Starmage's Game-dev Counseling <3

[Starmage]

Starmage's Game-dev Counseling Series
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Hello everyone! Welcome to my game-dev counseling series, where I make youtube videos that are aimed at helping game developers harness a healthy psychological and emotional state of being while game developing! ^_^ You may or may not know this already, but I am a Psychology Graduate, and I wish to apply what I learned in a way that helps you guys be in a positive relationship with yourself while doing the things that you love! <3 ^_^ Now I may not necessarily be a wise old man archetype when it comes to game developing, but I do have some experiences that truly helped me in my game devving journey that I wish to share with you guys! This series' goal is to fully awaken the greatness within you both as a person and as a game developer! And I hope that my videos shall do that. ^_^

Here are the episodes I have made so far ^_^

Recent Channel UPDATE/ANNOUNCEMENTS:

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Hello everyone! So here is a huge announcement that I've been meaning to share with you guys for quite some time already. ^_^ XD I've just got back to my counseling jobs, but now with a magical twist. ^_^ I am indeed going to be busy from game deving for a while, but I share an assurance that game devving will always be a part of me, even though it won't be as constant as it was anymore. ^_^

Thank you all so much, and know that I love all of my friends in the RM/Game Dev community and all of the wonderful people that supported me and my channel. ^_^


Within this video is also a bonus pick a card tarot reading, with a general message of "Where you are in your game dev journey right now." Timestamps for the cards:

Pile 1 - 6:10
Pile 2 - 15:16
Pile 3 - 25:10
Pile 4 - 34:04
Outro - 41:02

This is not a full on goodbye, but more like a "see you around"! ^_^ My new youtube channel "AngelSeer" if you wish to support, thank you so much: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg8Ju44LMoTUOaWB_pGKuwQ

I so love you all! <3 ^_^

(Ep. 1) 5 Tips to finish making your games

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(Ep. 2) The Importance of Self-love

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(Ep. 3) How to enhance your game dev skills

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(Ep. 4) 4 Tips to Uncover your game's highest form!

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~ Game dev with a positive heart ~

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~ Daily Gamedev Affirmations ~

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(Ep. 5) Experimenting and expanding with your creativity!

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I hope you enjoy them!

Also, if you have something on mind that you wish to share regarding the topics that I tackle, please don't be afraid to comment on the videos as I would love to discuss and learn from you as well.

If you enjoyed the videos, I would appreciate it so much if you subscribe or leave a like so that I may be able to help spread awareness in a more wider audience. ^_^ <3 Thank you so much and have a wonderful day!

 

[Finnuval]

Okay, so i just finished watching these and I do have some things to say...
Now I don't respond to youtube as a rule so I'll do it here instead.

I'll start with the more general stuff and some off-topic comments on a thing or two that i noticed, then I'll go more in depth per video/episode on its content...

- You might not be the wise old man archetype but at least you have the wisdom to share what you know and that's better then hoarding all the world's knowledge for yourself so credit for that

- It's clear you live(d) part(s) of what you preach, which makes you emotionally invested in what you say and sincere. More so then a lot of psychology students so again credit for that

- It looks like you seem a bit nervous at times about your English... no need. It's pretty good and the accent is not to heavy to understand at all. (only once when I thought you said '**** of paper' instead of sheet of paper which made me chuckle).

- You do love playing with your hair it seems... can't blame you though, so would I if I had hair like that haha

- Nice necklace, looks like a tree of life but I could be wrong of course. Do like it though

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Okay now more in depth per episode ;

Ep1 - In general just good life-advice really. As for the inspiration part I would like to add that negative emotion/experiences can also inspire not just the beautiful ones. Just make sure the process makes you happy, feel better or heals you in some way.
The rest is spot on i think.
Moving on is great advice and probably the most important in relation to game-deving as far as learning goes.
Plan with your brain act with your heart... enough said, right

What I would add to these points is this :talk to others (not just game-devs either). any knowledge or experience or insight you can gain can help you with your game even the weirdest or far-fetched things.
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Ep2 - It's the whole that matters not the state of the individual part. a part is neither good nor bad on itself as it is very dependent of the situation you are in and how that part fills the whole.

