[Emmi Coolahan]

It makes sense that there are plenty of game developers on the forums if you look at how active the modding community is... but I don't know if there is enough interest in this subject to keep a thread like this alive, but I'm going to try anyway.

This is a thread about all aspects of game development with the exception of Fallout / Elder scrolls modding because there are already forums for that. That includes programming, scripting, level design, modeling, concept arts, game designs and all modding discussion.

There is already a programming thread so use that one if you have programming questions that are not related to game development or modding. There is also already a forum art thread (if it wasn't pruned for inactivity...) so the same rules apply for that, only game concept art here.

I'm not going to bother writing a massive OP for now, but I'll definitely do that if people are interested. I could create a list of free game engines and libraries that can be used by a layman developer, and another list of resources for artists and programmers.

---

ok now that the introduction is done it's time to talk about game development ^_^

I currently have two projects going on, one of them is a small indie Top-Down-Multiplayer-Arena-Shooter-with-hack-n-slash-gameplay (wtf I don't even) in http://www.yoyogames.com/make, the other one is a map for Counter-Strike Source (almost completed, I'll post screens later) and another much larger map for L4D2. I only have concept art and some level design sketches right now but I'm hoping I can begin creating the map in a month or so when school is over.

I've also worked with Unity in the past and I'm convinced that Unity is the best free engine for new game developers who want to create a small game. It has great workflow and it's really easy to pick up if you're new to game developing. UDK has more powerful graphics but it's rather complicated.


So yeah if you're a modder, a game developer, an artist or even just an enthusiastic gamer with awesome ideas for a game... discuss it here!

[Samantha Pattison]

Are you gonna be using the dynamic map change feature for L4D2? (Not sure if that's a good way to put it, you know what I'm talking about?) I always play with the idea of a RPG mod for L4D2, mabey even a open or somewhat open map that changes every time you play. No computer to run it atm though.

[MARLON JOHNSON]

Currently I'm part of one game project for Ipad. And I'm team lead/designer on another game, which is currently at late preproduction phase.
This new project will be much larger scale, 6-7 months of work and we have 4-6 guys doing it. And we are going to use Unity 3D for that one.

[Melanie]

I just recently discovered Unity, so I have yet to do anything of merit, but in just the few months I've been playing with it I already like it better than Panda 3D which I had used a few years back. I hope that in the near future I can come up with a game idea simple enough that I can actually finish it in a reasonable amount of time. My problem is that my ideas are bigger than my spare time. I also need to work on modeling and animation, which were never an issue when I was working on side scrollers.

[Lil Miss]

I also need to work on modeling and animation, which were never an issue when I was working on side scrollers.

That's the problem I'm having at the moment. I'm starting to learn OGRE and I just can't imagine being able to find enough assets to create a game. It was a challenge with 2D games to find stuff. I'll be learning how to use OGRE regardless, but if it proves too difficult to find materials, I'll be resorting to a 2D engine.

Does anyone have any recommendations for books (preferably ones I could find at my local library) or videos on topics regarding 3D modeling and animation? I'm not intending on becoming incredibly skilled at 3D modeling or animation, but it'd be useful to understand them - and hopefully in turn be able to make at least basic characters/landscapes/etc. Currently Blender is all the exposure to 3D modeling and animation(read: no exposure to animation) I've had. Books/videos specific to free modeling software, such as Blender, would be a huge plus (I can't possibly afford 3DS Max or other commercial programs).

[Rex Help]

That's the problem I'm having at the moment. I'm starting to learn OGRE and I just can't imagine being able to find enough assets to create a game. It was a challenge with 2D games to find stuff. I'll be learning how to use OGRE regardless, but if it proves too difficult to find materials, I'll be resorting to a 2D engine.

Does anyone have any recommendations for books (preferably ones I could find at my local library) or videos on topics regarding 3D modeling and animation? I'm not intending on becoming incredibly skilled at 3D modeling or animation, but it'd be useful to understand them - and hopefully in turn be able to make at least basic characters/landscapes/etc. Currently Blender is all the exposure to 3D modeling and animation(read: no exposure to animation) I've had. Books/videos specific to free modeling software, such as Blender, would be a huge plus (I can't possibly afford 3DS Max or other commercial programs).

Blender for Dummies? :wink_smile:

[Claire Jackson]

Does anyone know where I can find some tutorials for Unity and/or UDK? I've got the basics down pretty much, but I'm looking to get more in depth with them.

