Spend $400 at mixamo.com and get thier indy package, thats a ton of animations to get you started. You will have to import them all into 3ds max and delete transformation keys as you want all animations to happen in place, so then you can add transform to them in game and get the collision capsule to move. Root motion isnt good enough it seems so this way you have complete control. the 400 bucks gives you a year, in a year im hoping to spend the $2000 and make my on Motion cap studio which now a days with Kinect is pretty cheap actually, cheers and keep it up, rome wasnt built in a day!!
Cheer up! 4.5 is going to add a lot of new toys!
I feel like I’m in the same boat here. I want to contribute to a project, but my knowledge is lacking at the moment. I’ve brushed up on my C++ which I haven’t used since college. Still feel entirely lost when starting a game, though.
You must be infected 
After my last setback (after “updating” one week old files from our per4 server and overwriting all my progress with old files ^^) I was so ******, I didn’t touch U4 for 2 weeks. The worst thing is I have nobody else to blame. It was just my own stupidity and a lack of Perforce experience.
However, after a period of recovery, I am always driven back to this amazing engine! It’s hard to stop working with it, but to start a serious game development (with a team) it’s crucial the following things are in place:
Design Document
Project Structure
Naming Conventions
Version Control
If you don’t have these from the start, it will mean you have to restart your project several times. Structure is the most important, because you will want to keep the same organisation throughout your project. Each of these things take an effort to learn doing them right. Of course you are free to write a game document as you like it, but then nobody might read it; I found it incredible helpful to illustrate points of the design document - even with stick figures ^^
You don’t always need a concept artist, but it definitely helps. I’m no programmer, so I can’t say how it feels developing a game without having a mental image of the actual assets and style in your head. I think the concept artist clears so much ground and gives so much inspiration to the team that he’s probably the most important guy, next to the programmer. However, concept artists are not always motivated themselves and tend to have a thousand projects at the same time; which is a bad approach.
If it was just about the modeling or animation, making games would be easy. A game is such a colossal effort, even with all the great tools provided with U4. It’s hard to explain to outsiders, why you need a year to make a prototype. So there is always that kind of pressure that doesn’t help one bit when you are developing. Friends and family need to understand that you cannot divide your attention all the time. On the other hand you can’t put them in a backplace for half a year or more. I guess it helps having a supportive wife (I wouldn’t know, I’m single). If you cannot reach the development goals you set for yourself, it is most likely, because other things in your life are eating up too much time.
I learned UDK for several years, so I feel pretty comfy in U4, but there is still a ton to learn and knowledge that needs updating. I complained in some other thread about EPIC making it look too easy to work with U4. It surely is easier after years of experience, but it is not something you can hope to understand by committing a few afternoons to it. It is something you have to keep coming back to. And I am by no means “great” at all things Unreal. I still have tons I want to learn, however the most tedious part seems to be behind me, now. Don’t worry, it will happen! Just keep going strong.
Hi all! haha! I love this forum topic! I am right there with all of you!
I also do get really depressed and end up eating a pint of yummy ice cream that goes right to the hips. haha!! Not really but sort of. I used to develop NWN1/2 private servers…up to 90 players on one private home server. It was great fun, NWN1 was better but it is so very much showing its age. Plays wonderful but basically have to zoom out as far as possible to not notice so much. Gawds it is low poly and ugly. haha!!
So I had the bright idea to adapt the NWN1 Aurora Engine to Unity. Did that for 1.5yrs (in Unity).
I have been experimenting with UE4 for the same porting using the NWN Lexicon and my own custom functions and includes.
Shameless plug: UE4 Conversion from Neverwinter Nights 1/2 Toolsets - Off-Topic - Unreal Engine Forums
I will say without a doubt that I am MUCH more productive in C# than in the blueprints. I can port much over in C++ as well but the UE4 engine is SOOOOOOO bloody HUGE (as well as Visual Studio being in reverse ludicrous speed…SLOW!!!)!! I get lost and simply say F’it and stick with Blueprints or use isolated scripts. Gawds it is frustrating!
I love the UE4 but to be honest I will never complete it in UE4. haha! That post above is very detailed in what the conversion is about as well as a poll. Only myself voted, and only Chance Ivey felt sorry for my lonely topic and posted. haha!!
In the end I am chiseling away at this each night and a lot on off days. I wish others saw common interest in a very nice RPG/Action project but alas everyone has their own ideas and wants their own specific game…I suppose I am in that pool as well. Nothing wrong with that really. Most I suppose have no idea how F’ing good NWN 1 and 2 to some extents is/was. Once this hobby has the first release it has a guaranteed populace dripping with need for this. The it shall be time to work on the expansions full time.
Forum topics like this make me chuckle knowing their are others with the same thoughts going through the same trials. Not certain if you folks are eating as much ice cream though. haha!!
BTW…I am a logic control programmer and data telemetry engineer. Love it but love designing and playing a really good game even more.
Thanks for reading! smiles
Dont create content, if you are programmer, just grab content from another game for your demo. And then find content creators for your final project.
As an development Engineer, & long time 3D hobbyist artist, I think I have an easier time than many here. Still I have problems, like I am poor in making 2D art work ( as I intended to have slideshow style cutscene, 3D cutcsences are overkill & no realistic given the lack of resources), but I am picking up some drawing/painting skill by doing drawing when I am watching TV.
Game development is not easy, for sure. They said everything is hard, but game development (solo or small team, partimers) is certainly the higher level of hard, as you need a wide ranges of skills.
But we are all here because making game is our passion, ain’t we. Whats important is to stay calm, & have realistic timeplan, & make managable game, & look out for each other (in this forum).
I think its good to often post your progess, share info, tips, useful sites (like those with good or free game resources, tutorials).
Well said, starseeker. Its easy to get down on yourself when you see the mountain of work ahead of you. Only take one simple task and a time and soon a mountain of finished work will be behind you.
I think Sir Henry Ford once said, "Most things are easy, once you break them down to small chunks.
Also, Edison was once asked. how it feels like to fail 99 times (I think) before discovering how to make light. He replied that he did not fail. He found 99 methods that does not produce light.
Anyway, in the past 2 weeks since I got UE4, I have tried many things that doesn’t work. Probably more than things that work. I was a bit depressed, then I remembered Edision famous quote.
You do not fail, when certain methods did not work, you only fail when you give up.
Hang in there everyone.