Amatur needs some inspiration

Saerothir · November 27, 2012, 2:48am

I am seventeen years old and my fascination with mobile application development started right around the time DoodleJump began making headlines; the idea that two regular guys could make a game for the ever growing world of IOS mobile games and achieve tremendous success, it excited me more than you could possibly imagine!
Admittedly my initial thought was that I was going to sit down at my Mac, learn how to code, make a game, and in no time become a millionaire…

(“how hard could it be”, I said to myself;)

Well over the past year I have been exploring the world of application development, of which the first seven months were spent trying to learn Objective-C and the Xcode programming environment, and with absolutely no prior programming experience I quickly became over-whelmed.
With my hopes dashed and my dreams quickly fading in the distance, I decided one last time to try and find a simpler way to develop mobile applications… and I found the Corona SDK! : D

With the help of Corona’s excellent documentation and help from the wonderful people on the forums, within a couple weeks I had created my first mock-up of a ‘bubble-popper’ type game. Needless to say I was once again ecstatic!
While I still would like to make apps and be successful financially, my main drive in pursuing mobile app development is a passion for the programming itself! I find myself enjoying sitting at my Mac for hours learning new concepts, experimenting with code etc… and it’s all thanks to Corona!

Now the reason for this Long post - It has been six-months since I began using Corona and I love it!
My original idea, from the very beginning, was to make a top-down tank game similar to ‘Tanks’ on WiiPlay and another game I recently discovered ‘TinyTanks’.
While I believe I have all the knowledge needed to actually develop the entire game, I do not have any game artwork and therefore my development has come to a complete stop.
As I am not a graphic artist nor do I have the funds to hire one, I’ve decided to shelf that idea and come up with something new… the problem is I am coming up with ideas that are really complex and above my current abilities.

Do any of you have ideas for a simple game that I could maybe build&improve upon and release to the App store?
Also, what are some ways you get inspired with new ideas?

Looking forward to your replies.

-Saer
[import]uid: 148623 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 333384[/import]

gbailey · November 27, 2012, 6:03am

Hi Saer,

Do you perhaps have any friends that are artists? Perhaps you two could work together and share the profits (if any)?

Good luck!

Gerald [import]uid: 64538 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132595[/import]

cyberparkstudios · November 27, 2012, 6:30am

Saerothir,

A good source to get some ‘free’ art you can use is :

http://www.vickiwenderlich.com

She has some tank images. You can take the art assets there and try to build a game from those.

Search for free art on the internet and there are a few other sites where you can find useable free art assets.

Good luck!
[import]uid: 148857 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132599[/import]

CraftyDeano · November 27, 2012, 6:38am

“I do not have any game artwork and therefore my development has come to a complete stop.”

Have you tried just working on that project but using placeholder artwork? [import]uid: 62706 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132601[/import]

jstrahan · November 27, 2012, 7:37am

you can also check out reiners tileset and spritelib [import]uid: 7911 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132605[/import]

rob · November 27, 2012, 3:22pm

Art can create a major road block for our aspirations. Like you I lack the skills to do my own art. Google “Open Clip Art Library” most of their art is free to use. There is also http://opengameart.org/ too. Their art is a mix of licenses so you may need to keep track of the art and have a credits screen that lists/links back to the artists you used. You can find stuff on deviantart.com too, but the licenses there are not always usable in commercial bits. You might even find an artist there who’s looking to make a name for themselves and would be willing to work with you. Maybe they have an idea for a game and are looking for a programmer. In fact the art for most of my games have come from me helping them with programming tasks (like building websites, etc.)

[import]uid: 199310 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132686[/import]

gbailey · November 27, 2012, 6:03am

Hi Saer,

Do you perhaps have any friends that are artists? Perhaps you two could work together and share the profits (if any)?

Good luck!

Gerald [import]uid: 64538 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132595[/import]

cyberparkstudios · November 27, 2012, 6:30am

Saerothir,

A good source to get some ‘free’ art you can use is :

http://www.vickiwenderlich.com

She has some tank images. You can take the art assets there and try to build a game from those.

