Why Do We Give Up On Projects So Easily???

[Krynge]

Ok now it's just interested me as to why I see so many artwork/music/animation samples in the critic's lounge, and even preview or demo games released, but so many just never get completed...?

Do people give up because of lack of dedication or time, or both?

[Meowster]

1. They start off with a new idea that really excites them, but over time they have worked on it so much that the excitement dulls, and they have another, 'better' idea. So they start on the new project with all the determination they had with the first.

2. They have died, and no longer can avail of the keyboard and mouse

3. It's not working out the way they planned. They had DOTT style pictures in their head, but now it's turned out more like KQ1... on hash. So they give up out of shame and self pity.

4. They release a demo, it gets awful reviews... so they start over.

5. They are newbies, who take on five projects all at the same time, and spend their time posting here instead of working on their game.

[edmundito]

I started on this game  a long while ago, but then I came up with a better idea so I put off my original project for this.

I think sometimes new ideas really inspire you to make a totally different game instead of adding those ideas to the original game. Personally, it's because I don't want to mess with my original game and add those ideas but instead I want to experiment with those ideas by themselves before I think of including them in my original game.

Yep, I'm working on a new game, and I'v put off my original game idea because I think this new game will satisfy me a lot more.  

[Andail]

I'll take the opportunity to brag about how all of my projects have been realised so far.
Of course, some with pretty poor result, but still finished games.

[Paranoia]

i've scrapped three games up to now, my main project's on hold because basicly i don't know enough to do what i want to do! so i started doing the MAGS game, with no ambitions to win, more as a learning thing, i like 3D but this isn't the easiest thing to get right with AGS, i think at the end of the day, i would rather do the artwork for someone with a good script and is likely to finish the game! so if anyones interested.....

[Ginny]

You don't wanna know how many projects I put off. I never started scripting/drawing/doing anything else but story and some dialogs with them though. I have like 10 stories, some in greater detail, some just concepts, but still games I'd like to make some day, but mainly I don't cause I feel my current lack of skill would destroy my vision of them,. and also because some may be too long or complicated to make at the begining.

[m0ds]

We give up, or, "set aside" projects because it's part of being a designer. When you design a car, you go through so many design changes. That's what you're doing with your games. Going through different designs until you find one that suits you.


m0ds

[Mats Berglinn]

Well, myself I haven't given up on my games yet. Hungry Caveman isn't down, it's actually put on ice for the time being and so goes for Monsters Inc that was suppoused to be in for MAGS July but I never got enough time to finish it. I may work further on those games but now I'm focusing on my first big game Hawaiian Treasure. I hope I can fix a demo before the end of the year. But I also work with other games but I don't put so much effort on thoes before HT is finshed, for an example: I work with the story for Bill Starshine, my next big game, and also trying to gather some voice actors for it (I got a good bunch but I still wait for the voice samples). I got many ideas and future projects but I don't try to focus with them so much now. I will not give up on this and I will show you guys what I'm made of!

[Quintaros]

I've only ever really wanted to make one game (or series of games).  I've wanted to make this game for four years but only recently got a computer of my own to work from.  Since my focus has been clear for this long I don't really see it changing in the future.  Occasionally I get diverted by something in the competition and activities section but I've recently decided to only enter activities when they revolve around something I'd need to do for my game eventually anyway.  I don't really subscribe to the notion that you should make small games to develop the skills for a ambitious project.  I say work on the big project and the skills will come as you go.

[Minimi]

I think small projects can be big also.  If you have a game of 20hours of gameplay, but it sucks, it's a waste of all the effort, because people simply quit the game, without completing it for 30%. You can better have some small good projects. From that position, people can look at your skills, and you can recieve critics and comments on how to improve. I know I've been promising some games, and they are also in the freezer, so don't think I gave up on Undeniable, cause it's still coming, only I had for example on this game a written plot wich took the length of about 460 rooms, and at the moment I only need 60 rooms, because I decided to be making a smaller game, because i would never finish such a long game.

[Moresco]

I've had tons of 'projects' since I started working on the computer(ages ago...) & none of them have ever been scrapped.  If anything they were put aside for lack of time/motivation.  Most of them are game-oriented things, and to expect one person to finish a game(especially like that of an adventure game-or one that requires alot of code) is foolish.  It's just not realistic most of the time.  If I were heading up a real game project I'd want to have at least twenty different people working on it.  

Hm I'd also wager that alot of people could finish their games but it wouldn't be of much quality.  I could finish mine with crap graphics & music but then nobody would want to play it.  All by myself, I'm giving myself till January 2004 to finish it, though I've still not decided if that's a realistic goal.  I think the idea is that games are easy to make, and I don't think that is true.

[Quintaros]

Thanks to AGS, games are far more easy to make than I ever would have anticipated.  They're still not *easy* to make but I think anybody who has the notion when starting off that it will be easy is a little naive.  But I hope those people don't get discouraged when they find out game-making is more work than they first believed.

[Moresco]

Just hanging out in gametutorials from now & then I can tell you that LOTS of people are naive. They really do think it's gonna be easy as pie.  They're not even finished learning the basics of the language & want to make games like Neverwinter Nights.  *poof* Here is your magical wand, strike me up a game! ^^

[Meowster]

I nearly abandoned BR for this one other project, and then I smacked myself in the face and told myself I could only start the other one when BR WAS FINISHED.

Oh, yeah, and I find my art styles differ from room to room. A room I designed earlier, may be a different style to one I designed this week. So when a person designing the backgrounds for one project may realise another different art style s/he likes, s/he may start a new project to accomodate it.

Just a theory.

[Moresco]

That's a good theory.  I could see how you could get a different style & want to make art in that style, but need a different purpose because it didn't fit in the game you were working on.  That would certainly be acceptable in my opinion.

Even though I couldn't consider a small adventure game(especially the first one where you're learning) a real serious project, I'd still have to say that people need to team up more.  It's ok to start out by yourself but it's just overall much better when others join in.  ^^ And it's faster!

[Quintaros]

Although I agree that its a lot more work to do a game independently I think your chances of completing it are better than when working on a team.  

[Scavenger]

"Old Projects never die, they just get put off indefinately."

It's all about realisation, you know. You can't finish one game to your liking, so you put it off until you have the skill to do it right. Maybe you'd never have the skill. But people are deluded, and start another project that think will be good, can't do it, and so ad infinitum. Unless you say to yourself: "I won't improve unless I finish this thing!", you'll get piled up with excuses and old projects. I've now vowed to finish the first project I ever started with AGS: Until the Dawn, and would the Gods (and goddesses) strike me down if I don't, and urge me to start up again. Seeing through Blind Eyes was a flop, mainly because MSPaint didn't have the graphics power I desperately needed, Draco Vorealis was just a stupid idea, and don't get me started on Depression...

Anyway. I was eating a blue cup while typing this, so I may develop some rare tropical disiease. Like l33tsp3ak. pheer my leet ninja skils.

Or not. Just keep working, damnation on you!

[Ciro Durán]

Well, sometimes when you have a game in mind, and you're a newbie, you plan it to be all big and pompous.  When you face reality you realize that sometimes your game is too big to finish it, so you put it off for a while. My game was originally to be something full-size scale, but I realized when I was doing it that going that way I'd never release anything, it was super-shrinked to what was going to be only the prelude of the game , and I'll be releasing it soon.

It's a matter of determination and planning carefully what you are going to do, but learning to plan can only be achieved by making a project.

[BOYD1981]

i give up on most thing half w