Anyone want to make a Giant Bomb video game with me?

Lately I've been thinking it would be a lot of fun to make a Giant Bomb-themed video game.

A game where you play as one or all of our lovable Bombadeers.

Maybe a platformer or a JRPG. Either entirely fantasy-based (like those Penny Arcade games), or a twisted version of reality (with Quick Looks and reviews being enemies/bosses). Probably something simplistic enough. Definitely 2D. I'm thinking of picking up Game Maker or RPG Maker and making something with one of those.

THAT SAID, I'd love to turn this into a GB community project. I am by NO MEANS a programmer/game designer, so if there was someone interested then I could easily pass the torch to them.

Similarly, I am no artist, so finding an artist/animator would be super useful.

I am primarily a video game music composer, you can hear my music here. So honestly I would love to focus on this game's soundtrack, first and foremost, having someone else do the art and code.

I would be willing to help write and design, but the coding and art should definitely be in someone else's hands. Any interest?

Edit:

Also, a couple other ideas if this was an JRPG it could be fun to play with classes, such as:

-making Ryan a thief/assassin (because he likes stabbing dudes in the face with a knife -- oddly satisfying), with high cunning but very low stamina (brother sweats like a mofo!).

-Brad could be some kind of scholar/mage class, as he seems the highest academic scholarly education(?), though is prone to fatigue/sleep.

-Jeff could be the soldier, jaded and cynical.

-Vinnie could be the "chosen one". A family man who gets involved in this mess

-Dave is the engineer, though he has an evil split personality: Hardcore Dave, who is wild, untameable

-Drew is the pilot (think Cid), and camera man. Fan-favourite.

-Alex is the soldier from the East, far away and is rarely seen. His wit and endurance are unmatched.

-Scoops Klepek should obviously be some kindof reporter/journalist.. though that could be hard to fit in narratively. Alternatively, he could be the "kid" in the group. Like Gohan, who starts kinda weak but in the end has the highest potential. Maybe a Bayonetta-esque hair related power.

I have no art or code skills but if there is any other way you would like my help i'll give it.

It would have to be a flight simulator.

I can help come up with some dumb story segments and some cool summons. I don't have any game making experience, but I still wish you the best! (You also forgot to add Patrick into the party.)

Well, I'm quite handy with Gamemaker (I basically lived in it for most of the last school year) and I am an aspiring game designer. A JRPG is quite a commitment, but if you have some more people together I would be into it.

maybe an old school text adventure or a choose your own adventure story book.

Give me a couple months and I'll probably have enough coding knowledge to at least try to do something. I think this would be really cool to try to do, so count me in if there is any way I can contribute in the meantime, or when I learn some more complicated programming stuff.

Making a game is a huge undertaking, but if you get things rolling and need a 3d animator, I could lend a hand.

how about making it a text adventure using something like http://www.textadventures.co.uk/quest/ ? it's free, can be modified for mobile, use images and youtube clips, etc... I was thinking of doing that myself, but my time resources are way too limited atm. but I think a text rpg using existing video and images in a creative way/story would be awesome, and easier (not easy, mind you) to create.

May I direct you to this thread I made only a couple days ago. Though the idea for that project is very different from your idea it's kind of funny that we both posted ideas for a GB community game project.

@ImmortalSaiyan: Cool, I will keep you posted.

@Flacracker: Dammit, you're right ._.

@Phatmac: Oops, just added Klepek now, thanks. Yeah whatever ideas you have either post them in this thread, or send me a PM. I'll make sure to to add anyone who submitted any ideas into the (eventual!) credits.

@nintendoeats: Cool! Are you saying a JRPG would be a major commitment if it was made in Game Maker, or are you talking more generally? RPG Maker seems (relatively) easy to use, from the little I've dabbled with it over the years. Though I'm receptive to reasons/arguments against using it. It does seem like the smartest choice to me right now...

@Bell_End: Not what I had in mind, though those seem like they'd be a lot of fun to make as well. I'm a put that on the backburner for now, simply because, as a musician, the audio-visual presentation is top priority to me.

@DoctorWelch: Awesome, thanks man. Do you mind if I ask what coding language you are learning?

