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HOW DO YOU MOTIVATE YOURSELF?
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masterofmayhem
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CloseI’ve been lacking motivation to work on my project lately. It’s not that I don’t know what to do with it; I just can’t bring myself to work on it at the moment.
I’m sure this happens to most developers here, we are human after all. So I must ask; How do you keep yourselves motivated to keep working on a project even if you don’t feel like it.
I’m sure this happens to most developers here, we are human after all. So I must ask; How do you keep yourselves motivated to keep working on a project even if you don’t feel like it.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
Personally, I keep myself motivated by talking about game design constantly on the forums.
A minor side-effect is that I probably spend more time talking about working on games than I do working on games. Oh well. I like to think that the knowledge gained from the discussions helps improve my games too.
A minor side-effect is that I probably spend more time talking about working on games than I do working on games. Oh well. I like to think that the knowledge gained from the discussions helps improve my games too.
Darken
3952
You just do it. Pretend there's no motivational barrier at all and just get the thing done. If you're working on something you don't like working on, switch gears to something else like uh database stuff instead of mapping or whatever.
author=Darken
You just do it. Pretend there's no motivational barrier at all and just get the thing done. If you're working on something you don't like working on, switch gears to something else like uh database stuff instead of mapping or whatever.
Exactly.
In truth, motivation is not a pre-requisite for working on stuff. If you wait for it too much, you'll never get things done.
Work on it every day in some capacity, plus what Darken said and calunio echoed. I may not work in RMAce every day, but I certainly crack open a notebook during lunch or before bed and sketch out an idea, figure out the order of something, just make notes of badass dialogue, whatever.
Something is better than nothing, and browsing your notes can truly help with motivation - the "oh, I'd love to work on that part!" effect.
Similar: don't always start with the beginning. Be willing to tweak it later, but making your game out of order can keep it fresh and provide the desire to link everything together.
Something is better than nothing, and browsing your notes can truly help with motivation - the "oh, I'd love to work on that part!" effect.
Similar: don't always start with the beginning. Be willing to tweak it later, but making your game out of order can keep it fresh and provide the desire to link everything together.
tpasmall
228
I've only worked on my game twice in the past 3 months I think. Lack of graphics for what I wanted to do completely de-motivated me. Getting more involved in the community is renewing my motivation to work on the game though. Once I get past this stupid part I'll probably enjoy working on my game again ha.
Brent
0
author=Darken
You just do it. Pretend there's no motivational barrier at all and just get the thing done. If you're working on something you don't like working on, switch gears to something else like uh database stuff instead of mapping or whatever.
Pretty much like he said.
But the best thing is to find a game that you're going to wanna go through the long haul with, usually something that won't bore you in the matter of weeks, and just go with it and get it done and move on to the next game. Take the game I've been working on: almost an entire year working on it, talking about it, doing it, dreaming of it, playing it -- and I still enjoy it! Sure, there are days where I just wanna throw the *ucker at the wall, but I keep going. I think the best thing is to take a day break, once and awhile, and come back the next day and work on it.
I find reading through all the old RPGs reviewed on the following site helps to motivate me:
http://www.thebrothersduomazov.com/
http://www.thebrothersduomazov.com/
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
author=tpasmall
Lack of graphics for what I wanted to do completely de-motivated me.
Oh God, I know that feeling. When I quit a project, this is why.
tpasmall
228
author=LockeZauthor=tpasmallOh God, I know that feeling. When I quit a project, this is why.
Lack of graphics for what I wanted to do completely de-motivated me.
Yeah, depending on my tax return/my wife's generosity, I might pay someone to get me through it, ha.
It's funny, I was working on updating my website last night and I just hit a huge motivation block. I could barely pay enough attention to read one sentence, so I just hit the sack early (10pm, can you believe it?) and woke up today at 6am and started cranking away.
A full night's rest will do amazing things for your productivity. I know it seems that the more hours you put in, the more you'll get out, but if you're lacking sleep then those hours aren't gonna be as effective as if you put in a few well-rested hours, where you're full of energy and vigor.
tldr: SLEEP
(this applies to people like me who like to stay up til the wee hours of the morn)
A full night's rest will do amazing things for your productivity. I know it seems that the more hours you put in, the more you'll get out, but if you're lacking sleep then those hours aren't gonna be as effective as if you put in a few well-rested hours, where you're full of energy and vigor.
tldr: SLEEP
(this applies to people like me who like to stay up til the wee hours of the morn)
1. DEADLINES
If you're a lazy son of a bitch like I am, and never seem to be able to get anything done until the last minute, set yourself a deadline and stick to it. If you have subscribers (people sad enough to actually care about your piece of shit project), and you don't want to let them down, then it helps to make a stupid promise on your blog to get something finished by a certain time. Make sure to constrain the shit out of yourself or you'll only procrastinate even further. Don't be afraid to cop out on certain features as a result.
