Snarboo
Forum Staple
Posts: 2068
Registered: 09-04 |
Have you ever considered changing the art style? While making a Quake style FPS is great, why not try something fresh, something that might also be easier to implement? Have you thought about making a game that looks like Tron, that is entirely black and white or comprised solely of primary colors? There's no way you can match a professional design team, so it might be better to scale back and go with an art style that is easier to work with. You already seem to be leaning towards cel shading, so take it one step further and make low polygon models that ooze style.
Just because you are making an FPS doesn't mean your game needs to look traditional. There are a lot of different approaches an indie developer can take with visuals. Take a look at most indie titles, they usually have a retro aesthetic or a charming but simple graphical style. This is often done intentionally, either because it looks cool or because it was easier to work with.
Take a look at Sakari Indie and Foreign Legion. Their game has a simple, almost lego like visual style that accents the gameplay well. They also released the game with only one level initially for $7. They were able to do this because, as a small team, they implemented what they could and focused on tightening it up as much as possible. They then went back and released a huge update for the title, entirely for free. You could never do that as a professional developer.
I bought Foreign Legion because the gameplay and graphics interested me, and the promise of new, free content and a low starting price sweetened the deal. They could have let their game die after the initial release, but they took the initiative and turned it into a well rounded product with further promises of new content such as a full blown cooperative and competitive multiplayer mode. It's the same promise that makes people buy Minecraft in early beta or donate to Dwarf Fortress.
As an indie developer, you have to think outside the box. Consider redesigning Last Bastion drastically, such as making it look like a retro first person Zelda or Quake on a Commodore 64. Always be willing to communicate early and often about your project, be candid, and consider releasing regular betas to build up interest. Farm out your updates to indie gaming sites such as TIG Source, The Indie Games Blog, or Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Your engine also seems like it could be mod friendly, which is a huge way to develop a community for your game. Consider allowing community made maps, missions and even monsters and weapons, then including the best of them with the full product as a bonus to the community.
Your game doesn't have to be as good as modern titles, it doesn't even have to be as polished as Quake or Doom as long as you are delivering an interesting product that people want to play. Play to your strengths and the strengths of indie gaming.
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02-12-10 16:57 
