Android program to create games. Adding actors to the stage and testing the level. How to choose the right designer
Sooner or later, any person who more or less actively plays computer games, the thought comes to mind: “Other people’s games are, of course, good, but your own is still better!” Some of these people begin to learn programming and game design, but this is not an easy task, and not everyone will be able to complete the training. Professional developers, knowing about all the possible difficulties associated with studying this difficult science, have created special software packages for creating games.
For the most part, these programs use a graphical representation of functions familiar to every professional programmer. This allows you to create full-fledged 2D and 3D games using just a mouse. Sounds tempting, right? Unfortunately, there were some downsides. Most programs are narrowly focused on the genre (that is, if it says “Strategy”, then the maximum genre mixture that you can afford is “RTS/RPG”, etc.), and some of them only allow you to freely change models, textures, backgrounds, music, movements, but in any case these will only be variations on the theme of the same game. Today's review presents programs that (if possible, of course) do not have the above-mentioned disadvantages.
A game not only consists of a programming language that allows it to function, but also has images, art, sounds, scripts, difficulty categories, interactive buttons, which requires the developer to have artistic knowledge in story writing, character design, audio, etc. others.
Now you should understand how broad the knowledge required to create an online game is, not only knowing how to develop in terms of programming, but also knowing a set of programs, having good taste and incredible creativity. There are several reasons why you create an online game, from the simple desire to increase your knowledge of the area until you make money with this activity.
Game Maker
From a simple texture and model editor (the first versions of the program), Game Maker has evolved into a fully functional application development environment. The latest eighth version allows you to work with 2D and 3D objects, use standard and user-created libraries (for this you need to use Lib Maker) and much more.
Game Maker is probably the most user-friendly game design program available today. To create code, you can use either a mouse (“graphical” programming option) or a more classic keyboard (that is, enter the code manually). It supports importing models from various editors, for example, from the popular 3D Max.
However, despite the obvious advantages, there are also disadvantages. One of them is limited 3D support, introduced with the sixth version of the program. Before the sixth version, the main games created with Game Maker were platformers, but after that it became possible to create full-fledged 3D games. Another disadvantage is that minimal knowledge of programming principles is required. Each action created on the basis of Game Maker is based on the reaction of an object to some event, which means that before starting work, you need to understand what triggers, scripts and sprites are (the latter are needed, for example, to to make fire and grass). And, of course, it would be better to be able to work with textures, models and animation.
The online gaming market is steadily expanding, being one of the most prosperous in the future, characterized as a stable and extremely profitable area. Additionally, online games are relatively easier to create due to the availability of various development tools that are free to use with low developer costs. Online games can also be monetized more easily, and you can charge for it to be free or resort to advertising sponsorship.
As already said, game development is a multi-player activity in which everyone depends on the other so that it functions as a whole and fulfills its function of entertaining the players. Therefore, we are creating a step-by-step guide for you to follow the creation of an online game.
Unity 3D
Game creation programs would not exist in the form in which they exist today if it were not for this package. Unity 3D is a much more complex tool than Game Maker. It includes a built-in model editor, a powerful graphics engine that fully utilizes the capabilities of DirectX and OpenGL, separate programs for creating and processing shaders, shadows, landscapes, physics and sounds, as well as rich script libraries.
All of the above works great in tandem, which allows a person working with Unity 3D not to use third-party programs. Unlike our previous guest, this editor, firstly, is aimed at working with three-dimensional graphics, and secondly, it makes it possible to create games of any genre using high level, thirdly, it facilitates the process of creating online games.
However, there is also a fly in the ointment in this big, luxurious barrel of honey. And this, again, is minimal knowledge of programming principles. Up to a certain point (at the stages of developing the environment and models), you don’t have to think about it, but then you will need to make some effort. Despite the rich library and powerful scripting engine with instant compilation, you will have to write some part of the code yourself. At least if you really want to create something of your own.
Like any other activity, creating a game depends on planning. So your first mission is to plan the game. Do market research to see what the most popular types of games are online today, what they offer, and how players perceive them.
From this research it is possible to have references to contribute to the development new online game, but within the standards of the Internet, or develop online games that are consistent with the most famous and profitable segments. At this stage, you can design the game by creating a scenario for revealing the story.
3D Rad
A clear winner in terms of ease of use. 3D Rad can become a starting point for many talented game makers, a kind of training platform, or it can become a full-fledged designer of game hits. Much here depends on the talent of the developer, because you can squeeze quite a lot out of this program.