I have to disagree somewhat to the no-one loves you if you don't love yourself statement... There will be others that love you despite yourself however if you do not love yourself you will not see/recognize or accept these people.
Also there are those that will never like you anyway and there will be those that will not like you for hiding the parts you yourself do not like...

When you love yourself you will not "need" others to love you, without the "need" for their love you are free to enjoy their love for whatever it is worth. Also always remind yourself that what you know of the world and its rules is very limited and by expanding your knowledge in this regard you will learn that what you and others in your immediate surroundings find 'wrong' or 'bad' can be very limited to that environment and might be seen in a completely different light just a little further away.
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Ep3 - new necklace? xD

Yes you do have beautiful eyes so good example

Good, valid points here.
All I can add is : approve of yourself and you will not need the approval of others... this confidence will make people be more accepting of you in any regard and those that still do not accept you walk a different path then you. Best thing to do is let them walk it, preferably in an opposite direction from yourself

To keep it Tarot related : Be the fool... your possibilities will be endless
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Lastly a general thing I would like to add is this : have at least 1 friend that is brutally honest regardless of anything... you might not always like what they have to say but when they respond to your self-hatred you will know they are speaking truthfully and your mind will have a much harder time dismissing them because of it.

Of course despite being old I am not wise so take all I say with a grain of salt as you should always do with enyone's and everyone's oppinions on any matter
Hope you'll make more of these vids

PS: still need to give you some pointers on drawing wings lol

 

[Starmage]

Hello @Finnuval and woooow! I am sooo happy to receive this very detailed and insightful feedback from you! And please, you do not have to worry about your feedback, as I believe they are truly very helpful and you are sharing with us here lots of good points to consider when it comes to having a good mind-set with game devving. ^_^

- You might not be the wise old man archetype but at least you have the wisdom to share what you know and that's better then hoarding all the world's knowledge for yourself so credit for that

- It's clear you live(d) part(s) of what you preach, which makes you emotionally invested in what you say and sincere. More so then a lot of psychology students so again credit for that

- It looks like you seem a bit nervous at times about your English... no need. It's pretty good and the accent is not to heavy to understand at all. (only once when I thought you said 'sheep of paper' instead of sheet of paper which made me chuckle).

- You do love playing with your hair it seems... can't blame you though, so would I if I had hair like that haha

- Nice necklace, looks like a tree of life but I could be wrong of course. Do like it though

You do not know how happy and honored I am to read those! <3 ^__^ I am always very happy to share any wisdom that I personally have, and in the process, receive wisdom from awesome people like you as well. And I'm happy that you find me sincere, as I do tend to get emotionally invested by things like these. xD Btw, I am still working on my english, so I'm happy that you find it good and okay despite the quirks haha! XD <3 Oh my, so I guess you did notice how I love my hair xDD But hey, everyone has gorgeous hair, it's all in how you rock it! And yes, the necklace that I'm using on the first and second vid is a tree of life made of different crystal stones. ^_^

Ep1

You are truly right on that one, FInnuval! And you were not the first to point that out, which means that this is truly an important point to consider when it comes to inspiration. Yes, negative emotions can indeed truly help with your creativity, as it allows you use them as good outlets for inspiring art forms that tell tales of tragic losses, anger, sadness, and resentment. I should've mentioned that in the video, and I should've also clarified that when it comes to negative emotions, it shouldn't overwhlem the dev and just drown in them, but instead, use these negative emotions to fuel their creativity. ^_^ So thank you so much for reminding me of that once again, Finnuval! Also, YES, very much YES to talking to others to find inspiration <3 That is probably the missing link in my video! xDD I should've added that! xD It is truly such a beautiful and inspiring thing to share and discuss things with others in a very creative and friendly manner. ^_^

