[POLL] WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST ROADBLOCKS TO PUBLISHING GAMES?

I could've voted for "all of the above", although "lack of experience" ended up being it ...

Lack of resources that fit what I'm always going for, because then I need to make up for it by trying to edit existing resources which ends up frustrating me because I end up with a lack of time and, as a result, I suffer a lack of motivation.

So a lack of resources is the primary cause for me, and it directly causes two other options on the poll.

I'm surprised "fear of criticism" is not one of the options ...

Criticism isn't always pleasant, but you shouldn't let a fear of it stop you from doing creative work! It's one of the most important parts of improving yourself- much like sparring in a martial art.

If you're very afraid of getting criticised, you should work on separating yourself from the things you're making. (That, and work on being polite to everyone; the harshest criticism I've seen is almost always a result of an artist being rude to critics. Criticism is usually the result of someone believing in your ability to improve yourself and should be responded to as such. :D )

If you can't handle criticism, go buy a motivational poster about self-esteem. Hang it in your room and read it every day until you believe it. This worked for me when I was in fourth and fifth grade, and the lesson never wore off!

Procrastination, mostly caused by anxiety about how much effort it's going to take to do the parts I'm not good at, is my main problem. I decided this counted as "motivation" so I voted for that.

I think fear of criticism qualifies as either lack of motivation or lack of experience, depending on whether you're afraid of it because you're a basket case or afraid of it because you know the game is gonna be terrible.

author=kentona
just facing the possibility of being shown that I am incompetent or incapable of doing something. That just paralyzes me. It's what keeps me from trying new things or leaving my comfort zone or really pushing myself. Being faced with my own incompetence or just the possibility of that happening is just terrifying for me.

I'm the same! I'm trying to write humorous satire right now and, having never done it before, am utterly afraid that I suck at it and it's become a bit of a roadblock for me. I probably do suck at it because I've never done it before! It's a totally founded fear!

I guess, for me, it comes down to pushing through that period where you suck at stuff, though, 'cuz of course whenever you try a new skill for the first time, you're gonna suck at it. I just try to remind myself that sucking at something new isn't anything to be embarrassed about. At the very least, I'm never gonna get any better if I don't grind through that initial suckiness period.

But maybe it's better put this way:

Yeah, the motivational poster stuff actually works. I wrote motivational stuff on my mirror and shower walls and holy crap was it helpful!

And yeah, you should absolutely go forth with your potential incompetence, so that more competent people can help teach you how to get better. Otherwise, you absolutely will stay terrible.

Everyone, go forth and make crappy things, that you may learn to make better things!