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always abandon a game midway...

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by alexlam127, Apr 4, 2014.

  1. alexlam127

    alexlam127

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    anyone feels the same?

    At first,im very enthusiastic in the game idea and work very hard

    then at some point i would have lot of negative self talk
    eg . i feels that its too difficult to make it/ someone already made a better one on market

    eventually i just throw it in trash.

    Sometime later,i had another game idea..then the loop begin :(

    how can i make a game that is able to be released:confused:
     
  2. ArmsFrost

    ArmsFrost

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    Yeah to be fair I do this a lot too, but then I am mostly making games on my own as a hobby so as soon as its not fun anymore I switch to something that is.

    It's mostly down to the scope of your project being too big, you can try working with others as they can help carry you along as you will feel you are part of a team and don't want to let the others down. And with a larger team you can tackle larger projects.

    But I would just suggest you just need to pick a much smaller and simpler project and put your head down and be determined to finish it no matter what.
    It can just come down to willpower to finish, especially if there are no external pressures like investors or team member's to keep you going.


    Edit: Also if you do just grit your teeth and get on with it and work though I find it is only a stage that doesn't last anyway, once you start seeing good results and getting feedback from others it will give you're enthusiasm a second wind.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2014
  3. mgear

    mgear

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  4. sphericPrawn

    sphericPrawn

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    I think the hard part is keeping yourself interested. At first everything is awesome and new as your figuring out how to implement new mechanics or you see your artwork coming together or what not. But then, as time goes on, you start to lose interest in the concept, or the artwork becomes stale to you after looking at it for days/weeks/months, or you get inspired by something to make another game and start to subconsciously resent the project you're currently working on.
    I think the best advice for this would just be to FORCE yourself to finish one project, even if it's a small one; the confidence boost will be huge and should help propel you towards finishing your next one. See Gigi's awesome thread that stickied at the top of this forum.

    As for the negative self thinking or feelings of your project being inadequate compared to others, I don't think there's any easy way past this. It's something I think all creative people have to deal with: writers, musicians, painters, and anyone else creating a product that they have to put out there for "judgement." I think self-doubt can be helpful if you use it constructively to push yourself to improve.. but if it cripples you to the point of saying "why even bother?" then it's one of the worst things that could happen to your progression through game development. I know that's more of a caution than advice for how to overcome it, but the truth is I have no idea.
     
  5. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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    I used to get this until I started developing smaller projects that I could finish. Now I have 6 on the market - approaching 200,000 downloads. Read this and then build the SMALLEST POSSIBLE PROJECT possible in 12 weeks.

    Gigi
     
  6. goat

    goat

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    That's smart - why finish a game you're not enjoying? If you were enjoying, you'd finish them.
     
  7. Kondor0

    Kondor0

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    He's never going to finish a game with that mentality.

    ---

    Look dude, there's no secret technique or magic to this. If you want to have a finished project you'll just have to learn to deal with the boredom. Think of the smallest game idea possible, make sure you have all the assets and a functioning prototype and just do it, try not to think if is going to be succesfull or that it could be better if you pump more money and time, just do it and finish it because usually people won't give a damn about a project that never left the prototype stage.

    I know, I've been there.
     
  8. MaxieQ

    MaxieQ

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    Congratulations, you have discovered what everyone involved in the arts have discovered: It is much more interesting to have made a game, than to actually work hard to make it. There's always a disconnect between the burning vision in the head, and the actual finished work. The difference between having a finished work, and having a burning vision is that you have to get over the simple fact which is true for all creative endeavours - the inglorious middle.

    Whether you write a novel, create a film, or make a game - the inglorious middle is there like Grand Canyon, waiting for you. :) The recipe for getting across it is stamina and stubbornness. That's all there is to it. When I make a BIG project, I usually break it into smaller parts. That way I have a pathway where I can see the goal-posts. I might not see the end, and I might not even see the end of the beginning, but I can see to the next goal-post, and that's what i work for.
     
  9. goat

    goat

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    True but you need a motive to work through the boredom. So he needs to imagine what his game will play like before he starts. That's how I always imagined doing even non-game programming, say on a PBX - imagining a happy customer using the feature I was adding. Or imagining all the work I was avoiding by automating something. If he's not enjoying the game he imagined then he should dump it but you are probably right he is dumping when he gets to difficult part because he doesn't want to learn.
     
