Prologue
I've been thinking to share my old gamedev stuff since that's too good to be wasted or just gone without even being noticed by ppl....*writes blog*....... i was wanted to post a post mortem of an old game project but ended up writing long story of mine before i decided to dive gamedev industry, lol so okay.. *changes the blog title*I will share my own story--how i become a professional game developer. (my pro meaning = make games as living, just in case ppl refer it as 'veteran').
What makes me into games/ game development
1. Childhood interest
Back years, under age of 10, mom bought us (me and clea) NES and i can only play 30 min every weekends, weekday is a no for video games, we had to study she said.As sibling we have to share stuff like console, TV and anything, so we both have to wait until one finished or a timeout to play, or we sometimes just play 2P games to avoid quarrels over a console.
I was envious of other ppl out there who can play whatever time they want, but later i noticed, if it was easy to get like that, i won't be craving out for video games like now haha.
Until now, video games means so much to me, i grown up and live with them.
2. Asset making games, RPG Maker
At PSX era, i played some games involving "drawing in pixel" such as Wild Arms, it allows us to draw skill icons used in battle, it was so fun (though my drawings were so bad, still it's my custom creation lol) and anyone remember how Saga Frontier, or even mainstream games like Tales of Destiny, Final Fantasy 7, can change the layout menu color/ fonts by personally setting the RGB? And some mecha/robot games allows us to draw our own crest by pixelling it out. I kinda love games with a little trivial details like that haha.At the same era, we both played RPG Maker in PSX, we start to figure out how RPG can be made, eventing, building maps, database, managing assets, even drawing assets. These experiences made me (in present time) feel familiar with game making process, though it's too little comparing to reality, but it has similar essence, just like an appetizer before dealing with the main thing.
3. Chance meeting the first game development team
I kind of forget how i knew RPG Maker in PC, but i was addicted to it, A LOT. I was only pure a hobbyist and curious youth (yeah i was a teenager back then haha), i wasn't thinking to make a serious project or even being a pro game developer. Uh i don't think i ever said this, but i was a comic artist and had dream to make an animation film of my own story-- LiaL. WAS. haha. I ended up distracted by making RPG Maker project with the characters from the comic project, it was so too i couldn't help being distracted, shame that the project is gone =_=.Until i was introduced by a friend from j-band community-- ghur, with Blue Destiny Arts team, working for a project called Destinia with clea. If i didn't happen to know this team, i don't think i will write this blog here now, haha, perhaps i am still a cover band member, or maybe i'll be a common office worker, who knows.
4. Experiencing teamwork and knowing its effectiveness
That was my first time working as a team for 'serious thing', beside band activity. My school days was so mediocre that i never joined up into project in a team, or maybe i just didn't interested back then.Moments in Blue Destiny Arts was amazing, we had basecamp, even though it was at the team leader's home--Harnatz, and i met some artists who are nice and fun to befriend with and we hang out lot of time too.
Here, I realized teamwork power was so OP, we can make things we don't even know, and because we can let anyone else be bothered about part what we don't like. I realized i am lazy, plus, i have bad determination to finish what i have started alone. Another power is, we don't need to decide EVERYthing alone.
I learned how to manage team even, how to communicate effectively and make schedule, to do list, etc, i never knew it would be as complicated.
5. Passion breakdown and 'dream change'
We (me with Blue Destiny Arts) made 2 RPG games, then the team got suspended due to some reasons, and the whole team walk their own path, including me, i was being a commission artist/ pro freelancer, clea too, as composer.
Second reason, knowing i couldn't reduce gaming time (which if i want to be pro comic artist, i need to seek reference by reading comics or at least watching movies, but i prefer playing video games, i wonder why), i was also feel that my ability to make game assets will be wasted if i pursue this path. With some thoughts, I decided to change my dream to game development, to conserve time to look up references which suit my hobby as a gamer, lol.
Thanks to Bai-- he invited me to another game developer team named Rebornz, knowing kodoktua, then trimutation team, which i got acquainted with hipon, and worked for Sword of August project.
Edit--- and gamedevID.org community makes me grow up and learn much things gamedev related, even until now. If you're an Indonesian and into game development, you can't miss this community!
A little story of my game development team (and former)
Blue Destiny Arts
First reasons why i joined the team, at 2007, i didn't know any game development team in my country even exist in my country so i was like, "WOW really? Now we could own the world!" lol. Members are interesting persons to work with and befriend with, they're full of passion, skillful and so willing, though we weren't get paid, but we were doing the project happily.
We gave birth to 2 project DESTINIA alpha, and Destinia ~White Crest~. Both of them are RPG Maker XP games. I'll share story about them next time since i don't think Destinia project has website or articles to read to.
Unfortunately the team got suspended. However, BIG thanks to this team for introducing me to game development world!
Rebornz, 3M/ trimutation
I joined on a whim at 2008 or 2009, because i still wanted to contribute my arts for video games, but later i was serious on growing up the team and focus my life on it as a pro. At the same time, i worked with KABABONKEN Comics /kentasenin (but i have left) lol i was such a project whore.
We had good times together without meeting in person (most of the time). But in the end I left the team due to lack of productivity, initiative and communication.
Enthrean Guardian
I joined up at early 2010, originally i was just the quality control/advisor of Eternal Grace project, but later i got invited by Jasprelao to enter the team as main artist, i agreed because i still had "hidden passion" in RPG creation, and i felt i can help it grow because of my experience with Blue Destiny Arts.We made Eternal Grace -episode I-, i contributed in art, story, level design, event programming. This is also an internet powered team lol. I learned much more about teamwork power, mainly i level up my communication skills.
stellar-Ø
This is the team i founded with clea and kodoktua, as an asset provider service, at late 2010. Actually we never thought about making games, but ended up made another game project--Outsmart! haha.Seems like i couldn't help but continue to make games, invited hipon in and here we are now.
Epilogue
So that's my story about how i became game developer until now, i hope i can inspire people with sharing little stories of mine. (OMG so much links, ppl might thought they're ads rofl) Anyway thanks for reading and have a nice day. :)~Lazcht out
