THE BODY, MIND, AND SOUL OF GAMEMAKING

The Body, Mind, and Soul of Gamemaking

Introduction

Many articles and tutorials have been written with the goal of informing people of how to better their game making potential have been written. Whether it be through writing better stories, coding more efficiently, or how to hone their art skills, this game maker has seen it all. But how many articles and tutorials address how to enhance the most efficient and noticiable aspect of game making, which is YOU, the person behind the screen? Its no secret that creative output, or any output at all, heavily depends on the condition and morale of the person doing it. This article will address some different ways to enhance the Body, Mind, and Soul of Gamemaking.

Get Enough Rest!

This seems like elementary advice for anything, whether its for a job, taking a test, or even driving, but getting enough rest is vital for creative output as well. Lack of sleep is like a creative car crash, with brain function decreasing proportionally. Being awake for even about 17 hours straight similates an effect on the brain to having more than .05 blood alcohol, which is past the legal limit for driving in most Western countries. Would you trust your game making abilities while drunk? I don't, and trust me, I tried! It may seem tempting to spend the wee hours of the night plugging away at making your latest map, but your map would thank you to get some rest.

The recommended number of hours of sleep is about eight hours per night, but of course it may vary a little for the individual. Got insomnia? There are a number of ways to combat it (and I will elaborate on them below), but one thing that DOESN'T help is to continually stare at your screen. The bright lights screw up your melatonin, so one thing I can recommend to at least ease you into going to bed is the freeware program F.lux, which changes your monitor brightness in accordance to the sunlight in your area. Nifty program for easing into nighttime!

Get Out the House, or at Least Out the Chair!

On the same token, whether you're sleepy or not, sitting all day at your chair is not only bad for your body, but it atrophies your thought process as well. Creativity and mental spontaneity requires variety! New or at least variable experiences 'reset' your thought process, similar to leaving a math problem alone for a short time to 'lightbulb' the answer when you were doing something totally different. Get up every once in a while, do something else for a period of time every hour or two. Walk your dog, make your bed, read a book, get something to eat (you probably forgot to eat, did you?), get your 30 minutes a day of exercise (more on that below), or, god forbid you're neglecting it, bathe. I can't even begin to count how many coding snafus, writers blocks, or just a creative plateau I've conquered just by getting up.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. You get the best results by getting out of the house entirely. Hanging out with friends, getting/working a job, getting a personal goal accomplished, or whatever can free up your mind from the 'computer' sector, and as far as creativity goes, there is an old adage; 'write what you know.' Forming new experiences with friends, school, work, and life in general gives you more creative fuel to weave better ideas and output based on your experiences. Doing the same thing the same way every day leads to stagnation, which is lethal to progress, whether you're a writer or a coder. Get up!

Work That Body!

One of the best things I can recommend for anyone, anywhere, is exercise. Not only is exercise something that everyone should do anyway, it also has profound benefits for the mind as well. Let's list some of the benefits of exercise; it can boost your mood (through an increase of endorphins), overall psychological well being (through increased bloodflow to the brain), increased self esteem, decreased stress levels, it boosts your energy level when you need it, and it promotes better sleep, which is in line with what I stated above, and quite obviously, it combats fat and maintains or build healthy muscle. And that's not even all of it. Do you see why I, and many other people highly recommend it? Most if not all of these things can be considered a direct or indirect link to how well your game making goes along.

What kind of exercise do I recommend, you may ask? Well, this question has many answers, and most of them are dependent on your exercise goals, but I personally have always been a fan of weightlifting. When people think of weightlifting, they think of Conan the Barbarian or some other overly muscular guy, but it's a very approachable exercise that both men and women, regardless whether your goal is to lose fat or to gain muscle, can do. It sounds sort of silly to pitch weightlifting, or exercise in general relative to gamemaking, but I can swear by it that enhancing my body's efficiency and how I feel has been the best thing I have ever done for my game making. I feel better, I think better, I sleep better. All of that translates to better results. I've noticed. Also, as an aside, any exercise will do! A sport, running, jogging, whatever! It doesn't have to be strength training! Just get out there and get up.

Less Stress!

This sounds rather vague. What do you mean 'less stress'? Well, this could mean anything, but it also equates to a lot, so this is more of an epilogue to the article. You can't really do anything efficiently if you're stressed out, much less make a game. Stress can come from anything, too little sleep, personal problems, lack of eating right, etc. However, I'm going to be general and address general ways to combat life's stressors. First off, do all of the above. Getting sleep, getting up, and getting active does wonders. So does hanging out with friends. So does taking a break from your game instead of slamming against a figurative brick wall. On the other end, knowing when to push through instead of giving up can be the difference between a completed game and abadonware. Listen to some good music. Eat right. Decompress. Take care of yourself.

So what was the purpose of this article? Isn't this really basic stuff that everyone should already know? Well, yes, it is, but it's surprising how many people AREN'T really aware of how taking care of yourself pays off, and if they are, they never really think about it. How many people equate self improvement and maintenance to game making? Not many, I'd wager. This seems like (and it is) common sense stuff that everyone should do regardless of you making a game or not, but when you REALLY take into account how much it can help out your productivity and creativity, you might want to give getting some more sleep, less computer time, and exercise and a healthy diet more thought. It's stuff that everyone's been telling you for years, but how often do you think that doing these things could equate into a better battle system, a more engaging plot, or even just the humble goal of finishing your game? Think about it.

Happy gamemaking!