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Okay, we sort of started an inspiring thread in the previous "what ruins the game for you?" So instead of posting it on that thread I have started a new thread:
What inspires you when making a new game? To make it interesting than tell us what it inspired you into making.
well, i grew up with the atari 2600 and the c64 ...
so i have all the great 8-bit hits from my youth to be inspired by great gameplay (and i don't have to play them now) and the games from now to be inspired by the gfx (not the gameplay, though)
<olli/>
Just to be boring, the same as olli.
Brought up on 8bit computers, still fire up the emulator for a bit of uridium or paradroid every now and again.
Also heavily influenced by old arcade games, the whole look and feel is really removed from even 16 bit console games. Everythings there and immediate with simple reponsive controls.
Just love the in your face over the top action that you get with an arcade game.
My major inspiration with coding in Flash, is the knowledge that I can make a game that will stand up pretty well with anything out there. May sound a bit ( Or very ) big headed I know, but I mean it more in the way that Flash is such a level playing field for developers, that a one man indy can make a game as good as a large design agency.
Squize.
I used to play 8-bit nintendo so much, and it was never enough, cause I have a brother, and that little game console worked 24 hours...
But games themselves do not inspire me much, the new idea does, it makes you forget about anything else and try to create that thing that's in your head.
The acknoledgement that you are creating something, for other people to enjoy also inspires abit.
" The acknoledgement that you are creating something, for other people to enjoy also inspires abit."
Funny, that's never really done it for me. Everything I write ( As a personal project ) I write for me.
I'd rather write a game that I loved to play and everyone hated, than the other way around.
In saying all that, it's still a buzz when people you admire get off on your stuff :)
Squize.
Exact same with me. I don't even release my games. :( For fear of stuff being stolen by sites, concepts be copyed, ect. Maybe one day :)Quote:
Funny, that's never really done it for me. Everything I write ( As a personal project ) I write for me.
What inspires me is thinking of something that hasn't been done before, and beauty from real life(nature, science, history...). Weird, but that's about it. In fact, when I see things done(be it a Flash game idea, Art piece, design work) the first thing that goes through my mind is: "Dang! now I can't come up with that..."
The few games I created and showed to my friends, and they really laughted at it (not couse it was badly pathetic.., they just had some good time with the game), and I say it makes you feel good, when you deliver some fun for others. There's also a saying it feels better to give presents, than to recieve them (or something like that..), is'nt that true, Squize and >flashl!ght< ?
Mate, give me a £1000 and I'll be a lot happier than you ;)
I know what you mean though, I love it in work when everyone is testing out one of my games... but I'm still my own target audience at the end of the day :)
Squize.
I would agree. I make games for me, but at the same time I would share them. I mean if I felt I had this great idea, why would I keep it to myself?Quote:
"The acknoledgement that you are creating something, for other people to enjoy also inspires abit."
Why would you fear something being stolen, I agree with you but at the same time if its a free game, who cares? If by stealing your pics, concept, etc. that would mean that they like what you have done and want to use it. Wouldn't that give a feeling of success? I don't mean to say you are wrong I am just curious as to why you wouldn't want to share your accomplishments :DQuote:
I don't even release my games. For fear of stuff being stolen by sites, concepts be copyed, ect. Maybe one day
I totally agree with you about this.Quote:
In saying all that, it's still a buzz when people you admire get off on your stuff
I see what you're saying, but I suppose I just feel differently. :) When I come up with something new/never done before, I simply don't want to someone else to copy it. As i think about it, I think this plays a big part: what if someone takes my idea(which in the case of a game is usually not complete) and finishes it, tweaks it, makes it better. I would feel like my idea was stolen and perfected, and now I will never have the chance to finish/perfect because someone else already has. The game of creating has essentially been won by someone else. Weirder and weirder as I think about it :)Quote:
Wouldn't that give a feeling of success?
rabbitkiller has a great point though, I love seeing my friends enjoy my creations; be it a Flash game, art, digital design, ect.
However, I don't *release* my Flash games to the general public... hopefully that makes sense.
