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How to: finish a project
Hello everyone! This is Indrah, if you don't know me or haven't seen my stuff around before, I can summarize it all as "I've made a buncha games even though I'm kind of an idiot." With that out of the way, I've been wanting to make some "advice" articles for a while. They're not exactly tutorials or super-detailed, but I feel I've been around enough I can give some nice pointers.
Now, everything I say here is based on my experience and coloured by my own opinions, so there may be things you don't agree with, which is fine. Just keep in mind this is a general sort of advice and your mileage may vary.
If all goes well (and by that I mean if I remember to actually keep making these) this will be a small miniseries of articles about how to tackle various aspects of game making on a broader level: how to get stuff finished, how to deal with feedback, how to work in teams, etc; rather than dealing with very specific aspects (mapping/scripting/etc).
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Today's subject:
FINISHING A PROJECT
This seems to be the number one thing the vast majority of people struggle with, as nearly everyone in the forum has at least SOME idea of a game they want to make, but few ever get it done. I'm going to be aiming this more at people who have NOT finished a project before, since those who've already cranked multiple games out usually have a method.
So! The first thing you will need to finish a project is to HAVE a project. And I feel it's important we address a couple points most people have when it comes to "I'm going to make a game".
SCOPE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!
Do not aim to make epic 40 hour games or the next Final Fantasy. Always remember that level of game size comes with a paid team of 40~ people, and you're just you and maybe some friends making a game in your spare time. As such, and especially for your first project(s), try to keep your game's scope as small as possible.I know everyone dreams of their perfect project, with all those great ideas in their head, but the simple truth is that ideas are easy and execution is EVERYTHING, and you will not have the skills, time or money required for such complex games at the beginning.
So, onward to finishing that project! Imagine I'm a newbie and I just got the program. After tinkering for a period of time (it could be a week or two years, doesn't matter) I finally decide I want to push a game out, for real this time! So I come up with some ideas for my game, make some plans, and then...
+Step 1: Reduce the game's scope as much as possible.
Again, the scope of a game is vital. Always scale DOWN, never up. Many projects get bogged down and stop from the scope creeping in, slowly getting bigger as time goes on and you add more ideas until it becomes impossible to handle. If necessary, always take stuff AWAY.
Keep in mind what the core of your game is: a really compelling story, an engaging gameplay mechanic, etc. Aim to make that aspect shine, rather than feel compelled to just add to it. I can't stress enough how easy it is, even to developers who're good at finishing games, to mess up when it comes to the scope of a game or padding it unnecessarily. (I will address this further in “How to make a GOOD game” at a later point, so hold on to that.)
And if you ever feel bad about planning for a short game, know this: people will NOT sit through a bad game for a long time. When you're starting out, your best bet is to make an engaging, short product. In fact, many people in the community PREFER shorter games. There are those who prefer longer ones, of course, but when starting out especially it's better to aim for short, since there's more control over the content and quality.
+Step 2: Organize and keep track of your work.
A list does the trick. and keep it handy and updated. It works and is very encouraging to see the progress you make, as well as helping you keep a good grasp of how much work you have left.
For extra effect, divide general tasks into several smaller points, as many as you can imagine. It feels much better to cross out a bunch of tasks daily than just cross out “mapping the game” once after a long time.
+Step 3: Work.
There is no getting around this, to finish a game of any kind it will require you to work on it, quite probably well past the level you expected and enjoy. At some point you will have to just grit your teeth and grind through a task you don't like, especially if it's an RPG, since the genre tackles a lot of different aspects you would not expect.
If you ever become sick of working, take a short break (but DO NOT start other projects, believe me) and then come back. If you get utterly stuck in a specific point, leave it alone until the next day if necessary to take some distance.
+Step 4: Do NOT revamp your game before it's complete
It's very easy, especially starting out, to have the impulse to just scrap the project and build it up again from the ground up, with the perfectly reasonable logic of “Well, I've learned a lot while I made this and now I could do it SO much better!”
No. Don't do this, please. Many projects get lost in this cycle. No game will ever be perfect, especially the first one you make. Push past this impulse and get the game DONE. It's one thing to adjust things because a mechanic changed and then you must revise the game again, but remaking everything will just destroy your progress and eventually your motivation. Trust me, just GO and finish the game.
+Step 5: Don't give up.
The longer you spend making a game, the easier it is to get tired of it.
There are usually two keys points where developers face the crisis of “gah, I want to quit”: first is the “initial enthusiasm has burned out” phase, where your starting energy has left and you only have the grind before you; and the other is right in the last stages of development, where the unfun stuff that is final tweaking, balancing and testing, rear their ugly heads. Again, these are things that are necessary but not very enjoyable. Take heart that you're almost there and grind past it.
+Step 6: LET GO of the game.
When a game is nearly done, especially if you're of a perfectionist sort, it's easy to get into this “I must improve things/make it perfect/it can STILL be better!” vibe. Please, just let it go.
It's fine to check things once or twice before release but you'd be surprised of how much this perfectionism (in all stages of game development, not just the end) can hurt you.
Remember, people can't play your game unless you put it out there. Finish the game and let it go.
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Yay, the project is finished! You're tired but exultant. You make a topic and upload the game for other people to play. Congratulations, you've finished the game! Now you can finally have people play it and maybe get some feedback!
