Tips on selling yourself well, despite possible shortcomings?

[Rxanadu]

I just got a request to implement a character customization system in C# by someone on the IndieDB forums. They specifically need help converting their current character system from Java to C#.  However, I've never implemented something of that caliber in any of the games I've made. I do know of numerous tutorials for the system in Unity3D, but I'm not sure how it would work in C# straight up - probably just use enumerations for each class and skill set, while writing the stats to a file which will be opened whenever the game is started. The person didn't say whether the game would be made with Unity3D or in XNA or anything.

 

However, I need help in selling that I can do this or at least learn how to do so rapidly or without much headache. I honestly don't know much of C# outside of Unity3D API. Anyone have any tips? I really want to help with them, regardless of the task. However, I may not have much time to respond before they move on.

[rexor0717]

Maybe do some high level layout of how you think you'd accomplish it? A bit of pseudo-code. 

[hedgefield]

Yeah some kind of indication that you can wrap your brain around the problem and have a few angles from which to potentially tackle it without necessarily knowing exacly how to would probably convince me that you would be able to figure it out given some time. And I'd be upfront that you're not entirely up to speed yet, for honesty's sake. If I were the 'client', a dedication to problem-solving and a willingness to learn would be more important to me than technical knowhow with no analytical mind behind it.

[clyde]

This seems like the appropriate thread.

 

This morning, I've decided that I want to get rich enough that me and my wife can quit our jobs and maybe even move back and forth to South Korea a few times. I fantasize about doing this with Unity. However, there are some complications. Now that I'm paying attention to game-developments ethical spectrum, I'm beginning to recognize where I would like to fit into it. I'm incredibly lazy, but also very cool. I don't actually finish anything, and often I question why I even should. The only reified example of my capacity for success is a shelf of sketchbooks full of drawings, paintings and writings that I like more than anyone else does. I am okay with this.

I plan to get rich, but when I read things like this I start realizing that heroes don't get money from making games, they get money from selling and supporting games. I have no interest in doing either of these things. It's hard enough to make something exist. Besides that, it's difficult to make something work properly on my computer. I doubt I'm even capable of making something work on everyone's computer. It sounds like a stressful nightmare and being privileged all my life, I'd like to at least maintain this level of lazy luxury.

So where does that leave me? Patreon seems like a good start. The payment model of Patreon doesn't seem like it has the capacity for disingenuity. Patrons donate to artists at a quantity that the patrons determine and the artists just keep doing whatever they do. If a patron doesn't want to support them anymore, then they stop. Seems legit. I'm not really worried about not being able to get patrons, I just want to make sure that I'm not lying to myself or other people. 

So with that payment model and my smug laziness in mind, what would be the best way to go about doing this? It seems obvious to me that the content I create as I report my progress will be more entertaining than the product itself. But I am not sure what format I should host it with. Would I want to put all the progress up on Patreon's website? Would I want to start a blog in the desert? Would TIG Source frown on a commercial endeavor that isn't necessarily even making a game? You see the dilemma? I don't know where to put the entertaining episodic updates in a place where interested parties could find them, but uninterested parties wouldn't be annoyed by them.

The other aspect of this endeavor is thinking about how to make it more likely that a game can be enjoyed without being finished. I'm not going to fool myself into thinking that anyone will want to play my partial games. We all already have over one hundred games in our Steam-libraries that we haven't played, and interesting, free content comes out all the time. People won't have time to play my drivel. Plus, I rarely stick to one project for long. The reason I'm able to finish sketchbooks is because the content is completely non sequitur and requires only about an hour to make something interesting. So I want to reduce video-games to a simple, beautiful, essence so that I can make a ton of them quick and dirty (and partially document the process in fun ways). I'm imagining what single move games would be like, or trying to put together how I could add to a game over time... I don't know it's an interesting exercise in thought for the purpose of getting rich while being lazy. 

I don't think that I have nothing of value to offer, I just want make sure that I am offering it efficiently without compromising who I want to be. If this plan could encourage me to make more things that others find valuable, not stress me out,  and attract cash to my bank-account then I'll consider it a success.

Suggestions are welcome. 

[deleted user]

As a 22 year old, I automatically know everything about the world with objective fact and all my observations are most likely 100% true forever.