The main features are the same as in previous programs, but 3D Rad, unlike the others, supports plug-ins, has some pre-installed AI models (car and pathfinder), shadow and texture maps, the ability to create Online Games(!) and shareware updates (donate $5 once for the development of the engine and receive free updates every month; those who don’t donate wait three months).
Therefore, focus your efforts on developing a really good story that grabs the players' attention, making them want to play more and more to discover the end of the story. Already have an idea of what the game's theme and characters are? So, it's time to start "hand in the dough". Make an online scale game, which is nothing more than your first version that describes in rich detail who the characters will be, how the game will play, the difficulty levels of each phase, the scenarios, will make up your online game.
The sphere is not final, on the contrary, it is built only for improvement. At this point, you will be looking to "start" your online game, give life to the characters, put the story into graphic expressions, everything to have or not have a chance of success in this online game.
Conclusion.
All three game creation programs are good in their own way. Game Maker is average both in complexity and in capabilities, 3D Rad can do a lot, but only with a smart selection of plugins, and Unity 3D is generally a full-fledged environment for comfortable game development, which, however, requires certain skills. So choose any of them based only on your goals and talents.
After creating an online gaming area, you need to create a programming language. Over time, the developer can use more complex graphics. It is important to emphasize that simple online games can be extremely profitable, especially when integrated into social media, as is the case with the famous game “happy farm”, which generates and generates, to this day, a lot of money.
Draw online game characters
The ideal is to test these tools and see which one works best for your business. 
Once the technical issues are identified, you need to start giving life to the characters in the game. Of course, you can look for a professional web designer to draw the characters for you. In fact, he is correct.
Before you read reviews of video game creation software, you should understand the development process of any game, be it 2D indie shooter or huge AAA 3D project. To create any game you need to know that developing any project in one person is almost impossible. Most projects were either abandoned or not even started. This is due to the fact that a video game is very complex program. Firstly, we need to come up with something that has not been created before, or create a good clone that would still have some additions to the existing project. Secondly, when working in one, you need to have the skills of several people at once, and the level must not be lower, that is, be an experienced programmer, level designer, 3D artist, making high-quality 3D models and textures, animating objects, be a tester and create High quality sounds for both shooting and background. Thirdly, you need to upload the application or game to the stores correctly and on time ( IOS, Android, Windows, Mac, ...), otherwise someone will do it first. But, as written above, this is “almost” unrealistic. There are cases when big projects only one person works. For example, Sergey Noskov "Noskovfe"created the game 35MM, they helped Sergei only with the sound.
Have you drawn all the characters? Proceed to the step of creating the game's virtual language, which is the code used to make it available online. In this case, first of all, it is necessary to create a website, configure its tools to facilitate the work of the moderator and the access of the players. The language depends on the platform chosen to host it, which should be mixed with the language of the game itself.
After posting a game on the site, it is recommended to test it. This way you can fix and avoid possible errors, which are errors that block the progress of the game and interrupt the player's entertainment. At this stage, it is ideal to release the game as a beta version, which serves to test the player's level of interaction with the platform.
Game creation process
Pre-production(preparing to create a game)
Game development(production)
Game support
Pre-production includes the formation of the idea for the game; there must be a first very crude prototype, which must be shown to publishers and management for approval. If there are none, then the indie developer must understand for himself whether the game will be a success, whether the project will recoup the effort and money invested in development, whether it will find an audience and, if necessary, future publishers. Before starting to develop a game, a game designer should create a design document, i.e. a detailed description of the video game and gameplay, which contains sketches and drawings of locations, future characters, weapons, etc. A design document at the preparation stage does not end its life cycle; it is constantly changing and supplemented during development.
If you do not have in-depth knowledge of gaming site integration, find some expert, he will charge a relatively affordable price and you can play your game online faster. Now that you know, how about launching? Leave your comment and subscribe for more business tips!
Regardless of the type of business you want to set up, it is very important to do the planning. Have you always wanted to create a game in a simple form, do you even know how to program? It can also be used for educational purposes to teach logic to children, for example, it is a super interesting application, let's get to know it better?
After preparing the game, a long stage of game development begins. The creation of a game is divided into 3 stages: 1 - development of prototypes, individual objects, scenes and other things, 2 - combining everything and everyone on the stage, 3 - bug fixing, testing, post-processing, adding effects. The game development involves: programmers, game designers, level designers, texture designers, modelers, animators, sound engineers, game voice actors and many others. Often one person combines many skills, playing a role in a team of several game developers at once.
Game development can also be a beginner
However, it's funny that games are the most popular category. And that's why the competition is so fierce. Before we start the game development process, we must collect all the threads and we must be aware of the problems that we will face while creating games of this kind. To find it, you need to fully explore the application and the mobile gaming market. We must find that this niche market will embrace our idea, although it may have already been explored in different ways.
