely.

We all have challenges when we take a chance and create something we're tied to the concept of, and that is not limited to game development. Diligence in working to get around the challenges you are having is imperative if you want the project to succeed in these critical times, as is concession to create an equally enjoyable if not somewhat different gaming experience if the issue can't be resolved. It's a delicate balance.