Re: [kidsgames] a Mom's eye view

[cwaddell@mail.orion.org]

Hi again,
I'm going to snip this like crazy.  Hope you don't mind.
> >  pictures from my ski trip".
> 
> Yes - exactly my experience.

So are there any graphics artists on this list?  Do you have
any idea why there are not?  Surely some of them are parents
and  are interested in kidsgames.

> > 
> > programmers are not the hottest commodity in linux software development,
> > *ESPECIALLY* games.
> 
> Indeed.
>  
> > Good project leaders are important, people who can arbitrate and keep
> > everything on track, programming skill would be a plus, but not necessary.
> 
> I disagree.  Programmers would be unlikely to be happy to be dictated to
> by a non-technical person.  Managing an OpenSource group is nothing like
> managing a normal business activity.  You MUST work by keeping everyone
> happy - the very first time you tell someone you don't like what they
> are doing, you'll have a battle on your hands.  Leaders only get to
> become leaders because people recognise them as such.  Usually, the
> leader has to be the person who contributed the most code.

Could you define leadership?  I mean how have you seen it
work in this arena?  What type of communication does work
and why do you think so?

>  
> > Graphic and audio artists are rare and extremely important. There are lots of
> > games that are good ideas and good code, but the graphics and sound make the
> > game a peice of crap.
> 
> Yes - absolutely...but freeware musicians are rare and freeware artists
> seem to be virtually non-existant.
>  

Maybe they are lost and we can find them somehow.  My
question is, if we had some would we be able to work with
them so that these things could be improved?  


>  
> > Idea people are important. Not just "I have a good idea for a game", but level
> > designers, puzzle designers, people to design the details.
> 
> Yes - exactly.  But if they *only* produce ideas, they'll find it hard to
> sell people on them.  You need to have ideas *and* paint - or code or model
> in 3D or something.
> 
> > The biggest problem
> > I've seen with idea people is they think they have the worlds greatest idea,
> > and they think a couple cryptic sentances will make everyone see they're
> > geniouses.
> 
> Yes!  I've seen that dozens and dozens of times.  It's very painful to
> have to burst their bubble - but there is no doubt that you have to do
> much more than have the idea in order to make it in the Opensource world
> because so much is done by reputation and 'sweat equity'.
> 
> However, if you can get as far as getting something simple actually
> working, you'll get people volunteering to add sound to it - or
> build in networking or something.
> 

I guess I have doubts.  Have you seen many bad
looking/playing games that were great ideas get improved?  I
know I have read here about games that no one ever added a
level to etc.  Is this a common union issue?
Celia


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