I have been developing indie games for the past two or so years now. It is a lot of fun, and a great form of expression for me. I have created about four games so far and I am currently working on a big project called Floors of Discomfort.

Here is a link to a video of my current project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qweawa7OIio

Image of YouTube Dashboard for the account: http://imgur.com/mA5ixYD

Image of source code directory for Floors of Discomfort: http://imgur.com/Nmhc4Ki

Image of game being played on my computer (It is not available anywhere for download yet): http://imgur.com/YByGbWU

EDIT: I am still answering questions, if you have them don't be afraid to ask.

Comments: 195 • Responses: 78  • Date: 

evanmc40 karma

I see your game is made in Python, what led to your decision on this particular language? Also, as a game developer myself, I find it incredibly difficult to deal with graphics since I'm not skilled in art. How do you go about getting your art/graphics? Do you make them on your own? Do you buy them from other artists? Do you take royalty-free art and use them?

Indylicious9 karma

Im glad this is at the top, because I'm an artist and I was going to ask where you guys get art for games, and how I would go about getting into that sort of thing. I'd do a little work for free if it meant creating ties and exposure, and damnit just for fun!

Max003554 karma

You see, I love people like who :P FOR THE FUN!

Indylicious1 karma

Well yeah I love to create, it IS fun, and if I can do that while helping someone else create what They think is fun...Uberfun!

Max003552 karma

Yes, sometimes it isn't always about the money. Sometimes it is about the fun.

Max003559 karma

It is the language I am most comfortable with, and for a game like the one I am creating performance isn't a huge issue so I don't really have to worry about that. As for the graphics, I am not skilled at art either. I am however friends with artists whom I partner with for games. For this current game I have partnered with a friend who has done all the graphics from the game. We have of course made a deal that we will be splitting the profit.

Just ask around, make deals with people, make friends, and you will find that you won't always have to outsource work. Especially for indie games.

Mabus15718 karma

Could you develop half-life 3 faster than Valve?

Max0035528 karma

I'm probably going to have to aren't I? Damn it Valve!

Mabus1574 karma

It would be pretty awesome

Max0035510 karma

Yeah, it'd be fun making a game like that. Let's just hope that all this waiting will pay off... Half Life is the shit.

Mabus1578 karma

Lol best of luck to you bud

Max003557 karma

Thanks man

ChrizC10 karma

I'm also an indie game developer. My question to you is; what's your stance on piracy?

Max0035514 karma

I am not against people pirating my games. It creates exposure for the game. One could argue that it could even help with sales. There are people out there who pirate a game to get a feel for it then actually purchase the game to help out the developers, especially when they know the game is an indie game. I know everyone has his own opinion on this topic, as it is very controversial, but I see it as a helping mechanism rather than a harming one. When it comes to games, especially indie games, exposure is what matters. Piracy helps with that.

ChrizC1 karma

And you've now earned my respect, good sir. You pretty much outlined my own opinions, which I wrote a post about 3 years ago; http://chrizc.tumblr.com/post/12417129641/piracy-my-views

Max003556 karma

Oh thank goodness, for a second I thought we were going to have a war xD That is a cool article, I am glad we have the same opinion on this.

Rohkii7 karma

How do you feel about the whole ZQ scandal going on, since she is a female indie Dev who seems to have everyone on her side even if she's wrong?

Max003555 karma

I'll be honest, I don't know what is going on with that if you'd like to inform me on that maybe then I could give a response... sorry.

Rohkii1 karma

I don't think I'm appropriate to give you the scoop. But internetaristocrat on YouTube has a good video. Totalbiscuit has another. Basically Zoey Quinn allegedly is using sexual favors and her status as a female to get her game positive press, even though the game is a sub par text adventure. Evidence of this is some kotaku articles and other articles praising it as something great when in reality its just a text adventure, uninspiring and not very deep.

Max003556 karma

Oh boy... that was a bit unexpected haha. I don't know what to think about that.

marcelocent6 karma

Do you need a QA tester? :D

Max0035510 karma

Haha, eventually I will need some testers yes :)

girlfriender1 karma

Hello there!

waves

Max003552 karma

Are you also interested in testing?

girlfriender2 karma

Yes :) I've always been very interested in the games industry and have a technical background. I have also completed a course that contained a short software testing module - so I'm at least familiar with the process.

