Well Why Don't We Just Start Up Our Own Game Company?

[madphilb]

I was wondering, why not start off with some scratchware projects to establish yourselves as being able to do good work? Does every project have to be a "MGS" or that type of thing?

[Saint Kevin]

I would love to help you, but don't know where to start. Also, I really don't know what I can offer your team in the way of experience.

I have no experience at coding anything, not even html.

I am not an artist, athough I could conceivably get good at modifying other people's art with a computer program or two.

I am not much of a writer, and have never taken a shot at writing my own fiction.

That pretty much sums up what I don't have going for me. Believe me the list is a lot longer but that's most of the relevant info.

I do however, have a few qualities that you might find useful:

I can be creative, and have a great sense of humor.

I can edit written material, and translate english into spanish (at least in writing anyway, my speaking still leaves much room for improvement).

I am a fast learner, and have a natural ease with language.

I am currently learning how to play the keyboard and how to use music creation software. I am not at the point where I can create my own music yet, but could get there within a year.

I have a wide exposure to video games of every sort, and I like to think I know a good game when I see it.

I take every commitment I make very seriously, and if I do take on a role with your team, you can count on me fulfilling it for the duration of the project.

Well, that's about it I guess. If you have some place you can use me, or have some advice on where to go from here, then either e-mail me or respond to this post.

[Fsiphskilm]

Hehe thanks for the resume.

[Saint Kevin]

Wow, this is a pretty old thread right here. Oh well.

Once you do start a development team, if you have some menial task you can give to someone looking to get his foot in the door (i.e. intern - whose sole job is to chase burgers and coffee while you're on another 30 hour coding frenzy, and maybe to test the games for bugs here and there, let me know. I'm your man.

[Solid Ronin]

I think im pretty ok at writing stories...or at least help someone with thiers..I'm in..and i think im pretty good at makin characters

[Zarn Ishtare]

I understand all of your thoughts, and I think UC was right: Christian game companies are almost as a rule small and poor, with a limited reach into a very small core of christian gamers. Also, any game we would make would take a year or so, and by that time no one would care and you'd lose your fanbase. Just look at Kaldris. Also, seeing as we're all alittle paranoid, not many of us would send our adresses to whoever was making it so they could send us a demo. It would almost have to be an online game, which are all almost universally crappy when compared to say, Console games. I think your best bet would be to start a general outcry among other christian websites, you know, raise some noise about how the christian game makers should join together into a larger company Maybe mail a few letters to some of the better Christian Developers, start adressing them. its a long shot, but somtimes if you yell loud enough, somone will hear you. As for story Ideas, I have an entire game with graphics, controls, weapons, EVERYTHING you'd need for a game inside my head. But, we don't have the money or the unity to accomplish somthing like that. However, if anyone has a breakthrough, let me know, I'd be happy to help. If nothing else, I'm a master of advertising. ^-

[Fsiphskilm]

not reall

[uc pseudonym]

One of the greatest things we could do would be to have games in which Christians are portrayed properly. Perhaps our main character isn't Christian, but if a few side characters have faith (which is quite common in secular games) and this faith is actually real, we'll have accomplished something. Of course, this could be accomplished in major gaming producers as well. Were I to obtain such a job, I fully intend to do so.

[Zedian]

Well Volt I applaud you and your thoughts they sound great. A game with some religious content behind it could work, just as long as nothing would be TOO enforced. As for game making, I got some programming under my belt like C++ and Visual Basic but my skills are advanced enough to the point where I can develop a game with actual characters. But that doesn't mean I can't get their, I still got two years left of college so I am going to learn as much as I can.

I got storyline ideas and can conceptualize characters though I am not the best artist. Perhaps what I lack is any experience and my ideas don't always come out clear enough for most to understand, but as with all team-based projects we need something where everyone can agree on.

I like the fact that there are some who are interested in game development. I've always told myself that I would like to leave college and pursue a 'fun' job instead of being stuck working in the archives of some corporate office with not enough pay and little-to-no fun at all.

[Zarn Ishtare]

Yeah...I guess my Idea would fit into the whole, WAY TO HARD TO MAKE, catagory....THe basic story idea is atually totally Christian, but with some strange twists....Like the fact that the main love interest(We have to give seculars somthing to relate to) Is wiccan, and you'd have hardships with that...And plus the entire game would be optional to play in the PHysical realm and the Spiritual realm...I basicly justed worked out a control system based off of the Playstations dualshock controller. It wouldn't be that hard to do, really, not like the one about New york city....Well, its a thought anyway.

[Fsiphskilm]

Not reall

[uc pseudonym]

Hm. That's a concept I hadn't heavily considered, but now I realize that it's quite a good one. It would have a good overall influence. However, I have a question regarding said world: from where will our conflict stem? All games (and literature) originate from a conflict. Yet we make these Christians hypocrites if they go against Christianity. If we go for the whole "spiritual warfare" thing we defeat the purpose of making the Christian influence subtle. What exactly did you mean, Volt?

