Need some help and advice

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

Right now, I've got a bit of a problem. I've been clocking a lot of
hours into programming my games, and have been making substantial
progress each and every day. However, I'm suffering a bad case of
burnout right now, and I don't know how to fix it.

Everyone has suffered project burnout at one time or another. Hell, I
don't know how many projects I've seen go into the "dead" folder, but
it usually doesn't bother me. Project burnout is typically (for me)
caused by losing interest in the current project, because of interest
in a new project. Once again, not a big deal. Except I'm not
suffering from project burnout. I'm suffering from programming
burnout in general.

I've _never_ had a problem finding motivation to program; it's just
something I love to do. Projects come and go, but my passion for
coding stays the same. But now that feels gone too, and I don't know
why, or how to bring it back. I just can't find myself able to sit
down and code for more than a few minutes before I want to stop.

Anyone else suffer from this problem? Anybody have even the slightest
clue at how to fix it? I've had two of my three in-dev games resting
in the back of my mind for a few years now, and I've never lost
interest in them. I can't explain the sudden lack of interest in game
programming (or any programming).

I can't be the only one to have this problem (in fact, a certain
engine maker had this problem too, although he didn't seem to want to
find a solution), so somebody must have some advice to share. Any and
all help will be appreciated, because I don't want to see my games
move to the "dead" folder, and I don't want to see my "current
projects" folder become an empty symbol of my frustrations.


--
Read more about my three projects, SoulEaterRL,
Necropolis, and a little toy RL.

http://www.freewebs.com/timsrl/index.htm

--

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

Kornel Kisielewicz wrote:
> 1. Choose *one* project you want to continue working on -- you wont be
> able to focus on many projects at a time, it just doesn't work.

For me it works better if I have other projects. I can leave my
main project and concentrate while on a smaller project. Of course
it will take more time to complete projects, but I would be bored
if I had to make only one project all the time
I think it helps if the projects are different from each other.
There is no point making many same kind of projects.

> Choose *one* thing to be done.

This is a good advice. If you don't complete one task at a time it
can stay unfinished for a long time.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

Timothy Pruett wrote:

> I've _never_ had a problem finding motivation to program; it's just
> something I love to do. Projects come and go, but my passion for
> coding stays the same. But now that feels gone too, and I don't know
> why, or how to bring it back. I just can't find myself able to sit
> down and code for more than a few minutes before I want to stop.


I'm not quite good at this but here goes my coins:

1. In case you are lost - because you have so many options : have a
break 1-2 days, think about what you have done, what you want to do and
what you could do, all in term of coding.

2. In case you are overload - because you coded and think too much :
have a long long break, try not to think about algorithms till you
start missing coding.

3. In case you are bored - because you code the same think over and
over again : learn a new language or try using one you have forgotten.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

Normally I just play a new game, which won't be as fulfilling as I
expect it to be, and thus think to myself, "I could code a better game
than this," which puts me right back on track.

Developing without playing is like cooking without eating.

--
Jim Strathmeyer

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

I have had this happen from time to time, usually when other life
elements are intruding. I think that as long as you're building on
ideas in the back of your head, it's not really important to code
regularly to prevent a project from "dying". I recently had to take
over 2 months off my project because of med school stress, but when I
eventually picked it up again, the "thrill" had returned, and I've been
plugging away steadily for about 4 months now.

And if it helps, keep in mind one of my favorite quotes; "This too
shall pass".

Hang in there, and good luck!

-Tom
http://roguelike-eng.sourceforge.net/

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

On 2005-05-25, Timothy Pruett <drakalor.tourist@gmail.com> wrote:
> coding stays the same. But now that feels gone too, and I don't know
> why, or how to bring it back. I just can't find myself able to sit
> down and code for more than a few minutes before I want to stop.

An untested idea: Don't even try to write code for a while. Instead,
write down ideas on game design or implementation into a paper notebook.
If you're burned out on coding, this can give you a higher level view on
the project, while still keeping you focused on it. And when you feel
like programming again, you might have lots of new ideas to implement.

--
Risto Saarelma

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

Timothy Pruett wrote:

> Everyone has suffered project burnout at one time or another. Hell, I
> don't know how many projects I've seen go into the "dead" folder, but it
> usually doesn't bother me. Project burnout is typically (for me) caused
> by losing interest in the current project, because of interest in a new
> project. Once again, not a big deal. Except I'm not suffering from
> project burnout. I'm suffering from programming burnout in general.

I get this symptom from time to time: I call it "boredom."

This is usually my signal that it is time to learn a new
language; one which does things in a way dramatically
different from the languages I know. Check some "new"
languages like python, eiffel, etc... but if they seem
to be too similar, fall back to the classic "corners"
of the language space: Forth, Smalltalk, LISP, Prolog,
and Fortran. Each of these forces you to think in a
different way. And once you are able to think in
several different ways, you'll be a better coder in
every language.