[Damian Parsons]

Currently I'm part of one game project for Ipad. And I'm team lead/designer on another game, which is currently at late preproduction phase.
This new project will be much larger scale, 6-7 months of work and we have 4-6 guys doing it. And we are going to use Unity 3D for that one.

That's awesome, what kind of a game is it?

That's the problem I'm having at the moment. I'm starting to learn OGRE and I just can't imagine being able to find enough assets to create a game. It was a challenge with 2D games to find stuff. I'll be learning how to use OGRE regardless, but if it proves too difficult to find materials, I'll be resorting to a 2D engine.

Does anyone have any recommendations for books (preferably ones I could find at my local library) or videos on topics regarding 3D modeling and animation? I'm not intending on becoming incredibly skilled at 3D modeling or animation, but it'd be useful to understand them - and hopefully in turn be able to make at least basic characters/landscapes/etc. Currently Blender is all the exposure to 3D modeling and animation(read: no exposure to animation) I've had. Books/videos specific to free modeling software, such as Blender, would be a huge plus (I can't possibly afford 3DS Max or other commercial programs).

In my experience reading books on 3D art is a horrible waste of time, I suggest you learn by trail and error and by http://www.blendercookie.com/. It's a lot more comfortable to learn how to do stuff when you see someone actually doing it while explaining.

Blender for Dummies? :wink_smile:

Did they ever release a new version? Because the old one was horribly outdated.

Plus Blender 2.5* went out of Beta a week ago and it has changed A LOT since 2.4. And by 'a lot' I mean that Blender is now actually usable without spending months learning how to navigate the interface.

Does anyone know where I can find some tutorials for Unity and/or UDK? I've got the basics down pretty much, but I'm looking to get more in depth with them.

http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/sv_home.php just launched a new tutorial series for Unity, and they also previously created some great tutorials for UDK.

[Matthew Barrows]

I'm continually making Source maps (link in sig) but I can never be bothered to release them. I'm slowly learning Blender so I can add custom models. I started using Game Maker 8 the other day but I don't know if I'll continue since it seems quite limited. Will probably come back to Unity and UDK when I can model.

[N3T4]

I'm continually making Source maps (link in sig) but I can never be bothered to release them. I'm slowly learning Blender so I can add custom models. I started using Game Maker 8 the other day but I don't know if I'll continue since it seems quite limited. Will probably come back to Unity and UDK when I can model.

Game Maker is great if you want to create simple 2D games, but I agree it's pretty useless if you want to create anything with 3D graphics.


By the way, how the hell do you create good looking water in Hammer? :blink:

[Big mike]

Game Maker is great if you want to create simple 2D games, but I agree it's pretty useless if you want to create anything with 3D graphics.


By the way, how the hell do you create good looking water in Hammer? :blink:

A block of nodraw with one of the blue water textures on top. Also place an env_cubemap entity above it and type buildcubemaps in the console when you run the map.

Edit: Blue as in blue rather than grey in the texture viewer. dev/dev_water 2 is good, I think.

[anna ley]

A block of nodraw with one of the blue water textures on top. Also place an env_cubemap entity above it and type buildcubemaps in the console when you run the map.

Edit: Blue as in blue rather than grey in the texture viewer. dev/dev_water 2 is good, I think.

ah I don't have a cubemap in my map

I just added one and it works, thanks

[Chloe Yarnall]

So I went back to the first CS: S map I created (like a month ago) and I added water to it since it was always supposed to have water but I didn't know how to do it until today (thanks revolution)

It's an aim map
http://min.us/mvjln5s

:hehe:

EDIT: Yes I realize it's a [censored] map but we all have to start somewhere right?

[Damned_Queen]

That's awesome, what kind of a game is it?

The new project will be tactical turn based game, I don't want to spoil too much at this point yet

[Cesar Gomez]

Apparently http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33mxD4FjD3w was made with Game Maker (5.3 at the time). Pretty sweet.

[Sammygirl]

http://www.3dbuzz.com/vbforum/sv_home.php just launched a new tutorial series for Unity, and they also previously created some great tutorials for UDK.

Thanks for this. I feel as if my brain has grown in just 24 hours.

Videos are way better than trying to learn it all out of a book.


Does anyone have any suggestions for where to find some good sound effect assets? Musical composition I can do, but recording the sounds of gun shots, tire sequels and hamsters swimming in milk would be a bit harder.

