Finishing a Game

[62896dude]

You know, it's no new concept, but I am realizing just how few people actually finish their games. I am equally guilty, still yet to finish one. So, I am currently working on one that isn't TOO difficult, but it will definitely require my full attention. I'm not going to give many details on it yet, as that isn't the point of this post.

What I am going to do is this: I am going to try out a bunch of different strategies and see which of them motivate me to keep working the most. If any of you have any that you want me to try, feel free to let me know. But I think first what I am going to do is the classic "set goals for myself" for the end of each week, and I'll let you guys know how that goes.

Together, we can find the cure for this maddening disease that riddles the minds of so many of us The obvious goal by the end of this is to prove that a game can be completed, and (hopefully) go on to be successful. And, while each person has their own definition of successful, I would consider 10-20 personable, consistent players to be a great success.

[Callan S.]

I guess my strategy is not to integrate everything into everything, because it means you can't play any of it until its all done. The strategy is that you figure something you, yourself enjoy doing. Maybe smacking a monster in the head. Maybe convincing (or blackmailing) nobles not to abuse peasants on their lands. Whatever. Then code a page where you do that. Start with the random chance (if that's what your using), so you could run it almost instantly. Then build out from that kernal of fun.

If you have fun with what you make, its a reward cycle, it makes you do more making/coding.

I did alot of that but am kind of breaking the ethos as I've integrated a map and...new things have to integrate into it.

[Sebastian]

Well, the best motivation for me would be money and big ammount of people playing it. Since them two reasons are beyond my reach :] i just enjoy learning new stuff. The best motivation for so far is when something works And rather than lack of motivation i suffer from lack of time

[62896dude]

I agree with both of you:

Callan: I will definitely try that out, I think that taking a more enjoyable approach to it will have a much better end result :p

Sebastian: That is something that is SO true that I've learned through time, when something works, especially those tough bits of code, it just all feels worth it! It definitely makes for great motivation

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm fully glad to be open to more! Heck, let's just make this a spot to post everyone's strategies, and hopefully people can look at this to figure out what works best for them!

[Jackolantern]

For me, showing off my progress and getting feedback keeps me motivated, because it makes me feel somewhat ashamed of quitting it since the community knows about it lol. It also keeps me motivated to have other people try out what I have so far!

[Sebastian]

Thats also a true. Having someone working with you or just talking with you about ideas and problems is really helpful. Having someone playing your game and enjoying it must be an epic feeling

[Callan S.]

It's funny, I've thought about it and I think the way you engage a game made by someone else is different than the way you engage a game you make - and here's the kicker - even if both games are identical!

How can you approach the exact same thing in two very different ways?

I think when someone else made the game, you have this sense of engaging the unknown.

When you make it, your engaging something you know inside out, pretty much literally! There is no unknown.

One thing to consider might be to have sections which don't need to be completed, but are beneficial for even trying. These sections are incredibly randomised and some of the random levels might not even be completable, because as programmer you don't try to absolutely grasp what all the random tables will do. This might let in some of the unknown into the game you make.

[Callan S.]

Oh, I was curious about people thoughts on that. It kind of reminds me of the czerge principle, where providing your own adversity and its resolution is boring.

I was thinking that to help finish a game, you need some sort of game where you don't really decide the resolution method yourself. And was suggesting a highly random way of figuring the resolution, as one way of not deciding the resolution yourself.