Whats the best way to go at this point?

Let me start off with im new to unity working with it for a hobby for the past month my goal is to make a fp zombie survival game based in near future and i am ready to start planning out the flow of my game but im hung up on some ideas so i would like to know what the best way to go would be i have a few ideas each one i have thought of problems i may run into

Skyrim/fallout - i would really like to make it like this because of the open word and many possibilities but i have two problems that i am not sure how easy it would be to get around im sure there are many more but these are the two i am most worried about
-an open word with each town/dungeons/houses with different scenes ive seen some questions about how this would work and most of them are for keeping player score and other items on the player, but none about if it would be possible to save level objects (enemys that you have killed items you picked up etc...).

the inventory system seems like it would be a crazy feat to have so many items and weapons my game would not have a level system or changeable stats for each weapon (they would be real world weapons each having there own + and - sides, how hard would this be to accomplish?

the chat system seems easy but the quest system to me seems like it would also be a feat

2.left for dead - this seems to me like the easiest way to go (run and gun) where you would have a set path for you to take i would definitely add major differences

i dont see myself running into too many problems if i were to go this way but it would not be the greatest game to me what do you think?

open world - this seems to me to be the most hardware intensive if possible in unity one giant terrain 90% of the buildings enterable thirst hunger sleep deprivation, seasons where you will be effected by hot cold and lots more there will be a goal of coarse and a story but i would probly have quite a few issues

this would probly be the hardest to just not sure it it would be possible with the amount of terrain and models

-would run into the same problem as the 1st one inventory

Thank you for reading and i apologize for the long question but im just not sure where to go from here i know i have a ton more work to go but i want to get started on planning a little before i go to far in one direction this is going to be a free game for fun but im hoping to make it the best it can be. again thank you for your time

if anyone would like to help out just let me know thank you

 

The obvious answer would be "build what you like" because you are describing vastly different experiences. Single Player games like Skyrim are a lot different than Left 4 Dead which is a lot different than DayZ, which is effectively the three games you described.

Building any of them well is difficult, granted with assets available on the Asset Store, the FPS Rails type shooter would probably be the easiest. The thing is, each game has their own inherent difficulties, but I can guarantee you that if you choose one that you are not all that interested in, that will be your biggest barrier to getting something productive done. A Skyrim type game would probably be the hardest, but if that is the kind of game you wanted to build, you'll be more successful then if you attempted a rails shooter with Zombies in it.

My only caution for a Skyrim type game woudl be to start small, you don't need a 1000 square mile wilderness, at least not right away. Start with a small area with some interactions, at least it will give you some time to figure out:

1) Are you enjoying this enough to continue?
2) Is this small setting accomplishing what you want game wise, if so, could it go larger scale?

Rome wasn't built in day, neither will your game. And one thing I've learned from 20 years of software development experience is this, even when being paid it's hard to motivate people to build something they don't like. What you are doing is 100% voluntary and optional, if you set down a path to build something you aren't 100% interested in, it'll fail 100% of the time.

Best of luck with whatever you decide!

 

thank you for your advice i really want to do a skyrim type zombie game but even then i still would be happy making the other two like you said it would be the hardest and im not sure i would have it in me to finish a game like that and i cant wrap my head around an inventory system still learning it though im hoping once i get farther in the game i could get some other hobbyists who would want to help
thank you again

 

Siddown just provided the best advice! I'm certainly not the first to say this, but your first few games will be terrible; they always are for everyone. They might as well be small (the smaller the better!) so you can get them out of the way faster. Even if they're terrible to play, the important thing is finding enjoyment in developing the game and learning how to develop games. If you try to tackle your dream game too soon, it'll fail.

Even if you need to mow lawns or rob a bank (just kidding; please don't), buy some good assets on the Asset Store. I recommend a starter kit that matches a type of game that you'd enjoy making. You might think that if you use a starter kit there won't be anything left for you to do. On the contrary, you could spend months customizing and filling in the gaps, making it your game. And it'll be great for learning, since you'll see how the framework is designed, and you'll be able to play something right away and iterate on it to experiment with changes.

Here are some suggestions for kits. (These are just my opinion.)

• Adventure Creator: For adventure games (Walking Dead, Monkey Island)
• UniRPG: Traditional RPGs. (Aside: the Dialogue System will offer UniRPG integration in an upcoming release.)
• Realistic FPS Prefab: First-person shooters. This is a good kit for getting everything (weapons, enemies, etc.) running quickly. An alternative is Ultimate FPS, which is also good but complicated for a first game.

Like Siddown said, find something that you have fun doing!

