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[UncommonStuff]

Hi there

I am coming to the end of development on my first indie title and I wondered how other people felt about their games after pouring so much time into development?

The game that I am working on has taken up most of my waking life and stolen more than a few hours of sleep from me.  I'm sure a lot of you can emphasise with that   But how did your feelings change to your project over time?

As the months have gone by on this project I have had a love/hate relationship with my game.  Thankfully the indie game community is so positive and supportive   After speaking to a number of people on-line I can see that making games isn't as glamorous as you may think.  It's hard work!

Did you find yourself emotionally tested by the development process?  How did you stay positive?

Paul

[fraxcell]

I'm not anywhere near being done with my game, but I have been working on it for over a year now. There were a lot of times when I was ready to abandon it, but I always come back to it.

There are times when I work on it for weeks without really accomplishing much, but, there are also some days where I add one thing or change something seemingly minuscule, and it completely changes the game and makes it better. It's these moments which really make game development fun for me.

[UncommonStuff]

I guess the thing that got me out of bed and in front of the computer was setting deadlines.  I found that I responded well to those.  I released my first demo on Friday and found that I worked through the night to finish.

Making a game has been high on my agenda for a number of years.  I love the creative process but find the work very difficult - certainly keeping focused.

Wish you all the best on your game.  You'll find that the people on these forums are great for giving feedback and support!

Paul

[Taiko]

I'll only keep working on a game as long as the concept is still interesting to me.  I've had a few projects in the past where I just wanted to stop working on them and do something else.  For me, this was a good sign that the concept wasn't very interesting in the first place.  When I get truly excited about an idea I have a lot less of a problem following it through.

But sometimes you just need to take a break, play someone else's game, and come back to your project later.

[Swattkidd]

I have not really created many (read any) games that were released to the public or anything like that, but the thing that keeps me programming and working is just the fact that I love coding and even in those moments when something is tough or getting far too tricky, the moment of when you solve the problem or get it working is the best, its like a big fuck you to the computer 

But as for staying positive about a project and keep working on it, I believe as long as your project seems worth it and is what you were hoping for it to be than you will keep working on it, however many of my projects have went from my great idea to just-not-fun so i scraped them.

[Mr. Yes]

The interest comes and goes, and I'm never working consistently on anything. Also, I half-ass the remaining bits when I'm nearly finished. I'm not usually happy with it, at that point.

[Pineapple]

My real satisfaction only comes when the project is done and it's either useful (if I wrote a utility or such) or entertaining (if it's a game) to those who use or play it. If nobody touches something I put hours, days, and often weeks into, I feel like it was naught more than a waste of time. That's not to say I don't get a kick out of a problem solved, though. Finally discovering the source of a bug after learning that, strangely, Raid couldn't kill it, is always a high point. Though when one bug fixed leads only to the revelation of another, well..

[1982]

Did you find yourself emotionally tested by the development process?  How did you stay positive?

It is easy to stay positive for sure, but other thing is to stay motivated. Working with any personal project which is bigger than one hour job, is way hard. One thing is to try start projects that evolve during making process. That way you can keep yourself interested and motivated, because it is always new and fresh. But if you hate what you do, just don't. You should be glad to be able to do anything at all. You can leave loving/hating to other people, since it is just waste of time. 

[guille]

I usually start very excited, as time goes by and complications arise the excitement fades, sometimes so much you just can't keep working on the project.

I kinda got over this by alternating exciting and dull development stages, so after an exciting stage I would take advantage of that momentum to get over a dull one and then I would go into the next exciting stage.

If I succeed and finish my project, my level of satisfaction is pretty high, my confidence grows and in the future I won't get stopped as easily when going through harsh times. 

[InfiniteStateMachine]

I'd say making a game is definitely a bi-polar process

[Cimpresovec]

Well, the starts are always nice. You feel very motivated and stuff but after the project starts to take more and more time, it's really hard to stay motivated. I can kinda stay motivated as long as I am working (read programming) on some new feature or something. But when I have to create a lot of levels then I just don't see the point and get demotivated. That is why one of my project is on a hold for a few months or so. But holidays are here so I will take myself the time to complete it.