You probably think this all sounded waaaaaay too easy, right? It's true the steps above are very simple to understand, but much harder to execute. Additionally I have a whole slew of points I want to make that are more general advice than specific steps, so here we go:
-Keep it simple.
This goes multiplied by 1000 for first projects especially. Keeping it simple is the best advice everyone is going to give you when it comes to first games. The simpler the game, the more focused you can be about it, it will get done quicker and allow for more confidence when you successfully get past learning stages in the process.
-Don't be ashamed of using stock resources or asking for help.
I know the RTP resources carry this big stigma with them, but if it comes to using them or nothing, don't be ashamed. Games are all about the EXECUTION of concepts. It doesn't matter how fancy an idea looks on paper, if it plays badly it's not going to be enjoyable anyway.
You can also see the use of stock resources as an interesting limit. Working within limitations is good in the sense that it promotes originality and adaptability, so when it comes to early projects that is not a bad thing.
And of course, don't hesitate to ask for help. If you cannot find the matter you're having trouble with yourself by searching the help files or the internet, simply ask the community. As long as you're clear on your question and polite, people will be happy to help you along. It's only when people act entitled or rude that there's a problem.
-Work on your strengths and reduce your weak points.
Don't make your first game feature prominently aspects you cannot handle. If you cannot code, skip out on complex scripting systems. If you cannot write, don't base your game on dialog. Always focus your game on what you CAN do well, while taking away the importance of aspects you're not good at.
Example: if you're good at gameplay but cannot handle dialog, look into puzzle based or roguelike games. If you can do art and writing but can't do gameplay at all, consider visual novel or adventure style games. Try to fit your skills into the game, and don't be ashamed to take out the bits you can't do.
-Be humble and understand your limits.
Neither you nor anyone is perfect, and that's FINE. The less perfection you demand from yourself, the happier you'll be, and the less false expectations you have of your own skills the less flawed your game will be too. We covered this above, but if you cannot write to save your life, don't make your game rely heavily on dialog.
Be always willing to learn, but don't overestimate your own skills so much it becomes a detriment.
-Game making is a skill. It requires practice.
Hey, good news! It doesn't matter how bad you're at something, if you practice enough you will, at the very least, become competent.
Like any other skill you do not start at master level with no experience. No one picks up a violin and immediately plays godly music, right? Sure, some people may have a better sense of music, but ultimately they will need practice to get any good. Game development is no different, so expecting yourself to be perfect right off the bat is as ridiculous as it sounds.
Game development is actually quite complex in the sense that it has multiple aspects in it: art, music, design, writing, balance, coding and so on. Many people prefer to focus in a particular skillset and excel at those, others prefer to be jack of all trades, etc. No approach is wrong as long as you're practicing that development skill and getting better. There is no “bad” road here, if you make mistakes you will also learn how to fix them.
-Remember your first work will probably be your worst.
On your first projects, no matter how good you are at individual aspects such as art or writing, you will be still LEARNING.
This is not meant to discourage you, but make you realize you will not achieve perfection or even CLOSE on the first try. Learning is important, and the sooner you make mistakes, the earlier you will learn how to fix them, and so make better games.
This also means your first projects may be pretty shaky or unpopular with players due to inexperience or lack of skill, which is perfectly fine. Don't give up. Keep going!
-Each successive game you release will be better. Don't get stuck in the first one.
This ties in with step 6; a lot of people, even when the game is out, enter a cycle of constant re-releases. It's important to note that this can vary depending on your intent: are you happy having a single, ever-updating game? Then by all means! But most of us aim to make more games, so getting attached forever to one project does not help you.
It's fine to bug-fix, patch and even re-release or revamp a game once (or in the case of fixes, multiple times), but don't get too obsessed with it. Don't get so attached to a single project that it blocks you from making anything else.
-The more projects you start at the same time, the less you'll finish.
Remember when I told you NOT to start up new projects while you were resting? Yeah, don't do it. Believe me, coming from someone who is constantly getting hit with idea brainstorms, starting multiple projects has never worked that well for anyone. The most you will manage is to alternate between projects, but it will sap your drive quickly.
If you're stuck with a sudden awesome idea or even a mechanic that your current game doesn't really need but you REALLY want to make, write it all down and SAVE IT FOR LATER.
-Don't make up excuses.
This is kind of hard to explain, but hear me out: how many times have you heard someone comment they're not making their games because <circumstance>? Way too bloody many. When it comes to your game and your own progress, it's better to be honest with yourself. If something is not working, or even if you want to cancel a project, own up to it, make the decision and move on. Don't wibble about how you can't do it because the dog ate your keyboard.
To clarify, there is absolutely no issue with circumstances in your life getting in the way (that's what life DOES) but don't use them or lie about it to justify your lack of progress. No one is going to judge you for your own projects, simply be honest. Heck, even a simple “I've been lazy lately” is a perfectly understandable and acceptable explanation as long as you don't hide behind it.
I think that's all I can say about this for now! Thanks for reading and I hope to see you guys finish your projects soon, hope this was of at least some help!
Other articles coming soon:
How to: make a good game
How to: deal with feedback (and criticism)
How to: work in a team
How to: present your game
(Feel free to suggest some ideas, but remember to keep them broad subjects, not specific aspects such as mapping/writing etc)
(Do forgive me for such a stark text-only article, I'd have liked to comission some silly chibies but I'm too poor XD)
