How long would this game take to make?

Community Community & Industry Discussion
1

Hi there!

So I’ve been working on a 2D java based game for the last 11 months, as my first game. Now, my original idea for the game was actually quite different, because I ended up thinking “I should start with some 2D stuff first”.
Anywho, I’ve recently discovered Unreal Engine, and I thought maybe I’d be able to make it. I’ve fiddled around with it for the past week or so, just to get an idea of it and it seems pretty awesome.
However, I’m still new to this (obviously) so I was wondering if it was worth spending time on (as a side project I don’t want to be spending a LOT of time on it). My idea is simple:
It’s really just a first person shooter, but with like 2 or 3 different weapons. No special or fancy things, a little like Counter-Strike: Source I guess. Maybe sneaking and sprinting too. I want it to be Multiplayer too, but no special gamemodes.
Like you’d be able to Host a server or Join a server and that’s it really. If you do join ,just type in the IP-address of the host or whatever. Really simple idea, but maybe it isn’t as simple to make?
How long would this take?

Thanks in advance!
-xFoondom =)

2

Anything multiplayer isn’t simple to make. It will make you spend a LOT of time.

Singleplayer, that’d be a whole different kettle of fish :slight_smile:

3

Dang, even if it’s something super simple as being able to shoot each other?

4

Its not really about the game mechanics, but more on the technical aspects of multiplayer that’s complex. The server implementation alone is a tough job, safety and security. It will require a lot of time to get it working perfectly.

5

What do you mean with safety and security? Do you mean like passwords and stuff, banning function and things like that?

6

Not just passwords and stuffs, but also to prevent players from cheating using injections/hacks

7

If I wasn’t to do that, would multiplayer still take a long time?

8

Yes, multiplayer takes time to figure out, but there are plenty of tutorials out there that explain every concept for the game that you are trying to make. I don’t think it would take someone more than a month of tutorials to have all of the mechanics in place.

Also, http://yourgameideaistoobig.com/ . Keeping it simple is an excellent choice for a starter project!

10

Salutations xFoondom,

I can’t tell you how long this would take, there are too many variables, but here are a few resources that could speed things up.

Here is a tutorial that can lead you through building a FPS step by step.

Depending on if you want to spend money to build off a base there is this, but I highly recommend not going this route until you know you have the skills to successfully build off the base.

11

Honestly, about achievements and stuff like, I don’t care enough to get those things right. =P The very basics of the game is what I want to start with, and then I’ll maybe slowly start to make achievements and stuff like that.