作者：David Amador

1. 是否属于独立开发者

大家都可以说：“我是有抱负的独立开发者”。你或有真正开发游戏，或者并没有涉猎游戏制作。若你通过自己的资金着手游戏设计，那么你就属于独立开发者。很多人经常在得到融资的情况下称自己是独立开发者，因为他们也许再也无法获得投资。

2. 这是个危险地带

要成为杰出的独立开发者没有什么安全途径。你无法通过采用他人的模式获得成功（游戏邦注：这就是为什么建议仅仅是建议，有时可能可行，有时则不适合）。

3. 遗留雷区

雷区无处不在，独立捆绑内容、“随你付”模式、免费游戏、1美元游戏，基于这些模式创收的游戏遗留下糟糕内容，它们所带来的是不愿支付众多资金的用户。

4. 真正制作内容

你将应该将读到的内容付诸实践，而不是仅仅停留在阅读层面。

5. 你需要学习规则

凭此把握何时需要打破常规。

6. 你需要打破规则

把握其重要性所在。

7. 光体验游戏无法让你成为优秀的设计师

很多人觉得这就是成为优秀设计师所需的条件，我擅长体验游戏，所以我定也擅长于游戏制作。但你要懂得如何批判性地体验，这才是关键所在。

8. 独立工作

这就像只用一根桨划船。

9. 和团队合作

这就像是2个人一起骑自行车，一个操控方向盘，一个人踩脚踏板。

10. 一夜成名

minecraft from pakman.com

从无到有，这就是独立开发者！一夜成名！数百万收益！你觉得，“我做得到。”但是那些“一夜成名”的人士从来都不是一蹴而就的。《 Minecraft》？其开发者此前已投身游戏开发多年。《Super Meat Boy》？我猜Edmund至今已制作过30多款游戏。他们不过是一直默默无名。实践非常重要。

11. 接受失败

这点非常困难，尤其是当你觉得自己的作品非常杰出，但获得的首个评论却非常负面。从失败中积累经验，再次进行尝试，但要做得更好。

12. 开发游戏绝非易事

你需要应对所有的反对意见。

13. 常常有人告诉你要大胆进行试验

这些多数都是在骗人，他们觉得你非常懒，很难得到一份真正的工作。

14. 你的父母会翘首期盼

它们期盼你积极申请IBM或微软的职位（游戏邦注：这是可以让你赚钱的地方）。

15. 你通常会再三思考

当有人问你靠什么谋生时，你通常会再三思考若你是个医生，对于此问题，你通常不假思索。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，拒绝任何不保留版权的转载，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

Some thoughts about indie dev

by David Amador

1 – You either are, or you aren’t.

People can go and , “I’m an aspiring indie game developer”. You are either doing games or not, period. If you are starting in development with your own money then you are one. People tend to think they are indie developers when money starts rolling in, well think again, cause money may never come.

2 – It’s a jungle out there

There’s not a safe path on becoming a successful indie developer. It’s not like following another’s path will get you there. That’s why giving advices is just that, it might work or not.

3 – There’s a minefield being left behind

We see it everywhere, indie bundles, pay what you want, fremium games, games at $1, the ones who made money with those models are leaving behind a bad legacy and an audience that doesn’t want to pay much.

4 – Finish you stuff

You should actually be working instead of reading this.

5 – You need to learn the rules

… to know when they must be broken

6 – You need to break the rules

… to know why they matter.

7 – Playing games does NOT make you a developer

Yet many think it’s all it takes, I’m good at playing thus I must be good at making them. You should however play critically, that is the key.

8 – Working alone

..can be like rowing a boat with just one paddle.

9 – Working with a team

…can be like two people on a bike, one steering and another one pedaling.

10 – Overnight success

Out of nothing this indie developer! Overnight success! Million-dollar! And you think, “I can do that”. Yeah, except, those who are “overnight successes,” rarely appear out of nowhere. Minecraft? That dude’s been working in games for years. Super Meat Boy? I bet Edmund made over 30 games till now. They just stayed in obscurity for years. Work matters.

11 – Learn to fall

This one’s hard especially if you think your game is great and the first comment is “This is s***”. Learn from mistakes and do it again, but better.

12 – Making games is hard work

…and you will shoot fire from your eyes to whoever says otherwise.

13 – People who tell you to keep trying

…are mostly lying, they think you’re lazy and can’t get a real job.

14 – Your parents will keep the hope

…that you get your act together and apply for IBM or Microsoft, cause that’s where the money is.

15 – You will think twice

…when someone asks you what you do for a living. It would be the first thing said if you were a Doctor.（Source：gamasutra）