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)
MY LAZYNESS IN GAME DEVELOPMENT.
Posts
Pages:
1
Harbinger
80
Harbinger
View playlists
CloseProcrastination is a pain...
I have been working on a game with RPGMVX ACE for almost a year now and I am not even close to finishing it. Reasons being my own incredible lazyness, my ambition, pc problems and that I am WAY to indecisive for my own good. I mean I spend too much time freaking out over the smallest thing in my game and im being completely serious...
All the distractions that create my lazyness are the biggest problem. I mean how can I concentrate on making a game when Netflix keeps adding my favorite shows and my soon to be favorite shows! And all the videogames I keep playing don't help (Curse you Fallout and Civilization!) and my friends keep getting me addicted to this RTS game called Battle Dawn that I quitted 2 years ago --_--
Not to mention all the anime I watch in order to get inspiration and yet I end up obsessing over them and mourning for them a while after I finish them (Demn feels!!).
And I am really stubborn at working on my game for some reason, like I know I enjoy working on it, but I still choose not to. (Im like that too for when I have to watch a new season of a show/anime I like or after a while of not watching.) Basically I need to get in the zone for a while in order to obsess over it again and get things done. lol
So does anyone else also have these problems? Or am I the only lazy dude here and you are all hard workers that put me to shame >_>
How do you guys avoid getting distracted?
I have been working on a game with RPGMVX ACE for almost a year now and I am not even close to finishing it. Reasons being my own incredible lazyness, my ambition, pc problems and that I am WAY to indecisive for my own good. I mean I spend too much time freaking out over the smallest thing in my game and im being completely serious...
All the distractions that create my lazyness are the biggest problem. I mean how can I concentrate on making a game when Netflix keeps adding my favorite shows and my soon to be favorite shows! And all the videogames I keep playing don't help (Curse you Fallout and Civilization!) and my friends keep getting me addicted to this RTS game called Battle Dawn that I quitted 2 years ago --_--
Not to mention all the anime I watch in order to get inspiration and yet I end up obsessing over them and mourning for them a while after I finish them (Demn feels!!).
And I am really stubborn at working on my game for some reason, like I know I enjoy working on it, but I still choose not to. (Im like that too for when I have to watch a new season of a show/anime I like or after a while of not watching.) Basically I need to get in the zone for a while in order to obsess over it again and get things done. lol
So does anyone else also have these problems? Or am I the only lazy dude here and you are all hard workers that put me to shame >_>
How do you guys avoid getting distracted?
It's a matter of habit.
Habits are strong, and triggered by all kinds of stuff. You sit down, PC in front of you, and the first impulse is to check random stuff for updates - habits.
There are just a few approaches to this .. first thing would be making working on it it a habit. Doing it like first thing when you start things up and then doing the random stuff afterwards, or last thing before you turn off your stuff, and enforcing this until it sticks.
Otherwise .. dedication and willpower until it sticks. Habits are an autopilot for us and don't require any willpower - anything else does. So it can be as fun and fulfilling as it is, if you don't keep at it, it will just be blocked out by the usual random stuff that cluttered you up before you started it.
It can also help to have people remind you or nudge you to do it - being accountable is a great thing. That can be setting yourself deadlines (someone else can see and pester you with!), being active in the community, getting a friend on board .. etc etc.
I think everyone struggles with it in some shape or form.
Habits are strong, and triggered by all kinds of stuff. You sit down, PC in front of you, and the first impulse is to check random stuff for updates - habits.
There are just a few approaches to this .. first thing would be making working on it it a habit. Doing it like first thing when you start things up and then doing the random stuff afterwards, or last thing before you turn off your stuff, and enforcing this until it sticks.
Otherwise .. dedication and willpower until it sticks. Habits are an autopilot for us and don't require any willpower - anything else does. So it can be as fun and fulfilling as it is, if you don't keep at it, it will just be blocked out by the usual random stuff that cluttered you up before you started it.
It can also help to have people remind you or nudge you to do it - being accountable is a great thing. That can be setting yourself deadlines (someone else can see and pester you with!), being active in the community, getting a friend on board .. etc etc.
I think everyone struggles with it in some shape or form.
I get by on an obsessive work drive, goalposts, and by making sure I'm doing some sort of gamemake daily, even if that means I'm cutting into game/movie/other fun time.
