Full Games List
Featured Games
New Games
Reviews
Media
Images
Blogs
Game Updates
Images Feedback Summary
Game Design Highlights
Tutorials
Articles
Scripts
Utilities / Plugins
Resources
Engines
Engine Bulletins
What is Makerscore?
Past Events
Achievements
Misaos
Forums
Post History
Chat
New to RMN?
Full Store List
RMN Music Pack (free)
DRILLING FOR MOTIVATION WHEN THE WELL IS DRY
Posts
slash
View playlists
CloseSo, we've all been in that groove before where we can just crush through work like it's nothing - all your code works, you're blissfully cranking out art assets, and suddenly hours have gone by and you have a lot to show for it.
It's a great state to be in, but it's not always how things go. Sometimes you're just in a crappy mood and yet there is work to be done. Sometimes you feel like zoning out and playing a mindless game instead. How do you power through it? How do you motivate yourself to get motivated?
I figured we could share our personal experiences with this unfortunate situation, and share some of our personal little tricks for getting hype when we need it most :D
As for my little tips, I've found that I like:
1. Dressing Up: When I'm in sweatpants and a tank top it's easy to fall into that lazy refresh-twitter-twenty-times feeling. It's kinda dumb but putting on shoes and pants and a nice shirt makes me feel like a professional and helps me concentrate >_>
2. Incense: My sisters are hippies and got me into incense. It smells nice and helps focus!
I'm kinda curious how other people handle their gammiking efforts. I've recently started working a more regular 8-hour schedule, and when I get home I find myself being super lazy and just goofing off until I go to sleep. I'm pretty productive in the morning before work, but still...
It's a great state to be in, but it's not always how things go. Sometimes you're just in a crappy mood and yet there is work to be done. Sometimes you feel like zoning out and playing a mindless game instead. How do you power through it? How do you motivate yourself to get motivated?
I figured we could share our personal experiences with this unfortunate situation, and share some of our personal little tricks for getting hype when we need it most :D
As for my little tips, I've found that I like:
1. Dressing Up: When I'm in sweatpants and a tank top it's easy to fall into that lazy refresh-twitter-twenty-times feeling. It's kinda dumb but putting on shoes and pants and a nice shirt makes me feel like a professional and helps me concentrate >_>
2. Incense: My sisters are hippies and got me into incense. It smells nice and helps focus!
I'm kinda curious how other people handle their gammiking efforts. I've recently started working a more regular 8-hour schedule, and when I get home I find myself being super lazy and just goofing off until I go to sleep. I'm pretty productive in the morning before work, but still...
I think about this a lot because it's tough to get into game-making mode, especially when you're doing all the art assets, writing & programming/scripting yourself. It's weird. When you're demotivated, it's hard to imagine yourself motivated, but when you actually get motivated you wonder why you were in such a rut before. I find the best approach is to go easy on yourself, stop thinking about it, and just dive in. It's a weird little mind-hack that might get you going.
What helps with that though is organizing your thoughts and writing them down somewhere, because you can look at your list or whatever and go "I'll work on this today." I use a little tool called Trello to manage what I want to work on--It works in browsers & mobile, and has a neat interface. Keep list items simple like "fix this bug" or "change this graphic.". This way, when you are in a demotivated rut, but still want to work on something, you can go to that list and get started that way. Then, while you're working on those things, you start to build motivation to work on the bigger stuff you really want to get to.
From a purely materialistic sense:
1. Coffee/something caffeinated is great when you have tedious things to work on. If one cup isn't enough, grab a second.
2. Candles for the same reason as incense.
3. Some kind of intense music that will get you pumped up to do stuff. My go-to has always been the Ikaruga soundtrack. Something that turns your task into a life or death situation. :P
What helps with that though is organizing your thoughts and writing them down somewhere, because you can look at your list or whatever and go "I'll work on this today." I use a little tool called Trello to manage what I want to work on--It works in browsers & mobile, and has a neat interface. Keep list items simple like "fix this bug" or "change this graphic.". This way, when you are in a demotivated rut, but still want to work on something, you can go to that list and get started that way. Then, while you're working on those things, you start to build motivation to work on the bigger stuff you really want to get to.
From a purely materialistic sense:
1. Coffee/something caffeinated is great when you have tedious things to work on. If one cup isn't enough, grab a second.