I would love to help out! I would recommend starting a Google+ group or something and start working on a Doc where everyone can put down what role they can work on. This way we can see what positions still need to be filled to make this work properly. My area of expertise is writing, but I also have experience in game design and limited programming and graphics skills.

What development platform were you thinking (e.g. Flash, Unity 3D, etc)?

Experience

• Intermediate Flash animation and programming (I'm not a programming expert)
• Unity 3D
• Took Video Game Prototyping and Design classes
• Design Doc Writing
• Screenwriting

@RainVillain: I've never used RPG maker so I can't say for sure on that, but I can tell you that using generic gamemaking tools like Unity or GM will take some doing. Of course, they also grant you a lot of flexibility.

I would also be willing to work in Unity, as long as we work in C#. I need to become more familiar with those tools for an upcoming class anyway.

I would be interested in helping some in the programming area.

I agree with what wewantsthering has said so far.

Experience

Been programming for 10 years (C based languages mostly + OOP) with a degree in Computer Engineering.

Intermediate flash programing AS 2.0 (Though not wild about flash in the long run =/)

Unity 3D

Participated in the Global Game Jam and produced this Game in 48 hours with 1 artist and another programmer (note my first time really digging into Unity).

Would prefer to use Unity in C# (biased due to owning pro license) but I have seen high turn out from game maker during game jams.

You should ask the dude that made the 16 bit versions of all the people related to Giant Bomb/Whiskey if you could use those assets. It's too good not to.  
 
I like the idea of a platformer. Thinking something like Jazz Jackrabbit.

What do you require specifically on the art side of things?

@RainVillain: If you wanna make a JRPG style game it's super easy and you don't even need to know how to program to do it in RPG Maker. All you need to do is some light event scripting.

@DrFlapjack: Cool, I will keep you posted. I imagine a 2D game is more likely, as it seems less ambitious.. but who knows!

@PeZ: Interesting.. though as I said earlier I'm more interested in the audio-visual presentation, so I think probably not. We'll see, I do like how (relatively) easy that would be to make. Very interesting..

@wewantsthering: Good call on google docs. I'll set that up once I get home. Honestly I hadn't given much though as to development platform. If no one else was going to get involved, I was probably going to use RPG Maker (since I'm no programmer!), but if I get some people involved it could be in whatever the programmer(s?) is most comfortable in. You seem to know your stuff! I'll keep you posted man.

@nintendoeats: The little I know about Unity leads me to believe it's better for 3D games (correct?), which seems pretty ambitious for a community-made game. Having a lot of the "stats" logic worked out already in RPG Maker would definitely allow us to get working on the game earlier, rather than later/never: realistically I imagine everyone involved would only be giving partial commitment, so having as much of the tedious work done already would speed up the process. Of course, I could be totally wrong. I'm just trying to stay as realistic as possible!

@D_W: Wow! Can't believe I missed that thread. Your idea seems much more fleshed out than mine. Let's hope these two projects can co-exist! :) These are exciting times for the GB community.

I'm a graphic designer and would love to help contribute to art assets or UI design, not that I know anything about working on games.

@RainVillain: I believe that Unity can do 2D, but it really is intended for 3D.Why don't you muck about with a trial version of RPG maker and report back about how flexible it is? I'd certainly be much more interested in working on something that lets us put in some crazy unexpected stuff.

Illustrator here and I'd be down. I've been thinking about this too and I think it would be cool to just copy Tetris Battle Gaiden and put in the GB crew. Or a fighting game.

Hey!

I would definitely like to participate. I will be applying for a new programming job soon and I can definitely use side projects on my CV :)

I'm a programmer, my strengths are:

4 Years of C/C++ experience ( Mostly basic C due to that being what my job uses, so I am not as experienced at OOP but no time like the present to get experience! )

6 Years of PHP, SQL, HTML, CSS experience ( probably not that applicable here as I have little interest in making a website for the project unless necessary, but database stuff might come in handy )

I have some knowledge in: Java, C# ( C# is so awesome for rapid prototyping ! ) and jQuery.

I've worked on some game projects in the past: I started with a MMO browsergame 8 years ago. Finished overworld map, walking, random encounters, battle system and leveling up, but did not make too much content due to getting a job.