I also plan a lot of the game in advance, especially the overall story structure and game world. Those remain pretty solid, and if I get the urge to make something different, I open a new document, write down the ideas, and save them for a future game.
I think picking projects of the right size is important, too. Making a game that takes you multiple years will probably bring on a lot of creative fatigue. Find a length that works for both you and the sort of game you want to make ^_^
I also plan a lot of the game in advance, especially the overall story structure and game world. Those remain pretty solid, and if I get the urge to make something different, I open a new document, write down the ideas, and save them for a future game.
I think picking projects of the right size is important, too. Making a game that takes you multiple years will probably bring on a lot of creative fatigue. Find a length that works for both you and the sort of game you want to make ^_^
Trying to go for epic fantasy 40+ hour games too can be killer. Like unity said, keep a scope in mind and if you do keep getting inspired with new ideas just save them for another game. If I didn't do this I probably wouldn't have any finished games.
It always starts out big but you need to trim the fat to make it manageable for yourself.
Working daily on your project even in small amounts is also good. Even busy days I make a map, or test my game and fix errors or bugs, test combat and mess around in the database. Nothing major but that gets me one step closer to being finished.
I also don't really play that many games, so I'm not easily distracted outside my hobbies.
Another important thing is to give yourself some space if you're feeling overwhelmed or lazy. Just take a few days off from development and come back with a clear head. More often then not you'll make a bunch of mistakes or you'll look back on parts and hate them if you work while feeling lazy or tired.
Take your time! Don't hate what you create.
It always starts out big but you need to trim the fat to make it manageable for yourself.
Working daily on your project even in small amounts is also good. Even busy days I make a map, or test my game and fix errors or bugs, test combat and mess around in the database. Nothing major but that gets me one step closer to being finished.
I also don't really play that many games, so I'm not easily distracted outside my hobbies.
Another important thing is to give yourself some space if you're feeling overwhelmed or lazy. Just take a few days off from development and come back with a clear head. More often then not you'll make a bunch of mistakes or you'll look back on parts and hate them if you work while feeling lazy or tired.
Take your time! Don't hate what you create.
I may be the worst person to give advice in a topic like this, but this article might help:
http://rpgmaker.net/articles/1141/
In short, the best way to avoid lazyness is to actually set up a clear path of achievable goals.
Don't make your goal "make a game" either. Trust me, it really doesn't work. Rather, break down your main goal into little sub-goals; think about what you need to make your game happen and take it step by step.
For example, say you want to make a JRPG. What does a JRPG include? A group of party members, some enemies, a world map, etc. Say for this week, you want to focus on making enemies, so make that your goal. What does making enemies involve? Defining what it looks like, what stats it has, where it appears in the game, what strategy the player has to use to beat it, so on and so forth.
Maybe that wasn't the best example, but notice how you can break up your work into identifiable goal points like that? Try it out. On my end, it's easier to work on something when I have a clear idea on how to approach it.
http://rpgmaker.net/articles/1141/
In short, the best way to avoid lazyness is to actually set up a clear path of achievable goals.
Don't make your goal "make a game" either. Trust me, it really doesn't work. Rather, break down your main goal into little sub-goals; think about what you need to make your game happen and take it step by step.
For example, say you want to make a JRPG. What does a JRPG include? A group of party members, some enemies, a world map, etc. Say for this week, you want to focus on making enemies, so make that your goal. What does making enemies involve? Defining what it looks like, what stats it has, where it appears in the game, what strategy the player has to use to beat it, so on and so forth.
Maybe that wasn't the best example, but notice how you can break up your work into identifiable goal points like that? Try it out. On my end, it's easier to work on something when I have a clear idea on how to approach it.
Aegix_Drakan
6037
author=Harbinger
So does anyone else also have these problems?
YUP. I try to work on my game, then go "erm...I'm not sure how I Want to design this, I'm going to write some ideas down in a notepad file and-wait, why am I playing Evochron Legacy and why is it time for bed already? Shoot..." ;_;
I'm making progress, but veerrryy slowly. Between school and distractions, I'm not doing so much.
Harbinger
80
Yeah I understand the points you all make and I did have a habit of working on my game. Every night after my day had basically ended at like 3-4am I worked on my game and did a couple of things. But then my friends got me to play that RTS game I mentioned that requires me to check it every half hour and it just killed both my habit of working on my game and my sleep schedule...(And we didn't even win!)
