[Development] some questions from an aspiring dev

[asdsdfdfg]

hey guys i made a similar thread in another section of the forum, then i realized it is much more fitting here:

my game idea is very simple at its core, but like most "good" games, the complexity lies underneath the mechanics. imagine a game like hearthstone, which is superficially simple and would not take a gigantic budget to develop.

i am 100% convinced of the potential success of my idea (succes meaning not that i will be a millionaire but that i could create a profitable startup by launching this game), and so i want to get started.

my question is, primarily, if any of you have experience with indie game development, and wether a prototype created in the wc3 editor could effectively communicate the core principles and mechanics of the game?

would potential investors reject an idea, if a prototype is presented as wc3 map? and how close is the trigger system in the map editor, to actual game coding? i was pretty decent at developing complex interacting systems with the gui triggers, variables and all that stuff (never got into jass though)

would appreciate any kind of feedback from you guys!

 

[GhostWolf]

While there are similar things to WC3's GUI, I am not sure how practical it is to make a real game with them, and hence would suggest against using something like that, and program using text-based languages (Jass can actually be a great intro to the world of programming!).

I don't know if anyone will take a WC3 map seriously or not, but if you can't make anything outside of it, I really don't think anyone will. Since you never (I assume) made anything outside of it, this is therefore applicable to you.
In other words, prefer to actually program something not using WC3.

As to challenges you might come up with - the gameplay isn't complex, however you will need to know a thing or two about graphics, and you will need decent knowledge about networking.
A card-based game mostly depends on balance (but then what multiplayer game doesn't), and art, both of which are hard to make.
When/if you have something real to show, like a fully working demo, you might be able to recruit some artists. The balance is all about testing and testing and testing.

 

[TheKurt009]

i'd like to introduce you to Neoaxis 3D game engine.
it's as near as Worldedit as can be, the triggers are replaced by Logics, it has a dynamic and easy to learn physics system and the way you design maps are about the same too.
heightmaps, ambient occlusions, fullscreen filters, splitscreen cameras, HD resolutions, Physics... It can support a number of game types from Racing, shooters to sidescrollers.
it also functions similar to Visual Basic.

That said, Visual Basic + WorldEdit in a sense. look it up if you want to make a game there, i might even help you in some ways i can

also, i bet any potential investors will reject a prototype presented as a wc3 map. DOTA 2 took years to be considered.
i'd say start checking engines you'll feel comfortable with(if you haven't picked any yet) first.