   I think Im lost ....
  A few months ago I started game development, and since I last posted Ive realized I haven't actually been /developing/.I made a few little game-like things when I was learning the OpenGL API but they don't really count.Most times I code something, then scrap it and do it again, then scrap that, only to find there was nothing wrong with it. The latest example being a simple multi-format loader, when I started on the .obj part of the loader I couldn't export the normals correctly, only to find that it was the default Maya exporter messing everything up.( Another mesh loader not made by me had the same problem. )I already have some experience with web development (PHP CSS HTML), C programming (C++ C#), and few minor scripting languages ( Python and GameMod Scripting ), including Perl which I have since long forgotten ... ^__^;But its not all bad, I have been fixing up other areas of the game development cycle, like using Fruity Loops and making models in Maya, ready for when I get to 3D. ( That is when I figure out what all this Bone/Node stuff is about, and can play keyframes with mesh.frame(42); [grin] ({researching after current project}))<Off Topic="I made a mushroom :D" />So now I'm actually starting again, but not with 3D ... yet.I was playing that Pokémon game on an emulator, "Pokémon Red Dungeon Team"...- I have the same game on cartridge but I have an English SP with only a Japanese charger. (don't ask) -__-... and thought that's easy enough to replicate, I can see how they went about the collisions and what method of prediction they use. Following tutorials on pixel art, I'm sure I can at least make a bad version :PI shall call it ... StoneRyk ( yeah ... nameGen )But its not like I can jump right into the game code, nono, I have to make the editor for it first apparently, so I started on that today .. can you tell me what you think of the idea?Its based purely off mouse interaction similar to that gesture driven Maya menu.And also 3Ds Max has something like this I think, Ive only used that app once.Its basically just the viewport with a context menu.Ive made this part of the editor a few minutes ago, and it looks kinda neat but now I have to add save/loading etc. of the grid tiles, layer, teleport configuration (doors and "the thing where the screen fades to black for a few seconds"), image managing and other things.Warning: Really crude prototype image![ link ]To teh Project Line Up:From this game and editor ....---------------| - = project || ? = why|--------------- A few more ( If I can get the art right ... )? for the general AI and path finding( at some point (soon) ... I have the books ready )- Wipeout Pure? for the weapon attachment to players, multiple players, possibly networking with boost::asio - Aircraft Simulator ? for the LOD for the terrain / buildings etc----------------Aye, I have to learn how to make realistic textures for meshes [rolleyes]After those few projects and a few more .. maybe a few months later, Ill make that totally unique game no ones made yet [grin]Not thinking about GLSL yet/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/Before I go and continue this thing:Is this a good idea for a 2D editor, or should I just go with the everyday native GUI version?Which direction do you suggest I go in at this point?( If the above is completely off track, do tell, as I may fall down a well ^__^ )Also ...I wonder what the master game programmers out there think the time frame of making a 2D game like this is for c++ junkie?( I can attempt to match to your estimate XD )Note about Title: I know the title says I may be lost with this game dev thing, but writing this has made me think about it more, so I'm not /that/ lost now, and have a rough bearing. ( as posted above :D )What Ive posted /may/ help out other newbs idk.\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/Thanks for reading! ( This sentence at least :D )   
  Well considering the fact that the first pokemon games out there were pretty big i would say it would take a couple of months anything up to 1-2years to create a clone. The amount of art, storyline, monsters, etc.. would take along time if you were just doing it yourself. but implementing it all into a game and then eliminating all bugs and optimizing your code could take a long time!If you are finding it hard to stay at one project then simply divide it all into smaller tasks. for instance. hmm i think i will create concept images for a couple "pokemon" today And dont spend every little second you have doing it. pace yourself. for instance if you buy a new game and play it for several days straight you quickly go off it.(except for wow) so make sure you do only an hour or 2 on it a day.   ;  Hello emforce!And a big thanks for your response! [grin]What you have noted is defiantly something I have not considered, well I have but I wouldn't have thought about it like that unless you stated it, the amount of art work required is /huge/ ^__^;However based off a certain tutorial, [link], I think this method of creating good sprites is the best way to get started, all the time goes into the hand positioning of the pixels, and I usually like doing fine details :DOtherwise its just outline, and fill in. And actually I guess the time really goes in the animation ...As for storyline, I'm not going to make up my own. Ill probably just copy this one until I have a better understanding of what makes a good storyline, and more or less analyze it to see what makes it good/bad etc. as I goThe design of the creatures/monsters will have to come before the sprite creation, an I can makeup creatures quite easilyAlso most of my code works the first time I write it, I do everything in chunks, one class/feature at a time and always make sure there are no memory leaks and that it compiles when I have to go sleep, even if what I'm doing takes two days straight. I don't have a problem with sticking to a project, as long as I know what I'm doing, and have planned/researched if needed.Though I do think Ill start the concepts now, thanks for the suggestion [smile]Eep, I ways do that, stick with one thing and continue until Ive finished it, with games I play then continuously until Ive finished them no matter how hard it is, but that can be done in a few hours, MMOs such as WoW would take a few weeks/years XD   