Project Futbol – A Community-Made Football Game [cancelled as overambitious, see post #12]

[aristodemus]

Project Futbol (name TBD and subject to change) aims to be an ambitious football video game made by the community. We are currently looking for staff to join our development team and other roles.

Much of the community is tired with the predatory nature of microtransactions in football games, as well as the recent releases of mediocre football games from AAA studios with no real great features, terrible gameplay, and low optimization and modding compatibility. Project Futbol will be a player-centred, modding-friendly PC game built on the Unity Engine, made by the community, for the community.

Vision
It is license-free by design, with the focus on the core gameplay. It should be a powerful and open platform for creation. With an integrated Mod Manager and accessible tools, the community will be empowered to become our collaborators. Players will be able to create, share, and install everything from custom databases that reflect the real world to new kits, leagues, and gameplay adjustments. This ensures that Project Futbol will be a living, breathing ecosystem that evolves with its players for a decade, not just a year.

We need your help, join our team.
To start creating this game, we need help. We are recruiting for all roles across the development team, and more. At the start, all staff will be voluntary, but should we manage to release the game, all staff will get it for free, with additional benefits, as well as a revenue-share. To apply, go to our Discord server and go to the #join-the-team channel to see all of the role offers.

If you are interested in this project, please join our Discord server
[removed]

(To moderators: let me know if this violates rules, as I see it isn't really common here)

EDIT: Project cancelled see post #12. Discord invite removed as server will be deleted.

 

[HereForMods]

I appreciate the idea - it's a GOOD IDEA - but I do think people underestimate just how much code and how much time it would take to create a game anywhere near the likes of a FIFA or PES.

You are talking about 25 years + of dedicated development by professional developers and project managers which has led to where these games are at the present

Anyways, no disrespect meant, good idea, just saying.

 

[aristodemus]

I appreciate the idea - it's a GOOD IDEA - but I do think people underestimate just how much code and how much time it would take to create a game anywhere near the likes of a FIFA or PES.

You are talking about 25 years + of dedicated development by professional developers and project managers which has led to where these games are at the present

Anyways, no disrespect meant, good idea, just saying.

Yeah, but tbh it's the only thing that can give us a good football game in the next few years. Even if it doesn't work, it's the journey that counts .

 

[Jay-Jay 10]

Took a short look at the Discord:

Not to be rude but:

Maybe first have a professional.website and Discord setup before you want to recruit people that should create a whole football game for free (good luck with that).

There is no overview of who the current team members and their Skillset are.

How long have you been in game development, what is your experience, have you done similar projects before or is this your first time.

Do you have a Game Design Document with a clear plan on what to create?

What is the expected team and work structure, how many hours do you want people to work on it?

What is your timeline from concept to release? Do you even have a concept, vertical slice or something similar.

Right now this seems like someone just wants to find some people to work for free to make a buck without actually having a clear setup what is going on.

Right now the work for free gives me some hard :The day before" vibes.

And again good luck with finding people to make a game for free that other companies do with hundreds of people. It seems like you are not even aware of the scope of the project you want to do.


And looking at the jobs you seek: you do realize these are usually positions that get paid a couple of thousands of dollars per month for their work and you want them to work for free, especially with the experience you ask for?

 

[aristodemus]

Took a short look at the Discord:

Not to be rude but:

Maybe first have a professional.website and Discord setup before you want to recruit people that should create a whole football game for free (good luck with that).

There is no overview of who the current team members and their Skillset are.

How long have you been in game development, what is your experience, have you done similar projects before or is this your first time.

Do you have a Game Design Document with a clear plan on what to create?

What is the expected team and work structure, how many hours do you want people to work on it?

What is your timeline from concept to release? Do you even have a concept, vertical slice or something similar.

Right now this seems like someone just wants to find some people to work for free to make a buck without actually having a clear setup what is going on.

Right now the work for free gives me some hard :The day before" vibes.

And again good luck with finding people to make a game for free that other companies do with hundreds of people. It seems like you are not even aware of the scope of the project you want to do.

I'm fully aware. I don't have any direct experience with game development, apart from some tinkering in Unity. The server was made only a few days ago, so it's natural that parts are still yet to be filled out. I'm looking for a team to work as a hobby, and have no desire to "make a buck" off them. In fact, I'd rather not lead this project, but someone has to start it. I have started work on the GDD, but was looking to build it with the team together rather than set unrealistic expectations, especially with my experience. Sorry if this seems amateurish, trying to do my best with the limited time I have outside of Uni.

If we get a good community going, we can change leadership etc. I know the scope for such a project will take years even with top-class management. An example of projects like this is Kitten Space Agency, which is being made in response to the terrible Kerbal Space Program 2 and the closure of that studeio. However they are paid, as they have been rounded up by a guy who has a full studio if I'm not mistaken. But it still serves as an example of waht past devs + modders can do while working on one team.

I fully understand your concerns though, and even if this project doesn't even lift off, it would be at least attempted.

 

[Jay-Jay 10]

Honest advice: start with something smaller.

Seeing your lack of experience tackling a football game to compete with efootball and FC is just unrealistic. Maybe if you want to make a football game for now try something like a modern sensible soccer.

 

[aristodemus]

Honest advice: start with something smaller.

Seeing your lack of experience tackling a football game to compete with efootball and FC is just unrealistic. Maybe if you want to make a football game for now try something like a modern sensible soccer.

Yeah it probably is too big. But I'm not looking to make this game myself. I want to work with the modders of this community, who have already contributed so much. I do know that modding vs game development is a different ball game, but with the right setup, like prototyping of basic features, then building from there, it could work. It likely won't be a competitor for AAA games, but it's worth a chance maybe at least. I'm open to someone a lot more experienced taking the project over.

 

[HereForMods]

Just to say one time though - your initial thoughts are correct - we do need what you are asking for - an open source football game.

Do you know what would be a game changer?

If we could somehow get the source code for PES 2021 (not me - well, i can code a tiny bit, probably enough to learn LUA and mod but not at that level though).

If it was leaked - THAT would actually change football games forever - because the community would mod it and make it a MUCH BETTER GAME

 

[sleevel]

I would suggest you take a look at this project

https://github.com/vi3itor/GameplayFootball

 

[Hayes]

Good luck and see you in 10 years ! 👍

 

[aristodemus]

Just to say one time though - your initial thoughts are correct - we do need what you are asking for - an open source football game.

Do you know what would be a game changer?

If we could somehow get the source code for PES 2021 (not me - well, i can code a tiny bit, probably enough to learn LUA and mod but not at that level though).

If it was leaked - THAT would actually change football games forever - because the community would mod it and make it a MUCH BETTER GAME

Before I came up with this project I thought about trying to hack the sourse code for PES, but my skills aren't that good, and considering no one has done it due to the insane difficulty, I doubt it is even possible, and if it is, it will likely take another 5 years.

I would suggest you take a look at this project

https://github.com/vi3itor/GameplayFootball

Thanks, looks interesting, I'll check it out.

Good luck and see you in 10 years ! 👍

Haha yeah, it'll probably take that long, if not longer 😆👍

 

[aristodemus]

I'm probably going to cancel this project, due to a lack of interest on other platforms as well (some of the guys here have persuaded my that it is probably not a great idea in hindsight) The project is too big in scope, and I can't manage it now I also got a new lead role for a research project in my engineering course at uni (just got the news in the last hour). Probably much too ambitious on my end, but I still think it was worth a try. Thanks to everyone who posted here and gave their thoughts.