Nudity
i think what inspires me now, as more and more newer and bigger and more advanced games come out, are the old classic ones that worked just fine with really simple design and control. a lot of the new ones require complicated controls to understand everything you can do, but i like the old ones with punch, kick, and maybe a special move. actually not the classic NES, but the superNES, where the graphics were juiced up a bit, really inspire me. ones like super punch out, where the controls are simple, but even now it's still addictive, challenging, and the graphics are great.
but even more than the game itself is the intro - i love game intros. for example i don't like to play most rpgs, but i will buy the game for the intro (i'm talking about PS1 games - for some reason the intros for a lot are better than PS2 ones). because it sets up the story, you get an idea of the characters you will meet, and what will happen, and the music is usually inspiring/dramatic. a good example of this is the "tales of eternia" intro. the game isn't that good, but the intro is great.
astrocalder
Squize and >!< thanks for being with me on that...
2astrocalder how about Xenogears ?...
Gameplay is pretty weak in that one, but the story and cinematics are awesome!
Or Wild Arms 2, music on the intro should be an anthem for some country!
I agree with that... First empression counts alot...
or "breath of fire 4" if you've played that one - really great character animation and level design, good story and music. and of course a good intro. plus if you compare it to the PS2 "breath of fire 5" version - 4 uses really good 2D animation for the characters, while 5 uses 3D - just not as good, not as rich i think.
oh here's another one - a game called "vagrant story" (PS1) - in the beginning there's a cinematic scene at night, and while the characters are 3D, for PS1 games there's no complicated light interaction like in PS2, right? so what the designer did is apply a texture to the 3D characters that had light/shadow drawn onto it - hence the illusion of light interaction, solved with a really simple 2D technique. that's really inspiring, to see people make up for lack of technology with creativity. that's the way it should be done, not lack of creativity with technology.
astrocalder
I'm more annoyed seeing someone put in weeks of effort, working like an EA employee ;), post their result on a site....and *yoink*, some overseas site has put a copy of the game and making money off it for doing sweet FA, or worse, bandwidth leeching from the poor guy who opened his stuff to the world for free.Quote:
Originally posted by swcAndrew
Why would you fear something being stolen, I agree with you but at the same time if its a free game, who cares? If by stealing your pics, concept, etc. that would mean that they like what you have done and want to use it. Wouldn't that give a feeling of success? I don't mean to say you are wrong I am just curious as to why you wouldn't want to share your accomplishments :D
Of course, there are those who would consider sites like MiniClip who do pay *something* for a game to be theives..... considering the ridiculous amounts more they make off it.....but we won't go there :p
the opportunity to try out a new effect/engine/look inspires me when making a game.
the fact they are short, isolated projects for completely different people means you can change the way you approach each one and concentrate on different areas of game making so you never get bored!
that and money!
well im inspired but depressed cos i know that after playing half-life 2 i have absolutly no chance of recreating any thing like it in flash!!! hehe but it gives such a great feeling when people compliment you on your amazing creation that you've spent sleepless nights creating when your ment to go to skool the next day lol :D especially if you show your creation to a girl you completely and utterly fancy and she gives you loads of hugs for being cool and creating fun games and cartoons! YAY!
You cant exactly compare any flash game with HL2, as its anohter programming language... And you make games to impress girls? hehe... ;)Quote:
Originally posted by g13nn
well im inspired but depressed cos i know that after playing half-life 2 i have absolutly no chance of recreating any thing like it in flash!!! hehe but it gives such a great feeling when people compliment you on your amazing creation that you've spent sleepless nights creating when your ment to go to skool the next day lol :D especially if you show your creation to a girl you completely and utterly fancy and she gives you loads of hugs for being cool and creating fun games and cartoons! YAY!
I'm inspired by everything.
Usually, I play a game and think what elements I really enjoy and what I don't like about it. This means I can get as much inspirion from Phantom Brave or Half Life 2 as I can by Temples of Ashpia for Atari 800 on tape, or METEO-BUSUTASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!! :D
I also like taking old concepts and adding something to make it "different". BouncingLemon's Recycle Boy is a great example of an expansion of the classic "Apple Drop" game.
But I can also be inspired by television shows, anime, board games, card games, children's games, ZOOM, everything day things (Mouthful of Soapbars, baby!), people, history, etc... Something inspires me, I brainstorm the rules of the games, how to win, how to lose, how to grow and then I'm on my way...
-pXw
Man, you are old... :)Quote:
Originally posted by tonypa
When I was young, no computers were in homes of people. Some big computers existed in the universities or other important places, which used perforated cards to insert programs and the result was printed on the big roll of paper.
:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally posted by SaphuA
Nudity
I just get inspiration from games i play. Some proper PC or consol games, some just flash and java games on the internet.
you must be really young - i'm only 25 and if you asked me when i was a kid what a computer was i'd say "wtf is a computer?" (i had a dirty mouth as a kid). the earliest i remembered, computers filled up entire rooms and were surrounded by scientists in labcoats fighting the russians. oh wait, i remember in like 3rd grade we practiced typing on apple IIs...Quote:
originally posted by rabbitkiller:
Man, you are old...
astrocalder
My inspirtation comes from playing other games mostly. The RPG I am making now came orginally from the game Zelda for N64 and just until recently I decided to make it.
That is the purpose to me making games as well. I just love it when I get a new idea, when I am playing a game, when I see something, or when I read a story. I love planning it out, and then thinking if how cool I can make it become.Quote:
Originally posted by tonypa
I just like making games. I dont play my own games and I only look at other Flash games, when new ones come out.
anyone else?
I'm 23 and we had 12 or close to that 286 pc's(the only one in town), when I was about twelve or so...
Well, I grew up with a N64 :p
But I guess I make games to maybe one day make something no one else has ever made. After that, I will grow old as the CEO of apple living on the moon where 95% of the population will use macs.
Maybe some day
Oh, and to show off a little :)
Dont worry guys!When my flash game portal is done i will pay you what you deserve and all of us will become rich!!
I remember doing that once. I've got a game on my website called THE BOX (go to gamesgamesgames.co.uk to see it). You're a blue square being chased by a red square that's constantly growing. You need to stay alive for as long as possible.Quote:
Originally posted by tonypa
Lots of times I have made new game by accident, trying to make something strange in the Flash, and when it finally works, I see how adding little bits here and there could make it game. Of course this is completely wrong way of doing the game, you should always have a plan first, but its fun way :)
I got the idea when someone was asking me for a script that would make an enemy follow you. I knew where to get a Click and Follow script from, so I adapted that into a constant follow (pretty much just by changing the mouseDown to an enterFrame and changing the target to a movie clip instead of the mouse).
My brown square followed the smaller brown square, and caught it after a few seconds. So I wondered to myself what it'd be like if I gave the little box the power to move around. It worked perfectly, and was damn good fun. I also added in a Game Over screen, for when you get caught, and then I made scores. I even made the big box grow - and it was perfect. What's more, it was my idea.
I showed the game to all my friends, and they loved it. They love everything I make, and one of them spent an entire Math lesson in the I.T. room just playing Invasion.
I make games for other people - if you go to the ActionScript Help Forum on SFDT, you'll notice that I spend a lot more time answering questions than asking questions. I give out the fla to any of my games on request - because if someone likes my games enough to try and jack all of the scripting on them... I've done my part.
Sorry if any of this sounded like bragging. Just remember, show ANY games you make to your friends. I walk into a room filled with computers, and as soon as I sit down, it starts off a chain reaction of people going onto my website. It's hilarious. You've got to try it some time.
Saphua, calm down man :p
Inspiration aye. Now that I've had some more time to think about it, I guess since I grew up only playing driving and platform games (Playstation), I don't get much inspiration from them.
I think I am one of Flashl!ght's enemies. I see a concept and if I like it, it gives me an idea to create something similar, yet different. Don't worry, I don't always do that.
Creating an engine also helps to keep me moving along because you wanna see a product from the engine that you created.
As with my Egyptian character (avatar), I think that when I look at him, it spurs me on and joggs my memory of what I'm imagining the game will end up like. Art does inspire me in some way I guess, seeing sometihng and you just go... WOW :)
I do like to play my own games, it's fun - I play the engine over and over again. Pretty sad I know, but I like to find all the bugs.
To impress girls, I think SaphuA's inspiration wouldn't impress them. Unless it's of Squize himself ;)
hmm, I'm off to bed :)
I don't think thats sad, I do that all the time because I am just so amazed about how its coming along. Like for example today I was making a mini-racegame for my rpg and I spent like a half an hour just going back and forth with the guy who is driving in a looping background. :DQuote:
Originally posted by leight
I do like to play my own games, it's fun - I play the engine over and over again. Pretty sad I know, but I like to find all the bugs.
I was just excited by the way it looked. Do most of you other people do the same thing?
once i figured out to to make a hittest between my character's sword and items, i would test the movie and hit the items over and over again just to watch the animation and know i figured out something that i had previously been stumped on. that's a great part about flash.
astrocalder
Wait.. I thought you didn't like that?Quote:
Originally posted by SaphuA
Nudity
Me confuseded...
-pXw