Welcome to the one and only guide to creating a LEGO related video game! Oh, you think this is a joke? Well, it is not. Why did I make this guide? Because I saw many projects with great ideas and potential. But I know they would not make it because they are disorganized.
IMPORTANT - MUST READ:[]
Before we begin, please follow all of my instructions carefully or else you will end up with a failed game. Additionally, you would have to read through all of LEGO Company's terms and copyright information. Why? Because if you make a wrong move while making your game, you can get sued. Always remember that this game you are making cannot earn any profit. Another note is that you can always write to LEGO Company about your game ideas and let them see if your idea would be copyrighted. If they reply and say that your game is fine, then you may begin working on your game. However, if they reply and say you cannot use whatever things in your game, you better fix it before you get sued.
Another thing I want to tell you is that using LEGO Universe files is illegal. Everything you found while file diving or unpacking the .pk files cannot be used in your game. Got that? Yes? Then let's move on to Chapter 1.
Chapter 1 - The Title, Plot and Audience:[]
What you need to do first is to write down some stories and ideas for your game. Is it going to be like LEGO Universe? Or a FPS? Is it going to be a puzzle game? Is it going to be 3D or 2D? After you have brianstormed some cool ideas, make a name for your game. You are asking why it isn't the other way around? Well, it's because a title of a video game almost always has to be related to the story of it. You can't just make up a random name you read on the newspaper today, right?
Now that you have the title and plot done, you can start making your game! a careful planning of what needs to be done. (Did you really think this is that easy? I certainly hope not.) You need to think of the audience. Who are you targeting? Is it age 8 or below? Or is it 13+? Depends on your game's difficulty level, you can choose the targetted audience and make your game towards that direction.
Chapter 2 - The Platform, and Style:[]
Now you need to know what gaming concole you are going for. Is it going to be PC, Mac, Android, iPod/iPhone/iPad, Linux, XBox, PS3, or Nintendo? Or a combination of various concoles? Or other gaming devices? After you choose the platform(s) of the game, you need to start worrying about the style of the game.
How is the game going to be played? Single player? Multiplayer? Both? Or even Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO)? This can depend on the gaming devices because Multiplayer may or may not be supported. It can also depend on your storyline. Once you are settled with the style of your game, you can go on to the next step must read the following paragraphs carefully.
If you are making a single player game, then you can probably ignore this paragraph and go on to Chapter 3. However, if you are making either a Multiplayer or a MMO, you better read this.
For Multiplayer:
Multiplayer involves hosting servers. If you played Minecraft, you would understand. For Multiplayer to work, one must host their own servers. This involves having a server and clients. This is usually free you don't have to worry about money.
For MMO:
MMO is almost the same as Multiplayer but on a much larger scale. If you want to make an MMO, you have to be sure you have enough money to support the cost of the server(s) because you don't have any profit from making your game. A server that supports 100 users simultaneously costs about $9 monthly. That is the cheapest you can get. Remember that you cannot make profits from your game, not even donations. The server cost must come out of your own pocket.
Chapter 3 - Programs, Coding Languages, and 3D/2D Graphics:[]
Now all the ideas about your game are pretty much set. It is time for you to find a good game-making program. A game engine is really important because your entire game revolves around it. You want to find a game engine that suits your needs. What game engines are you going to use? Here, I made you a list:
Free:
Unity3D (I would recommend this one because it gives you a lot of options.)
Unreal Engine (Best for shooting games but can be modified.)
CryEngine (Best for shooting games.)
Paid:
Other:
Make your own game engine. Unless all the other game engines cannot perform what you want, you can make your own game engine. One would only make a new game engine because no other game engines can do what you want. This is a very complicate and time consuming process so I would not recommend you to take this path. You would have to be more than a professional at a certain programming language to make your own game engine.
Depending on the software, you have to program in a certain computer language(s). You would have to learn the programming language you want to use. And trust me, this is not going to be easy. Now that the programming language is set, you need to work on the 3D and 2D graphics software. What 3D/2D programs are you going to use? Here, I also made you a list:
3D- For Three Dimensional
Free:
Blender (I highly recommend this program because it's free and easy to use.)
Google SketchUp (I recommend using this to create buildings similar to the Nexus Tower in LEGO Universe.)
3ds Max ( You get a free 3-year license if you are a student.) ( I would recommend this one if you are highly trained in Autocad.)
Maya (You get a free 3-year license if you are a student.) (I would recommend this one if you are trained in Autocad or 3ds Max.)
Paid:
3DCrafter Plus / 3DCrafter Pro
2D- For Two Dimensional
Free:
GIMP (It's pretty much a free version of Photoshop. It's THAT good.)