Max003551 karma

Okay, I will need some testers in the future so I'll contact you when I need someone to do some beta testing.

HerpDerpMapleSerp1 karma

Can you PM me about it as well? I'd play it

Max003551 karma

Sure, I'll PM you.

Wailersz1 karma

I wouldn't mind trying out some games either :)

Max003551 karma

I will contact you as well :P

platysaur1 karma

I would like to test as well. :)

Max003551 karma

Okay, I'll add you to my friends list as well! I'll contact you all when I need some beta testers. :)

Lemony_Peaches1 karma

I'm here ;) its fine if you don't need me, but I could do some tests

Max003551 karma

Okay, I'll add you as well! The more the merrier.

NONVIOLENT_CHICKEN6 karma

How accurate is "game dev story"?

Max003557 karma

Haha, you are talking about the mobile game right? I'd say that game is probably closer to how a corporate game dev setting works. If you want an insight to how indie game development works in the studio a fantastic documentary you should watch is called "Indie Game: The Movie" http://buy.indiegamethemovie.com/

It is also on Netflix.

NONVIOLENT_CHICKEN5 karma

Haha yep that's the one! The documentary looks really interesting I'll have to watch it, thanks!

Max003555 karma

It is extremely interesting! Tell me your thought on it after you watch it :D

NONVIOLENT_CHICKEN0 karma

I will!

Max003552 karma

Awesome! Can't wait to hear your thoughts.

Ryaed4 karma

Whats your favorite cereal?

If you had to choose between unlimited fresh breads sticks for life and losing your "indie" title by only being able to do what big corps green light or No unlimited bread sticks but you get to work on what ever you want but no major companies will hire you now because you have no bread sticks. which would you choose?

Who would win a fight, Gabe Newell or cliffy B?

Max003555 karma

Life Cereal

No bread sticks

Gabe Newell

Sihplak4 karma

So, how much does it cost to start developing games? And do you have a team or do you work alone?

Max003555 karma

Since I am working with a friend on this project the only costs are the expenses of living and the time from your life that you put into the game. I am fortunate enough to know a number of people whom I have worked with in the past who are willing to develop with me and don't expect to be paid right away, so that question really just depends on how you plan on doing things. If you plan on going hard core and opening a studio and hiring a staff it will obviously cost you quite a bit, but if you just work from home like I do with people that do not need to be paid right away than it isn't too bad. As of right now I am a part of a team of two, I am the leader and I have someone else who is doing the art for the game.

Ketracel-white4 karma

Thank you for taking the time to do this. I am a UX researcher in the corporate world. Technically proficient but not a true developer.

Would you say it's feasible as an individual to develop detailed design documentation on the mechanics of a game and then essentially outsource the development to a third party?

I guess I'm trying to brainstorm how a "normal" person with a normal job and not all the requisite programming skills could realistically go from a design to an actual finished game.

Thank you again!

Max003555 karma

Outsourcing is really up to you. I know people who create designs for software all the time and then ship the design to programmers over seas to make the idea a reality. If that is what you feel comfortable with then I say go for it. Now, in my opinion, this is not how game development should be done. If you are serious about a game you should find a developer near by who is willing to work with you on the programming side of the development. It may be a bit harder to do, but I feel having that in person connection is very important when developing something as complex as a game. However, if you don't feel this is necessary than outsourcing works as well, and I don't really see you having a problem with it granted the developers you find are professional and really know what they are doing.

ultradynamic3 karma

What's the most interesting aspect of the job?

Max003552 karma

You are never doing the same thing twice. There are always new and unique challenge that you have to face and overcome, and you are always learning something new. It is a quality that you rarely see in other jobs. That's why I love it.

ShapesAndStuff3 karma

Whats the hardest thing you struggle with in a new project? How do you solve it? Just finished my first game myself and we had some communication problems between the designers and the devs.

Max003553 karma

Yeah, communication is a problem a lot of devs and designers seem to have. It's a problem that I had with my first designer. Now though I am in a team of two (meaning a designer and me) and things are running smoothly. The biggest struggle that I think that I've had is probably agreeing on a design style for the game. Sometimes the designs aren't really what I had envisioned and then I have to tell the designer and he gets frustrated and it's a whole mess... but that's just part of the process I guess. Nothing is always right the first time.

Oh, and is your game out there somewhere? I'd love to have a look at it!

