Friday, May 22, 2009
That Feeling That You Are Inevitably Hosed...
Mike Rubin has a post today that will no doubt ring true to any developer - indie or not - who has ever struggled along with a project that has lasted beyond the initial "honeymoon period." There comes a time - several times in fact - when you take a step back, look at the project as a whole, and say to yourself:
"This game is utter crap! What the hell am I doing wasting my time with this?"
In fact, I've heard similar expressions of shock and horror by licensors or others who find themselves taking a peek inside the ol' sausage factory for the first time. I have heard many of the suit-types trying to explain to investors, license-holders, and others that games don't really begin to resemble games until just a couple of weeks before it goes into formal testing.
And sometimes, not even then. Yeah, I know that road...
Anyway, I don't know the answer to that one. There have been a couple of projects I've given up on too, as an indie (earlier in development, fortunately, as I recognized that they had issues with 'em). And there have been a couple of cases - even recently - with Frayed Knights where I've felt the same. Both a despondency that it will never be "good enough," and a feeling that there's just too freakin' much to do that I'll never finish it all.
All I can say is, Mike, I know at least one person who really wants to play the final, finished game. I dunno if that helps or not, but if not, here's something else to consider: You are local enough that if you give up, I can easily hunt you down and hurt you...
The Monk's Brew: One Thing He Forgot to Mention
Labels: Indie Evangelism, productivity
- posted by The Rampant Coyote @ 4:05 PM (Permalink)
Comments:
Links to this post:
<< Home
I'm right there with you. I've recently hit that wall with Capo, and it's a tough one.
You really have to fight the tendency to go off and do something else instead, as an indie.
You really have to fight the tendency to go off and do something else instead, as an indie.
Much appreciated, Jay -- although I didn't intend to give the impression that I'm so deep in the valley that I'm anywhere near giving up.
I just wanted to point out how, every now and then, you get that "What am I doing?" sense and how tough that can be to overcome sometimes.
For me, I've come too far to give up without knowing for sure that it sucks. And there's only one way to find that out.
I just wanted to point out how, every now and then, you get that "What am I doing?" sense and how tough that can be to overcome sometimes.
For me, I've come too far to give up without knowing for sure that it sucks. And there's only one way to find that out.
The honeymoon period is about a month for me.
That's when the initial excitement finally wears off. That's when you have most of the basic elements playable. That's when you start to get massively dimishing returns for work on your ever-increasingly tangled mess of code. And that's usually when you look at your product and think "This isn't any fun. Why am I making it?"
And then you have a dilemna - cut your losses and write off that month as experience, or try and salvage the project.
I think that's the hardest call to make as a developer. On the occasions when you do get to the end of that month and you feel the spark of fun, it's an incredible feeling though.
Motivation is, IMO, the single greatest skill required by an independent developer. It's not easy to come by when you're not being paid by the hour. From personal experience I think it's important to build and test the core game experience first, and leave the microscopic stuff and content creation as late as possible. That way you don't lose too much if you decide to bail and start anew.
That's when the initial excitement finally wears off. That's when you have most of the basic elements playable. That's when you start to get massively dimishing returns for work on your ever-increasingly tangled mess of code. And that's usually when you look at your product and think "This isn't any fun. Why am I making it?"
And then you have a dilemna - cut your losses and write off that month as experience, or try and salvage the project.
I think that's the hardest call to make as a developer. On the occasions when you do get to the end of that month and you feel the spark of fun, it's an incredible feeling though.
Motivation is, IMO, the single greatest skill required by an independent developer. It's not easy to come by when you're not being paid by the hour. From personal experience I think it's important to build and test the core game experience first, and leave the microscopic stuff and content creation as late as possible. That way you don't lose too much if you decide to bail and start anew.
# posted by 
: May 23, 2009 3:39 AM
: May 23, 2009 3:39 AM
I don't know how you guys do it, I really don't. I can work hard if I'm getting paid by the hour, but I'm the world's biggest procrastinator at home. I don't know how you can keep up with a project like this, which must seem like it will never end, sometimes.
You have my admiration, just for being able to do this at all!
You have my admiration, just for being able to do this at all!
My biggest problem is usually realizing how many other projects I could be working on, thinking how much easier they'd be to finish, and being tempted to start one of them instead...
Yeah, I get that too. Opportunity cost of games not being made. It always seems like the next game will be easier to make, better, and more lucrative.
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
<< Home
