Developing a video game can be a difficult task. It is certainly a time consuming one, which is a very valuable resource. Especially when it takes away from playing games, oh, and spending time with family and friends. Many try their hand at video game development and a lot falter. That's why I try to keep my aspirations low.
I like creating stuff that people can use. The Arsenal of WAR would be a good example. It was a lot of fun to make because it provided a needed service to the WAR community. I have enjoyed adding features and keeping it updated.
The problem with the Arsenal is that its usefulness depends on someone else. In this case, that would be Mythic and Warhammer Online. As WAR's popularity has declined, as has the interest in Item Databases such as the Arsenal.
One of the neat features I spent some time on was being able to import your equipment from Realm WAR. Several months ago, Mythic brought down Realm WAR and it has not been seen again. So that piece of functionality is now useless.
As a result I started looking at projects that did not rely on the success or failure of a game I was playing. Creating my own game seemed like the way to go and Stellar Fortune came to be. My goal with the game is to create something I can build upon for years to come.
Sure, it would be nice to really go the indie route and develop it for a living. But for every notch there are a ton more who lose money on games or never even get to release one. That's why I consider this a hobby and not a job. Maybe someday it will be a product worth paying for, we'll see.
My current project in Stellar Fortune is allowing the player to buy new ships. It'll be a simple implementation to start with, I have much grander plans but they will have to wait. Ships you are not using will stay at the station you left them at, similar to Eve Online.
Dirty Old Town
10 hours ago
