Best zero-programming game making method?

I'm about to start my own commercial indie game and am amazing at everything but programming (3-D art, 2-D art, video creation, writing, voice-acting, utilizing royalty-free music and sound effect resources, etc) so do you have any advice for what's the easiest software or method to use to handle the silly, you know, "game" part of the game? Zero programming is a must, so it would have to be any kind of game maker that allows me to use the awesome that I do have to make an at least aesthetically amazing game. (for example my best idea so far is something called 'GameMaker Studio' by a 'YoYo Games', but it looks pretty simple so far so I don't know if it can use full video clips, but let me know if you know something better) A one-player 2-D fighting game interspersed with video clips of my fully animated computer generated characters and story would be nice, but game genre matters less to me than ease of use and having a blast on the game-making side of it. And yes I already thought of just making a film or webisodes but I want to hit this from a game angle as well. Thanks

 

GameMaker Studio really requires no less programming than Unity (when it comes to making something even slightly complex). They're both great systems for making games.

If you want programming-free development, your only option really is a Visual Scripting system to run ON TOP OF whatever engine you chose to use.

On Unity, that means something like "PlayMaker". Check out the Asset Store - there's a few other options too.

 

I just spent hours testing several game-makers, including: Unity with all sorts of plugins (PlayMaker, Universal Fighting Engine, Platforming Starter Kit, Adventure Creator, and uFrame), Construct 2, Fusion 2.5, GameMaker Studio, Stencyl, and Ren’Py. But in my initial explorations of each, nothing immediately stood out as something super fun and easy. I’m willing to buckle down and use the tutorials much further to become proficient in whichever software I go with, but I’m really looking for the absolute easiest, least detailed way of making my own game, no matter what kind. (If I got to choose, I’d probably want a super-simple fighting game maker: One background, two characters, boom bam.) What game-making software and/or plugin is so fun and easy that it’s almost like playing a game in itself, as if I’m simply modding an already-complete game with my own awesome 3-D and/or 2-D art and story-writing, but which I will also be allowed to sell as a commercial game when I’m done? I’m willing to sacrifice tons of control for the sake of simply making ‘my own version’ of a game or game template.

 

Have you considered that maybe making games ISN'T easy?

 

/sigh Another one looking for that magic "make game" button.

 

You're not going to find what you're looking for, unfortunately, but there is good news. Since you are, well, I'll put it in exactly your words:

Yeah. Since you're amazing at everything aside from programming then it shouldn't take you more than a day or so to learn how to program a full game. It's super wicked easy. There are five year olds who learn how to program games in about a week. Shouldn't be too hard for you. In fact, I would imagine it's taken you more time to write out the posts in this thread than it would have taken you to become a full-on professional game programmer.

Just do it!

 

I'm deciding between GameMaker Studio and Construct 2. The latter looks more fun and easy and effective in every way so far, but its apparent lack of exporting to the major gaming consoles, Xbox 360/One and PS3/4/Vita, leaves me wondering if GMS, which clearly exports to those consoles, is my only choice. So my question is: Is there ANY way for me to make a game in Construct 2...and then export it to those consoles with an extra step?

 

Honestly if you're just getting started making games with those tools, whether or not you can build to PS4/Xbox One should be the last thing on your mind.

Having said that, if Construct 2 (never heard of it) can't export to those platforms, then no - it's unlikely that you'll be able to make it export to those platforms.

GameMaker is a pretty solid product. If you're deciding between those two, I'd definitely go with GameMaker.

 

www.clickteam.com <- used this when I was young. Also check out Project Spark on Xbox.

Really though I'd recommend spending a few weeks with a book like Professor Smiley teaches C#. You will open a ton of doors with even basic programming skills. That or find a good programmer to work with.

 

Yes, Clickteam is Fusion 2.5 which I mentioned. I looked into Spark right now but it doesn't look like a commercial indie game-maker. I asked on their forum. Thanks!

 

If you are averse to programming but good at art, you could always try to create your own assets and sell them. It might be easier just to hire someone to put them together in a game for you.

 

Yes I know but I'm keeping it simple for now even if I just do basic gametypes shown in basic tutorials such as platformers, which is why it's likely GameMaker Studio or Construct 2 for me. Unless Unity with Playmaker plugin is easy, still need to check that out soon.

 

playmaker and unity 5 personal

nuff said.

 

Just because it's visual doesn't make it any less programming. You're still going to have to understand computer logic, how to connect components in the visual programming tool and how it all works together.

 

Yes I should be fine with that. I imagine it's not unlike Adobe After Effects with all the different pieces working together which I'm extremely experienced with. So far I'm leaning towards Construct 2 since I don't want to get into GameMaker Studio's GML, but I'm spending today on playing with game-makers.

 

Something to think on:

Imagine that you were in the reverse position of being good at programming but bad at art. What might you do?

You might grab some already-made art from another game or off the Internet, and that would work fine for your personal use, but you obviously couldn't sell the game you made with someone else's art (without somehow acquiring permission)

You might make a game with very simple and minimalistic art--colored boxes or something. If you choose the right art style, it might not be completely obvious that you really suck at art. But you'd still be making some art, and since you're bad at it, it will take you a long time, not be very enjoyable, and not come out very well.

You might partner with an artist, or hire an artist.

But if someone told you that they just wanted a complete ready-made art library that had all the assets they needed for an entire game, and that they were happy to give up all control over the artistic direction just to have it be as easy as possible, but that they wanted to do absolutely ZERO art themselves--not a portrait, not a background, not an icon, not a button, NOTHING--would you think that was a realistic goal?

 

ive used Construct 2 it sounds like the one for you, zero programming, but u will still need to learn programming logic and it is only 2D.

 

So you basically pirated a bunch of stuff off the Asset Store?

 

Yep so far I'm exploring construct 2 just to see what I can do with its drag and drop sort of stuff with no coding. It really does seem like the easiest, like someone said strictly 2-D, game-maker out there so far. Issues with the consoles it can go to, but future porting would be possible if I actually do something cool. So far I think the main platform will be PC but heavily-suggested to insert an Xbox 360 controller. I love moving my character around with a joystick, not arrow keys. If I did go with 3-D, Unreal Engine looks like it tries to cater to visual types, but I feel my first game is no time to go with 3-D. Even if my sprites will all be 3-D renders from 3dsmax much like SNES games like DKC and Killer Instinct.

 

Pirates are funny at costume party's but they are not welcome in the unity community.

 

You must be fun at party...

 

Pointless necro and pointless thread (due to piracy or whatever noise), so I'll pointlessly lock it.