MyifanW3 karma

what does the designer bring to the table? I have a hard time imagining working with someone who's all ideas, which is what a designer sounds like, but I'm sure thats not all true.

Max003553 karma

Well in my eyes a designer is someone who also creates the art for the game. So I guess the more proper term would be "Graphics Designer" in which case he/she would be very useful.

iwaskylester1012 karma

What is the best Game Engine for a starter? I've been using gamemaker but was wondering if there was a better one.

And How did you learn how to code?

Max003553 karma

Game Make is a good one, I played with that when I was younger. Personally though I love the Pygame framework and it is the framework that I am using for my current project. It also just depends on what you want to develop for and the game style you are shooting for. For example, if you are looking to make browser games than I would suggest Javascript with the Crafty framework. If you are looking to create 3D games I would go with the Java lwjgl and for 2D games I highly suggest Python with Pygame. You could also create 3D games with Python but even on an avid Python developer I don't really suggest it... I learned to code because I met someone on the internet when I was younger who was learning Python and he pushed me to learn it with him. We have since gone our separate ways but he is the real reason that I started programming in Python (If you read this Jack, thank you) I just learned really by doing, there things I wanted to make and so I made them. I think my first project was a Python script that would make using NMap easier haha, I called it EZNmap :P

iwaskylester1012 karma

Thank you for replying :) I'll give python a try!

Max003553 karma

Great! If you have any questions while learning send me a message. I'll help you out.

DramDemon2 karma

What is your favorite platform, 1 to play on and 2 to develop for?

Max003551 karma

By far my favorite platform, and I am sure many will agree, is PC. There is just so much you can do on Desktop and you aren't restricted to the hardware of a console. The end the games will always look better on PC granted you have a gaming rig. The same goes for my favorite development platform. When developing for PC you aren't restricted to just one programming language, or one SDK that is provided to you. You get to choose how the game is created and I feel that is important. However, with that said, I wouldn't hesitate to start developing for Xbox Marketplace or PS4 because I realize those are important distribution platforms as well, but PC is my favorite.

TheSoundDude1 karma

I'm sure it's easier to test things on the PC, since you just hit compile and run, but how do you do it with other consoles? How hard it is for you to cover so many diverse rigs that various players have? Do you try to make builds on as many systems as possible, or keep to a few ones and make sure the compatibility is covered as much as possible?

Max003551 karma

There are emulators that you can run on your computer to simulate the system and see how the game would run. That is really how debugging of games on other systems is done.

GrassThatCowsEat2 karma

What made you decide you wanted to be an indie developer?

Max003552 karma

Well, I've always loved playing games, and I have always loved programming. So one day I decided that I would start making games and I fell in love with the idea. You never do the same thing twice, and it is just such a unique way of programming that is both challenging and rewarding... it is just so much fun honestly.

GrassThatCowsEat1 karma

Thanks for the reply :). I never thought of it like that. I wish you luck in your future projects. You may have even got an extra customer :)

Max003551 karma

Awww, thanks so much man :)

formert2 karma

What's your opinion on micro transactions?

Max003552 karma

They are okay to a point, I mean I support them because I feel that the company is trying to make money, and that's okay. It becomes a problem when the company forces you to buy items in the game in order to actually win the game (aka pay-to-win). Other than that, I don't really feel it is the number one evil of the industry.

formert2 karma

What is the number one evil of the industry?

Max0035512 karma

To me, the biggest evil is having to pre-order a game in order to get certain content. Then finding out when the game is released that it is absolute shit. This happens a lot. Big companies rely too much on pre-release sales. If the game doesn't have enough pre-orders the developers will give up, if the game has too many the developers will give up... it's bull shit. I don't support buying a game before it is out.

Lchavasse2 karma

How did you learn code? I might try and learn java.

Max003552 karma

Java is a great language, despite popular belief. It is also great for learning game dev thanks to lwjgl. As I stated previously, I learned to code in Python by a friend I had met on some forum a while back. He was learning Python so he pushed me to learn and so I did. Later I had started to learn other language, Java being one of them, and now here I am. Python is by far my favorite though.

S0larCode1 karma

What do you find is the most effective way to structure a game? Something like Unity? A custom method?

Max003551 karma

What exactly do you mean by structure? Do you mean code wise? Because Unity is an engine. Could you please clarify a little more so I can give an effective answer?