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2014
  10. prophet

    prophet

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    As stated, take a game idea and make it a small game.

    For me, I have made it further on my current game with phases. Know the game you want to make with the overall beginning, middle and end.

    Then make a list of basic stuff to start and leave the list at that. Don't add anything else till that list is done. Helps keep you on focus and prevents feature creep........which we have all had kill something lol.

    I find that I feel better about my progress when I have a small manageable list that I can check things off on. Then when the first list is done I create another one and repeat. That way I can stay focused on smaller tasks after I know where I want to go with the big picture.
     
  11. SmellyDogs

    SmellyDogs

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    For me, saying I've abandoned mid-way is highly optimistic. I usually abandon at the 1% stage.
     
  12. jmatthews

    jmatthews

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    Short answer is to commit to a deadline, choose a game you can complete in that deadline, then ruthless cull your scope as you go because your estimates aren't ever going to be accurate.

    Longer answer, and a great tool to do this with is to join http://www.onegameamonth.com/

    I completed two games in a row, each in 30 days by committing to the 1 GAM challenge.

    (I just started a business so I had to bail on the last few months. Now that I have most of the busy work done for the business I'm warming up to recommit, Hopefully in May)
     
  13. hippocoder

    hippocoder

    Digital Ape

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    Everyone's a little confused.

    I only finished games that were intended for business - selling. If you're not doing it for a living or for business you don't need to finish anything. I've got tonnes of unfinished stuff that started off for pleasure. I still do the odd unfinished thing :)
     
  14. AndrewGrayGames

    AndrewGrayGames

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    I have a metric butt-ton of unfinished projects. The reason they were unfinished is because the following sequence of events happened:

    A) I had this most excellent idea! [Insert 'good' idea here]
    B) I began implmenting it. I used stuff from a previous game as a jumping off point, with some helpful tweaks
    C) I got a rough prototype up and running! Sometimes, I would even post them on the WIP threads...
    D) Upon trying to develop my prototype into something more substantial I discovered anywhere from 1-n serious shortcomings in said idea (e.g. ways that it horribly, horribly sucks.)
    E) After a complex, difficult cost-benefit calculation - which mostly consists of, 'Do I really want to do this?' - I determined that going forward was either a fundamentally bad idea (NAFRPG), or that I lacked some other key skill/infrastructure (I was going to create a multiplayer raid boss game at one point, where you can choose from various heroes to take down a powerful raid boss.)

    Of course, this isn't horrible. As you can see, in parts B) and C), I actually managed to improve my infrastructure! (You can see this in The Hero's Journey, which is the latest entry of about two years of such iteration). Still, if you're doing this for a business, this is far from optimal...
     
  15. Findo

    Findo

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    I always feel inspired, but its either stupid unity projects or something that deletes my project,
    I feel like frickin' quiting.
     
  16. Kaji-Atsushi

    Kaji-Atsushi

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    I've just recently abandoned my first serious project, but I prefer it to be considered T.R.I.P(Temporarily resting in pieces). It was supposed to be a simple infinite runner with a few add-on shooting features and abilities to mix it up a little bit. I actually had most of the game mechanics coded in already. But...the art, I realized that it was too much 2D art for me to handle, especially if I want it polished looking, which in my opinion is a must, even for my first game. I wasn't committed to the game project enough, because I didn't really think it was anything special, I just wanted to finish a simple game, but I realized afterwards that for the graphics to be comparable or a little special, I'd have to put in a more work then I'd want to for such a typical game-mechanic.

    Now I have a new system before going into the game development.

    1) Have a completed and proper game design document with the game mechanics, enemies, obstacles, logic, etc.
    2) Create at least 3-5 polished mockups at different times in your game(Like game-play screenshots). These mockups should be what you want your game to look like at there very end of development. If you can mockup your game properly with the proper art, enemies, obstacles, environments. After you do that, you'll then know is a higher chance that you'll be able to take on all the artwork that needs to be created for the game(Plus you'll know how hard it will be before you get into the developing the game mechanics).

    This is assuming the game is in 2D and you're solo-developing.


    There probably should be several more steps to do before accepting the megatons of work to create the game, but that's all I got so far.
     
  17. User340

    User340

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    I say stop making games, and start extending them. Take an already finished game (like Angry Bots) and add features to it. Add new levels, enemies, weapons, etc.
     