Ep2

Oh my! It is indeed true that there are wonderful people all around that will love you despite you not loving yourself. xD <3 And yes, there will always be people that won't like you, but I guess what I was trying to say is that, love can start from within, and you'll realize that love has always been all around you <3 ^__^ This can be through a random act of kindness from your family members or friends. And as always, I agree with you on many of your points here! ^_^ Things that or "wrong" or "bad" can always be different a little further away from where you are. xD

Ep3

Yes you do have beautiful eyes so good example

Awww, I wasn't really trying to make myself an example for that, but still, I truly appreciate you saying that! Thank you! XDD ^__^ <3 And yes, it's indeed a new necklace! XD I really find it funny in a good way that you're noticing these little things about myself (like me playing a lot with my hair and my necklaces)! Hahah xD And yep! Approving oneself is the best approval there is So yes, it is best if you fully accept and embrace your own path regardless if others will be for you or not. xD

Also, cheers to The Fool statement you made <3 The Fool does indeed bring the energy of bright new beginnings and endless possibilities! <3 Just be careful not to trip along the way. xD

Lastly a general thing I would like to add is this : have at least 1 friend that is brutally honest regardless of anything... you might not always like what they have to say but when they respond to your self-hatred you will know they are speaking truthfully and your mind will have a much harder time dismissing them because of it.

So funny you say that, because I truly appreciate the people who give me brutally honest advice when it comes to my games! <3 And I have found many of them wonderful people here in the RM community who has tremendously helped me improve with my game deving over the past years. <3 And the real-life circle who also does these things are a gift, as they can protect you from yourself when you are not self-aware enough. xD

Of course despite being old I am not wise so take all I say with a grain of salt as you should always do with enyone's and everyone's oppinions on any matter
Hope you'll make more of these vids

Again, you have made such wonderful insights that will truly help a lot of us here! <3 So I appreciate you sharing your feedback and your personal views as well, as this expands our horizon when it comes to these things! ^_^ And I am still learning with my journey to mental awareness and being in a good relationship with oneself, so you are really helping me grow with your insights.

PS: still need to give you some pointers on drawing wings lol

OMG! Yes, the wings! Hahahah xD How could I forget that? XD

Soooo, yes! Thank you so much once again, Finnuval! I am truly happy and honored to receive your feedback and that you shared with us here your insight as well! ^_^ <3 May we all continue to grow not just as game devs, but as individuals! ^_^

 

[Finnuval]

You are welcome

I really find it funny in a good way that you're noticing these little things about myself

well I am an observing person or so I have heard

 

[Starmage]

Oh my! XD Well! Having keen eye on things is a really great skill for any artist to have, Finnuval! ^_^

 

[Kokoro Hane]

I watched the first video in your series and prepare later for an essay response from me xD
I agree greatly with your 5 points and already have opinion to add to it. This answered so many things for me as why some of my game dev experience has been wonderful and some have not been. Every game I have put out brings back different memories and feelings that I tie them to, and whether or not they went well definitely fits well with what you said. So as both a response to your wonderful video and expansion of my own game dev experience, I'm going to write some really, really long response detailing my game dev experience and how your tips explained so much to me, so prepare! I apologise in advance for the long walls of text I'll be flooding you with lol.

 

[Starmage]

Hello @Kokoro Hane ! And OMG!! DOn't apologize for that! I would so love to hear your response and your thoughts about my videos, and more-so if they're long! <3 I'm truly very happy to read your response, Kokoro! ^__^ First off, I am honored that my episode 1 video has helped answered some of your game dev experience questions and that it helped with your expansion on your very own game dev experience! ^_^ Second, I am only happy that I am able to help in any little way I can to inspire and motivate you all as my fellow game devs, so that's already a huge thing for me! ^_^ Lastly, It's really amazing to know that you've been game devving for a long time already! wooow! I would love to check out your project (s)!! <3

Thanks so much once again, Kokoro!

