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What is the biggest tip you have for someone who is new to game development? It could be anything from motivation, to technique, to team building.

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-1, vague, subjective, can't be answered in its current form, not a real question... – Tetrad♦ Aug 9 '10 at 15:53
Also, possible duplicate: gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/41/… – Tetrad♦ Aug 9 '10 at 15:55

closed as not a real question by Tetrad♦ Oct 21 '11 at 19:01

It's difficult to tell what is being asked here. This question is ambiguous, vague, incomplete, overly broad, or rhetorical and cannot be reasonably answered in its current form. For help clarifying this question so that it can be reopened, see the FAQ.

3 Answers

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Everyone is going to say this, but start small. I started out by just building a couple of clones, Tetris, Asteroids etc..

It doesn't matter what framework or language you start with, just build something and...here's the important part...FINISH IT!

Also, don't worry about doing it the right way or making sure your architecture is good. Just start writing and refactor as you go. You don't want to get caught in "architecture paralysis" where you are constantly working on the architecture of the project and not getting anywhere with the actual game.

On that note, it helps me to be able to at any point in time to run the game and see something. I want to be able to always "play" what I'm working on. It keeps me motivated when I can see it progressing.

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Totally agree with ‘keep it small’. I would even recommend first timers to go for ‘laughably small’ or ‘the smallest thing you would still consider a game, just’. – Colm Jul 26 '10 at 23:01
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My advice: get cracking.

I see a lot of people asking how to get started, how to make games, what to read, etc. The truth is, no one can just give you the knowledge to do this, and talking about it on the web won't get you that far. If you really want to do this (and you won't know for sure until you try), start slinging some code.

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Don't build an MMO. Everyone wants to build an MMO, but it is far, far too expensive (time, money, learning curve) for a single person or a small team to develop, and even if you do, you run into the paradox of needing players to get more players. Blizzard can do it because they already had a massive fan base that would buy anything that came out their doors. Other companies spend tons of money on marketing and get lucky. If you're serious about game development, save the MMO ambitions for after you have a substantial and reliable fan base.

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