9 replies to this topic

[gardon]

The entire reason I program is to create. I love animating sprites, moving 3d images around the world, and creating particle engines for effects. I like to create what's going on.

When presented with an engine I don't really know what to do because it sort of takes the fun out of programming. But in the world of games, the faster you can get something out the faster you can make money. So why, when I have this great idea for an indie game, do I not take an existing engine to produce it in a timely manner? Instead I would rather build it from scratch, although I know I will never have the time to finish it.

It's almost as if I want to not finish it, just so I can keep working on it.

[Nick]

Trust me, the thrill of actually completing something is a hundred times bigger than just lingering in the experimentation phase. It takes a lot of dedication and even discipline, but it's absolutely worth it.

So my advise is try to control your obsession, and turn it into something productive. If it means using an existing engine, don't feel bad for skipping the joy of creating it, there's plenty of other exciting things ahead. It's just plain stupid to recreate something that has been done before and when it has a negative time/budget balance.

Anyway, it's not all business either. You have to keep enjoying what you're doing so creating a 'prefab' game isn't generally what you want. So a small amount of obsession about your own creations is absolutely fine as long as it helps create a better game.

Just my two cents.

[TheNut]

I'm in the same boat, but only because I love to learn things, do it myself, experiment. Once I get to the level where I'm satisfied with my results I tend to move on, with some exceptions. Usually at that point too I'm not hesitant to use someone elses code (exclusively in the work force) because I already know how it works behind the scenes and I don't need to prove it to myself again. It's very rewarding too, especially in the work force when you become "Mr. know it all" :lol:

I love game development too and even enjoy modeling or creating tracks every now and then, but I do find I spend more time on R&D. I'm hoping to get out of that trend and return back to the scene. It usually gets to the point where it builds up so much that I explode and don't sleep for a week trying to get it done. It's not healthy ;)

[fireside]

Projects are hard to complete and I'm not sure an engine saves all that much time unless you are doing a scene that has a lot of animation in it. The main thing I have found is to start a project that is actually in the realm of completion. Most people want to do games that take years to complete and that really takes the fun out it as far as I'm concerned. A good project size for an individual should take about 3 months. Anything more and it becomes a boring chore that usually never gets completed. People tend to specialize and that's actually a little bad for an individual game developer. It's a combination of art, design and programming. Pick your weakest area and make sure your project includes it and make a point about learning and developing that area. I don't think there's anything wrong with leaving a project unfinished, but it shouldn't become a habit. As far as I'm concerned, if I've learned something, advanced my skills, and enjoyed what I did, the project was a success whether I completed it or not. Also, don't think that engine programmers don't do anything. They are just doing higher level programming.

[gardon]

Agreed. One of my biggest problems is that I work alone, yet am not an artist or designer. It's hard to get motivated to do something when you can't see art you envision in your head because you can't create it yourself.

I think that's why I stick to what I know, and get more interested in how things work rather than an actual game.

[TheNut]

Nothing like a couple weeks in front of Blender or the keyboard and synth wouldn't change ;) I'm not a hardcore artist or musician either, but I do enjoy extending my creative works to them. I may not produce the same quality as an artist in the same period of time, but I get around and enjoy it all the same.

[roel]

Funny, I considered creating a similar topic to discuss these things. I have a lot of the same problems mentioned here.

[rouncer]

A music program is a good project for 1 dedicated guy to finish by himself.
Ive finished one before, and they are good fun.

[Skyforger]

An original work in any artform is always preferable. I think this urge is something inherent in any artist. We must strive to change what already exist... An admirable goal I might add...

[v71]

Oh , no, you ar a genius