Some words to this post first: Don't see this post a pessimistic critical speech, putting the idea away by default. This shall be constructive, if you really plan to bring such a project through.

The problems I see with community projects:

1: I'm sure everyone spontanously likes the vision of making something really big together. But such a project needs to be coordinated and for this you need a platform and an instrument. Yes a forum like this is a platform and A7 might be an instrument, but in the core not for such a project. To spread ideas, to exchange and discuss details, to divide tasks, to share the material, to see the progress, there has to be a better form of communication. A new forum, a new chat, a new system of sharing data, and all would be seperated from this forum. Another Gs forum... And I doubt that even that would succeed. What would succeed? An all in one software. A software that is tool and platform together. You log in and you are at the site. You can see what everyone does and works out and coment it at once. Sounds nice. But obvisously neither A7 nor this forum nor a combination of both is such a tool. You'd have to build up the tool before you can actuylly start. And for the tool,... well that could be another community project couldn't it

2: This is a development platform of all genres. I think when you speak of a community project you mean a project with 20,40,60, may be even 100 people working together, the dream is of course even higher. But how to find 40,60,100 people that want to work on the same project the sme genre the same topic? If this woulb be a forum for development of fantasy rpgs that deal with dragons and magic and dungeons, then ... may be. But here. You'd need a really attractive setting. An Idea. The idea! But nearly everything has be done in computergames. There are no big ideas left (except some brillant casual game concepts may be). If it's not the idea that makes your project attractive, what else? Grafics, gameplay, systems, atmosphere, story. Yes you'd need a community project for creating the contents to attract a real great amount of people to join.

3: Who would lead the project. Because lostclimate is right, there has to be someone, who is the boss, who divides work, who collects ideas, who represents the will of the other ones, who coordinates, who has the overview, who points out a direction... The list of tasks that should be done by one person or at least a small amount of people, that have very good possibilities of communication is very long. Seriously: Is there anyone, who would say: Yes, apparently from my normal life, my normal job, my normal family a can effort the task of that dimensions?


Of course this is overdrawn. I used this style to make the points clear I wnated to state. A project can start smaller, you can give it realistic dimensions and things will be easier. But the core of these problems will stay, when you want to do something that really claims the name "community project". If anyone has a concept and at least claims to have solutions (good convincing solutions ) for the points mentioned here, I will join in

Edit: @pappenheimer: Yes "schutzkontakt" is a good example. The project doesn't show of a brand new idea, but some grafics and a progress, that shows that it is build up in a realistic way, in the right dimensions. And in fact it could be a possibility that such projects grow and grow and attract more and more people, and then something serious could work out of it. But in the past years, there have been several comparable attempts on the projects or jobs offered forum and none of them turned into something big.

Nah. It won't work.

wow , lots of opinions and the polls are about even , keep it coming.

RedPhoenix names good points as well. Although the tool issue can be debated, and I'm pretty sure it's possible to work the data management out in another way, this project wont come very far when there are no people standing up to organise the whole thing. As Badapple started this post, many, if not all, await actions from his side, while Badapple probably hopes that someone in the crowd waves his hand and starts the project. ( Sorry if I misjudge your attitude here, Badapple :), this way is not uncommon, and quite logical for both parties ). But this wont lead the project anywhere. The first actions need to come from the initial started, showing people that he is eager to input his time and effort into the project, and then there may be those who like to jump on the wagon.

I have jumped upon a wagon without a driver quite a few times already, and that just wont do. Usually the initial creator leaves most of the paper work aside, and visions goals that are far out of reach. Instead of taking a realistic look to the project, they kept dreaming about what needs to come, instead of actually starting something. Or, in another occasion, the team just had not enough knowledge to properly make progression. Dirty written code and badly managed art is a dead end.

Anyway, above experience holds me from jumping on this wagon right now. But I hope to see a lot of effort pushed into this, with much support to the new team like a gathering place and guidelines.

Regards,
Joozey

just to clarify , this is not a project starting post. this post is to see how everyone here at the forum feels about a project like that , and if enough interest is showed to start one.

@joozey , you read me like a book. i am not really interested in leading a project like this , but wouldnt mind being involved if someone does

A "dungeon master" type of project would rather work, where you have a basic game/ gamesystem and peole can easily use an editor
to draft new quests and location (and even events) that can be
plugged into such a game.

Similar to the dungeons in neverwinter nights.

But a whole game from groud up would fail.
As you need just a core group of 5 to 6 dedicated people
rather than dozents of unmotivated contributers.

:schuko ® (ouch! this is a registered trademark!)
...
:schutzkontakt is designed towards the engine and my experience.
I could do it alone, with a little amount of money to get some nice animated enemies.
Just like Peter Müller aka anarchie2199 with "MausGame" did.

But I lose the motivation sometimes. This is a normal progress,
no need to worry.
Just play DeusExStalkerHLorwhat and you´ll get your motivation back.

And here, finally, it goes on-topic. (quite subtle)
Because it is your FPS, your passion, your dream, you are the only one who can do it.
If you´re lucky, you´ll attract some helpers. But don´t rely on them.

This makes me think of a community project, which is small.
Remind: Start small. You can´t do Dungeon Keeper with a bunch of nerds,
which never have worked together so far.

Insteat of that, start a really small but modular project.
Examine your workflow, choose your tools. This needs time and small projects.

But I think it´s extremely hard to handle without a leader.

Now that's a real tuscy idea.
The same procedure as last year? The same procedure as every year, James.

It just doen't work.

a very basic rc-car racing game could go nice(re-volt anyone?)
nearly dont need any complex animations, there wont be a lot of interaction with the enviroment, models can be low poly, enviroment models will mostly be small props.

On gameplay there are 2 options, either programming car ai or making it multiplayer.

If a small game that doesnt have many features finishes succesfully, then group may proceed on adding features to game, like upgrading cars and stuff.

YEAH, finaly someone knows re-volt, really fantastic game !

I think the genre of the game for such a project is one of the most important thing. Let's take a little racing game. The basic movement of the car can be done by one , the AI can be done by another one and PENG you have already a playable thing. You have a basement. And then, but only then, others can add things.