 

i all ready bought realistic fps prefab and i love it it is very customize able i used to work on UDK and i have a collection of free models well a ton but i gave it up UDK was just way to hard and there system was way to confusing i stumbled onto unity and im loving it it is so much easier and the models i could not use in UDK are usable in unity i couldn't have been happier lol i plan on getting more assets from the store and possibly making some of my own my strong area is level building when it comes to programming i can piece scripts together and make scripts compatible but starting from scratch i definitely fail everytime but im hoping with time i can work around my inability to program on my own so you can see when i look at making an inventory and quest system id be... well lost but it i had something to base off i could do it but the only one i can look at as of now is brackys inventory and it is not atleast and far as ive seen reading the scripts are not compatible with Realistic FPS Prefab (Realistic FPS Prefab the weapons is where i run into the issue i cant get anywhere with it) but ive done alot with that asset ive got new weapons melee weapons all the anims and set up ready to go also have a better AI a dynamic flashlight system battery level fading as the battery goes down and battery's to recharge... but as much as ive done im still only at a run and gun stand point

sorry if my speling is bad
thank you for the advice Happy Holidays

 

Go left.

 

You enter the door to the North.

 

i went left and i tried to enter the door to the north but when i looked at my compass there was no door to the north... there wasent even a door when i turned left it was a dead end...

 

A wizard gnome appears in front of you, casting Magic Confusion Missile.

 

You are hit by a Magic confusion missile!
You are confused. You struggle to find your way.


(Insert disk 'Conversation A' and press any key to continue).

You turn left,


You've arrived! You see the infamous fork on the road and there is an eskimo near the sign-post.

You read the sign-post.

It says:
- Turn left to the primrose path. You will find riches, success and roads that glisters with gold. You hear music and what looks like some shiny golden thing far way, coming from the left path.

- Turn right to the path of humility and poorness. You see a small pathway leading down the small tavern near-by where you can spend your nights and the paths require you work hard and travel in teams.


You think to yourself...

Take the left path... Easy money, easy riches if I turn left. I'll make an MMO or Skyrim clone in no time! I'll be rich! I'll have the fame and fortune I want!

Take the right path... The work is very hard, I'll have to spend days practicing, I'll have to spend lots of time perfecting my craft. I'll have to spend lots and lots of time learning and lots of time making models, code or artwork! I'll have to work in a team to make it! This is too much work and I don't want to work so hard for money...


You inquire of an Eskimo which path to take. The eskimo tells... something... and you ignore it.


Being fool-hardy, you take the left path. As you travel down that road, time passes, something happens... the glimmer at the end of the road was just the sunset into a dark forest. You ask a passer-by, he says that this path will take a couple of years, if you are 24 now, you will be 28 when you exit.

In the dark forest, you find the place booby-trapped. Trying to cross the muddy river was a bit harder than you think it was. You go down the river and try to find a crossing or bridge. There is none.

As you progress further into the dark woods, you get more and more lost. You meet people who have no experience and want to fleece you of your money, doing the same thing - they themselves are lost and trying to loot hapless passer-bys for their sources+artwork so they can try to get ahead.


You find yourself randomly attacked by thieves, since they are also lost and take advantage of the people travelling this path. You meet people who tell you pitiful tales as they try to lighten your purse-strings...

As the days turn to weeks, the weeks turn into months, the months turn into years, you find yourself going in circles, attempting to find your way.


Your money-supply begins to dwindle and you have problems trying to get food and water to survive. You eventually run out of money, admit defeat and either give-up or go into debt to continue.

As you become confused, you being to attack the forum moderators, you get banned from many game forums (not just this forum).


As time passes, you find yourself unable to learn, unable to watch tutorials, unable to find 'sponsors' or 'publishers' who may lighten your burden.

You see 'idea guys' who do nothing - do not contribute any money, want you to work like a slave and terminate you when you ask for a drop of water. They come on the forum to trumpet some grandiose MMO picture, artwork or model, claiming credit for other people's work done. Eventually, they too, will fail.


Once in a blue moon, you find a well equipped caravan passing by, maybe a dog-sled team led by eskimos or company of heroes.... You ask for help, they cannot stop and help; they only have enough supplies to reach end of the dark forest. You are floored and flabbergasted that they leave you behind to the misery you are in...


------------------
Another person passes by the infamous fork. The sun is setting and temperatures are going to drop. There is a near-by tavern where the person can rest at the night. On the tavern, it says: 'Finish something in 9 weeks' and 'practice, learn. Start small, do small projects.


There, the person find some people who practice their art every day, they practice their coding, and gain skills. This path is full of hard work... After few months of work, the person finishes the project! Others admire it and offer advice to improve.

Heh, the person think to himself..., this is easy! If I make more of things like that, I'll get enough money, supplies and equipment to tackle the dark forest!


Often, the person would think of entering the dark forest, but it was the same - failure or getting lost or too difficult...


Think of yourself, 10 months from now, which path did you take?


------------------
Two decades pass. It is coming to 2033... After learning all the secrets of how to survive the dark forest, the person is now coming to 40's, gathers a team of expert developers, expert artists and expert modellers and starts to go down the dark forest in a well-equipped caravan...


http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/184797-The-answer-to-every-Can-it-be-done-and-I-ve-lost-my-way-post