Turns out I'm determined to release a game and, you could almost say, losing the previous one was a stroke of luck.
As I already mentioned in my previous post, I'm going to undertake a smaller project and, at this moment, I'm in its "pre-production" phase, which basically consists of drafting the GDD (Game Design Document).
The GDD is the document that collects absolutely everything about your game, from the story, characters, script, and general ideas to the smallest detail about gameplay, enemy AI, level design, art, music, etc. It can even detail financial and marketing aspects of the game. It is considered a "live" document since it should reflect everything new that is being added to the game, as well as any changes that may arise regarding what was originally written during development.
This phase is somewhat tedious but essential to know what you're doing, as it's easy to get lost in game development. In my case, the previous project was getting out of control and I needed this guide, something I hadn't done before.
Obviously, the more complex and extensive the game, the larger the document, and this will already give you an idea of what it will cost you to make the game. Although surely it will entail more work than anticipated, this is something that always happens.
The previous project still seems interesting to me, so I've parked it, drafted a kind of GDD for it so I wouldn't forget the ideas I had and kept it safe. And now ... what am I getting myself into?
The new game I want to develop will be simpler. I intend to create a skill-based video game with ideas taken from the mythical snake game of the old Nokia and the classic Asteroids game. It will involve being a pilot of a ship in the not-too-distant future in which we will have to collect space debris and prevent a "Kessler Syndrome". What is a "Kessler Syndrome"? To summarize: it is the chain effect that occurs when satellites and artificial stations around the Earth begin to collide with space debris or other satellites, destroying themselves and creating clouds of debris that rotate at high speed around our planet, in turn colliding with more satellites and elements, causing a chain effect. To give you an idea, here is the trailer for the movie "Gravity" at this link: https://youtu.be/OiTiKOy59o4
I don't want anyone to be mistaken, the video game I'm developing won't strive to be as spectacular as the 'Gravity' movie. There won't be a grand visual representation of space debris or a cinematic narrative. The reference to 'Gravity' is merely to help visualize the concept of the Kessler Syndrome. My goal is to offer a fun and challenging gaming experience, which takes elements from this real phenomenon and applies them to game mechanics in a way that is engaging and entertaining.
For now, I will reserve the details, but I will be posting updates about this new project when I can. For the moment, I'll call it code name: "Project COMET". So...
Psst... By the way... I've already set up a GIT code repository for the project. :)