Project Dark Nova is the secret "code name" to an evolutionary Intergalactic Warfare Game being developed in secret using a high end development station I built for the sole purpose of maximizing game design efficiency.

At the moment game development progress is at 3% and mainly includes just the game design idea.

My goal is to build the best Intergalactic Warfare Game ever built. Screen shots should be available sometime around or possibly before December 2017. Since I'm the only one working on this massive multiplayer project it will take allot of effort and ingenuity to pull it off. I have been playing around with A7 Pro for a while but I will now purchase A8 Pro upgrade and use it to complete this challenge.

As I make progress I welcome openly any advise as I'm not 100% sure what I'm doing lol but I fully intend to see this project through to the end.

The primary purpose of this thread is to receive feedback about my work. I'm hoping the development phase will be efficient enough to complete at least an alpha version in less then a year. We will see :-)

Hey kmega,

sounds like an really interesting project, I'm kind of looking forward to see more stuff about it. However, from someone who's been on this forum for years, what you're trying to accomplish seems waaay too extreme considering you're working as a solo dev.

You'd basically have to know EVERYTHING from graphics programming to network programming, sound design and many other fields - which, in this case, sounds a bit like wishful thinking (no offense). On top of that, the choice of engine doesn't make things easier on you.
Now, I don't know your strengths or expiriences in all those fields and I don't want to tell you what you should or souldn't do. I'd just like to give you the well-meant recommendation to aim (a lot) lower that what you've described as I'd hate to see someone struggle, fail and ultimately waste their time on something like this.

Either way, don't let my rambling force you to change direction or get you down in any way. I still wish you the best of luck with whatever project you're going to start.

kind regards, Kartoffel

Hello!

I agree with Kartoffel 100%.

I've known many artists and game designers, a majority of them solo, and each and every one of them that had a big idea....ultimately abandoned the project, or lowered the scope. I would suggest you lower the scope of your game....then lower it again....then lower it again. You will gain much more motivation and momentum if you finish a smaller game first, which will give you framework code and assets, which then will ultimately help you build that big game in the future.

I'm also one of those people that had a grand game idea in the beginning, and spent close to 3 years working on a single prototype (you can see my YouTube channels early videos), and even though each component was coming together nicely, I didn't realize the size of the undertaking until I realized I needed to make content to put into all these systems. I wish I had listened to forum members like this when I was young.

Btw, love to see another cintiq user

Before starting you should take some time and watch a lot of the videos on the YouTube channel Game Dev Underground:

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC_hwKJdF3KRAy4QIaiCSMgQ

Also read this:

http://juicybeast.com/2016/01/11/releasi...ng-financially/

And this:

https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RyanClar...ight_Design.php

This knowledge will help you to avoid a lot of trouble.

Very awesome responses. I love honesty more then anything as I'm a very honest person myself lol :-)

I admit I'm not sure of the extent of my current skill levels in each area of game development or even what it will take to build what could become a AAA Title.

I also admit to being someone with big dreams and extreme goals in life.

I am fully aware of the challenge I have given myself and also aware that most developers who have taken on such a big dream regardless of game "genre" have failed at least in the beginning.

When I first got Gamestudio A7 pro many years ago or around 2007 it was well beyond me. Building anything was an extremely difficult task mainly because I had no idea what I was looking at or what I was doing. So after setting it aside for a few years I decided that I was going to learn it no matter what and literally typed in tutorials hundreds of times. While watching TV or Movies I'd just type in coding examples over and over again and that was my training (even test ran a few).

I then set the program aside again for a few years and went back to it on and off. At one point I started to build a game let's say 4 years ago. I had a hard time figuring out how to do things but in the end my code was bloated but at least I figured out how to get everything working but by then newer games with excellent graphics and gameplay had come out making what I was working on useless to finish so I set the A7 aside for a few more years.

At one point I put together something called an "A7 Cookbook" which contained short formats of every predefined function A7 had to offer and categorized everything so I could easily find any function/command I needed to perform any type of coding with ease without having to search the manual during development.

Finally now a few years later many things about game development and coding just makes since. I mean I can only program using lite-c however after so much practice even though it's been a while I tend to find myself understanding so much. In other words I'm at least 50 times smarter then when I first began this crusade to one day build the best.

As far as my skill level goes.....well honestly I don't know what 3rd place feels like. Any art contest I've been in I've won either 1st or second place even though I've only been in a few. Music wise "composing soundtracks" I seem pretty decent at times. Multiplayer programing is something my mind has been on for the last few years and even though I haven't practiced in a while I feel as if I'm knowledgeable enough to get it working and even thought of at least a few different ways to get it to work. In other words even if I forget something I can easily remember just by looking at my "A7 Cookbook".

Ideas and creativity for game design well......sometimes I have to force myself to quit thinking because my level of creativity can be so extremely hi at times.

Here is what I do know:
The very start of a project can be the most critical as the directions you take from the very beginning can ultimately determine how fast you reach the "pipe limit" and the computer is the pipe so to speak "you can only squeeze in so much".

Game Development Limitations:
For the past few years my mind has been focused on how to get around the current limitations with game design. As such my current game design ideas for the Intergalactic Warfare Title I plan to build intricately revolves around any limitations I found while using A7.

Honestly the hardest part I find about game development is making up your mind. Knowing what you need to build and sticking with it is just difficult and some ideas/features are better left for another great game to build later .

It's been over a 2 years since I've written or practiced any scrips but I'm sure once I make a cookbook for A8 Pro allot will easily come back to me including I'll learn any new functions/features which I deeply look forward to

I'll also be using a project management software which will keep this immense project and all the coding, objects, effects, functions, commands, textures and everything else extremely organized. Being well beyond completely organized during the development phase will allow me an enhanced level of trouble shooting and even quicker development.

I have no doubt that I can pull it off. The only real question I can see is how many awesome features will I be able to pack into what will become an awesome game with excellent graphics and gameplay.

This is my number one promise:
What I'm building will have features no other game in the world has in any open space game. I will be doing things which will be very unique to my game for now at least.....2018

Since I'm sure there are allot of smart people on here everyday I'm nervous about giving away to many of the features the game will have but I do wish to share as much as possible during development.

Please remember to be honest about my work as I'm only posting here to receive honest feedback. I fully intend to have the best planetary graphics of any open space game so if anyone think my work is terrible then please criticize me so I can do better

After all, because of what I attend to accomplish the opinion of the world is far more valuable than my own. I'm just building what I honestly believe will be the best of this particular genre of games