 

Anyway, my thoughts on making the big bucks is that no matter what, you're going to have to put a shit load of effort into something if you want that dosh, but you have to put it in the right things. Idealy you want to work on projects that will keep making money after you finish working on them with minimal maintenance, such as making a very good tool that other people really like, a compelling subscription service, a self-sufficient company, etc...

 

The easiest way is to probably work with other people who really want to do whatever you're doing, obviously more people equal a greater cut of the pie and all that. Tools need to be maintained, and it's very likely that a competitor will come up and steal your customers, especially if your tool is well received. Games monetized through advertising seem to be doing pretty well right now, I think the going rate is about £4 grand a year for about 80,000 installs on android. That's something that could maybe keep you going if you made enough, but you'd still have to keep making new ones and maintain old ones for a while.

 

What I'm looking to do is make a setup that will allow me to do things quick and cheap, which often takes others longer to do, meaning I can produce valuable work for a cheaper cost. Specifically, I'm going to try and make some mocap/rig setups that'll allow me to produce a series of CGI shows really fast, and earn advertising revenue off them. It's something that I'll find fun doing initially (setup) and while maintaining (episode writing/acting), all while letting me explore my interests professionally (acting, writing, modelling, animating, bla bla bla).

 

Dunno if that's of any help or sounds dumb or smart or anything. My brain is pretty fried for revising for this Animation System Techniques exam that requires me to learn so much bullshit about things that I'm just going to forget afterwards. I'm bloody studying the Anima II system, the animation system from 40 years ago that takes hours to render a cube for a couple seconds. Anyway, I'd love to hear anyone else's get rich quick scheme, or if someone wants to poke some holes in my dreams, feel free to, I will only succeed if I analyse and accept good criticism.

 

EDIT: Oh and another thing. Patreon really only seems like it's viable if you have a huge user base, in which case you're probably better off seeking alternate, or maybe concurrent, methods of monetization where a company doesn't take a big chunk out your income for being the middle-man.

[clyde]

I appreciate your thoughts on the matter but have no response.

[chummer]

The only reified example of my capacity for success is a shelf of sketchbooks full of drawings, paintings and writings that I like more than anyone else does. I am okay with this.

 

I haven't seen all your work, but I've always really liked your modern take on the illuminated manuscript style drawings you've posted around here. If I were a richer man, I'd probably just pay you to fill up a leather journal with them and send it to me. Journals with lots of sketches have appealed to me since I saw The Last Crusade as a kid. I'm sure there are nerds out there with disposable income who'd love something like that. The problem is finding them.

[clyde]

I haven't seen all your work, but I've always really liked your modern take on the illuminated manuscript style drawings you've posted around here. If I were a richer man, I'd probably just pay you to fill up a leather journal with them and send it to me. Journals with lots of sketches have appealed to me since I saw The Last Crusade as a kid. I'm sure there are nerds out there with disposable income who'd love something like that. The problem is finding them.

 

Thanks for the compliment. You can enjoy many digital depictions here and here. I really enjoy making things, but monetization doesn't seem fun to me. The model you describe (relic collectors) is fine I suppose, but I wouldn't expect anyone to pay me what I would want in exchange for my sketchbooks and if they decided to set it on fire, it would piss me off. Ad-revenue models are unpleasant for me. My stuff already advertises stuff like dinosaurs and flying-saucers. I'm not interested in advertising consumer-brands. The thing I like about Patreon is that what the patrons get in exchange is just knowing that they are tipping. Patrons get to show appreciation with their funding without defacing the produce or making claim to it. The artist then gets a sense that they are appreciated for doing what they are doing rather than selling shampoos or being a pawn in institutional speculation that can confuse their motives. 

I think this is an interesting subject. Thanks again for the compliments on my sketchbooks. 

[clyde]

I've decided to use the same Tumblr theme SgtWhistlebotom. Two columns is better than one. I think I'm going to move my progress reports/dev log there so that I can spam more freely.

[clyde]

Anyone have an opinion on the financial and ethical soundness of putting an early build of a game on itch.io at $0 with pay-what-you-want options?

[Spenny]

Financially don't expect much, ethically seems pretty fine by me!

[clyde]

Are there infrastructure limitations to publishing new builds? Is there any sort of comment system available?

Edit:

I think what I'll do is upload a build in these forums at somepoint in its development and get impressions of what I should consider when putting it up on itch.io

[itsamoose]

I'd say its more about asking good questions than anything else.  Beyond that you probably shouldn't be taking a job if you aren't reasonably sure you can do.