How should I start Rapid-Prototyping my Game Idea

Pushthatbolder

Ok I have a good concept for a game that I think it is a good idea. I would like to know what are some steps that I can follow so I can make the game in this gamesalad I would like to know the step to prototyping the game
Ok say it was a shoot em up game. Do I start with a rough illustration of the characters or should I use the final characters for the prototype should I get all my pictures backgrounds and animations done first . Or should I do that after I finish the basics of the game play until I get the visual all up to par. Is it easy to make games with gamesalad . Should I do any artwork or groundwork before starting . Oh and anybody tell me if this program is easy to use.

Sent from my iPod.

StusApps

personally I build everything with just rectangles first (which is the default when you create a new actor in GS). Then get the game idea all up and running with these first. However once the basics seem to work I would sort out your art before doing all the level design, its much harder to visualise using just rectangles.

Gamesalad is extremely easy to use, you just need a reasonably logical mind and good skills in some other software (photoshop or other art package and some sort of sound editor like audacity).

DimensionGames

Very important what Stus says just incase you hit a major barrier and then all the graphics our wasted to a certain extent.

jonmulcahy

My first game was a green rectangle shooting black squares and yellow rectangles. Once I had the major gameplay down I started on the artwork.

StormyStudio

My first game quake builder was initially made using simple squares and circles.

Once the gameplay was up to scratch I then brought in half decent images, and continued perfecting gameplay until level one ran as well as I wanted it to. I then re-did the graphics again (after thinking about the style a bit more). I was then able to fairly quickly make 20 levels knowing that all the rules/physics and scoring worked well.

My current game, I'm spending as long as possible sketching out how the game will work, doing rough designs of images, even writing down quick notes on how I think the rules will all work. As its so much quicker thinking it through with a messy sketchbook then trying something and redoing it in GameSalad.

That said, you can make a game so quickly in GameSalad to see if you like how it plays...

Good luck...

BackUpAndDown

I usually start by sketching basic concept designs. I also use a .txt document to keep track of my ideas.
http://www.deviantart.com/download/187060301/concept_drawing_by_meditatingwolf-d33dcnh.png
^Here are some examples of the concept images i've made for the Rpg i'm making.^

Once I have a general idea I'll start making the game in Gs using the coloured squares and any decent images I made in the concept stage.

After that I'll make and import the final actor images and backgrounds.

The final step is adding any music/sound effects.