About 3 years ago I made a prototype of a 3D enviroment + 2D sprite platformer. Mostly to learn about graphics programming. I made a basic engine using OpenGL, I had implemented texture loading, jumping physics, lighting, a basic particle engine and the ability to import textured 3D models from Blender. Again, I finished that stuff but then lacked the time to put more content in it, so it's more of a tech demo than anything.

My latest build can be found here: http://tut.chapterfain.com/game_test.rar . Keys are: WASD = Movement. Q/E = Zoom In/Out F = Respawn, V = Experimental Vsync, C = Disable foreground texture. X = Display some guide lines

It really isn't a game or anything, you can walk a few steps but then you just fall into unfinishedness-void. I also havn't worked at optimization yet so you may get either a few thousand FPS or if running it on a netbook like..5 i dunno :P

I also recently made a C version of Jump Point Search, the genius new pathfinding algorithm, which could come in handy if we need pathfinding on a 2d plane. :)

Please let me know if you'll have me! I learn fast and I always have thirst for more programming knowledge and I love using projects to learn.

Edit:

I also have knowledge and experience in using Adobe Photoshop for some basic image editing, Adobe Illustrator for vector art ( Tho I am a programmer at heart, not a artist so don't expect great things ). I have netcode skills from helping develop a MMORPG for several years, I have a book about XNA that I could read into if we want to go that route...

Personally, I am a bit against using RPG Maker. When I worked with it like 10 years ago, it was fun but... too basic. Basically my main problem with it is that every single RPG maker game just looks the same, and is fairly boring. I've tried a few over the years and I just find them to be boring and derivative. Aside from To the Moon, tho I don't know if it actually used RPG Maker or not ( sure looked like it though ).

So I would vote for using something else. I mean I wouldn't have a problem with coding a custom engine, or even using something like Unit or one of the 2D engines for that. Mhmm there was a fairly popular 2D game engine, I think it's called torque, so that might be worth a look as well.

I would love to help but I have little coding knowledge. I've been teaching myself but it's gonna be awhile before I am useful with it. I wouldn't mind helping with any voice work needed or writing although writing an RPG could be complicated.

I don't know, best of luck either way. Would be cool to see how this turns out.

I have one really important suggestion, having been apart of a small group of people who wanted to make a game together. You need a strong leader to propel the project. Everyone also needs to understand that this person is the "boss." Everything will eventually get splintered and nobody will be able to settle on one idea if there is no clear leader. It's not that there won't be open discussion. You just need someone to make that final decision if people can't agree. It's easy to let the project fall to the side and flounder if someone isn't really driving it forward. That's what happened to my group after we finished our prototyping class. :-)

@Tesuto: That's another vote for Unity / C#! I'm keeping a tally, heh. I was at the Toronto contingency of Global Game Jam. Fun times :)

I'll keep you posted. As I've stated earlier, RPG Maker seems quite attractive as it would allow us to get working on the actual game sooner rather than later -- which imo is important for a community-based, part-time project for everyone. Similarly, a 2D game seems way less ambitious than 3D. Again, I could be wrong about this stuff. These are just my first thoughts. Do you imagine us being able to make an RPG in Unity? What about a castlevania-esque (ie: stats + platformer) game in Unity?

@zudthespud: Damn that's right! I'll try and track that guy down. Those were so good! Jazz Jackrabbit. damn I haven't played that since I was a kid! That could be cool.. I was imagining more of a JRPG/parody, though Jazz Jackrabbit could work to, though it might be hard to include all the GB cast as playable characters in something like that...

@Sanj: Hi! I think it'll depend on what type of game we end up making. I was imagining a 2D RPG Maker-like game, so we'd need pixel art/animation sprites for the cast, though I'm seeing a lot of interest in Unity 3D, which would require 3D assets, which I imagine would be a bit too ambitious. In terms of environments/bad guys, that might have to wait as well until we solidify the main concept! Are you an artist?

@Chavtheworld: Yeah, RPG Maker is definitely my top pick right now, though we have some programmers in this thread who seem comfortable in Unity / C#, so we'll see! But yeah I agree it seems like the easiest and let's us focus on (imo) the most important part of a fan-made game: the look, humour and sound of the game.

@Panpipe: Awesome! Thanks a lot! I will keep you posted as things become more clear. :)

@nintendoeats: Yeah I'll toy around with RPG Maker later tonight after work. I think nailing our overall concept for the game will also help us solidify what we need out of a game engine.

