A Good Dev is Hard to Find

[Hustlertwo]

Almost a year ago, I came up with what I believe is a very solid idea for a mobile SRPG. The problem is, I do not know how to code. I have a couple friends who do but they have day jobs and don't have the time to bite off a project of this size. So I ask: does anyone know a way around this? Is there a place to go to find willing coders to partner with on a project, or do they typically all have games of their own to make and are not interested in collaboration? Or is the only way this thing will ever see the light of day if I take the time and try to figure out how to make it myself in between job and family obligations? I hate to give up on the idea but I am a bit at a loss on where to go, so any suggestions are welcome.

[EICJoe]

I know what you mean - a friend of mine comes up with ideas like that too, but she doesn't know how to code and doesn't even have friends who do.

She even asked me if I knew anyone and it's not really that simple. There must be some sort of crowd-sourcing site for budding coders looking for things to collaborate on or practice their skills?

I guess the thing is it's probably not as simple to make as it is to come up with the idea, which means we're into "this is a serious project" territory. Hard to get into something like that with strangers.

Good luck anyway! If I come up with anything I'll post here.

[Hustlertwo]

Ha, crowd-sourcing makes me think of that new Takl app for getting people to do your chores. Would be a hoot to put 'code my mobile game' on there just to see how they would respond.

Thanks anyhow for the response. I do not anticipate finding an easy answer, but we have not because we ask not.

[ArmCha1R23]

Try looking for one on Upwork and other freelance websites.

[Hustlertwo]

Someone else had mentioned Upwork. It was way out of my price range though, or that of most other individuals I would imagine. Who just had thousands of dollars lying around to pay for the dozens or hundreds of hours needed for the job? And even if you did have it, could you possibly even make it back, much less actually make a profit? Maybe, but the odds would be against it. It would just be the digital equivalent of publishing a book with a vanity press.

[p0dde]

I think you need one of two skills to get a project like what you are talking about to succeed. You need to be able to code or you need to be able to raise money.

If you have a strong concept start making a killer game design document and a badass business plan, and take if from there. If what you got is good and you are able to communicate it, I am sure you will be able to finde a coder. But all of this is not easy, and demands a lot of leg work.

The third option, what i choose, was to learn to code. It is not as hard as people make it, but it takes some dedication.

[Hustlertwo]

I think you need one of two skills to get a project like what you are talking about to succeed. You need to be able to code or you need to be able to raise money.

If you have a strong concept start making a killer game design document and a badass business plan, and take if from there. If what you got is good and you are able to communicate it, I am sure you will be able to finde a coder. But all of this is not easy, and demands a lot of leg work.

The third option, what i choose, was to learn to code. It is not as hard as people make it, but it takes some dedication.

True, and I eventually chose that option myself, albeit with a very simple coding language, ChoiceScript. Hoping to release my second game later this year or early next year.

[faoiju2309rjp]

I'm going to break it to you as clearly as I can: There's a 99.9% chance that you will NOT find a programmer for your project.

I've done a few game projects myself. I'm a creative person myself, and like many others I have many good, interesting and cool ideas. I've learned the following: If you want something done you have to do it yourself. Even if you have the money to hire a programmer then you still need to constantly check on the progress and micromanage/control them so that they actually stick to the plan (since programmers like to do their own stuff too and work in a way they prefer).

If you do find a 'free' programmer the chances are they won't put enough time into it. Why should they? They don't get paid and they have ideas of their own to work on as well. I currently have 4 other programmers 'working' with me on Stellar Warfare, but in total I think they've put in about 8 hours each while I've put in over a thousand hours. While most of them said they had about 10-20 hours per week to work on the project with/for me. I don't blame them for it, its just how it goes. They have their own stuff to do and its easy to get excited about a project and promise more than you can deliver.

So what should you do? Follow some basic programming tutorials. I reccomend Unity. Then make some very basic projects yourself and finish them from A-Z. Then work your way up. Buy 3D assets or use free assets, re-use pieces of programming you have learned in the past or that you can find online. Mix and match. Focus on getting the best result/highest quality/most shit done for the least amount of effort. Try to make as little as possible yourself and re-use and re-purpose as much as possible.

I guess you could also try to sit together with a programmer every sunday to work on the project together or something like that, but I think the chances of success in that regard are relatively slim too.

TLDR: Learn how to program youself. Start with very simple projects and complete them A-Z before starting a new project.

[Hustlertwo]

I'm going to break it to you as clearly as I can: There's a 99.9% chance that you will NOT find a programmer for your project.

I've done a few game projects myself. I'm a creative person myself, and like many others I have many good, interesting and cool ideas. I've learned the following: If you want something done you have to do it yourself. Even if you have the money to hire a programmer then you still need to constantly check on the progress and micromanage/control them so that they actually stick to the plan (since programmers like to do their own stuff too and work in a way they prefer).

If you do find a 'free' programmer the chances are they won't put enough time into it. Why should they? They don't get paid and they have ideas of their own to work on as well. I currently have 4 other programmers 'working' with me on Stellar Warfare, but in total I think they've put in about 8 hours each while I've put in over a thousand hours. While most of them said they had about 10-20 hours per week to work on the project with/for me. I don't blame them for it, its just how it goes. They have their own stuff to do and its easy to get excited about a project and promise more than you can deliver.

So what should you do? Follow some basic programming tutorials. I reccomend Unity. Then make some very basic projects yourself and finish them from A-Z. Then work your way up. Buy 3D assets or use free assets, re-use pieces of programming you have learned in the past or that you can find online. Mix and match. Focus on getting the best result/highest quality/most shit done for the least amount of effort. Try to make as little as possible yourself and re-use and re-purpose as much as possible.

I guess you could also try to sit together with a programmer every sunday to work on the project together or something like that, but I think the chances of success in that regard are relatively slim too.

TLDR: Learn how to program youself. Start with very simple projects and complete them A-Z before starting a new project.

This is all true stuff, but the thread you're responding to is pretty old. I already learned a lot of that on my own, found an interactive fiction publishing house, learned their coding language and currently have two games out: sci-fi comedy Nuclear Powered Toaster, link here: https://www.choiceofgames.com/user-cont ... e=ourgames and The Parenting Simulator, which even got a mention in the Wildcard section on the Pocket Tactics GOTY post last month (albeit because I shilled for it a bit, but it has still been a decent success by Hosted Games standards, with over 6,000 copies sold in three months). Just got a Steam release solidified for May, too, which should provide another boost and tie in well with Mother's Day. Link for that one's here: https://www.choiceofgames.com/user-cont ... sercontrib

I thought about using some of the TPS royalties to finally do my original game notion up the right way, but honestly, the more I learn about this sort of thing the less I feel it would make a return on investment enough to merit it. SRPGs are niche, and going niche was already part of my problem with Nuclear Powered Toaster and its futuristic setting. I don't intend to make that mistake again if I can help it. It'll likely just remain on the back burner indefinitely, especially since i already have way more ideas for other interactive titles than I do time to write them all. And I've tried to dip my toe into offering writing services for other gamemakers as well, though nothing's come of it as of yet.