Paid:
Photoshop (I highly recommend this one because it's currently the best out there. Of course, it is very expensive.)
Illustrator (It's perfect for creating logos and menus.)
Now that you have chosen the software and programs you need in order to create the game, you need a team of members to help you do that.
Chapter 4 - Teammates:[]
Unless you are so amazing at creating games, I'm sure you will need help of some sort. That is why you need teammates. Remember to choose your teammates well because they might bring on the downfall of your game. You have to choose people with great or atleast decent talent who can actually help you in creating your game. You want dedicated people who want to see this game come to life. A good game must have these jobs. Again, I made a list for you:
Coder/Programmer - This is one of the most important jobs because no coders means no game.
3D Modeler / 2D Graphics Designer - This is also really important because the coders/programmers work around the graphics. If there are no graphics, there will not be any to code for.
LEGO Digital Designers - This is important as well BUT you have to choose them well. Only the talented ones should be added to your team.
Audio/Music Maker - A game is boring without music and sounds.
Story Maker - If you want to extend your plot, you will need these people to help you.
And that is about it for a basic team. You can have more depending on the game or situation. Remember to have a weekly or daily meeting to tell each other's progress. Communication is important in the team because everyone's jobs are linked; one cannot function without the others.
Aside from the team, you can also have a group of Administrators and Moderators for watching over your website. Of course, it depends on your website. If it is a blog, you probably do not need any of them.
Administrator - He or she must almost always be online and maintain the website. Be kind and helpful.
Moderator - He or she must be online once a day and maintain the website. Be kind and helpful.
Chapter 5 - Website, Deadlines, and Progress:[]
You then need to create a website of any kind for your team to meet up. It can also serve as a discussion area for the supporters of your game. The more appealing the website is, the more supporters you will have. And to keep these supporters around, you must set deadlines. I would suggest a weekly deadline. You have to post progress at least weekly to show your supporters that you are actually working on your game successfully. This allows them to have faith in your team. Here is a list of free websites you can make:
Wikia.com (Good for a huge team with many LDDs, but not recommended because it is very insecure.)
Forumotion.com (Recommended for an organized team but ads can be annoying.
Wordpress.com (Recommended for a smaller team with less LDDs.)
On the other hand, you can choose to be secretive and not reveal your website to anyone else until you have made the game. You can do this if you want to avoid people coming to your website yelling, "I WANT TO BE IN BETA!!!!!"
Chapter 6 - Know Your Competition:[]
You aren't the first one who want to create a LEGO game. Here is some competition I know right now:
Astrobrick (Still semi-secretive so I am not giving out the link.)
The Siege (Do not know if the owner wants to reveal his website.)
Crux Force (I know pretty much nothing about it.)
I know, I know, there are a lot of them. So why am I showing you this? Because you can learn from their mistakes. After you see what hardships other teams have encountered, you can avoid them or come up with a better solution. You can also avoid having the same ideas. I know, I know, now you are wondering why I haven't showed you this in Chapter 1. Because people usually come up with their own original ideas before seeing other people's ideas. I didn't want to mess your thoughts up. Originality is really important in game-making.
Chapter 7 - Development Phases:[]
Oh, you think it is already over? Not even close. The first phase of development is mostly testing where you get to test out your ideas. After that you can start making serious game-related progress.
- Testing Phase (You might want to keep this to yourself.)
- Pre-Alpha Phase (This is optional, unless you want to test several things out and show them to your teammates.)
- Alpha Phase (This is the finaly version of your game before showing the game to the public.)
- Closed Beta Phase (This phase is really important as your supporters or selected testers would most likely give feedback and report glitches.)
- Open Beta Phase (This phase allows everyone to play your game and give feedback.)
- Final Product Phase (This would be the first version of the game that everyone can play regardless of giving feedback.)
Of course, later on you can update your game to newer versions after the final product phase. It is your choice.
Chapter 8 - Advertisements:[]
You can start advertising after Alpha Phase, because that is when the game has finished taking its shape. Do not advertise before that because it will just grab so much attention, hope and quality that you do not want. People will begin to set standards you cannot meet. You can advertise by creating a trailer or teaser video. You can also just simply make a poster or desktop wallpaper. Your advertisements of course have to be catchy and interesting enough so that people will want to play your game. You can create a Facebook page or make a Twitter account for your game; it is your call.
The End and Good Luck:[]
And that is about it, guys. I hope your game will be successful. If so, leave a comment below and I will add you to the competition list. I wish you luck because you, my friend, are certainly going to need it.