What to do first? (level design, character design, ect)

I am trying to make a 3d fighting game but am having some fairly major problems.
So far I have completed the health bar and am working on a stamina bar.

I am running into some big problems… What should I do first?
I am trying to create models in blender and animate them (I figured I should do this first because then I can import them into the game right away)
I am trying to get hit detection to work with the basic character (I figured I should do this second because then I can just add the animations and get onto the more techinical stuff)
And im trying to make the levels/start up screen/character select , If I do this first then I can have it load-out correctly!
Finally im trying to figure out the combat system…

It is simply too much to do at once. I have little to no 3d game making experience and am feeling kinda overwhelmed.

thanks for the help!

Hello :0)

1st of all , have fun , its something that can be forgotten and life passes by it regardless.

I would finish and complete the main charactor 1st he has star role and important to not be rusted or not done to perfection.
This included animations ,bones, hud , stamin, health, even weapons, effects etc anything connect5ed to main charactor.

Then after main star is complete , take a pat on the back and grin :0)
Then focus levels design and startup screens stuff as you call it.

Break the tasks into goals.

Complete the main actor but even this can be broken down into mini goals
3d model , texture 3d model , weapon , weapon textures, biped bones for all , import all, setup all, see where im going with this :0)
Breathe write a list of task goals tell your self you WILL be ADDING to the list but always complete the task before moving onward.

Old engineer told me a great true story about an apprentice engineer

Apprentice was taking too long to put the engine cack in the car and so he was called in to the office to answer why.
The apprentice answered he was doing the right thing and not cutting corners to save time he double checked his work so nothing was wrong and ever nut and bolt was correctly tightened up and nipped up tight with washer between.
by checking he was actually saving time becuase the car will not return with any problems.

Another apprentice engineer heard about the slower apprentice and thought im not getting put through that office ordeal and he cut loads of time and corners all the time to make him self look great and yes people did think he was …
Till the day i personally got in my car that had just been in the garage…
Clutch was worn out and needed a new one,could not pull a grape up a hill it slipped that much.
The appentice that tool risks and cut corners to save time had put my clutch in the gearbox and finger tight done up the nuts and bolts on the hold gearbox but he got distracted by something and when he returned to the task he filled it up with oil and FORGOT to do up Tight the nuts and bolts of the gearbox.

I drove off with car fixed and for a day or so it was ok but then a weird noise bumping started as i accellerated i took it in the garage and the last of the bolts lucky for me was the top bolt it was holding the gearbox from falling on the road and then flipping over the car like a pole vaulter uses the pole to jump.

Moral

Go slow , set reasonable / achieve-able tasks and goals , break bigger tasks into part tasks, Double Check then move on.

Hope it helps

If you get time try answering my question its my 1st :0)

Best regards

I agree with O_Wolfpac. Concentrate on getting your character into the game. Set up an idle and a move animation and set up the input handling so you can move him around. That’s a really big step because it’s the first time you can interact with your character. It’s not much of a game at that point, but it’s interactive!

Personally, I would then focus on getting the fundamental gameplay implemented. In a fighting game that means you have two characters (that can still use the same model), health, and some kind of basic hit detection to decrease the hit character’s health. A special punch animation is optional at this point. Health bars can be helpful, though.

I’m a programmer myself, so I wouldn’t bother with different fighting stances/animations, level design or any kind of menu until the basic system works. HOWEVER, you’re the one developing the game. It’s your game and if you’re having fun creating animations, levels or UI, and that’s what keeps you motivated, by all means keep doing so. I just wouldn’t recommend spending a lot of time perfecting the details until you can actually try them out in-game while actually playing your game.

Thanks a ton!
I was stuck at first but that makes total sense.

Fighting games are strange because there isn’t always a “main character” (thankfully my game does have a main)
I now just need to finish up my sketches then make the dude in blender!

Ill finish doing that before I even try to program him in unity!