[Zarn Ishtare]

Yes indeed, let us fall upon Volt with a great fury, so we may inflict selfdoubt upon his ideals and dreams. Volt?
(Snigger)

[Veta Orilion]

You're cruel! Lol...*hearts Tai-kun*
-Angel on Veta's PC

[Zarn Ishtare]

I make too much use of sarcasm.....

[Fsiphskilm]

sorry guys, I've

[madphilb]

Since Christianity doesn't have the corner on the Virtue market, it would be easy enough to have a Christian worldview for the "good guys" while still having conflict that isn't specifically a "Spiritual Warefare" sort of thing.

[Fsiphskilm]

But I wanted the

[uc pseudonym]

In this case, Zarn Ishtare, I think you do.

I see what you mean about spiritual warfare, and why it could be acceptable. Though I'm pretty sensitive about all such issues, and I imagine I'd be hesitant about anything I didn't feel was strictly theologically correct.

You misunderstood or I misstated my original post. I meant that our Christian characters should act Christian (that doesn't mean perfect), or they're nothing more than hypocrites. But I think such fuzzy terminology will get us no where. Give me an example, Volt. It can be a stupid example you'd never use as long as it reflects the theological concepts.

[Mave]

This topic has gotten my interest mostly because of how confused I've gotten. (not a bad thing though coz it makes me think ^^)

Is there a specific theme in your idea?

Whatever your idea is, I say this, Don't ever hold yourself back from creating something just because it isn't "that original" or someone has already done it. Sometimes it's not just about the idea, it's about the "way you present the idea". If someone succeeds in making a "same old formula" idea interesting, that's creativitiy for me.

UC, this message is for you too. Keep writing, brother.

They've always stuck with the stereotypes. I'm hoping to come into the game industry and just shock everyone with somthing so familiaryly Spiritual, yet open. Bold and strict yet lovingly open-ended.

Most ppl stick to stereotypes because it generates the money/revenues. I don't think it's because no one is creative LOL. Just my humble opinion. It's all about marketing. Be ready to be rejected for being too creative.

That's why I'm so protective over my Ideas, they're quite new and I'm sure lots of people would love to get their hands on them.

Hmm...this one strikes a note with me. I used to think that way but gave up on it. No one will ever acknowledge your idea unless you tell them about it.

Seriously, don't be afraid of ppl stealing your ideas. God, the Ultimate Creator will take care of that.

Oh dear, I didn't say anything productive for the original topic. I think I'll keep watching to see where this goes first.

[Fsiphskilm]

I'm always pro

[uc pseudonym]

But anyway. About the characters bieng chrsitian. They can all beleive in God without looking like Bigots. Like I said, make it seem so that God is an everyday thing. Or the characters can be Ambidously Christian. Or they can be openly christian just without running around and stereotypically blabbing bible verses every 3 min. Just use your imagination and different senerios, there's tons of ways to get around issues like the one just mensionsed.

We're talking past each other. I'm just wondering what the conflict will be that doesn't conflict with said subtle Christian message. Give me an example. PM me a real example if you don't have a fake one. I promise I'll delete it and won't use it, no matter how good it is.

[Fsiphskilm]

But there are sooo maan)

[uc pseudonym]

I've got ya. If that's what you meant, this conversation suddenly makes much more sense. That works (I actually agree with you that violence is not intrinsically evil... just that it is evil when misused [eg against humans], as most things).

You're right, Christian games should have a significant amount of realism to reflect the world. Not that they have to be gory... FFX is a high caliber game and the enemies there kind of just become wispy things...

The Bible would make a cool game, but unfortunately the characters would change too much. Somewhere in my head I have an idea regarding a massive allegory based upon the Bible. Israel is a character by herself (thus remaining constant). The cool thing is that God is also a character (though admittedly a basically unstoppable one).

What makes me love that idea is this: people will not know that our God character is God. Hopefully, they'll get feeling sorry for him, never realizing what they're actually doing.

[Fsiphskilm]

I'm agreeing with you 100%. I'

[Pent]

Volt, what ever your ideas are I think you should make them into something. I think any of these things you guys are talking about are so new and different that you could reach a lot of people and get them to...think about chistians differently. Heck, you might start a new genre.

[uc pseudonym]

While I'm similarly positive, I think we'll do work in other genres as opposed to creating new ones. We're trying to get our message across in a familiar vehicle, not necessarily a new one. This is not to say I'm not open to however the Lord's leads.

[Fsiphskilm]

UC, we need to

[chibiphonebooth]

i would LOOOOOUUURRVVEEEE to do character design.