Ha! thats indeed how it works! you build system upon system, getting smarter and smarter trough the process. It's a matter of creating solid building blocks that will transform a random scene into a game. I'd first focus on making sure moving around is the best thing ever. If core gameplay is not fun and you rely to much on systems or gimmicks, your game will fall apart very quickly. This video is a great showcase of how changing the feel of the core gameplay can change how the game is experienced dramatically
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJdEqssNZ-U
My game development learning proces is an organic one. I only look on how to learn something when I need it. I need to make textures? ok, gotta learn UV and texturing software! I need to make sound effect? Lets look up how people make sound effects! I go in this with a mindset that I can learn everything to a decent level and then directly use that skill for my game. Thats why I am pretty confident I can also make the music for my own game, even though my music making skills aren't the best around, I know I can make a decent enough soundtrack myself. I don't wanna go down the route of using marketplace assets and such, simply since it wouldn't be 100% MY GAME anymore. To many indy games these days use the same lazy assets that make them a boring experience imo.
Thats why I think its great to see you make your own sprites. I mean, you always come off like you think you have no artistic talent, but your first animated sprite looks great and I am sure you will only get better at it. Of course your drawing skills are not suddenly gonna be top notch, but they will be good enough for your game.
As for my game:
There was this 4 week vacation to New Zealand and after that landing my brain back in the Netherlands. So, not super much has changed. Just been working on the first real assets for World 1 using my own concept art as a guide. As for systems, I think I've been tweaking my AI and gave it a weak and a strong attack, with hyper armor during the strong attack. Other then that QUESTING SYSTEM! I already got most of it working and am now working on the quest counter / teleported functionality and menu's. The quests work trough multiple spreadsheets, which I can simply edit in Excel. So, my levels are just empty environments, which load in enemy spawns, items, events, etc using the quest system.
After that I am gonna see if I can make cutscene/text messages and incorporate those into the quests. Client orders are also on the list. Also wanna make a water material for my levels.
