Surviving the forest [indie game]

HI, I'm Brahim Abdou. I'm 13 and this is my first game.
Surviving the island is an in developement will be in alpha release(s) 14/10/2014. it's a Online Survival Action game. inspired by the forest and leading zombie games like dead island...

Game WebSite: you can get news about the game and download it.

survivetheisland.blogspot.com

YouTube Channel: you can watch my update videos.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwaAN1z0M0YbkrUVbJ8vIgw

 

Guys, is it that bad ??

 

Hi rezki.

Yes it is that bad. The project is much too complex for your experience, sorry to say that. Try something much easier first.

 

Keep going man, you'll get there eventually. Just make your number 1 goal to make it fun for whoever you want your audience to be. Goodluck!

 

Brahim the game needs a lot of polish. I would guess based on looking at your videos you are less than 10% finished. And as other more experienced developers have stated over and over again, the last 10% of your game will take longer than the first 90%.
With that said keep at it! Build the game you want to build. Make the game you want to play. It's important to have passion for what you are creating because in the end it will show in the final product. It will also show in the final product if you do not love what you are working on.
Primus suggestion to try less complex projects is true though. I have learned through prototyping (ALOT) the less complex your design elements are the easier it is to find the 'fun' factor, and the easier it is to iterate on items that aren't working.

Good luck..

 

theANIMATOR2b
1) i'm not showing everything in the videos because i can't record everything cause they weigh too much.i'm showing about 50% what i made cause i finished multiplayer,survival book needs some fixing
2) i fell in love with survivor type games (the forest...).
3) i worked a bit on everything in a fun project and now this is my first actual game not first time using unity
4) i'm not aiming for a complex story line just an arcade that counts days you survived

 

"I'm 13..."

Yup, it's that bad.

 

Hello rezki. The first thing I'll say is to help avoid others from hijacking your thread with repetitive comments. And that is don't mention your age. A lot (and I mean a lot as of late) of the people on this forum hate seeing others post their age in the title or even any where within the work. Your age has nothing to do with your project and for some reason it bothers a lot of people on here.

The next thing I would point out is that you have the month and day mixed up on your original post, but after visiting your site I realized you meant october 14 (10/14/) not (14/10). I was a little confused as I was pretty sure there were only 12 months in a year. ^_^

As for what you've shown so far with the game I would say great work! Keep going! While it may not look like much to others you should look at it as progress towards your goal. Keep chipping away at it until you get what you would personally enjoy as a game. I would personally remove the countdown timer on your alpha release so you don't time crunch yourself into a crushed morale or incomplete project. Those kinda things can help with pushing people, but can also help ruin projects.

 

Am I the only one who thinks this is good? Sure the game needs a lot of polish but this dude actually has a game to show, unlike 90% of everyone else on the WIP forum. Seriously, stop bagging on the kid cause he has done really good so far. Please don't stop cause I know you will do good. Keep developin

 

thanks there calmcarrotes.I appreciate your support. before i saw your comment i thought about deleting the project.

Foestar: Thanks for the advice and sorry about the date cause in my country we write Day/Month/Year.
i worked on scripts that they are easy to add features to(ex .creating a new weapon will be easy as adding some scripts) so i am not obliged to write new scripts. and everything is ready just needs some finishing touches.

Thanks Again for both of you

 

Dude, just never let anyone like these idiots tell you that your game sucks. Just keep working and that is where success stems from. Your dreams should never die because of some idiot's stupid criticism on your work. He probably hasn't even made a single game yet. Honestly, you being 13 and coding so well probably made him a bit jealous. Hopefully this will inspire you to push the limits and just make that game the best it could be!

 

Who are the idiots? I see no one here saying anything bad, just for the sake of saying it. Also, the votes reflect the discrepancy of the projects complexion and his experience as developer, not the actual game's idea. For a calm carrot, you are pretty edgy. Plus... what does 'coding so well' mean? Have you seen his code? How do you know it's not slapped together from different code blocks? How do you know it's not a complete mess that barely works? Just saying...

Sorry to say this, but from everyone here, you are the only one making statements without any backup or flaming people.
Plus, you don't need to develop anything in order to have a very good and decent opinion about a game. These people that don't develop, but have an opinion are called potential customers / general public. Look it up on wikipedia.