2. GET A USELESS DEGREE
Or in my case, three of them! Make sure your program of choice is boring, tedious, and complete and utter shit in every sense of the word. You'll want to divert your attention from mindless essays and time consuming baby assignments so much that turning to something like RM feels like a godsend. This is most effective by skipping university altogether and degrading yourself to college programs.
3. GET INSPIRED
Play games, watch movies or tv shows, read books. Bear witness to a horrifying event and make it funny, or vice versa. Your mind sucks, don't be ashamed to steal from others'.
4. COFFEE
And I'm not talking about that shitty Tim Hortons BS coffee, get something strong! Be a man! Stain those teeth! Ruin That bladder! Say YES to addiction! Cocaine is a popular alternative.
5. START A NEW PROJECT
Bored with the one you're working on? Start a different one and go back and forth. Look in my games list, I've completed a shitload over the course of two years and that has been my most effective motivator. Embrace your ADHD, we all suffer from it to a degree.
K, I'm done. OOOooooh, coffee!
If you're a lazy son of a bitch like I am, and never seem to be able to get anything done until the last minute, set yourself a deadline and stick to it. If you have subscribers (people sad enough to actually care about your piece of shit project), and you don't want to let them down, then it helps to make a stupid promise on your blog to get something finished by a certain time. Make sure to constrain the shit out of yourself or you'll only procrastinate even further. Don't be afraid to cop out on certain features as a result.
2. GET A USELESS DEGREE
Or in my case, three of them! Make sure your program of choice is boring, tedious, and complete and utter shit in every sense of the word. You'll want to divert your attention from mindless essays and time consuming baby assignments so much that turning to something like RM feels like a godsend. This is most effective by skipping university altogether and degrading yourself to college programs.
3. GET INSPIRED
Play games, watch movies or tv shows, read books. Bear witness to a horrifying event and make it funny, or vice versa. Your mind sucks, don't be ashamed to steal from others'.
4. COFFEE
And I'm not talking about that shitty Tim Hortons BS coffee, get something strong! Be a man! Stain those teeth! Ruin That bladder! Say YES to addiction! Cocaine is a popular alternative.
5. START A NEW PROJECT
Bored with the one you're working on? Start a different one and go back and forth. Look in my games list, I've completed a shitload over the course of two years and that has been my most effective motivator. Embrace your ADHD, we all suffer from it to a degree.
K, I'm done. OOOooooh, coffee!
Arandomgamemaker
1629
By working. It is very difficult for me to get de-motivated, unless i fell bad/sorry/guilty/sad about something.
....Except when it comes to tilesets. Oh dear god.
I can handle the endless switches and variables of 2K3, no problem.
I can make awesome 9-year old wizards in a flash.
But finding or making tilesets that are CUSTOM? That is pure heck.
....Except when it comes to tilesets. Oh dear god.
I can handle the endless switches and variables of 2K3, no problem.
I can make awesome 9-year old wizards in a flash.
But finding or making tilesets that are CUSTOM? That is pure heck.
Radnen
1806
I'm lacking motivation on my game Blockman as well. Currently I'm drawing out a new tileset. Perhaps it'll be incorporated into Blockman, but unlike RM, using Sphere or any other lower-end tool means making a lot of programming decisions.
Thankfully I'm taking a Software Engineering course where we talk about design documents and project management. We'll be making a Sim City game this term. I'm definitely going to take that info as motivation on future projects.
Thankfully I'm taking a Software Engineering course where we talk about design documents and project management. We'll be making a Sim City game this term. I'm definitely going to take that info as motivation on future projects.
Honestly, I have no conscious control over this. It just comes and goes on its own and I can't really will myself to be more motivated (or when I'd like to work on other things, less motivated). No tips or tricks I've tried help. Other people have more effect on my motivation level than I do, honestly, but even they don't have much effect compared to the ebb and flow of my chi or whatever subconscious ebb and flow seems to carry me in and out of feeling like doing this on a daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis.
but if this topic is trending towards bieng more about PRODUCTIVITY than MOTIVATION then NOT POSTING ON RMN is like...the best thing.
but if this topic is trending towards bieng more about PRODUCTIVITY than MOTIVATION then NOT POSTING ON RMN is like...the best thing.
TheNecromancer
3160
author=Max McGee
NOT POSTING ON RMN is like...the best thing.
Posting isn't so bad, it's reading that wastes time.
Section69
91
Work alone, shut the door. Pound down a few energy drinks and a cup of coffee and look only at the computer screen. When you're not in a game programming mode, crack open photoshop and make new characters/chipsets.
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