  18. quantumsheep

    quantumsheep

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    For what it's worth:

    Making games is hard. Finishing a game is hard.


    I've made 13 games so far for iOS, but you'll only find 6 on iTunes.

    This shows that I've (hopefully!) grown, and while the first early games had some nice ideas, the execution was awful. Too awful to allow to live!

    What this doesn't show is the hundreds of game ideas/mechanics/projects that weren't finished. A new idea is far more exciting (the 'play/exploration' phase) than something that feels like a grind (the 'work' phase).

    But here's the thing.

    Every single project I started and did not finish, or finished and was awful, was not a waste of time. I learned something new from every single one, and there are elements of these poor abandoned games somewhere in my finished and released games.

    I agree with others. Make something very small. But do try and finish it. Give yourself deadlines. Write out a 'to-do' list of features. Cross them off the list when they're done (this feels awesome btw).

    I'm almost finished on game no.14 and it's a real slog to get it done, mostly because the *basics* are all there, I just keep adding things to it. All I can see is a mountain of work that needs to be done.

    But it *will* get done.

    I'll be digging into Unity for game no. 15. I've been playing around with Unity for about a year, and I've given myself 4-5 months to make a simple game in Unity.

    That's the exciting thing now. But I make sure I have the self discipline to finish off the current game first.


    tl;dr - you learn from every project started, even if it's not released. Don't worry too much, and when you're ready, you'll finish something.

    QS =D
     
  19. QuinnWinters

    QuinnWinters

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    I know exactly how you feel and I have a graveyard of unfinished projects to prove it. I suggest teaming up with others to create a game. That helps to motivate you to get it done since it's no longer just something you're doing for fun / for yourself. Your team members will help push you to get it done and you'll feel the need to hold your own in the project and not let them down.

    Games take a ton of work in a multitude of different fields - art, sound, design, code, story, modeling, animation and more. Asking any one person to handle all of those different tasks is just asking for failure. It can be done and has been done, but most people just can't do it. That's what a team is for, it divides up the work into the hands of specialists that can get it done without going nuts trying to learn how to do work in a field they may not have any interest or skill in.

    As others have said, go for simplicity. Don't worry if it's crap, just get it done. 10 completed pieces of crap is worth more than 1 massive incomplete dream. Try to get something completed as quick as possible. Make a game that takes an hour to create. The simplest thing you can imagine. Something like click a ball with the mouse and make it roll into a hole. It may not be the greatest gameplay and it may look terrible but at least it's complete and you can have that satisfaction.

    When you get that simple one hour game done move on to something that takes 2 hours, then 4, then 8, a week, 2 weeks, etc. Just don't jump into a project that will take you a long time when you haven't even created a simple project that takes you a short time.

    Artists don't start off creating masterpieces. They start off making stuff like stick figure doodles. So make your stick figure doodles. Then make more of them but with a little more detail. Then later on - much later on probably - you'll be able to make things more akin to masterpieces without giving up on them midway through because you'll be quick and efficient at making all the smaller components that make up the larger scope of things.

    Also don't worry that it's been done before. Anything you do has already been done. Not only that, it's likely been done better. If all artists / creators worried constantly over that we wouldn't have any music / art / whatever coming into the world. Just do your best and get something done, and later in another project improve on what you thought wasn't good enough.

    Good luck!
     
  20. CaoMengde777

    CaoMengde777

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    honestly... flappy bird horribly, horribly sucks...
     
  21. JovanD

    JovanD

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    Well we all get in the "great idea" loop, where you think of something and it seems like the most brilliant and best thing ever, but as you start building it you realize the idea wouldn't work that good. That's normal we all make drafts and stuff that we scrap.

    In case you have something good, but are struggling with motivation, you could always hold your pride hostage.
    Every man has he's pride and doesn't want to be seen as a bullshitter or looser in eyes of others, so use that to your advantage.
    Announce your project to your friends/acquaintances or people off the internet, talk about it, hype it.
    And that's it, now you have a responsibility to yourself to fulfil expectations.
    Note that it doesn't matter what other people "actually" think or are gonna be thinking, as long as you think that they are gonna think that you're a total asshole for not "making it happen", it's good enough motivation.
     
  22. jackhearts

    jackhearts

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    Self doubt, loathing, depression, pressure. These are all things that can hit you square in the face when developing, especially if you're a one man band. It can sometimes help to look back at what you've managed to achieve since the start.