But when a game is done, I fell euphoric :D

[NiallM]

For me it's usually a downward curve.  The best part is definitely the initial inspiration; the idea that seems to lead off in all sorts of directions, that's so full of possibility.  And the start of the actual development is always fun; creating all the systems and structures to build the game around, getting something moving on screen.  But after a while it just settles into a grind to actually get the thing finished.  And as the game becomes more and more concrete, that initial idea gets smaller and smaller.  Compromises always have to be made if you're going to get the thing out the door.  Turning ideas into reality is hard.

I always feel massively deflated after the actual release.  Partly due to the usual last minute issues that always appear, partly, perhaps, because it's all over?

[Taiko]

I always feel massively deflated after the actual release.  Partly due to the usual last minute issues that always appear, partly, perhaps, because it's all over?

Partly I think we feel this way because of leaving out features, or just even from working on the same thing for so long.

But, what's really fun is going back through your library and finding things you made a long time ago.  Sometimes it's embarrassing, but sometimes you find something really fun that you made and you get to enjoy it all over again.  Part of the thrill of making games I guess.

[Trevor Dunbar]

Development can only end in tears and blood all over your keyboard

[J.W. Hendricks]

I'm not a game designer. I'm a composer. But I can tell you that even being alongside someone creating a game can be a very emotional process. I was composing for a game, and I noticed the designer was extremely passionate about the world had created. He loved the characters like his children. I even became emotionally involved. Then, when the game was cancelled, both of us went into mild depression for a bit, because we had poured so much of ourselves into that project.

So, in short, making a game is like having children. There will be good time, bad times, emotional times, funny times, and life-changing times. When you see that child shine and become successful, there is no other feeling quite like it. But when you've lost that child, nothing can replace it (except for a better child).

But sadly, there's no part of game developement that's as fun as sex.

[oahda]

I think it's very important to take some time off every now and then, but those times have to be balanced and not too long. My coworker has spent an entire week with me now, for development, at my house, and he went home a little less than two days ago. We lost some sleep, and I did program every day and made some graphics some of the days, and both of us sketched levels and wrote down ideas, and we did work for most of the week.

I haven't even opened the code editor since he left now, and I actually woke up just about an hour and a half ago (it's 05:36 in the morning now) after getting some well-earned sleep after going to bed about 11:00 yesterday (so I've been asleep for well over twelve hours). I've just fetched myself some tea, and I might start thinking about doing some development now, or I might not. I might be going away to visit a friend for a day or a few today, and I won't work very much during that time (although I always bring my computer, and actually might get something done, since all of us usually sit with a laptop at least some time when hanging out).

The point is that you should allow yourself to get some rest every now and then. If you need a week, take that week off, if you can. Mostly, though, try to just take a day or two. It's usually enough. Allow yourself to get some rest every now and then. This way you will get new power back and probably accomplish more when you get back to work than you would have during the time that you could have been resting a little.

[LeFishy]

I always feel awesome when I have an idea and then I feel great when coding it and then suddenly everything works and I have to make content and then I get bored and wander off and find something else to do.

[GameRoom]

I always feel awesome when I have an idea and then I feel great when coding it and then suddenly everything works and I have to make content and then I get bored and wander off and find something else to do.

Amen.

[baconman]

Yesterday, I got into a very, very good development mood. And it was during then, that it occured to me exactly what that is. It's important to note, all gamedev-minded people generally have two main talents in common. They're logical. They're creative.

Sure, a good idea begins on the creative, visionary level, along with preliminary stuff like drafts and sketches. Bounce to logic, and get in the "execution" mindset of pulling off all the programming logic (and then the hard part - the programming itself!). Gives a sense of limitations and a need to streamline; a very logical move to make. Once that's made, the creative side kicks back in, and you see what else you can make your logical execution do, and so on and so forth.

But there's a mood that seperates the Joes from the Pros; that blissful part where your logic and your creativity flow together. Now THIS is where it's at - the math and geometry are fresh in mind as you're placing doodads around your mocked-up levels, and as you do so, it becomes increasingly apparent how you can combine things to make more fun combinations of stuff. You get an exact feel for what's essential and what would make for good dressing/theming. You basically get immersed into it all.

Pure creativity and pure logic together, and neither one at the cost or compromise of the other. That to me, defines "the perfect development mood." (But yes, like any job, you should take your breaks, stretch out and move around, and give yourself days off; lest you "immerse yourself" into burnout.)