[Susan]

Thanks for this. I feel as if my brain has grown in just 24 hours.

Videos are way better than trying to learn it all out of a book.


Does anyone have any suggestions for where to find some good sound effect assets? Musical composition I can do, but recording the sounds of gun shots, tire sequels and hamsters swimming in milk would be a bit harder.

I http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=free+sounds and every single link on the first page had lots of free sounds. I don't think you'd have any trouble finding sounds

[Nicola]

I completed the Basic Tutorials for Ogre - slowly but surely - and feel somewhat comfortable using it. I've decided on a few libraries I'm going to use and set up before continuing into Intermediate and specialty tutorials.

The libraries:
http://www.ogre3d.org/tikiwiki/NxOgre&structure=Libraries - A commercial grade physics engine? Hell yes. Uses PhysX from Nvidia and ties it into Ogre.

http://www.ogre3d.org/tikiwiki/MyGUI&structure=Libraries - In the http://www.ogre3d.org/tikiwiki/Comparison+of+GUIs&structure=Libraries page MyGUI looked like the most feature heavy and has a lot of documentation, tutorials, etc. Very good.

http://www.ogre3d.org/tikiwiki/OgreAL&structure=Libraries - This is for sound. Its page looked more put together than OgreOgg Sound, so I went with this. Audiere, the third library for sound, didn't support 3D sound, which is definitely a deal breaker.

[oliver klosoff]

I http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=free+sounds and every single link on the first page had lots of free sounds. I don't think you'd have any trouble finding sounds

Thanks again, but I was actually wanting to find out if there were any websites for sound effect that some folks preferred or that they would avoid. The last time I needed sound effects I found a site that had "over 100,000 different free sounds!" But each sound had different licensing/usage rights and I actually had to read the fine print for every sound before I listened to the sound because some of them had some dubious sounding rights. Things like: "If not used for non commercial application then licensed sound cannot constitute in exess of X% of the completed product" and "This sound was not created by this website so we cannot enforce usage terms, use at your own risk" I spent hours just finding a few seconds worth of sound that I felt wouldn't get me sued. Of course that was many years ago, during the height of Napster lawsuits before they went legit, so maybe things have changed.

[Felix Walde]

I made a pretty decently ok small RPG with an old version of RPG maker. My biggest accomplishment was making an "intro movie" and have a town get affected visually by an earthquake. That was a loooong time ago, though. I've always had ideas for games and levels but never the time nor knowledge on how to make it/them.

[Pants]

How the hell do I use custom textures and models in my Source maps? And most importantly, how do I include those custom assets in my release of the map?

[Guinevere Wood]

How the hell do I use custom textures and models in my Source maps? And most importantly, how do I include those custom assets in my release of the map?

Oh, I missed this - just put the textures and models in the materials and models folders of the engine you're mapping for, then put them in materials and models folders in your map file, so they merge with those folders in garrysmod/garrysmod when people run the map. Or, look into Pakrat, which packs them in the .bsp. If you do it the first way, make sure the .vmt file has a directory to match the location. If you want to know how to make textures and I completely misunderstood your post, I can tell you that as well.

[Rachell Katherine]

Oh, I missed this - just put the textures and models in the materials and models folders of the engine you're mapping for, then put them in materials and models folders in your map file, so they merge with those folders in garrysmod/garrysmod when people run the map. Or, look into Pakrat, which packs them in the .bsp. If you do it the first way, make sure the .vmt file has a directory to match the location. If you want to know how to make textures and I completely misunderstood your post, I can tell you that as well.

Thanks! I downloaded Pakrat and it seems to work

I know how to make textures, and models if I have to, I just had no idea how to use them in Hammer. Thanks again

By the way, is it possible to use displacement maps on a water surface?

[Kanaoka]

Thanks! I downloaded Pakrat and it seems to work

I know how to make textures, and models if I have to, I just had no idea how to use them in Hammer. Thanks again

By the way, is it possible to use displacement maps on a water surface?

It depends - you should be able to make a displacement with a refracting texture on, but it won't actually be a water material per se, it'll just be solid. I think.

[keri seymour]

I just stumbled across a game I was making during Global Game Jam 2011. It is great practice to go and participate to this kind of competitions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8rwpo34CoQ game was made in less than 48 hours by 5 dev's.

http://globalgamejam.org/2011/stack-em-noah if you want to test it out. (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=a88c6dec-aeae-42cd-a108-d35c013c3b97 is required to play that game.)