Good luck with the project rezki.

 

calmcarrots, remember to get your game in the blog (october 14th)
1 type of AI completed just needs to wander.2 to go and 1 boss.

 

No i am not judging him by his idea but his game. I could care less of that generic idea. And by coding so well I mean that he's different from everyone else. Especially those other 13 year olds on UA asking how to do a simple health script. Honestly, it seems that he works hard and is determined to get his game done (hopefully). You also say that my username co contradicts my behavior but I don't see how that matters or why I should care. Lastly, it seems that your hate towards me comes from the fact that you think I called you an idiot. I did not direct it towards you and that "idiot" shall remain anonymous.

Anyways,

what do you mean?

 

the game will be free(october 14th) on the blog in the orginal post.
and i finished an enemy type just needs some kind of wandering behaviour.2 enemies left + 1 boss which needs a new script

 

"...that "idiot" shall remain anonymous"

LOL, as if that is possible on a public forum with everyone who has responded having a username.

I saw a semblance of a main menu with spooky text. Then I saw a picnic table cover. I saw some land with water, trees, tents and a campfire. That's about it. What is anybody who has ever played a videogame supposed to be impressed by or interested in, exactly? Even the one object I saw that looked different doesn't even make logical sense in the typical world of survival.

 

Stop and be respectful. Have nothing to say? Get out of the thread, please.

 

Yeah I figured you just had a different system on your month and date system. That's why I checked the site and figured it out.
Glad to see you decided to keep at it and didn't delete the thread. Hopefully your game gets to where you want it to be. Keep working at it and make sure to keep those who are following updated.

Because it's the same concept of age. If you're name and attitude shouldn't matter then neither should someones age, especially since your name and behavior actually are part of the forum and effect it where age does not. Age has no relevance to this forum or project unless he/she has created some next gen stuff that should impress people based off age. Also, you are not helping the OP by flooding his/her thread with bashing towards other members.

 

User ANTMAN0079 has been banned for a week. Lets see if people can control themselves. I extend this courtesy to anyone else wanting to give developers a hard time for no real reason.

 

I am honest: for your age and your first game I can only say this looks very impressive. I am no dev at all so it might seem to me a bit like magic how a 13 years old can achieve something like that (hell, at this age I played with Legos and playmobil)
however I can understand that people advice you not to tell your age because you'll be treated like a 13 years old no matter what actual skills you have. Some old guys will talk to you like wise old men and it will be harder for you to be taken seriously.
Keep going your project Just a tip for upcoming videos: try to be more relaxed, more like a documentation than like a let's play

 

Looking pretty good so far, Keep up the good work! We all start somewhere and have to get experience and all that good stuff from somewhere. Many many moons ago, my first unity3d project was "Supposed" to be an mmo.. as almost every kids dream of being a game dev is making that amazing mmo! Lol. But of course I failed due to lack of experience at the time. Here are a few tips though: ^_^

1) Although yes, this game idea would be amazing.. It is true that you may find yourself needing more experience to complete certain aspects.. If that's the case... Don't be afraid to put this away for a time being, create something much smaller just to get the experience and then return to it. Even making small games can be a fun process and be very rewarding.

2) As this is supposed to be "Online" something you are going to want to plan for is networking players and all that good stuff, with an online game.. that stuff "must" come first, or you will end up finding yourself re-writing every bit of code as it will be unusable for networked players, items, and so on. There are quite a few tutorials out there. For a beginner Unity3D's networking will be great for small scale projects and is "Easy" to learn, if you are aiming at large scale game. you will want to look into something like "SmartFoxServer".. Which is what I use for all my networked games. Its learning curve is a bit more difficult but the result is great and can do exactly what you would need/want it to do.

3) last but not least.. when showing off games in a youtube video... Lose the music, 90% of viewers will hit the mute button just because they hear over-played radio music as soon as it starts! . Also... You obviously have a mic as we can hear you typing... so... god gave you a voice for a reason, use it! Tell us what you are doing , whats been accomplished or whatever. It's easier for the viewers to follow you when we can just sit back and listen/watch. Who cares if you're 13, have a pre-mature girly voice... We all have at one point in our lives... You may get props for being young and creating some cool shizit! Ignore the trolls. Don't be shy!

