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[eka]

while doing a project most of the time i get into procrastination mode...
many times i think because i have a day job, come home very tired and stuff
so i will ask...

how do you keep yourself motivated? 

[Guert]

Good question...
Sometimes I don't know how to motivate myslef... Most of the time, I just try to have a certain discipline. I schedule a momment that I absolutly have to work on a certain project and do it.

I think the best way is to plan a lot. I try to make a list of everything I have to do and see what I can easily do or what will take alot of time. This way, when I sit down to work on the project, I select what I feel like doing. it's easier to keep motivated when you perform quick and easy tasks. When my motivation is high, I head for the longer, harder things to do.

Working with others also help. Sometimes you don't wanna work on something but the other person is going well so it gives you a boost.

But, I must say, sometimes it's just real hard to motivate myslef. Sometimes I just can't. Anyway, we need to take some time off from certain things so we can get back into it at full energy later on.

Later!

[fish]

fortune and glory!

[Alex May]

Working with others has helped my motivation, but most of it comes from a burning desire to create the games I know I will never be able to make in my day job; the hard reality of professional game development burns like acid and makes the necessity to exercise my game development creativity somewhere it can actually be realised, whether I complete my projects or not, all the stronger.

[fish]

professional game development sucks.
im amazed it hasnt sucked my love of games out of me.

my main motivation is that someday i might able to ditch the biz and just do my own thing full time.

[Alec]

reading hateful comments about your game on the internet

muttering/yelling about things you have no effect over

getting drunk

curling up into a ball and crying

[Alex May]

getting drunk! now we're talking.

[fish]

hehehe...yeah.... drunk.

[wourme]

I normally find it difficult to get working on a game until I've been home from my job for several hours. I often only start really getting productive around midnight, and then I just have to decide whether it's more important to sleep that night or actually make some progress for a few hours until I'm simply unable to stay awake anymore. Which choice I make varies from night to night.

One thing that I find helpful is to consider how many years I'm likely to live and  how many games I can hope to finish within those years. That sort of adds to my sense of urgency.

[the_dannobot]

I find it's easier to get motivated if the work is broken down into small, easily managed chunks.  Like if you only have an hour or two in the evening to work on your game, don't sit down with the mindset of "I'm going to work on my particle engine" or "I'm going to do some artwork."  Those aren't tasks that can be completed in one or two hours, so it might harder to get motivated about those sort of goals.

If you break the tasks down further, like "I'm going to finish that one function in the particle engine" or "I'm going to finish the tile for the field of grass" those are smaller goals with a clear endpoint.  I find it's easier to get motivated about tasks like that, because there is a clearly defined start and end, and they can be finished in the allocated time frame.

[fish]

oh yeah, i do the same thing!
i ride my bike to work.
getting is all downhill and easy.
going back home is a hell of a workout.
so ill get home all exausted and sweaty.
ill usualy just take off my pants and collapse somewhere.
only hours later will have the energy to do anything.

ive actually been trying to condition myself to sleep less and less so i can work more.

...stupid dayjob...

[eka]

i see that this topic is getting very interesting

thanks for all the responces

[handCraftedRadio]

I usually just play other people's games to get me pumped to finish my own. Playing games similar to mine seems to keep me motivated.

[Haze]

If I had way more money I'd all buy shiny office space and stuff so you could create more games fulltime. Or I'd punch you (and myself) in the face with a stick.

Seriously though I think it is very important to collaborate with other people. I wouldn't hesitate to show an early build of the project or screenshots or whatever. Rather get it out there now,  not much to lose. The feedback forum is incredibly empty too.

[Haze]

I usually just play other people's games to get me pumped to finish my own. Playing games similar to mine seems to keep me motivated.

Yeah, and I have to say it is only the indie games/ freeware stuff that gives new inspiration. Surely that says something about the state of the game industry.

[GP Lackey]

reading hateful comments about your game on the internet

Are some people hatin' on Aquaria already?

Seriously though I think it is very important to collaborate with other people. I wouldn't hesitate to show an early build of the project or screenshots or whatever. Rather get it out there now,  not much to lose. The feedback forum is incredibly empty too.

Seconded.  Talking to people is good for you.

[Inane]

reading hateful comments about your game on the internet

Are some people hatin' on Aquaria already?

It's Alec, and yeah, he got lynched by Linux zealots.

[Alec]

And Inane.

[Inane]

Nu-uh! I have shown nothing but support, you and your, your, crap, Alec!
You should be called Craplec, and your game should be Crapquaria, bitch!

[GP Lackey]

Oh, Alec not Alex.  That was a legitimate slip of the finger.  See?  The x is right beside the c.

he got lynched by Linux zealots.

Haha, what.  This happens?

Also "aquaria download" comes up in Google's auto-complete.  Premature people!