I'm Kade Markoux, a dedicated Blender 3D Artist who transitioned into an Indie Game Developer, residing in Palm Bay, Florida, USA. My professional path started on Upwork (formerly oDesk) in 2009. My passion for game development ignited in 2016 when the Unreal Engine was released for free use. In this post, I delve into my experiences with my latest project, "Barko & The Lost Bone."
Transitioning from a 3D Artist to an Indie Game Developer was not initially straightforward. My journey into this field stemmed from a love for cartoons, gaming sessions, and classic consoles like Atari and Nintendo. Although I experimented with Unity sporadically, I found C# programming quite daunting. Consequently, I concentrated on 3D modeling until I discovered Unreal Engine's Visual Scripting System, Blueprints, which appealed to me because of its resemblance to Blender's Texture Shaders and Nodes System.
Raised in a military family, I often relocated across the US and spent several years living in Germany. Subsequently, I acquired a technical background, reinforced by an Aerospace Maintenance degree, following my time in the Air Force. This experience laid the groundwork for my troubleshooting and problem-solving abilities, which played an essential role in the field of Game Development.
"Barko & The Lost Bone" is an indie game inspired by my dogs, "Carly" and the late "Coda." I also have a new dog named "Chase," who joined us last October. The game is designed for pet lovers, platformer enthusiasts, and fans of retro gaming, merging classic appeal with contemporary design. This indie game project serves as a sincere tribute to my dogs, especially Carly, whose incessant barking inspired the game's main character, Barko.
The game is poised for a global launch on Steam as a PC/Windows title, with aspirations to branch out to consoles if it proves successful. Support will soon be available through Kickstarter. The current planned release is slated for late 2025, accompanied by a game trailer set to debut by the end of 2024. My commitment to this project is demonstrated by my dedication to incorporating player feedback and delivering a refined gaming experience. Additionally, I take great pleasure in contributing to our Indie Game Development community, thereby supporting both indie developers and gamers.
As a Blender 3D artist, I encountered several challenges while establishing the visual style of "Barko & The Lost Bone." My goal was to blend Retro and Modern aesthetics uniquely, playing with colors, lighting, and various iterations of static meshes to forge a lively, stylized, and cartoon-like world. Leveraging my experience with a low-poly, stylized technique, I was able to rapidly produce assets while preserving a distinctive visual flair.
My workflow encompasses a hybrid approach from Concept to Asset Creation, incorporating 3D Modeling, Texturing, and Animation in Blender, followed by importing and configuring everything in Unreal Engine. Recognizing the importance of hands-on experimentation and challenging traditional norms to discover the optimal approach for a specific project is crucial. I aimed not only to discuss it but to devise a plan and actualize it, and that's precisely what I've achieved.
Diversion has played a crucial role in securing iterative software development as a Source Control System. Initially skeptical when I discovered it on the Unreal Engine Marketplace, I thought it was just another expensive platform. To my surprise, I found it user-friendly and reminiscent of GitHub and GitHub Desktop. The large file support and responsive customer service from Diversion persuaded me to switch my projects over from GitHub. The smooth transition and strong support have cemented Diversion as a key component in my development workflow.
For Indie Game Developers, my advice is to act on your ideas. Stop discussing them and, as Nike puts it, "just do it!" It's crucial to shape, plan, and document your visions, then progress from mere discussion to realization. Actions speak louder than words! Additionally, I'm thankful for the valuable feedback from gamers, which is particularly vital for indie developers to gain player support.
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