S0larCode1 karma

Structure as in what each individual code unit controls, whether it be items or Scene Objects (Unity) or whatever other systems may arise.

Max003551 karma

I have separate code for each element in the game. Each enemy has its own separate class. Each item, each screen, the playable character has its own separate code class. Hell, even fireballs have their own separate class. I try to spread the code out as much as possible so that I have the most control over what is going on.

NMac261 karma

As a computer science major who just got his associates, how did you get started and what kind of resources did you use to learn the programming patterns?

Max003552 karma

I used the power of the internet. Stackoverflow is a great resource for learning to program, and by doing and making mistakes you just naturally learn to improve your code. I have never really had any formal education in programming other than an Java course in Highschool which was just teaching toward the AP test so everything I learned I learned on my own by making mistakes and fixing them.

lowhanginfruit1 karma

What was your experience with programming/game design before creating your first game? Is this now your "full time" job or do you get income from elsewhere?

Max003551 karma

Well before I created games I was really into web dev, which I still am at times as I work on many projects at once, but I have shifted mainly to game development now. As of right now I am attending a university so the game development is not my full time job but it is where I hope to be receiving my income from so I guess you could call it my job.

lowhanginfruit1 karma

Cool, thanks for the answer. I've been self-teaching myself web development for the past 7 months, hoping to someday get an income from it. I saw in your other answers you're using python and pygame to make this game. How do you get pygame into a distributable executable without the user having to set up pygame and the proper version of python on their computer?

Max003551 karma

I use py2exe to pack everything into an EXE. Nice and simple.

CptMarmite1 karma

How do you get people to find your games?

Max003553 karma

Word of mouth, spreading it everywhere you can, and creating YouTube videos on the game. It's all about advertising and exposure. If you create something good, the players will come. The hard part is creating something good.

Bunchasomething1 karma

When did you decide to start developing games? What motivated you to create games?

Max003551 karma

I have always wanted to make games, but it wasn't until I discovered the indie game Braid that I truly knew I wanted to start developing games, and so I did. There is just something about games that allows me to express my self and I love that about the development process. It is also very challenging and takes a different mind set to do from say something like web development which I had always done before game dev.

MyifanW1 karma

How do you even get into development as a team? I do small games sometimes, but working on anything bigger alone feels a little painful.

Max003551 karma

That's because it is painful. Fortunately for myself I know a lot of people who love games and love making games so I just team up with a friend or two and we just start on a project. Go out and meet people who love games as much as you do, tell them about a project idea you are working on or thinking of and see if they would like to team up.

Foreskin_Folksongs1 karma

Are you a virgin?

Max003553 karma

Haha, question of the day right here, no.

nintendomar1 karma

How/Where did you learn to develop games? Are you self taught or did you go to college for it?

Max003551 karma

I am actually a self taught game developer. I started programming when I was 12 and I was always interested in making games. I started to dabble with the Pygame framework a few years ago and I just took off from there. If something really interests you, you will find a way to learn it. If you are interested in starting to develop games there are plenty of online resources for getting started, then it is just about churning out some games, making some mistakes, and learning from them.

IWantUsToMerge1 karma

Your movement controls seem a bit too uh.. reactive. It doesn't look like you've got good control there. Is there rationalle behind this configuration?

Max003551 karma

Care to expand upon this a little bit more? There are still quite a few bugs like that that I am trying to fix... but if you gave me a little bit more detail I could probably give you a better answer.

PGXHC1 karma

If there was one thing that you could change about the game industry to improve indie gaming, what would it be?

Max003554 karma

I really just wish people would start making games for the love of making games again. That mentality seems to have gone down the drain unfortunately. That is really what I love about indie developers, they create games, usually, mainly for the love of game development.

MysticMatt1 karma

I want to get into game programming. I have heard that you can learn C++ and JavaScript if you are a beginner, but which would you recommend? I see you use Python. Would you say for a beginner to use that, or something else?

Max003551 karma

Javascript is a great language to learn games with. C++? Eh, maybe. It is definitely an industry leader but it is more difficult than a language like Javascript... I personally love Python and I think that if you are just starting off Python is a great language to learn to make games with.

MysticMatt1 karma

How did you decide on your profession? Do you have a different job to help fund your games? Do you work with anyone else? Do you plan to make this your full-time career? If this job fail somehow, what would you choose to work as? How do you feel about beards? 100 bird sized dragons or 10 dragon sized birds? Coke or Pepsi? Unlimited Mtn Dew or unlimited Doritos? Best PC or every console ever? Never play any video games again or never watch tv and listen to music again?