Our idea should be interesting to the user and, to some extent, genuine. When creating apps, we must study current game types and trends to see what works and what doesn't. We will analyze - in addition to - forms of monetization, and we will also make choices if we use advertising or in-app purchases.
Game support consists of releasing add-ons that speed up work, correct errors (patches) or update the content of the game. The release of updates is an important stage, since it is the additions that allow the game to stay afloat for some time, for example: the game Destiny, released on PS4 September 9, 2014. The developers are still releasing additions to this online shooter and are getting more and more new users. The same applies to mobile games; constant updates lead to more and more downloads, which means they bring more profit to the developer.
When we talk about setting up a good story for game making, we refer to its storyline - or the game's dynamics in the absence of such a story. Creating a compelling story will always be better when it comes to user retention. In fact, we can say that "has been done before" without possibly telling the truth. We must strive to turn the screw even further to differentiate our game from those that also fit into the same category. What do we offer that others don't?
Mobile game development team
We must go far beyond marketing and advertising. We say "programmers" in plural because - although we still can't know the complexity of the game - no matter how complex the project is, we will certainly need more than one developer. In this regard, there would be no harm in us including an expert in marketing applications - even as a consultant to help us understand how profitable our project could be.
Programs for creating games on IOS, Android and PC
Let's look at the most famous programs for creating games. We have already written a detailed review of and, but in this list we will once again briefly describe these wonderful game engines. Our list of programs will include: Blender, Unity 5, Unreal Engine 4, Game Editor, Neoaxis, Stencyl, Kodu Game Lab.
If you don't know what we're talking about, you probably don't know what app indexing is. Both purchasing apps and including advertising in a game need to be installed before you start creating games, as the mobile game development process should only begin after all these parameters have already been decided.
Create custom games
By this we mean that the game should be intuitive and there should not be a need for a long tutorial to play. But be careful, we are not saying that the game should be easily beaten, but, yes, it is important that its rules and dynamics remain very clear. This way, you will have access to more potential users. Likewise, using accessible language is always more enjoyable and understandable than if our game is full of technical details. But be careful, we can't end up using slang or incorrect words that don't follow spelling rules.
Blender Game Engine
Blender Game Engine- a game engine that is part of a 3D modeling package Blender. Blender Game Engine was developed many years ago, but, after all this time, it was never popular among game developers, and this is due to this: Blender Game Engine created for the development of simple 2D and 3D games, because it has weak physics compared to its competitors. Of course have Rigidbody, there are elementary physics, but there is no point in prescribing to the programmer something that has long been built into other game engines. This game engine also uses a programming language Phyton, which is not very convenient. But Blender Game Engine there are advantages: 1 - you can immediately edit and add 3D models if something on the stage does not suit you, 2 - you can use Russian documentation on the site Blender, 3 - convenient renderer that produces high FPS. If you choose Blender Game Engine, then only for development small projects, to get acquainted with game development.
As a tip, you should ask people who are not associated with the project and industry to review your mobile game before launching it in stores. Testing it with users who are similar to real users - great way detect improvements and failures. This way you will know what is going wrong and which elements are easy to understand and which are not.
As with apps of any kind, making our mobile game more than just a drop in the ocean of games on the store isn't easy. Send press releases to the media - both regular and specialized, blogs, etc. and, if necessary, for more traditional digital media. We should consider whether this option could be useful for purchasing more users. Exist various ways getting more downloads and new users for your application. Apply these strategies that best fit the type of game you've designed to build a community. Encouraging customer loyalty is also important because it is futile to keep users immediately after they arrive. However, overcoming each of them requires a large team of professionals who devote a lot of time and effort.
- Make our game known to everyone.
- Receiving downloads.
- This is especially important when your application first appears.
- It may not seem that difficult to deal with only 5 problems.
Example of games created using Blender Game Engine, taken from Youtube.com :
Blender
Free software for creating video games
The purpose of this note is to show that the implementation of games in a pedagogical context makes sense and that this project is thinkable within the framework of various learning devices. The article suggests a number of applications and software by category.
Write to Create: Narrative Fiction
With this software, you can create stories in which you are the hero, with story publishing implemented online.Random events and battles are possible. To create interactive storylines from manga images. This is a paid application with a free demo version. Includes free demo version. Available in a free limited edition. Create video games with ease. You can create objects and create them.