Same! Right now im reading this and thinking "Yeah you are all rightt! Im gonna work on my game right now-Wait why is my xbox controller in my hands?...why did I just insert Skyrim?...oh no...oh no...nooooooooooo!" *Isn't heard from again in days*
author=Aegix_Drakanauthor=HarbingerYUP. I try to work on my game, then go "erm...I'm not sure how I Want to design this, I'm going to write some ideas down in a notepad file and-wait, why am I playing Evochron Legacy and why is it time for bed already? Shoot..." ;_;
So does anyone else also have these problems?
I'm making progress, but veerrryy slowly. Between school and distractions, I'm not doing so much.
Same! Right now im reading this and thinking "Yeah you are all rightt! Im gonna work on my game right now-Wait why is my xbox controller in my hands?...why did I just insert Skyrim?...oh no...oh no...nooooooooooo!" *Isn't heard from again in days*
UPRC
5516
I can relate all too well. My last RPG Maker 2003 game took ten years to finish. Granted there were breaks during that period, sometimes for almost a year, but still. The two things that hold me back are:
1. Good games! When a game comes out that I really enjoy, my own games kind of become... forgotten for a while. 2015 was a HORRIBLE year for progress on my game because of Fallout 4 and Heroes of the Storm, and I had also picked up World of Warcraft again throughout the first half of the year. For most of 2015, I was probably working on my game for... maybe an hour most weeks?
2. An inability to figure out how to pull off something I want to make happen in my game. It could be a grand event or just a really, really cool sight... but if I struggle to find a way to make it happen? Progress grinds to a halt and can stay that way for weeks on end until I come up with an alternate idea. This happened semi recently in my current game. I had an idea set out for how the player would enter a major dungeon location, but I realized that my idea wasn't going to work when it came time to work on the dungeon. I pretty much stopped working on the game almost entirely for about... two months? Maybe almost three? It wasn't until just about three or four weeks ago when I came up with an alternative idea and, since then, progress has been really good again.
So yeah, my two biggest shortcomings are other games and my own unrealistic expectations/plans that exceed what I'm usually capable of since I'm FAAAAAR from being one of RMN's most skilled eventers and I can't script at all, so I try to make up for it in the story department.
With my current game, if I became INSANELY motivated and worked on it for 4-5 hours on weekdays and more or less all day on weekends, I could finish it by the end of February since I'm getting close to the final chapters. Unfortunately, and even though I do have enough free time, I don't possess the superhuman levels of motivation to be able to pull that off. Because of this, I'm shooting for an unspecified "first half of 2016" completion date since I know that it is a largely realistic goal.
1. Good games! When a game comes out that I really enjoy, my own games kind of become... forgotten for a while. 2015 was a HORRIBLE year for progress on my game because of Fallout 4 and Heroes of the Storm, and I had also picked up World of Warcraft again throughout the first half of the year. For most of 2015, I was probably working on my game for... maybe an hour most weeks?
2. An inability to figure out how to pull off something I want to make happen in my game. It could be a grand event or just a really, really cool sight... but if I struggle to find a way to make it happen? Progress grinds to a halt and can stay that way for weeks on end until I come up with an alternate idea. This happened semi recently in my current game. I had an idea set out for how the player would enter a major dungeon location, but I realized that my idea wasn't going to work when it came time to work on the dungeon. I pretty much stopped working on the game almost entirely for about... two months? Maybe almost three? It wasn't until just about three or four weeks ago when I came up with an alternative idea and, since then, progress has been really good again.
So yeah, my two biggest shortcomings are other games and my own unrealistic expectations/plans that exceed what I'm usually capable of since I'm FAAAAAR from being one of RMN's most skilled eventers and I can't script at all, so I try to make up for it in the story department.
With my current game, if I became INSANELY motivated and worked on it for 4-5 hours on weekdays and more or less all day on weekends, I could finish it by the end of February since I'm getting close to the final chapters. Unfortunately, and even though I do have enough free time, I don't possess the superhuman levels of motivation to be able to pull that off. Because of this, I'm shooting for an unspecified "first half of 2016" completion date since I know that it is a largely realistic goal.
Blind
2262
author=UPRC
I can relate all too well. My last RPG Maker 2003 game took ten years to finish. Granted there were breaks during that period, sometimes for almost a year, but still.
