How do you make a video game?
It's a very complicated question. Kind of like asking "How do you built a space shuttle?".
Not easy.
PLEASE NOTE: This is how we are making AQ3D. The workflow is similar to this in most professional game studios but there are other ways of making games that are 2D or of a smaller scope or both.
The general flow is something like this:
Someone has a concept that they think would be fun. They write up the concept in a Design Document and pitch it to the rest of the team.
We have a lot of game ideas.
If it gets approved, they flesh out the concept and refine the design document planning everything game flow to payment options (all games gotta eat). That person usually ends up being the project lead or producer.
BioBeasts has walls full of design documentation, mostly on post-its
Then the coder begins to work on the engine that drives the game and makes everything happen and if it's an online game you need another coder to start working on the server software and security.
Zhoom working on light probes and real-time shadows for AQ3D
The art team begins working on concept art and as that gets approved by the Project Lead.
Llussion's Yulgar Concept Painting
The concepts go to the modeler who makes 3D models of the art...
Xero working on the model for Gaz and his cart
...then to the art team again who paint the textures to overlay onto the model (the same model can support infinite textures so the art team might spend months working on textures for one mesh)...
Dage The Evil painting the texture for the Epic Founder Kickstarter Weapon
...then to the rigger who gives the model bones so it can be animated and move properly, then to the animator who makes it come to life (this can take from a few days to months depending on what you're animating)...
Korin animating the spider that he recently finished rigging
...then to the database tech who enters the values for the thing into the game's database (things like name, Hit points, number of attacks, what their AI is, etc)...
It's a LOT of data input...
...then the coders or environmental artist add the animated model to the game and tell them where to spawn.
TADAA! You made a Monster!
Do this for the next year or two and you have a pretty basic 3D game. You'll still need writers to write the story, quests, cutscenes and get the players involved with the world (NOTE ABOUT WRITERS: Unless you won an Academy Award for your screenplay or have your novel on the New York Times best seller list, game companies never hire writers. They usually promote from within if someone shows skill for writing or the project lead does the writing. Simply applying and getting a job as a game writer is less likely than winning the lottery even if you have years of experience), server engineers if it's an online or multiplayer game, Environmental artists to work on the game world and lighting effects...
Llussion building a new map for AQ3D
... you need more animators to work on cut-scenes and particle effects, designers to build the user interface (all the buttons and screens that you use to interact with the game). Depending on the size of the project you might need an associate producer (who have to do a little of everything) or three to help get everything done on schedule and department heads to run each department. You also need testers to look for, recreate and log bugs and more coders to debug the thing...
Oishii working with Gjappy and the testing team to find bugs
...But you can't just release a game like that. It needs cover art (even if it's a digital release) and art for the Ad Guy/Gal/Folks to splash around, writers to write press releases (and Design Notes about how to make video games), social media managers to get the buzz out on twitter, facebook, instagram and/or community managers to keep in touch with the game's fanbase and your community. Hopefully you have a budget to advertise the game (and someone in charge of advertising, because that's usually a full time job) on the web (which is very expensive) otherwise your chances of getting noticed, and getting to play the game are next to nothing.
That's for a stand alone game. If you're making a game with constant updates like ours or DLC, then the team has to continue working on the same project for... well... until it stops making enough money to support the team.Of course, this is making a 3D game. You could work on a much larger team or build a much smaller scope game all by yourself... but this is how AQ3D (and a lot of other projects of this scope) is made.
It's hard and the hours are long and the pay is terrible and all of us are doing multiple jobs, but it's a small price to work with amazing people like these and getting to do what you love.
I know a lot of you guys are interesting in becoming game developers (otherwise I wouldn't get asked how to make a video game so often)... so, which of these positions suits you best? Let me know in the comments below.
Undead Legion Ruler
Scribble Scribe
