My design quest

[Wannabe writer]

Think Ill pop all of this here for the by and by.

So my first game design got shelved. Why? One word, art.

So no I sit and ponder and decide wether to release my mind on another setting I have been dwelling upon. No I don't feel I have failed, I see the work I did for my Black Ops setting as training and experimentation. It's a good feeling to be on a more organised track and I feel the creative process somewhat enlarged because of it.

So a new setting, new research and new a new creation whoot!

[Onix]

Art is a difficult hurdle to jump. Still, I think you had an interesting concept there. It would be cool to see you carry it through. I think art is an issue that we all struggle with and how to fill that gap. I'm surprised that there isn't a larger body of artists out there that one could engage casually. Maybe it's just much easier to get paid for art. . ?

[J.K.Mosher]

The issue with art is that is personal. It is the artist's internal image brought into the real world.
Now when an artist is doing their own work (ie for themselves) this image is their's. It is what they
see/feel/etc . . . when an artist is doing work for others what is created is an the artists interpretation
of the "client's" mental image, and if that interpretation doesn't mess with what the "client" sees in his/her
mind then work has to be redone/touched/tweaked.

Game designers want quality and images that fit their mental image. If you are an artist doing your own game design
then spending time on creating images is part of the process . . . however if your an artist being asked to create
for someone else this is more like a "contract" making it like work . . . and let's be honest . . .
who really wants to work for free?

(This is all my honest opinion, and if you feel I'm out in left field feel free to express it, and I realize there are other
considerations such as getting recognition and exposure, but again when you're creating "free" games it is doubtful that
the target audience is mainstream enough to help an artist or game designer move to turning a hobby into a career.)

However there is no reason to stop designing just because of no artwork. Keep working on your design, and it is possible
once you have the mechanics/text/setting to what you want and reveal it as a "DRAFT" that someone could be inspired
to help you with finding/creating suitable artwork to complete the game.

A suggestion if it is artwork hampering layout design, use placeholders (ie text boxes with descriptors like "image of ruined building") to help you space out and make things look the way you want.

Again just personal opinion and suggestions from a guy who runs into the same issue . . . (currently thinking of trying to get back into sketching to kick my but into working on my ideas again.)

[Wannabe writer]

Art unfortunatley for me is paramount with sci-fi settings. Personally I won't touch a game unless the art resonates with me, without it I cannot imagine the system. Without art I find difficulty in helping my players visualise their equipment. Fantasy RPGs come with established ideas and ingrained ideas, even in many cases the artwork can be sourced from many areas.

Furthermore there were ideas that I need to flesh out, in saying that it is shelved does not mean it is not touched upon or added to. In fact it is an inspiring document as I work on my next idea. It has been one I have been thinking of for some time, and one I pushed out of the way asi followed Robs posts.

[kylesgames]

I have a similar problem with making things; I'm no artist (not by a long shot) when it comes to drawing or painting or really anything that goes into an end-quality work. I've got decent knowledge of design, but my knowledge is more theoretical (layout, colors, and the like) rather than practical (drawing believable forms, shapes, and shading). As such, I try to use what I have to the best of my ability; I'm planning on making a number of mock-ups for 1-800 Regime Change with the help of Blender, then sending off my mockups to an artist, so that they can create the final images. Basically, since I know how to make art, but can't do it myself, I'll have a somewhat unique workflow; more like a director doing storyboards. I haven't yet hired an artist, being strapped for cash as I am, but I should have an easy enough time getting what I need quickly and efficiently.

Sidenote: I'd recommend getting yourself trained in Photoshop/GIMP and Acrobat/Scribus to do your own PDF production, especially for drafts. It'll come in massively handy for 1-800 Regime Change's design since I'll be doing my own page layouts and my own layout elements (like page borders and such).