Max003551 karma

Well, I am currently attending a university so I am just developing games on the side for some income. You could call it my "job" I suppose. I do work with other people to make the game. I have one main guy who does the graphics for the game and I find friends that I have worked with in the past who do sound and music and I split the profit with them. I am not really sure where the future will lead in terms of careers, but maybe. I am actually looking to study Cyber Security in the university and not really game development, but who knows what will happen. I have a beard. Well.... it is growing anyway. 100 bird sized dragons will disperse and overwhelm the 10 dragon sized birds with their fire breath and I will win. Besides, what are the 10 dragon sized birds gonna do? Fly away? Psh, dragons fly too you know. Code. Unlimited Doritos. Best PC, though it will go out of style within a month... Ooo that's a tough one. If I could never listen to music that means I could never include music in any of my games so my games would be shit anyway... so never play video games again, but that was a hard one... I still don't know if that is my final answer.

MysticMatt1 karma

Just to say, as for the last question, you can have music in the games but you cannot make it, listen to it, or test it. If you play the game, it must be muted and so it's pretty bland.

As for never playing games, you can make it but not test it, or watch others play games. It is pretty much as if you can't see it.

So become deaf to music, or blind to video games. Like I said, others can make the music or test the games, but you can't. You can play video games on mute, but music includes sound effects and all that. You can't play video games, but can code them and make stuff for them.

Max003551 karma

I would not be able to make games without playing them... so even though I love music I would become deaf to music.

The_Official_LUSH1 karma

Little bit late, but How do you go about getting music for games?

Do you have someone you go to for that, do you shop around until you find someone who wants to do that?

Max003552 karma

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE! I will continue to answer questions so ask away :D I have friends who are into making music so I ask them and then I give them a cut of the profit. Luckily I have friends who really support game and game development so they are happy to help me out and they know I am fair and if there is profit they will see some of it. That is how I work.

The_Official_LUSH1 karma

From someone who produces in there spare time thank you.

Lord knows how difficult to break into working with making music on any sort of professional scale, so you're doing a big solid for those guys.

Max003551 karma

Yeah, that is sort of the trade off. They get exposure, I get exposure. They get a little profit if I see any. It is a decent trade off.

Lemony_Peaches1 karma

Do you have any tips for aspiring Indie Game Devs? Do you know any website, video, etc. That can help people start? Like a tutorial?

Max003551 karma

My main tip is to jump right into it. Start learning, make mistakes, fix your mistakes, and get better. That is the best way to learn anything really, but I think that it works best with programming and game development. There are tons of resources online to learn. Youtube for one is pretty good. Stackoverflow is where I learn how to solve most of my problems. Thenewboston has some pretty good Pygame tutorials that are good for newbies that I would suggest taking a look at.

Lchavasse1 karma

I have created about four games so far

What are the other games you've made?

Max003551 karma

The main other game that I consider one of my works would be a game called Azul. It is a bit like Binding of Isaac but my designer bailed on me and we never finished it... so I just released it for free even though there were bugs and problems still within the game. http://imgur.com/FhbX5Uq There is a screen shot of that.

Lchavasse1 karma

Link?

Max003551 karma

To a downloadable copy?

DerekWildstar1 karma

Given your current game creation experience do you feel you could make a game for the C-64? Besides finding a machine which part would you feel would present the biggest challenge?

Max003551 karma

Well I would have to learn a little bit about how the machine works first, but I could probably make a text adventure or something in BASIC. I am not really sure how graphics worked on those types of machines so that would be the biggest challenge.

_theowen_1 karma

what do you think the hardest part of programming is?

Max003551 karma

Coming up with efficient solutions to problems that arise.

nodroj1 karma

Hey I watched some of the game play and its interesting how its kinda has some platforming involved. so as for my questions. When do you know the game is complete do you have deadlines or once it resembles close to what your intended idea was? 2 can I voice the release trailer? I am a voice actor so I know what i'm doing.

Max003551 karma

Yeah I did intend on having some platforming in the game. It was just my take on the Rogue Like Dungeon Crawler genre. As for the dead line, I am hoping to finish the game within the next two to three months... but I don't have any set release date yet. As for the voice acting part, send me a PM so that we can talk more about that.

panterran1 karma

I hope you're still answering questions. I've been thinking of playing around with game development. I was looking into using Unity. Is this a good place to start? What language would be a good starting place? Thanks.