Unity 5
Unity3d- a program for creating applications and games for various platforms: Windows, OS X, Windows Phone, Android, Apple iOS, Linux, Wii, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One. Lately we have seen an increase Unity developers, because Unity very simple game engine with huge documentation. Users also post their video tutorials on Youtube, which greatly simplifies the process of creating a game. If something doesn’t work out or the engine shows a problem that you are not able to solve, then there is a powerful community (forums, sites dedicated to Unity, VK publics, etc.). Unity- a favorite of indie developers. It was created on it great amount indie games that have gained popularity on Steam, consoles and mobile platforms. Unity Technologies provide Unity free, but with one condition: your income must be less 100.000$
per month.
A wonderful video that shows some of the best games on Unity 5 2015 and 2016:
You can download and find out prices here: Unity 5
Game Editor
Game Editor- software for creating 2D games. WITH Game Editor you can start getting acquainted with creating games, learn a primitive programming language and generally try your hand at this business. Game Editor has decent documentation and enough Russian video tutorials on Youtube. This game engine is suitable for those who want to create a game for themselves and friends, but not for monetization and subsequent sale.
Download from the official website: Game Editor
Neoaxis
Neoaxis- a universal environment for developing 3D games and applications. IN Neoaxis large set of tools, programming language C#, a set of demo games and cards for a quick start, a simple interface. primary goal Neoaxis- create an application for virtual reality glasses, simulators and training equipment, but this engine is also suitable for creating games. Plus Neoaxis is that the site, documentation and the engine itself are translated into Russian. Next-Gen graphics from Neoaxis You shouldn’t expect it, since the “versatility” of the engine is taking its toll here. Neoaxis there is a lack of a beautiful shell, because now the program design looks like 2006-2008, but not later. The work speed and rendering speed are not enough. Neoaxis supports all known platforms, so the engine is also multi-platform.
Download from the official website: Neoaxis
Stencyl
Stencyl- a program for creating games on IOS, Android And Flash no coding. Stencyl is aimed specifically at creating 2D and 3D mobile games. Mobile games made on Stencyl, have made it to the top more than once App Store And Google Play. Stencyl It’s convenient because you don’t need to learn scripting, all the actions are already written in the engine, you just need to choose which ones to use. The official website has good documentation, but there are not many Russian lessons. Stencyl collects its top games uploaded to mobile markets, you can find them here: stencyl.com/. Stencyl does not take interest on game monetization, but you must purchase Indie(99$) under Web/Desktop or Studio ($199) under IOS, Android. There is also a free version, but it cannot be used for commercial purposes.
Download from the official website: Stencyl
Kodu Game Lab
Kodu Game Lab- a free visual tool for creating games. Kodu- brainchild Microsoft. Microsoft For many years now it has been holding annual competitions for schoolchildren and students who dream of making their own games. IN Kodu you can insert your models in the format FBX, O.B.J., there is skeletal support. Kodu cannot be monetized, non-commercial use only. Kodu is ideal for teaching children programming. Programming here, of course, is not C# or JS, here you need to build basic things so that the object moves, jumps or does something. Here is an example of a game made in Kodu:
Download from the official website: Kodu Game Lab
Unreal Engine 4
Unreal Engine 4- free program to create games for Windows, Mac OS, IOS, Android, Linux, Web, Playstation 4, Xbox One and Virtual Reality, developed American company Epic Games. Unreal Engine 4- this is not just software for creating games, UE4 is also an excellent video editor, you can use it to create videos, do visualization and create projects for virtual reality glasses. Unreal Engine 4 was a paid game engine, but after Epic Games stated: " If you like something, set it free!", i.e. everyone’s favorite engine can be downloaded absolutely free. The only thing you need to do to thank Epic Games- 5% from one copy of the game, which is very good. Unreal Engine 4 mainly designed for AAA(Triple A) projects, that is, games such as: Mortal Kombat X, Paragon. That's why 5% from one copy this is a very small amount. If you decide to use Unreal Engine as a video editor or want to create a movie in it, then Epic doesn't charge any interest. This game engine has a powerful community and documentation, although not in Russia. For some reason it took root in the Russian Federation Unity, and he ( Unity 5) has a more complete store, readable documentation and a sea of Russian forums entirely dedicated specifically to Unity3d. But Epic Games has stricter rules for both content and its engine. For example, it will be very difficult for you to create conditions such that UE4 crashed when Unity does this very often. Shop Unreal Marketplace, Unlike Unity Asset Store, has only large and worthwhile packs of models, scripts, textures and ready-made scenes. IN Unity Asset Store it's hard to find something worthwhile, because most assets are things that haven't been updated or supplemented for a long time. Watch the video below showing the work Landscape Auto Material:
Download the game engine from the official website: Unreal Engine
Read more detailed review Unreal Engine Here:
