I am posting this again, only so more people would hopefully notice, show support or share some more advice.
So I am developing a game, it is essentially to be a VR Sandbox type of game and I plan on it having a large number of resources, features, side quests, and a free build and guided build experience as the game grows thoroughly through its when it is released and updates.
I am going to be using C++ for this project, although I don’t know much about C++, I plan on taking C++ courses, research and lessons of some sort. Though I am good at 3D Modelling/Building in blender, I can do pixel art as well, and perhaps sketch some concepts. I have also been part of developing a 2D platformer game using Gamemaker for a college project. [I was the programmer, neither did we finish the project, though we did good progress.]
I have built a small team of people and have my own discord server. [Consisting of five members, myself included.]
All I ask for is some ideas or advice since I am new. And please, I don’t want any toxic comments or any discouragement, etc. [<< Only mentioning that because I have encountered people like that before, and I would prefer for it not to happen again.] If you really want to help me out with this project, then I would really appreciate it.
To sell a game:
Spending money is required. If you don’t need to make a profit, you can get away from just a little budget. There are works that’s not about developing game needed to publish a game. Make sure to put resources on those as well.
To build working experience:
Make documents about what you’ve done and be able to explain them. Say you build a system about questing/resource gathering/inventory/UI. Make sure at the end your project is available to playtest or have a video to showcase what you’ve done.
As for learning C++ is fine, but don’t try to put everything in C++ at first. Blueprint is a tool for a reason, not just for building without C++.
Using C++ in Unreal Engine is slightly different in just using it. Unreal Engine wrapped many things already. You might get confused if you just started learning C++ while trying to use it in Unreal Engine.
My advice, learn C++ first. Once you are confident enough on your courses. Open up the Character.h file and find a few functions that you know how it behaves. And read the functions in .cpp. If you can understand roughly 60% of it. Then you are ready to code in C++ using Unreal Engine. Now you are learning the Engine.
Alright, so my goal is to try to sell the game, but I will also be adding new features, mechanics, updates, and bug fixes etc, as the game grows overtime. Yes, I am also going to try and make a profit out of the game which I will be sharing with people who are actually helping me develop the game, which another thing is that I don’t want too many people to help me develop the game, because then the profits will be split quite a lot, but I would like some people who are willing to put some effort into the game and are not just being lazy.
I am also planning to use both C++ and Blueprints, and not only that but it will be useful if any of my friends are only good at one specific type of tool/code. Then again I should also mention now that this project might be where it is like “a group of friends” who are developing it.
Yes, I am willing use this as work experience and put it in my CV, but then again this project and Games Development itself will become my actual career [hopefully]. And I am willing to share screenshots, files, and record playtests which my friend has agreed to help me with, yet I am also going to be doing that as well.
And I’ve read the advice you’ve shared already and I really appreciate it, I’m going to see about using your advice to help me learn some more, Thanks. :]
My advice, and take this how you will, is to not force yourself into “cpp purist”. The engine includes blueprints for a reason. Some parts of the engine must be completed within editor. It would benefit you to learn both BP and cpp.
Efficiency is the name of the game, and most gameplay programming is done much faster within BP (compile times alone change this, regardless of how fast you are at either). I would only worry about being a cpp purist when you run into bottlenecks from blueprint.