Max003551 karma

I am still answering questions! Sorry I was just out for a bit before... as for getting into game development, I don't personally feel that Unity is the best choice... but hey, is there really a "best choice?" In my opinion if you are really serious about learning you will be able to learn any framework that you set your mind to and create games. Simple ones at first, but they will gradually become more complex as you learn more. Personally, I feel Python with Pygame is the best place to start. One because it is my favorite language, and two because the language is very easy to learn and Pygame is a mature and professional framework. Javascript is also a great place to start.

AirMoons1 karma

Also, for Java developers, Java + LibGDX is a great alternative to learn game dev. A lot of documentation and tutorials are available.

Max003551 karma

I have never used LibGDX personally.

AirMoons1 karma

I do and I recommend it for Java developers ;) The framework is great and you can compile executables for a standard JVM, Android or HTML5 (GWT). There is also an iOS project.

Max003551 karma

Hm, I might look into that. It seem interesting..

OxfordLad1 karma

How do you feel about PS4 bringing indie developers into light,are you excited?

Max003555 karma

I am so excited! It is a fantastic time to be an indie game developer. With all these distribution platforms such as Steam, PS4, and Xbox, indie developers are finally able to get their games out there to the world. It's really cool what Sony is doing, I'm glad to see a big corporation like that start to think about other developers out there.

generalnow1 karma

What do you consider the most important aspect of game developing to outsource, as an indie developer?

To clarify, what takes the biggest burden off your shoulders in order to let you focus on what you consider most important (and no, most important doesn't necessarily mean coding...)

Max003553 karma

The graphics... I always stress out about how the graphics and animations for the game will actually get done because I can not do them myself. I find myself creating the skeletal outline for games with a bunch of squares before I find someone who is capable of doing the graphics for the game I am developing. When someone is found though it is pretty much smooth sailing from there.

cluisarts1 karma

So I have this theory that most games these days are doing the early release, kickstarter, beta thing, just to get funded enough to make platform versions. Sort of like using PC players to test out and fund their game until the platforms decide they want it. Am I nuts?

I am a web designer / UI/UX guy, and I know alot of start ups out there these days just shoot to build a company through venture, and then the goal is to be bought out by a larger company like google or apple et al. Just seems logical that this mentality would be in gaming.

Max003553 karma

It is true, unfortunately there is a bit of corruption in the game industry. Companies aren't developing games just to make games anymore, they are making games to make money... and that shows. You aren't nuts, these are strategies that companies use, and they are all just to make money. They aren't concerned about the player, they are concerned about their wallets, so they use the easiest platform, PC, as the test subjects so that they can then move on to console and make even more money if the game was a success on PC. It is sad really, but it's all about the money.

sirskitzo1 karma

Can you tell us a bit about the process that you use when coming up with ideas for new games before you dedicate the time to coding them out? How do you test the market to see if people are interested in the idea?

Max003551 karma

Well first I pick the style of game that I want to make, such as a platformer, or a simulator of some sort, and then I come up with a "story" of sorts and I run the idea by my graphics design guy and he comes up with some rough sketches and we start the development process form there. As for analyzing the market, it's hard to really do that with games as there is arguably no "need" for them like there might be with software. What I normally do is just run the idea by a few of my gamer friends and see what they think, if they like the idea, and I like the idea, I go for it. Throughout the process I will continue to run ideas by them and they give me feed back. I am fortunate to have that type of resource.

edgebigfan1 karma

How good is your PC(specs)?

Max003551 karma

Meh, not that good unfortunately. I just have a regular old laptop. Nothing fancy. If you really want to know the specs I will share them but there is nothing crazy about my PC.

alistairb1471 karma

How do you start? Did you have to take out a loan and risk it instead of working while making a game? Did you study at a Uni? I ask because I am going to take a course of games animation and want to know if it is better to start as an intern or just dedicate myself as an indie and risk it.

Max003551 karma

Actually I am still studying in school as well. I am just working on this game in order to generate some income for myself. As for the choice you are trying to make, it really all depends on what you feel is right. I think you should take an internship, if you enjoy that atmosphere than I say go that route, and if you don't go indie. What makes the industry so awesome is that you have a choice as to how you want to work.

twistedtrinket1 karma

Hey, what is the greatest indie game you have ever played?