2. Candles for the same reason as incense.
3. Some kind of intense music that will get you pumped up to do stuff. My go-to has always been the Ikaruga soundtrack. Something that turns your task into a life or death situation. :P
There's a motivational phrase that I like, which says: "When you feel like quitting, remember why you started".
And I think that applies not only to game making, but almost any activity. I try to think for the reward that's in the end and the process itself, which is also rewarding.
On a purely materialistic sense, I also find caffeine and good music as a great aid. :)
And I think that applies not only to game making, but almost any activity. I try to think for the reward that's in the end and the process itself, which is also rewarding.
On a purely materialistic sense, I also find caffeine and good music as a great aid. :)
Not doing gam mak.
Seriously. Go for a walk! Dance! Take a stroll in the park, get some exotic food you've never tasted. Sometimes that's just what you need.
Seriously. Go for a walk! Dance! Take a stroll in the park, get some exotic food you've never tasted. Sometimes that's just what you need.
I usually get a shower, go for a walk, or smoke pot.
One of these things is not like the other, one of these things is not the same!
EDIT: Oh, can't forget music either. Although I don't think of it in the same way since I'm listening to VG music 24/7.
One of these things is not like the other, one of these things is not the same!
EDIT: Oh, can't forget music either. Although I don't think of it in the same way since I'm listening to VG music 24/7.
author=slashphoenix
1. Dressing Up: When I'm in sweatpants and a tank top it's easy to fall into that lazy refresh-twitter-twenty-times feeling. It's kinda dumb but putting on shoes and pants and a nice shirt makes me feel like a professional and helps me concentrate >_>
I was thinking this too, but I thought it was just my imagination! Maybe I should actually actively pursue this next time I'm in a rut...
I'm the opposite for dressing up pfft. I can't get in the groove unless I'm in a hoodie and sweats. If I'm dressed up, I'll feel the need to go out shopping or something.
I triple quadruple support going for a walk. I can't tell you how many ideas have come from taking my dog out for a long walk. I always take my phone to jot them down too.
Also, celebrate the little victories. Maybe you didn't finish a whole level, but you redrew an asset or fixed up pieces of dialogue. Any step toward your goal is a good one.
I also find that seeing other people progress makes me kind of unmotivated. So I tend to stay away from any game tags.
I triple quadruple support going for a walk. I can't tell you how many ideas have come from taking my dog out for a long walk. I always take my phone to jot them down too.
Also, celebrate the little victories. Maybe you didn't finish a whole level, but you redrew an asset or fixed up pieces of dialogue. Any step toward your goal is a good one.
I also find that seeing other people progress makes me kind of unmotivated. So I tend to stay away from any game tags.
GoatBoy
706
First and foremost - do not stress yourself out. Don't berate yourself for being a slacker or accomplishing nothing. This, at least for me, is a very excellent DE-motivator. Stressing out about how much work I have to do almost always means I won't get it done.
I need to relax and put myself in a good mood. Think happy thoughts. Listen to epic music. Don't get too cozy and stuff myself with junk food.
Unlike Gabicho, seeing other people's progress on their games usually makes me feel the need to churn out some work of my own. Maybe I'm secretly competitive? >w>
I need to relax and put myself in a good mood. Think happy thoughts. Listen to epic music. Don't get too cozy and stuff myself with junk food.
Unlike Gabicho, seeing other people's progress on their games usually makes me feel the need to churn out some work of my own. Maybe I'm secretly competitive? >w>
Vary what you're working on is the best tip I've heard. Tired of mapping? Do some work in the database. Tired of databasing? Do some work on your graphics, or your music or sound design, and so on.
The tip about putting on proper pants and clothes to put yourself in a work mode is a great one too (although I am not following it today, today is a sweatpants day).
And music is...totally essential. I always create and carefully curate a Pandora for each of my projects, carefully constructing a 'playlist' that will periodically be infused with new music I haven't heard before but might like, while stomping out the tracks that are inappropriate for what I'm working on. I never DON'T listen to music while working.
Admittedly, RM makes it harder to work to music than any other medium because you often need to test play your game, choose a BGM track to use in your game, or even just pick a sound effect, all of which require frequent pausing and unpausing of the music.