...
With my current game, if I became INSANELY motivated and worked on it for 4-5 hours on weekdays and more or less all day on weekends, I could finish it by the end of February since I'm getting close to the final chapters. Unfortunately, and even though I do have enough free time, I don't possess the superhuman levels of motivation to be able to pull that off. Because of this, I'm shooting for an unspecified "first half of 2016" completion date since I know that it is a largely realistic goal.
Wow, glad I'm not alone. XD
Much like anything else, Game Dev is a discipline. If nothing else, that's what I've really learned through the years. It's not meant to be easy.
Fatigue is a pretty common symptom though... especially with Indie stuff where there isn't really a central leadership or design team to hold things together. Most people also have the natural inclination to compare our work to SNES/PS1-era RPGs (visually or functionally), but we forget that there was a robust staff behind most of our childhood favorites... not one person huddled on a laptop.
(They also largely didn't have a day job to worry about~!)
But yeah. It was probably my own stubbornness and immaturity that led to the reprehensible development time on BR. As an adolescent developer, I frequently refused to compromise on my vision. I prioritized the wrong things. Now that I've come back to designing games, my sensability is more more grounded and realistic. I'd settle for a compelling 8-hour opus, than a larger experience that's muddled by filler.
Flow. That's the word psychologists use when a person becomes completely involved in what they are doing. Ever had one of those moments where you've lost perception of time and just find yourself absorbed at what you're doing? That's flow.
Once you get into it, it is near impossible to get distracted from what's in front of you. Of course, it does require a great deal of mental concentration, but it is a skill that can be learned. Like BM said, gam-mak, or any skill really, is a discipline.
Also, to address the OP, it sounds like you're becoming a little bit obsessed with your game, if you're freaking out over little things. If you waste time trying to align the moons of perfection, you're never going to get that game out. Ever. Spending too much time over the little details can drain you and sap your motivation. It doesn't sound to me like you're lazy, just overwhelmed.
Remember, this is a hobby we do for fun. So have fun with what you're doing. Keep your head down, stay quiet and work on that game. It's what I do. =)
Once you get into it, it is near impossible to get distracted from what's in front of you. Of course, it does require a great deal of mental concentration, but it is a skill that can be learned. Like BM said, gam-mak, or any skill really, is a discipline.
Also, to address the OP, it sounds like you're becoming a little bit obsessed with your game, if you're freaking out over little things. If you waste time trying to align the moons of perfection, you're never going to get that game out. Ever. Spending too much time over the little details can drain you and sap your motivation. It doesn't sound to me like you're lazy, just overwhelmed.
Remember, this is a hobby we do for fun. So have fun with what you're doing. Keep your head down, stay quiet and work on that game. It's what I do. =)
emmych
817
HA, I'M NOT LAZY! I JUST HAVE A CHRONIC CONDITION AND A STRESSFUL LIFE THAT DOESN'T LEAVE ME ANY ENERGY LEFT TO WORK ON MY PERSONAL PROJECTS! I JUST CRY INSTEAD! WHO'S THE LOSER NOW!!!!!
*sobs*
But yes I am seconding what Luchi said about "this is a hobby"! This is something I have to tell myself, since YEAH I will beat myself for not meeting personal deadlines or when I discover I haven't worked on game (or any kind of art/hobby) for x amount of time. Don't do that!!! It doesn't help. When the hobby stops being fun and starts being a stress, take a break. You are not making money from this. You do not owe anyone a finished product, because they are not paying you. Take care of yourself first.
THAT BEING SAID, it is sometimes hard to get in the zone and work on a thing! Note that most of my advice is said through the lens of "I have a chronic condition and a lot of stress and do not always have the energy leftover to work on something unnecessary/deal with the inevitable "this isn't good enough you USELESS FUCK" that will come with attempting to work on it", so if this is not your life, defs take it with a grain of salt.
SCHEDULES!!! Schedules are great. I made a game with a pal this summer and we had a loose schedule going, aka "it'd be nice if x was done by y day" rather than "HERE"S YOUR DEADLINE, LOSER!!!". The caveat to this one is I had that little voice saying "if u don't get this done by the time u said it would be done, u will fail ur friend" and that helped propel me along. Doesn't work like that for solo projects, unfortunately. Just gotta have discipline!
