My Unity game.. Unbelievable 18 months..

So thanks to Unity, their asset store and a WHOLE lot of youtubing and hiring people to teach me to code... (wasn't even that much!!) I have been able to create my video game. I've got the bells and whistles for the other non-game related stuff coming through the pipe in a couple more days and I stated that I would share Every Single Asset that I created with you guys after I release. This is a follow-up reassuring you that I will and to also try to gain some attention / constructive criticism from you guys!

https://redd.it/8b5aac Is the reddit I created for the game which also includes the Youtube link to the 'less than' trailer to give everyone an idea about the game! Please like it (unless you hate it! haha) and share with your friends.

now for the good part here is a list of assets I had created i will be sharing with everyone once full release is completed and everything is going kosher.

1: A modular Inventory System with multi-function support. EG: You can create an item within the inventory, have it store in a specific container type and give it several condition types (in my case, snappable, consumable, currency and boosts) It is COMPLETELY modular and can be modified within minutes to adhere to any other variables you may desire. It also had an automated Icon creator

2: A, again, Modular 'snapping / building' system; It uses some extremely complex math and is optimized to run on Android 4.1 and above.. I can't wait to see what I (or you guys) can do with it on a PC.. It uses a combination of layers / mathematical points on the collider / the collider itself to allow for snapping to terrain and to other objects of the same sort via layer, collider or math points. In addition, it ties directly into the inventory system allowing for the creation of items to be 'snappable' in less than a minute. For my purposes I didn't want it to snap to root points, I wanted freedom. It can be extremely easily added though.

3: Leveling system - A completely 210% modular leveling system. Health, Weight, Stamina, Water, Food, Eye lashes.. You name it, I wrote and had others help me write this thing to no end for modular capabilities. Any and Everything you would want to be stored and / or presented in graphical UI can be done Very easily with this tool. You can intertwine any variable with any variable and then tie those variables into other variables.. On top of more variables. For instance, my food, health, water, stamina, skill points (and all four skill trees), currency, Taming UI, Inventory counts, player level and player stats are all created with this, in about an hour and are ULTRA modular and easy to manipulate using Unity's editor.

4: Taming UI!! Just as it sounds! It is currently a dynamically based system that allows for taming of "pets" but can be modified to allow for any ( i mean ANY ) sort of UI taming.. Numerical, timing, player level, etc. It also hosts an ensemble of UI items to modify after 'taming' something such as sounds, particle effects and animations.

5: Modular loot system! This one was the very first thing I ever worked on and boy oh BOY it was a beach to get right... Any prefab, at any point, can be added to the 'loot' table. From there a Unity DB can hold the info and allow it to be distributed by a percent based system that is fully controllable. It has all the normal bells and whistles of any other loot controller on the asset store, but this allows for ease of use, deinstantiating items after X time and directly ties into the inventory system.


To end this, imagine The Elder Scrolls Oblivion or Skyrim... or even Fallout 3 / 4... Then mix it with Ark: Survival Evolved.... Then let it mate with Sims 4 and a game called "Black and White"... Throw in a dash of Ocarina of Time and that's what I've tried to make... And do believe I've succeeded.. Mostly.. Like 85% of the way..

So guys, let me know what you think! It's my first game and I've always wanted to do it! Now I have!!

 

Sounds good! Any screenshots?

 

I'll do ya one better!

 

Let me know what you guys think! I am thick-skinned and I know it's not perfect, but for a first game, I feel I did pretty decent! And so far the kids I've had play it LOVE it!

 

Although the game itself has no appeal to me but for a first game from knowing nothing? I must applaud your persistent and determination. Congratulations!

 

When do you plan on releasing it on Android?

 

I plan on releasing in two days hopefully! I have triple and quadruple checked all my assets to make sure everything was in order and properly purchased (hell most of them a couple of times over)... So now I'm just waiting for my lawyers to say go go go !

Here is a proper trailer I put together today, I hope you guys like it!

I will be zipping all assets into one large file for distribution though I don't know if it's against the rules to post the download link here. Maybe I could have one of you guys put them on the asset store for me (For Free)?

 

So no bueno on the second trailer? I've been getting positive feedback but i feel you guys would deliver the most accurate feedback.

 

It sounds like you are looking for constructive criticism, so I will give you some. Bear in mind, I haven't played the game, only watched the trailer and everything I say below is just for your benefit, I think it's very impressive for a first game; not many people can pull off something as complex as this without losing interest.

For me the biggest issue when viewing the game is that the assets are not standardized.

Lets look at the GUI:-
You have the status bars which are very basic looking, a joystick control that looks pretty good and then various other bits which look like a mashup of clip art and cropped images. To me that is the first thing I noticed and having an inconsistent UI is a big indicator of a new/amateur game developer. It would be better to redesign all of your GUI elements to be standardized, i.e. so they looks similar to each other.. I have grabbed a random image off of google to show you;


Notice how everything follows suit. It doesn't have to be this fancy, it doesn't need to be flash - it just needs to fit together.

Next lets look at your assets:-
Again, it's a similar thing. Some assets looks cartoony (which I think is a good look for this style of game) and then some, like the buildings, are more realistic and look out of place against the terrain. While we are talking about the terrain, I think the grass is a little too bright. The levels of saturation kills most of the detail in the texture. I would personally reduce the saturation to make it easier on the eye, like so;


Functionality wise, the building system looks good, as does the inventory system. I don't really understand the concept of the game - is it like an rpg with town-building elements? Either way, like I said, it's an impressive feat for a first game and from first glance, it just lacks polish.