    This is the rough process I try my best to follow, it's basically an AGILE development method. If you've not heard of it before the fundamental basics are to have quite short development cycles where you have a fully functioning game at the end of each iteration.

    1. brainstorm ideas, features, etc. Doesn't matter how stupid they might sound, write them down is my motto.

    2. ask people what they think of the idea and take any advice or ideas worthwhile (but maybe with a pinch of salt)

    3. now write a list of the absolute bare minimum you need to have a functioning game. And I mean bare minimum where the basics of the game are evident and everything you see actually functions. This will be version 0.1. If you can't achieve version 0.1 within 4 to 8 weeks then the game itself may just be too big or need re-thinking. Of course this depends on the project and if you're doing it as a hobby then extend that time frame to something more sensible.

    5. develop that 0.1 bad boy. If you've spec'd it out correctly then at least within a couple of months you'll have something that works, even if it's way off your vision.

    6. build 0.1 to the chosen platform. ie, a standalone deployment package that could 'potentially' be submitted.

    7. decide on features and functionality that can be achievable within the next 2 weeks, including testing and debug.

    8. work through the list

    9. build the next 'point' version to platform. You can decide yourself how versions should be numbered.

    10. go back to step 7 until you've reached a version (or deadline) you're happy with

    11. submit to store

    12. Depending on the project and your own 'plan' you either carry on developing or move on to a new game.


    Following this means with a few months you'll have several versions that are not only fully functioning but give you that bit of motivation and focus when things get tough. There's also the added benefit of being able to adjust features or change direction on a few things without causing a massive headache.
     
    Last edited: Apr 19, 2014
  23. TheRaider

    TheRaider

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    starting a game and not finishing has a name. It is called prototyping.

    When the prototype is good enough you will finish.
     
  24. User340

    User340

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    I used to have this problem BIG TIME. Always start a game, go half way, trash it. Over and over and over for years. Actually finishing a game was basically impossible, at least doing so by myself.

    As of today I can assure you that I have overcome this problem. It took stepping away from unity, taking ~10 computer science courses at my local community college, learning C, Java, sql, html, and obj-c, and reading book after book on computer software. Now I have a much better perspective on what unity has to offer and how to use unity better. This problem has vanished and I have absolutely no issue completing games anymore.

    In summary, broaden your horizon, learn new languages, and expose yourself to new parts of computing. Every bit you learn outside of unity will in turn contribute in some way to your knowledge of unity.
     
  25. eskimojoe

    eskimojoe

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    If the game is:

    - started by someone who just bosses folks around, or
    - there are lots of team-members in the team who don't want to help, don't want to contribute,
    - impossible projects - MMO project, MMO-FPS, MMO-whatever,
    - need to have more features than Call of Duty,

    and:

    - no money to finance the project,
    - nobody is competent to complete the project.

    are valid reasons why the projects should be stopped mid-way.


    Can it be done? I've lost my way...
    http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/184797-The-answer-to-every-Can-it-be-done-and-I-ve-lost-my-way-post
     
  26. Gigiwoo

    Gigiwoo

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    Seems like a good idea. Except it isn't. The science is exactly the same as when you buy a book on a whim, 'Lose Weight Now! Guaranteed!' Buying the book relieves much of the stress of the problem, and by the time you get home, you're less likely to read it. Telling your friends about your project relieves the stress that was motivating you, and now that the door of communication is open, it's really not so hard to explain to them why you haven't finished yet. Statistically, you're less likely to finish.

    Gigi.
     
  27. BrainMelter

    BrainMelter

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    Do you have a source for these statistics?
    Not saying you're right or wrong ... just curious if there is a source.
     
  28. jackhearts

    jackhearts

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    Don't really agree here. If you tell people what you're working on, and more importantly when you're planning to finish, it will naturally have a motivational effect.I know plenty of people that use their ego as motivation and plenty who don't, I think it's more about the individual and what works for them. Agree when it comes to weight loss though, people love to stuff their face then give a reason why. Heard the 'but I've been good' line far too often from people (mostly women :) )shortly before they eat something terrible.

    Having said that, it's no good trying to use your ego if you haven't got much of one and would be far more motivated by seeing incremental improvements or reaching milestone goals. My big motivator are todo lists, seeing tons of things crossed off my lists gives a nice little boost and helps to stay focused. That and coffee.