Mk lecture/advice done. Hope this helps you out. Have any questions or need help with a line of code drop me a message I always like helping out new devs, and welcome to the Unity Community / Best of luck to you on your project!

 

@ExDeaDguY

Thanks for the amazing advices.
1) like i said before I played in a project before explored (AI,AICars,TPS Movement,Firing System...)
2) Yes Thats true, but I'm working on it
3) I'don't have a mic I just used my phone (Galaxy Plus) to record voice then I pasted it in the vid using Windows movie maker.
but i'll figure that out

Again,Thanks for the amazing resaults.

 

This ^
You really need to take this into account when even writing your first scripts for the game, i had not made a whole lot on my game but i still had to restart the whole project just because it was way to messy/timeconsuming trying to get networking in mid-project and not create a gazillion bugs in the process.

Keep up the good work, looks like you have made quite some progress already : )

 

Rezki, watching the video has obviously split opinions here but I would have to say good job on what you have done so far, the game looks like it need a polish but you have some good solid mechanic's working in the game. You mention the game is released in Alpha build on the 14th, what is the rush? are you after testing feedback?

 

@Taff in Exile

1) thanks.
2) I'm trying to get other developpers to try my game. so i can improve it. when it reaches official release or what ever you want to call it.
like i said before adding features is easy as adding some finished scripts so, i'm not rushing myself. like yesterday i finished the process of (Building a shelter, Scarcrow) in under 30 minutes + time it took me to model a shelter in maya.

@virror
1) thanks for your feedback.
2) i'm really angry cause i have network sync every moving object and i heard that networking physics is kind of hard and 50% of my game is physics.
3) I used lots of functions that needs (Player) (ex. Set on fire script needs to get the distance) that means i'll have to access all players create a function that returns the nearest Player then proceed with the script.

NEW VIDEO Saturday

 

For 13 years of age you are doing well mate, I started at 12 and now its my full time occupation. listen to the comments you get (the positive ones that is) and you will improve as time goes by.

keep the passion alive

 

@Zybox Gaming

Will do

 

Hey man, I can remember when I first started developing. It was just 3-4 years ago, my first game was just a tutorial done by the TornadoTwins. Then the next thing was a 'superb large mmo' I wanted to compete with big companies. I had the sudden realization that it wouldn't work. That didn't stop me at all, I worked hard each and every day to work on my skills. It took 2 years of programming before I could finally write it myself, it still wasn't good, but I was happy to find I didn't need to go to Google for help every second. Then I'm finally working on a small project, and it may not ever get huge, but it is something and I can be happy to say, "Hey, I made that!"

The point is, if you really want to become a dev, never give up. You will experience so many failures, but trust me, it will pay off. What you have so far is 10x more than what I had when I first started! Keep working hard at this! I'm really hope to see some more work of yours in the future @rezki

 

@FBTH
Thanks for the amazing advice it's really what i'm after. Making a game that i can say "Hey,I made that" the second reason I made this i wanted to see even (10 downloads) that they are not from my friends at school.
Thanks again for the GREAT ADVICE

 

My advice is to drop this kind of huge project. Its not good even for learning purposes, comparing to making many smaller&different projects.

 

@QPRocky
I aleady decided to complete this project cuz i think one huge project is better than many small projects
NO OFFENSE INTENDED. but thanks anyway !

 

GUYS STOP JUDGING THE IDEA CAUSE THERE IS NOWAY I WILL CHANGE IT.
I asked your opinion on the game.

NO OFFENSE INTENDED !!!

 

I think it looks pretty cool for being something in a super-early development rate.
Could I just ask you something?
How exactly did you get Pro version if you're only 13 years old? Did you save your own money or do you have some sort of extra work?

Oh by the way, let me suggest you to not include your age in anywhere within your topic, as people doesn't apprecaite that.

I think the game overall looks pretty cool. I mean obviously, it needs alot of polish and much more development but you at least do have something to show us, and I have to admit what you showed looks pretty good. Every game starts with little steps, and becomes something huge depending on how serious you are with the project.