Hope thats what you were looking for?

 

I think it's great. I would not release it on asset store but I would use it as a basis to make the next game

 

This is wonderful feedback!! I have definitely gotten most of the UI elements going the same art direction now. I totally agree with the brightness and saturation, though the actual game is not nearly as saturated.. The product I used to export the video and effects caused a massive amount of saturation, probably due to the mp4 file format.

But yes, it does need polish and that's getting pumped out by the hour as I type

 

I'm not going to release the entire project to the asset store, just the few fundamental assets that I had created (snapping system, inventory system etc)

 

Well, to play an animal is a thing i haven't seen very often. I liked the idea a lot.

I would perhaps change the overall look from the cartoonish one to a more realistic one.
What about normal speedtrees, and better ground textures? Could give it a more mature look.
Ok, gameplay: What about the idea that you can for example help other animals with their problems? For example
find some honey for a bee or defend sheeps from an attacking wolf and such? ( because fightening something is always nice. )
Cheers!

 

These are VERY interesting ideas! I personally thought about a 'black and white' aspect that allowed for you to choose 'actions' in the world that would turn the atmosphere 'good or evil' depending on the action you take.

Sadly, on another note, the mature look is not what I'm really going for. I am looking to reach the 8-14 year old (20-40 yar old on the toilet) crowd..

It's actually been a full-on debacle, but this week I think I'm getting things sorted. I will in Every way include this ENTIRE community into the credits / more renown of things created and to be created.

I love this community. While apart of me is the "let's make some money" aspect of why I'm doing it, It's 200% whole-heartily not why I'm doing this. I have an idea (or 4 trillion) for a video game... And I TRULY believe knowledge should not cost a thing. So, I'm giving away every single technical system of the video game ASAP as I said I would nearly two years ago.

Even though my unpolished video game, that's utterly optimized for KitKat 4.1 Is not really on par to the other teams of developers... It is already making a dent and even getting pirated. I challenge all of you to reach for your dream!

This engine makes it BEYOND possible for Anyone to make the game they want to make, in so many countless ways, far more so than the Unreal Engine, Cry/Lumberyard and even Source.

Apologies for ranting.

 

American release and Korean/Chinese 2.0 release is now active as of eight hours ago. Here's the Play Store release info if anyone is interested.

Also, all of the assets have been uploaded!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kaibear.sm

 

I took your words to heart sir (and the overexposure was really due to the quality that Vegas offered) .. And I Took everything down (and some up) a notch. It's looking extremely impressive if I may say so myself. I redid the entire UI, balanced all the colors and crisped up almost if not everything! I'd love to hear your guys feedback and any helpful 5 stars / good reviews is extremely welcome and I'd be honored.

I'll be back to discuss my next project soon! You guys, as always, rock!!! Thanks for being an amazing community!

 

I did a LOT of artwork and changes via this thread, multiple reviews and play tests and even contacted appsposure.

I have a new trailer being uploaded now (4 damn gigs at 39 seconds.. ugh..) This mobile crap aint no joke.

ASO, CPM/Impressions, Competing against keyword bids And the list goes on, and on.. And on... Making a game is only the half of it. Now I wish I woulda made a 2d game that was way less complex.

 

Final Trailer, 39 seconds long and as good as I can possibly do (at my current level of video editing). Short, to the point and under 40 seconds. (apparently the first 3 seconds are crucial, so you have to "wow" them.)

 

Suggestion: the video looks very STATIC.
You better take clips while the character is moving and acting.
I understand that you also have to bring up UI etc., so just record an entire game session and take clips from there.
Good luck!

 

I'll do a secondary video later today of actual gameplay and after reading that you're extremely right! I need to add maybe some animated windmills and particle effects.. It does feel very stationary.

 

I don't think I can fit everything you can do in the game in 40 seconds. Between exploring and 'tapping' trees to get the objects, the pop up that comes with picking it up, the tap time reactions to the animals when taming etc etc.. I tried that on a previous video and all the analytics were pointing at it being about a minute too long.. (and it was a 1:55).. It's like you have to showcase your game at "The Flash" speeds nowadays.. And that's extremely hard to do considering this is a chill ass casual game for building stuff and taming pets.

 

Of course not. Remember: you just have to give the FEELING of how the game plays.
Actions can be accelerated, but you HAVE TO show what the game is all about, and sincerely from that video I couldn't understand the game dynamics.

 

Hmm, I'm between a rock and a hard place then. Do I showcase all the game's fundamentals or go for the 40 second or less approach. Either way seems like virtual suicide.

 

I think it's more: do more than one video

 

That's the idea, but the initial "heeyy look" can only be one video. I am working on five as we speak though. I thought I'd make a game and be done with it.. Nope! haha.

 

55 seconds, I Explained (as best I could through example) aspects of the game, corrected the "static" issue (i think) and showed linear progression of what the game actually is. My brain is absolutely fried lol.

And I just noticed I didn't crop out the "play" window on the Unity editor.. Now I gotta go fix that haha.

Edit: Fun fact. All that stuff you see in the video in the city, I actually placed all of that in game to see if it would even look good. I think it does : )