I sure hope this turns into an actual thing! Best of luck to all involved.

@papercut: Would love to have your help, though honestly it seems like this idea here is more what you have in mind :)

@Bio2hazard: Hi! You seem plenty competent and bring up some fair points about RPG Maker. The same-iness of RPG Maker games is definitely apparent, though I still think a solid art style could held us stand out. I'm seeing a lot of push for C# though, so that seems like the strongest contender right now.

@CornBREDX: Thanks for the offer! I imagine we won't have voice actors, though I suppose that could be used for comedic value (ex: Brad having thick cockney accent). Though we might need your help with writing, once we get there. Thanks again :)

@Galiant: Word, brother!

@wewantsthering: Very good point. We'll have to decide on this soon. Let me sort out my thoughts and will post something tonight. Probably a google doc.

Alright I've got to get back to work. I'll reply to more messages tonight. Glad everyone is excited as well :)

I'd love to help out. Most of my skills are in people management and some knowledge of coding (not near as much as some people who have posted here already). I can also help with gameplay systems design. I would prefer to help with more organizational tasks like design docs, making sure projects are being done by the appropriate people, etc. These types of projects can sputter and stall pretty easily if you don't have a clear design and goal to reach.

I would love to help with writing! I could use the experience. I don't have much else to offer though.

You have my witty writing skill (not much). But I'm certainly interested in seeing what comes out of this. Good luck!

Sounds like fun! I have experience writing/copy editing and a degree in English lit so I would be happy to lend my skills to whatever kind of script this might have. I'm not the strongest dialogue writer, but for everything else I could certainly help. I would imagine that with the amount of time most of us have spent listening to the crew talk about one thing or another the script would almost write itself.

Also, I think that the idea of a GB themed Tetris Battle Gaiden is amazing.

@Renahzor: You'd be an invaluable help! I'll keep you posted, thanks :)

@Jimmi: and @CyborgDuo: and @Dixego: your writing skills would be greatly appreciated. I think we should set up some sort of think thanks with ideas, jokes, etc. that we'd like to see in the game.

@RainVillain: Hey, the community's here to help.

I'm an illustrator and designer, I wouldn't mind throwing my hat into the ring.

To show a little bit of my chops, here's a WIP of what I'm doing.

I'd love to help out as a developer. I'm not as experienced as others in the thread but I've worked with web languages (HTML, CSS, PHP etc.) before as well as C# for the last year with XNA. I was going to delve into Unity soon but I'd be willing to jump into any platform decided upon here.

I am a little bit of a programer, and I am, by profession, a graphic designer. I would love to help.

Okay, so there hasn't been a lot of activity from the OP and I'd really like to get something going, so the first thing I'd like to clear up is: What genre of game do we want to make?

This is probably the single most important question, and the one that may either kindle, or extinguish interest in the project.

The OP suggested a JRPG. The way I see it, the JRPG format is rather boring for us programmers - they don't require as much in the ways of game mechanics coding than other games, but due to their simplicity, also have a high chance of getting somewhere. The majority of the work would definitely fall on the writers and the map designers. Witty writing is key here and will make or break the game. Examples of games that have done it right are the penny arcade games as well as cthullu saves the world / breath of death.

If we were to use RPG Maker, the programmers pretty much have nothing at all to do since it already takes care of the game mechanics. RPG Maker also has a huge archive of assets, meaning we don't have to have artists make everything. The result is the samey-looking ness. RPG Maker would get the project of the ground instantly, and writers could start penning dialogue and maps can be created.

Someone suggested a Castlevania style game - I would assume a 2d sidescrolling platformer with combat elements. This would be a fun project for programmers ( i likey ! ), but writers would probably not have as much to do. Map makers, again, will also have to do alot. This would also require a lot of effort from artists, since instead of static sprites we'd need sprite sheets with animations and such. Overall a much harder project, but maybe more rewarding ?

What else ? There would be non-combat platformers, fighting games, puzzle games... bring forth suggestions!

Ack, I've been really busy with my own projects over the past couple weeks.. I believe I've proven my case as to why I should NOT be the head of this game project. I would still love to do the soundtrack tho :)