I've also found that only doing a little bit a day helps a lot! Do a bit when you wanna do a bit, then put it away when you feel done. Again, this is a hobby! You can take as much time as you want. Your only potential deadline is whenever the next RPG maker is announced and you want to port your game over lmao
Also, fly under the radar! Making regular updates is hard??? It puts a bunch of unnecessary pressure to churn out Stuff to show off, and this kills the man. Alternately, if that sort of pressure helps, MAKE REGULAR UPDATES~ I just know that it makes me, personally, want to throw up and also die.
but yes that's emmych's hot gammak while sick tips, thank u, i'll be here all week
*sobs*
But yes I am seconding what Luchi said about "this is a hobby"! This is something I have to tell myself, since YEAH I will beat myself for not meeting personal deadlines or when I discover I haven't worked on game (or any kind of art/hobby) for x amount of time. Don't do that!!! It doesn't help. When the hobby stops being fun and starts being a stress, take a break. You are not making money from this. You do not owe anyone a finished product, because they are not paying you. Take care of yourself first.
THAT BEING SAID, it is sometimes hard to get in the zone and work on a thing! Note that most of my advice is said through the lens of "I have a chronic condition and a lot of stress and do not always have the energy leftover to work on something unnecessary/deal with the inevitable "this isn't good enough you USELESS FUCK" that will come with attempting to work on it", so if this is not your life, defs take it with a grain of salt.
SCHEDULES!!! Schedules are great. I made a game with a pal this summer and we had a loose schedule going, aka "it'd be nice if x was done by y day" rather than "HERE"S YOUR DEADLINE, LOSER!!!". The caveat to this one is I had that little voice saying "if u don't get this done by the time u said it would be done, u will fail ur friend" and that helped propel me along. Doesn't work like that for solo projects, unfortunately. Just gotta have discipline!
I've also found that only doing a little bit a day helps a lot! Do a bit when you wanna do a bit, then put it away when you feel done. Again, this is a hobby! You can take as much time as you want. Your only potential deadline is whenever the next RPG maker is announced and you want to port your game over lmao
Also, fly under the radar! Making regular updates is hard??? It puts a bunch of unnecessary pressure to churn out Stuff to show off, and this kills the man. Alternately, if that sort of pressure helps, MAKE REGULAR UPDATES~ I just know that it makes me, personally, want to throw up and also die.
but yes that's emmych's hot gammak while sick tips, thank u, i'll be here all week
author=unity
I get by on an obsessive work drive, goalposts, and by making sure I'm doing some sort of gamemake daily, even if that means I'm cutting into game/movie/other fun time.
I also plan a lot of the game in advance, especially the overall story structure and game world. Those remain pretty solid, and if I get the urge to make something different, I open a new document, write down the ideas, and save them for a future game.
I think picking projects of the right size is important, too. Making a game that takes you multiple years will probably bring on a lot of creative fatigue. Find a length that works for both you and the sort of game you want to make ^_^
I wish I could rent your work ethic.
author=Max McGeeauthor=unityI wish I could rent your work ethic.
I get by on an obsessive work drive, goalposts, and by making sure I'm doing some sort of gamemake daily, even if that means I'm cutting into game/movie/other fun time.
I also plan a lot of the game in advance, especially the overall story structure and game world. Those remain pretty solid, and if I get the urge to make something different, I open a new document, write down the ideas, and save them for a future game.
I think picking projects of the right size is important, too. Making a game that takes you multiple years will probably bring on a lot of creative fatigue. Find a length that works for both you and the sort of game you want to make ^_^
Haha! I'm not sure it's a completely healthy method, though. Like Luchi and emmych said, this is our hobby. However, I often treat it more like a second job. The trade-off is that I get a lot of satisfaction out of it, but it might be healthier to use more of your time unwinding than going "I could be making game! Let's get back to work!" Everyone should do what's best for them ^_^
Harbinger
80
Thanks for all the ideas guys. It has helped, I have been working on my game daily again now. Hopefully I finish it soon.
I gotta say another problem I have is that I have these other 2 stories I am working on and im so obsessed with them that I can't focus as much on my game's story. I wish I could make a game about them, but the time's just not right yet.
I gotta say another problem I have is that I have these other 2 stories I am working on and im so obsessed with them that I can't focus as much on my game's story. I wish I could make a game about them, but the time's just not right yet.
Pages:
1
