Hey I am new here so first off let me introduce myself...
My name is Brian. I am a graphic designer/illustrator/musician.. I got into game design because of a friend who is a programmer who i met when i was in middle school (ten years ago) and together we started making games using ansi c & 8bit graphics/256 colors.. We made a few prototypes but never finished a game. Since then I have tried and tried and tried to make a game.. Programmers seem to always flake out on me in the middle of development... and for whatever reason I just can't get myself to learn how to program... besides i have always been terrible at math related things.. After finally being completely frustrated with my experiences with trying to put teams together/keeping people interested/finding programmer to help or more importantly stay motivated enough to see a game project through to the end etc.. So i really want to make a game but what can i do without being able to program..
Then I found Construct!
The only problem is.... I have watched too many lectures given by Jonathan Blow and other indies recently.. like Design Reboot.. mostly about the problems of current games and where the future of games should be headed. This has gotten me obsessed with coming up with a more unique game.. hopefully a game that is both unique as far as gameplay/story but also has a message to the gamer that at least in one way or another adds to their quality of life.. or at least makes them think..
So now the ideas I have never seem good enough for me to pursue.. since i have always been more about telling a story with a game and always then think secondly about the gameplay.. which causes all sorts of problems..
So basically I was curious if anybody out there has any input about how to get over this brick wall i have now built around pretty much every game idea i have ever had and how to come up with a new approach to making a game. If you have never seen Jonathan Blow's design reboot lecture I suggest watching it.. but at the same time maybe you shouldn't.. since then maybe it will affect you the same as it has me.. which its really not that it is a bad thing... but it has definitely made things a bit more difficult for me. I want to make a simple game that isn't too ambitious but still doesn't suck and at least to an extent doesn't completely depend on the formula that most games use. I obviously know this is a really hard thing to do but never the less I was hoping that a discussion could be started here that kinda focuses on this issue.. Because if I am going to start working on a game i want it to be something I really feel I am excited about and as of now I am having a hard time coming up with a game I honestly feel I should pursue.
Even if people just suggest some ideas about how they came up with their game ideas since even if it doesn't really address my obsession to make something unique that would be extremely helpful as well..
So how do you come up with game ideas?
How do you come up with game play ideas?
Any advice on how I should get over my obsession of following the lecture advice from Jonathan Blow's Design Reboot so intensely?
Will anyone even read this incredibly long post?