Bear

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

Timothy Pruett wrote:
> Right now, I've got a bit of a problem. I've been clocking a lot of
> hours into programming my games, and have been making substantial
> progress each and every day. However, I'm suffering a bad case of
> burnout right now, and I don't know how to fix it.
[*snip*]

1. Choose *one* project you want to continue working on -- you wont be
able to focus on many projects at a time, it just doesn't work.

2. Clear your mind -- yeah, I know it sounds corny, but do that before
all other steps. Think about what you have to do except programming your
roguelike -- if you have to do it *do it now* -- if you can delay it
-- *write it down* so your mind is clear of it. Sometimes it's those
things that you need to do are the major reason you can't concentrate on
what you want to do.

3. Envision a goal -- sit down, relax, and daydream about what you want
to achieve. Also imagine success -- all the related things about
completeing your game that aren't the fact alone -- reading posted
YASD's, reading reviews, fanmail, etc.

4. Envision the path -- briefly take a look on the path that awaits you.
Think about what things need to be done, in what order. If feeling
overloaded, remember the goal.

5. Choose next step -- choose the next thing needed to complete the
project. Choose *one* thing to be done. If anything of future steps
still sits in your mind -- write it down, to clear your mind of it.
Write down your next step. Focus on it. Envision it's success.

6. Implement -- implement the step you've chosen. Focus only on it,
forget about everything else. If while implementing it, other things
come up to your mind -- (yes, you've guessed it) write them down, to
clear your mind.

7. Rejoice -- feel proud of the feature you've implemented. Best, write
it down in a "done" file. Increment version number, even if it's going
to be 0.0.2-1-23 to 0.0.2-1-24.

8. Go back to step 2.

Good Luck, and may the Force be with you ;-).
--
At your service,
Kornel Kisielewicz (charonATmagma-net.pl) [http://chaos.magma-net.pl]
"Oh come on. We both know the truth about this game --
vapourware." -- Anathiel about GenRogue

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

Risto Saarelma wrote:
> On 2005-05-25, Timothy Pruett <drakalor.tourist@gmail.com> wrote:
> > coding stays the same. But now that feels gone too, and I don't know
> > why, or how to bring it back. I just can't find myself able to sit
> > down and code for more than a few minutes before I want to stop.
>
> An untested idea: Don't even try to write code for a while. Instead,
> write down ideas on game design or implementation into a paper notebook.
> If you're burned out on coding, this can give you a higher level view on
> the project, while still keeping you focused on it. And when you feel
> like programming again, you might have lots of new ideas to implement.
>

This one really works. You get away from computer for some time and you
still work on you project, but in quite different way so that it is
refreshing. (I also like "thought walking" - have few Km trip on foot,
it kinda helps me to focus)

I also recomend simply relaxing - just listen to some music you like,
fell power in it, be inspired by it. or read a book,

Or, learn to draw (concept art) either by hand or in some 3d program
....

> --
> Risto Saarelma

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

Timothy Pruett wrote:

Thank you all for your advice. I tried sort of a combination of
different ideas mentioned, and it's working, somewhat. I decided to
temporarily pause development of my games, and to restrict any
game-related development to ideas only, and not implementation.
That's what I've got my handy little notebook for.

In the mean time, I think I've identified part of the reason for my
burnout. I've crammed so many hours into C++ coding, and it's just
driving me crazy. As much as I love C++, for it's (somewhat)
low-level design, flexibility, and power, I can't bear to see another
line of C/C++ code for a while. So I'm going back a toying around
with the eternally fun Lisp, which I haven't coded in for ages, and
I'm going to go learn Eiffel and Forth, two languages I've always
intended to learn, but never got around to doing.

And, when I finally feel ready to get back to game development, I'm
going to take it easy, and work on one project at a time.

I want to thank everyone who responded, yet again. One of the
benefits of being involved in a community of programmers, is that no
matter what computer-related problem you've had, someone else has had
the same problem, and can help.


--
Read more about my three projects, SoulEaterRL,
Necropolis, and a little toy RL.

http://www.freewebs.com/timsrl/index.htm

--

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.roguelike.development (More info?)

Risto Saarelma wrote:
> On 2005-05-25, Timothy Pruett <drakalor.tourist@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>coding stays the same. But now that feels gone too, and I don't know
>>why, or how to bring it back. I just can't find myself able to sit
>>down and code for more than a few minutes before I want to stop.
>
>
> An untested idea: Don't even try to write code for a while. Instead,
> write down ideas on game design or implementation into a paper notebook.
> If you're burned out on coding, this can give you a higher level view on
> the project, while still keeping you focused on it. And when you feel
> like programming again, you might have lots of new ideas to implement.
>

Actually that's a VERY tested idea... probably the absolutely best way
to prevent coder burnout. I do this periodically. It also helps me
refactor my ideas based on the code I've already written... which keeps
me from having to re-re-re-refactor my code later on. (Although I still do)

S.