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Game Creation Resources
"If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good." -- Dr. Seuss
The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them. — Albert Einstein
Game Creation Resources
"If you never did you should. These things are fun and fun is good." -- Dr. Seuss
The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them. — Albert Einstein
The following is a list of free or inexpensive resources for the creation of video and other games organized according to game type. Platform/format and cost if any are at the end of each description (Question marks are added where we are not sure of the info). While this is not an exhaustive list of course, we have thoroughly researched these, excluded those that are no longer available, overly complex, and many which are primarily for violent game development (i.e. First Person Shooters (FPS).
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Interactive Fiction (or IF) - IF refers to computer software that allows you to create text adventure games where the player can make choices to determine the plot of the story. Some software allows the author to add images, but IF centers primarily on text and the ability of the author to tell a good story rather than the visual format common in most video games. This is by far the simplest method to design a video game and there are several game design engines available for creating IF, some of which I have listed below (Wikipedia article on IF).
Isometric (overhead tile based) - This is a very common format for RPG (Role Playing Games) like the early Ultima, Final Fantasy, and Warcraft games and is a relatively simple way to design an image-based video game. These games consist of any number of tiles which together form the world that the character explores. Games are usually designed in multiple levels and much of the world remains hidden from the player until they move into that area. Simple interactions can take place between the character and others in the game as well confrontations with "monsters, often revealed in a separate "battle" scene. (Wikipedia article)
http://markdamonhughes.com/ has developed (1) Delver shareware single-player overhead-view tile-based computer RPG construction kit written in Java (JAVA), and (2) Hephaestus computer role-playing game system with loadable adventures. With the compiler, you can write your own adventures in a simple yet powerful scripting language, and share them with anyone else who has Hephaestus (JAVA)
Map Making Software for RPG Fantasy Game Development - Map Making or "Cartographer" software is used to create maps for fantasy role playing games.
2D (console-style, point and click) - The next level of game design for games usually viewed from the side, where the player can interact with objects/characters in the game by pointing and clicking the mouse. Often these games are platform games where the character jumps on a variety of levels like Donkey Kong. More sophisticated games can consist of animated adventures such as Bug! Lucas Arts and Sierra are the companies most often associated with this type of game. Many puzzle-based games fit this genre as well. (Wikipedia article)
3D (first person perspective) - Myst in particular was the game series that put this genre on the map. The setting is usually designed with a 3D animation program such as Bryce or Maya and then imported into a game design engine. Usually the perspective is first person and the player can quickly become immersed in extraordinary worlds of reality/fantasy. Game development is very time-consuming but the end result is often worth it. (Wikipedia article)
Online Video Games - As the name implies, these games are accessible via the internet with player interactions from a multitude of settings. One drawback in the development of nonviolent games is the inability to control all of the interactions of the players. However, the genre holds some incredible possibilities simply because of its ability to reach so many people.
Miscellaneous Game Design Engines - Other Game Design Engines for a variety of formats
Game Maker allows you to make exciting computer games, without the need to write a single line of code (WIN) (Free - lots of resources) Golden T Game Engine game programming for JAVA programmers (free) InterAx create games in an easy to use yet powerful visual environment without programming or scripting. (WIN95+) ($20) ToonTalk - Making Programming Child's Play build and run all sorts of computer programs (WIN) ($15) Graphics, Music, and Other Resources - A good game idea will only go as far as the quality of expression in sound and image. Most of the following resources are free and are a definite asset to any good game designer.
http://www.freebyte.com/graphicprograms/ extensive list of free graphics programs from photo-editing to 2d animation and more. (note http://www.freebyte.com is great resource for other software useful for games such as music programs). Bryce 3d landscape and animation tool. Version 5.5 has been offered for free, a download link is at http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007/06/16/download-bryce-5-5-for-free/ Daz 3D- The makers of Bryce also offer Daz Studio, a free 3D figure posing and animation tool. The site also has lots of free models. You need to register for a free account. Anim8or free 3D animation software (WIN9x/NT) Art-O-Matic instant 3D graphics (free try, $20 to buy) Automated Composing System automatic music composing system (shareware, free trial, then $35) http://www.xpounded.com/index.html Basic 2D Character Sprite Kit Create baseline sprites for your games in record time (found under products tab), Auto3D Get into the picture! Automatic 2D to 3D conversion software, Lasso 3D Create your own popup pictures from any image (all free) Baumgarten Enterprises Web's largest free Poser parts place, and Bryce© tutorials (lots of free 3d models) Bytten weekly magazine for small and independent games Caligari TrueSpace 3d authoring and tutorials (free) GameBeep game textures, models, and sprites for sale and for free Games Factory Pack 3.1 sprite, tile, and map maker (free, ugly) Pivot stick figure animator and other software (free) Pixia http://www.ne.jp/asahi/mighty/knight/ freeware painting tool for full-color graphics (WIN) Serendipity various random generators (free) SpriteLib Ari Feldman's free game sprites Terragen free photorealistic scenery and landscape rendering software Tile Studio free complete development utility for tile-based games for use with The Game Library for the language Clean. Universe Image Creator create realistic images of deep space (shareware, then $25-$56) http://www.thefreesite.com/ a great site for lots of freebies including sounds, graphics, fonts, java script, and others. Card Game Resources - Card games are a great, tangible way to develop a game that can reach a lot of people, as can be seen by the popularity of such games as Magic: The Gathering. the following are some resources that we have researched:
Self Publishing Resources for designing a variety of original games.- Excellent site! Your Trading Card Maker - First and foremost, Your Trading Card Maker is dead easy to use. Installation is brief and mostly uneventful. Launch the software. Read the simple user interface - it's presented in the order required to make a car ($29.99)Yugioh Card Maker - Online resource for creating yugioh type cards (free) Open Source RPG CCG - What you can do with the card template: The cards can be used as a visual resource for your table top games, as a portable version of favorite RPG game or to create your own cards for the Rules Set. Card Template - Simple card template for MS Word (doc form). Credit to Chris Thompson for design. Board Game Design Resources - How many Opoly games can there be? Only time will tell. The following are some excellent resources for board game development.
Self Publishing Resources for designing a variety of original games.- Excellent site! Making Your Own Board Games - excellent site with lots of resources and links to pdfs of other games (free). All a-board - Lesson and information how to make your own board game using Microsoft Office Suite.
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index of resources
Video Games:
Isometric (overhead tile-based)
Map-Making Software for RPG Games
Miscellaneous Game Design Engines
Graphics, Music and Other Resources
games by peacegrooves
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