Search for free art on the internet and there are a few other sites where you can find useable free art assets.

Good luck!
[import]uid: 148857 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132599[/import]

CraftyDeano · November 27, 2012, 6:38am

“I do not have any game artwork and therefore my development has come to a complete stop.”

Have you tried just working on that project but using placeholder artwork? [import]uid: 62706 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132601[/import]

jstrahan · November 27, 2012, 7:37am

you can also check out reiners tileset and spritelib [import]uid: 7911 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132605[/import]

info2434 · November 28, 2012, 2:34pm

iff you need a artist email me!

info@cakemama.nl

Some of my designs:
I create website, am an wonder at photo shop, can made clay items, and i can draw!

I am looking for someone to colabate with!

http://madewithluv.deviantart.com/#/d5mk3jm
i do not have a lot online at the time, but i can see what i can do
[import]uid: 199965 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132803[/import]

blomjens1 · November 28, 2012, 5:01pm

Why not look around the Appstore for a game you think you can build in a short time
for example apps for children
there are lots of them and many are very similar and simple

I think the important thing is for you to release a game not to build next big thing
You will learn a lot from it
and maybe the next game or the game after that will be a grate game

For example use http://opengameart.org/ to find some nice graphics and then build a memory game for kids

I usually do a very simple TODO list when i lost inspiration
and when im done with it i do a new list
For example you can start with a very basic list

*find simple and fun app that i can build “fast/easy”
*write down the different parts in the game in a todo
(level,menu, … )
*find graphics

then you create a new list
and when your done you make a new
the last todo will be a bug list
My goal whit my first game was not to build the best game
the goal was to get it 100% done and submit it to the the App Store
For my first game i found sounds and graphics on www.fiverr.com

Good luck!
[import]uid: 147488 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132829[/import]

rob · November 27, 2012, 3:22pm

Art can create a major road block for our aspirations. Like you I lack the skills to do my own art. Google “Open Clip Art Library” most of their art is free to use. There is also http://opengameart.org/ too. Their art is a mix of licenses so you may need to keep track of the art and have a credits screen that lists/links back to the artists you used. You can find stuff on deviantart.com too, but the licenses there are not always usable in commercial bits. You might even find an artist there who’s looking to make a name for themselves and would be willing to work with you. Maybe they have an idea for a game and are looking for a programmer. In fact the art for most of my games have come from me helping them with programming tasks (like building websites, etc.)

[import]uid: 199310 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132686[/import]

info2434 · November 28, 2012, 2:34pm

iff you need a artist email me!

info@cakemama.nl

Some of my designs:
I create website, am an wonder at photo shop, can made clay items, and i can draw!

I am looking for someone to colabate with!

http://madewithluv.deviantart.com/#/d5mk3jm
i do not have a lot online at the time, but i can see what i can do
[import]uid: 199965 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132803[/import]

blomjens1 · November 28, 2012, 5:01pm

Why not look around the Appstore for a game you think you can build in a short time
for example apps for children
there are lots of them and many are very similar and simple

I think the important thing is for you to release a game not to build next big thing
You will learn a lot from it
and maybe the next game or the game after that will be a grate game

For example use http://opengameart.org/ to find some nice graphics and then build a memory game for kids

I usually do a very simple TODO list when i lost inspiration
and when im done with it i do a new list
For example you can start with a very basic list

*find simple and fun app that i can build “fast/easy”
*write down the different parts in the game in a todo
(level,menu, … )
*find graphics

then you create a new list
and when your done you make a new
the last todo will be a bug list
My goal whit my first game was not to build the best game
the goal was to get it 100% done and submit it to the the App Store
For my first game i found sounds and graphics on www.fiverr.com

Good luck!
[import]uid: 147488 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132829[/import]

Saerothir · November 29, 2012, 4:31pm

Thank you for all the replies!

