Writing games while having no graphical talent, as I do, is a constant struggle of imagination vs reality. In my head I have ideas for great arcade adventures with whizz-bang graphics. Then I come back down to earth and remmeber that I can't draw a matchstick man without it looking like it has a limp. And it's always been the same even when I used to write stuff on the Spectrum (though in those days people's expectations were lower as the competition wasn't up to much either). Nowadays, when I see some of the amazing free (and amazingly-free) games, my heart sinks as I realise that I'll never be able to produce something just as good.
But with every problem comes and opportunity, and I've thought of a way I can get round my pseudo-disability, and that's to concentrate on the one advantage I do have - not sucking at programming (I think).
To cut a long story short, I'm going to design and animate 3D models using programming, in ways that would (I think) prove hard to do using a 3D modelling package.
And this is my very first attempt after about an hour of prog'ing away:-
Okay, so they look like Space Invaders that have learnt to walk, but it's my first attempt, and should go someway to showing what I want to achieve.
3 comments:
A better way to overcome lack of artistic talent is to 1) reuse other Free art and 2) appeal for graphical contributions.
1) for instance, look at some of the UFO:AI models which are awesome:
--bah - ufo:ai website seems down atm--
Anyway they have some good models (vehicles, people) that you could reuse as they are available under an appropriate open source license.
2) You don't use forums or seem to market your games too well.
Do you want a forum here for your games:
http://www.freegamedev.net/
Also it might be worth posting in the Help Wanted section there - a few artists seem to be qutie active there lately.
You seem to have developed a number of games but remained fairly isolated from the Free Software game community. Anyway, just to let you know, the purpose of www.freegamedev.net is to provide facilities to help game programmers like you increase your visability.
I think the reason I don't want to badger anyone else too much to contribute is because I don't have much time, but also mainly because I have quite a low interest span, and often lose interest in one of my games well before it's finished (but will often pick it up again at a later date). I'd hate to drag someone else onto the project, only to abandon it and leave them on their own.
If so Charlie's first solution may help you better... hopefully Charlie's forum will help your case too. It's only starting to grow...many new forum users, contributions even daily. I hope it will go on just like it goes now.
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