Max003552 karma

Braid. Such a fantastic well developed game. It is the game that had inspired me to become an indie developer. There is just something special about it.

agoesin1 karma

You tried adobe Flash?

Max003553 karma

I tried using Hexe to create some Flash stuff but I didn't like it... I even took a web design course in High School that tried to teach me Flash and I hated it then too... It is just outdated. Stick with Javascript.

draxlers_cnut1 karma

How did you get into game development? Also what are some of the rewarding and challenging aspects of it?

Max003552 karma

It is just something that I have always wanted to do. I have always deemed game programming the most challenging type of programming, and I enjoy challenges so I started to create games. There is also just something about creating games that allows you to express yourself in a way that a lot of other forms of expression can't, that is really what drew me to game dev. The main challenges with game development are coming up with and idea that will work, and working with the teammates who might have conflicting ideas. The rewarding aspects come when you create something that is successful. Both a game that is profitable for you and one that people love to play.

Q404NameNotFound1 karma

Isn't it really really expensive to get an indie project off the ground? How do you find the funding? I'm looking at getting into the games industry, any advice would be great!

Max003551 karma

Well it depends really on how you go about doing it. If you quit your job and focus solely on the game then of course it will be expensive because your income then relies solely on the success of that game and that is very stressful. If you are like me at my point of my life than this is not the case for you. The biggest investment really is just your time, and believe me you have to invest a lot of it if you want a successful game. If you really need funding luckily there are a lot of great crowd funding sites out there that I would highly suggest you use, that would probably be the best way for you to get some funding for your game at the start.

Scott-IM1 karma

How do you go about releasing your games? What steps do you take to ensure no one else steals your game, or does something malicious with it? In other words how do you protect yourself and your game when you release it?

Max003552 karma

I assume that you are talking about piracy. To me, I don't really feel that there is a need to protect my games from piracy because I feel that it actually does help games gain exposure and maybe even increase sales. Someone asked me about this earlier as well. If this is not your question then please clarify and I will do my best to answer.

Killerino1 karma

Was game developing your dream job and if not what was and is game developing as fun as it sounds?

Max003553 karma

It is definitely one of my dream jobs haha. I am actually more interested in Cyber Security which is what I plan on studying at the university but there is something about game development that has always drawn me to it, and currently I do consider it my job, and I have to say it is as fun and challenging as I had anticipated. Frustrating? At times yes, but it is very rewarding.

pdace891 karma

As an aspiring game developer, Im super happy to see this AMA. So...

1) Do you work by yourself and outsource aspects you arent capable of doing (graphic and sound design/programming/business stuff) or do you have a team you have been working with to produce, or maybe all done by yourself?

2) What kind of platform are you looking for your games to be played on? PC, mobile, consoles? All of the above?

Max003551 karma

I work on a team of two. Myself and one other person who does the graphics for the game. When we need something done that neither of us are capable of we normally know of someone who is capable of doing the job we need done so we will hire him/her. I don't normally outsource any of the things I need done... I'll either learn them myself or hire someone who I have worked with in the past locally. Right now we are only focusing on PC (cross platform as well btw (Linux, Mac, Windows) just to clarify) but who knows what the future will bring.

transmigrant-2 karma

How do you feel about the shit show that's been going on recently in regards to gaming journalism?

Edit: spelling due to phone and stubby fingers.

Max003551 karma

Yeah, someone asked me about this earlier... I had not heard anything about this... I guess that I have been living under a rock or something. Care to enlighten me? I'll probably do a quick search on this in a bit once I am done answering all these questions.

transmigrant1 karma

Well, we can't really talk about it on Reddit ( outside of /r/videos ) unless we want to be shadow banned or have our comments deleted.

I suggest you watch the [redacted] on youtube and do a [redacted] search for it.

I have no interest in gaming, really, but I found the whole thing really interesting so I decided to ask your thoughts.

Max003551 karma

Yeah... I hear it is interesting... I will check it out.

transmigrant1 karma

Let us know. Would love to hear your input on the dev side of it.

Max003551 karma

Yeah, I'll do some research then get back to you guys on this.

bspringer1997-3 karma

Have you ever seen a vagina in person before?

Max003551 karma

Many many times yes