@gbailey -
I do have some friends who do graphic art, but it’s more digital-manipulation type work rather than actual digital art design.

@cyberparkstudios
I have looked at that website before, and while it has some good artwork, I was hoping for more detailed graphics.
Thanks for the suggestion though.

@CraftyDeano -
Yes, but the perfectionist in me couldn’t handle it…
That’s my biggest problem, I want it to be perfect! I know it’s my first game and is not going to have amazing graphics, superb gameplay etc… but I do want it to be somewhat good and not a low-quality “money-grab” type app.

@jstrahan -
Thanks, I saved a few items from ‘reiners tileset’.

@Rob Miracle -
Yeah, it has definitely been my biggest obstacle. :\
Thanks! I found some art I could possibly use, at ‘opengameart.org’.
While am certainly not opposed to idea of collaborating with someone, I would prefer to do it on my own.

@blomjens -
That’s a good idea, I will definitely give that a try.
Yeah, that is what I’ve been trying to tell myself lol.

I’ll reply again soon with an update on my progress.

Thanks everyone, for all the great info!
-Saer

[import]uid: 148623 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 132999[/import]

roaminggamer · November 29, 2012, 11:24pm

I’m seeing a lot of good advice above already, but I’d like to repeat some of it and add some:

Use placecholder art. Get the mechanics, interaction and feel of the game working first. Here is a prototype for a game I’m currently working on. Its all generated, downloaded, or hand drawn (via Paint Shop). It is just enough to get the point across. Generated tiles for a floor, hand-drawn dude, and a blade image I downloaded. I really care more about getting the input and movement right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iRWHDyiCOc

Use free clip art. There are lots of great sources on the web. Just choose a topic and search for “topic free clipart” or “topic free tileset” or “topic free images”. Be creative. Then, when you find something, and before you fall in love with it, read the license. Is it free to use for any work or is it non-commercial/personal only? Also, the simpler the better. Don’t fall in love with a piece of art and find yourself unable to find ‘matching’ art for it. Simple art is easier to match to other art.
Do everything in greyscale when you start, unless it makes sense to use color. For example, the game frame I’ve put together as part of SSKCorona is (almost) all grey and ugly. Why? Because it screams, “I’m a prototype”. This takes pressure off you when you show it off and lets you focus on the important stuff mechanics, interaction, and feel. Take care of look last if you can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYW2uoWxAWY

As to what game types to start with? Start with board game, card games, and other games with mechanics that you can understand easily as well as art you can produce or find easily. My first iOS game was a board game and used about 5 colors:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/something-blue/id422793655?mt=8

My second game was a boggle-like game. It used more complicated art, but not much. It included free clipart, free music (incompetech) and sound fx by yours truly made with sfxr.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.roaminggamer.superwordy

My current game is a slots machine game and I’m mixing free clip art with hand-made machine faces and buttons generated by a web-based button generator.
(No pics for now)

You don’t have to be an artist to make games. I’m not saying art isn’t important, but I believe that if you’re a technical minded person you should worry about that side of things first, then find an artist or follow the advice you’ve seen in this thread.

Cheers and best of luck to you. Just remember, you can do it.

-Ed

PS - Never forget. When you use free resources, properly attribute them and follow the licenses. Nobody likes legal troubles.

PPS - I don’t want to downplay the importance of art. It the first thing most folks notice when they look at a game, and it can give you a personal boost when developing a game to have something pretty or cool looking, but at the same time it can be a total time-sink and blocker. So be careful. [import]uid: 110228 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 133025[/import]

nick_sherman · November 30, 2012, 1:59am

Try www.vectorstock.com. Images are generally no more than a dollar each and just browsing round the available graphics could give you an idea. You could even grab the watermarked low quality version to work with while you decide whether an idea is viable and replace with the high-quality version later. [import]uid: 93133 topic_id: 33384 reply_id: 133055[/import]

Saerothir · November 29, 2012, 4:31pm