This could be a pretty good/decent project for learning purposes. I mean, at least you'll get a taste of coding and develop it into something more decent however, and also learn how Networking goes on (as your game includes multiplayer). I think you should keep on with this project as long as you think it is fun to work with, and follow your instincts. Also, whenever you share your project - not only on this forum - but anything overall, be ready to get great and bad criticism. Some will include constructive criticism and some will be just criticism. Good luck

 

Hello rezki

I like your game idea. I love how you cook fish. I also like the fact that you keep a blog and Youtube updates. Even if nobody comments, people are watching. Keep this up because the experience you gain in just blogging and making videos is very valuable by itself.

I would like to make a few suggestions.

Keep learning. Keep playing. Keep creating.

Do not worry about people having a problem with your age, that is their hangup, not yours. My son is 7 years old, programs in Java and is a very prominent member in certain Minecraft circles. Nobody, I mean nobody believes he is 7. He keeps on doing what he is doing and is having a great time. He does this by ignoring the negative energies.

Ignore negative comments and people. Period.

Surround yourself with positive people.

You being 13 and creating is wonderful. You have achieved more on your game than most people on this forum (me included) .In a world filled with brain dead kids (I am a teacher), unattentive parents and an educational system that is failing, I appluad you. You are going to get a lot of 'hate' because people simply will not understand your creative mind and jealously.

You better not stop creating!

And laslty, I know it is an age thing because I did it too, but really concentrate on your English spelling and grammar. Use 'you' instead of 'u' and things like this. Take time and think before you respond to people. Sometimes the best response is no response.

 

@Sykoo

Thanks for amazing feedback.

@Savvon

Thanks great and i mean great advices.Loved it.

 

I see some nice ideas and well implemented in the demo, nice job.

The graphics need a lot more work, but i guess this is a first prototype, so keep it up .

I voted "Not bad", since this is very early, you should make a new thread when you are further down the AI, action and graphics for new voting at that point.

Remember that making a complete game is terribly hard for a single developer, so dont expect to have something that will wow people very soon , but after much work this could certainly become an amazing title. It is all in the time you have to spend on it and your age is certainly a huge plus.

Also Unity Store is your friend, use it to get some cool already established systems in there, so you can build up faster and easier.

Some more tips, it would be best to not use capitals or mention your age, both are totally unessesary and may cause people to not take your project seriously. Also always state clearly the exact state of your project, to avoid unessesary criticism. I would also avoid a voting in such an early state, let people vote when you are closer to a fully working demo.
.

 

@nasos_333

1) Graphics are my biggest concern but i'll figure it out hopefully !!

2) Thanks for the vote and i'm working.

3) i already made the AI and recorded a video, and i think it's a great idea maybe i should have another thread when i figure out how to network sync every script !!! :'(

4) i used some packages for really hard stuff like day and night cycle and photon for implementing multiplayer ,models royalty free , and the mecanim tutorial script and i modified it, other than that i fully developed this game.

5) like i said my ultimate goal is to get some players to play my game. and i'm close to the v0.01.

NEWS:
RESCHEDULED v0.01 RELEASE DATE.
SCHOOL EXAMS AND MULTYPLAYER SYNCHRONIZATION PROBLEMS.

 

Hello Brahim! Nice game you've got here for a beginner, but may I offer some criticism?

If you're indeed a beginner, please do not work on an expansive survival game. For instance, I have 2 years experience in Unity and C# and equally as much experience in other engines/languages and I won't even try to make a survival game like this because of how difficult they are to make. What I do suggest, however, is trying out the tutorials Unity has provided in their "Learn->Projects" section on the website. They will give you a lot of head-on experience and knowledge on different subjects you may not understand yet.

Also, regarding your gigantic navmesh for AI, don't make it that big. AI take a toll on players' performance and a navmesh that large is definitely going to kill your chances at finding a fan-base that's dedicated. Make seperate navmeshes for seperate enemies. This will provide the illusion they all know what they're doing and also keep performance relatively high.

Hope I helped!

 

@Nettfy

1) i already read those tutorials and i''m not a total beginner because i started a 5 monthes ago on unity and 1 year ago on languages.

2) can you explain it more i don't know this feature?