The tip about putting on proper pants and clothes to put yourself in a work mode is a great one too (although I am not following it today, today is a sweatpants day).
And music is...totally essential. I always create and carefully curate a Pandora for each of my projects, carefully constructing a 'playlist' that will periodically be infused with new music I haven't heard before but might like, while stomping out the tracks that are inappropriate for what I'm working on. I never DON'T listen to music while working.
Admittedly, RM makes it harder to work to music than any other medium because you often need to test play your game, choose a BGM track to use in your game, or even just pick a sound effect, all of which require frequent pausing and unpausing of the music.
Like Pepsi I tend to take notes also choosing a small thing to fix which gets me going.
I also test my game a lot when I feel like that, trying to break it anyway I can to find the bugs.
Music helps too, just finding a good track will motivate you to implement it some where and can get you going also.
I also test my game a lot when I feel like that, trying to break it anyway I can to find the bugs.
Music helps too, just finding a good track will motivate you to implement it some where and can get you going also.
Avee
5794
Funnily enough, when I'm not motivated to work on something I just start doing it anyway. Then about 5~10 minutes in I get all of these sweet ideas and the next thing I know I just spent 2 hours making progress.
Motivation kicks in after I start.
Motivation kicks in after I start.
Exercise to kewl tunes while watching an old cartoon play on mute and trying to deduce what's going on / making up the plot as it goes usually gets my creative juices flowing. Plus it gets me off my lazy butt once in a while too!
JoeH
0
Great topic.
I find that making your project a priority (in a world filled with priorities) gives value and meaning to what could otherwise be conjectured as folly or insignificant.
I find that making your project a priority (in a world filled with priorities) gives value and meaning to what could otherwise be conjectured as folly or insignificant.
Corfaisus
"It's frustrating because - as much as Corf is otherwise an irredeemable person - his 2k/3 mapping is on point." ~ psy_wombats
7874
1. Meditate. Not on the task ahead, but sit down, breathe slowly, close your eyes and clear your mind, focus on where you are (in your room/outside sitting on carpet/wood/concrete) and how you are (if you're able-bodied, acknowledge that). Take the fear out of the future and live now.
2. Play someone else's game. I can't tell you how many times during my playthrough of Hero's Realm that I felt the desire to drop everything and go work on my own game. Perhaps seeing and experiencing a completed project might motivate you to do the same.
2. Play someone else's game. I can't tell you how many times during my playthrough of Hero's Realm that I felt the desire to drop everything and go work on my own game. Perhaps seeing and experiencing a completed project might motivate you to do the same.
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=CorfaisusOh man. This is like... un-advice. For me anyway. I have the opposite problem - this is actually my avoidance technique. I should be working on my own game, but instead of pulling RPG Maker up I start playing Hammerwatch or Hearthstone or something.
2. Play someone else's game. I can't tell you how many times during my playthrough of Hero's Realm that I felt the desire to drop everything and go work on my own game. Perhaps seeing and experiencing a completed project might motivate you to do the same.
The best way I've solved this for myself, personally, is to have multiple game design projects at once. So if I don't feel like working on my RPG Maker game, I'll drift to my MUD or the community Zelda game, instead of to things that are complete wastes of time.
Well I can definitely see how playing an RPG Maker game might be inspiration, while playing a "real" game might be avoidance.
I look at what I've already done. That burst of gam mak did some sweet things and I want revive it~
Music is also wildly important. Music is good for the creative juices in general too.
Music is also wildly important. Music is good for the creative juices in general too.
author=Gourd_Clae
I look at what I've already done.
This can easily be a demotivator, depending on your situation. (For me, historically, less what I've already done and more the reaction, or lack thereof, to what I've already done has been a demotivator.)
Probably the worst "pure" motivation fail I've ever suffered in my gammak "career" is my outstanding failure to release Backstage 2...it is now over 8 full years after its release date. This isn't even a project I've lost interest in, it's still one I love, I just can't get my worthless ass to actually work on it. Shit, it was already two or three years "late" when it first went up on RMN. And I've worked on it as "recently" as 2-4 years ago. I feel INCREDIBLY guilty and ashamed about this, so obviously guilt/shame is not an effective motivator for me, which is too bad.
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
Set yourself on fire every day until it's done.