 

[Kokoro Hane]

@Starmage haha yup, me and my team reached 7 years on the 20th! I have quite the interesting project list, finished and unfinished, all with certain memories tied to it. I primarily work with visual novels but of course when I grabbed RPG Maker VX Ace I was finally able to include that as well. I've wanted to make games since I was a kid, I love telling stories to either make people laugh or inspire, heal, etc. so your points really made me think about a lot of things. It's really great and I feel it also answered why I am currently struggling with a particular jam project right now haha. So I am definitely going to take the advice to heart for my next projects because it'll go smoother that way, and later, I will definitely watch the other 2 videos ^^

 

[Starmage]

Ohh! That's really awesome to know that you're so passionate with what you do @Kokoro Hane ! ^__^ That is truly a gift to have most esp. in game deving! So I can only salute you with that! It shows in your project and I really loved it! So continue doing what you do and I'm really happy that my video has also helped in motivating you for your game deving journey! ^_^ <3 I wish you and your team the very best on your projects, Kokoro! And I'm very sure you already got it! Also, I hope you'll enjoy the rest of the episodes once you watch 'em! ^__^ Btw, 7 years of game deving experience is already a lot! So I'm sure you are able to look back on many of the wisdom you have gathered throughout all those years. Which is really amazing!

 

[lianderson]

I hearby nominate Starmage as the most positive person on this website.

 

[Finnuval]

@lianderson i second that

 

[Starmage]

Hello @lianderson and OMG! XD I would be happy for such nomination, and the only reason why I can find so much to be positive for is because of all of you awesome pips here in the RM community! ^_^ <3

 

[Kokoro Hane]

@Starmage I have now watched ep.2 of your series and wow! This will be long-winded so, I will spoiler tag this xD

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So, I probably do have different viewpoints and maybe minor disagreements, but overall I agree with a lot of your points and I feel the exercise you gave at the end is very interesting. I also think this topic is important for game dev health, since developing any sort of creative thing often has reflective pieces of ourselves in it. Being in a healthy state of mind about yourself can often make game dev'ing more fun and less of a stress or chore, especially when you don't feel you have to hold anything back. I also feel however, in the process of making any creative can help you learn to love certain aspects of yourself. For example, becoming a voice actress has helped me to learn to love my own voice. I actually find my voices annoying and when I see myself in videos, I hide and cringe haha, despite that people often tell me they like my voice. However, voice acting for games, whether in my own project or another, has helped me to appreciate my voice and the many ranges I can do, and now I don't cringe so hard when I hear myself anymore. In fact, I now get excited hearing my voice in many things~

Another thing you pointed out that really hit me was when you mentioned parts of yourself you felt ashamed of because you grew up in a very Christian/Catholic home, so some things you enjoy are not accepted. I can relate to this in a way. Of course naturally as I do believe in God, I do know that there are things I should not do and only ever once in my life had I had to give up on something because it affected me negatively (a certain show I used to watch, so I promised never to watch it again, and that freed me--so in some instances, removing harmful fragments of yourself is also good too). But for the most part, there are things I love and enjoy I feel certain people I know may judge me for, even if it's probably not wrong, but due to their stricter viewpoints I may hide this part of me from them. Since this is on the topic of game dev'ing, this is a prime example.

I come from a Christian denomination in which there are many who view fiction as basically bad. I have to disagree on many points with that philosophy, but we won't get into that lol. I feel like writing is a gift God gave me, and for the longest time I did not accept myself as a writer despite my love for telling stories--I wanted to be a singer, so I denied my talent as a writer. The day I finally accepted "I am a writer" I felt more whole. This is who I am and there's no shame in that. And I should also accept just because some people may not agree with my path in life, that I want to write and game dev, it is not wrong or evil, especially if God gave me that gift, how is it wrong?

To give an example of my most positive game dev experience, in which I was happiest with myself and felt free and dev'd with no limits... actually my Crystal Captor game lol, my first finished RPG Maker game, is a good example of a healthy dev experience. This may seem like a silly, pointless game, but it has a lot of love in it! Love for myself and love for my team. I am unashamed of it because I was able to create a game with no limits (also aided by the jam's theme I entered it in). I had so many things I love actually crammed into there, which will soon be expanded in its sequel. I wanted to make a story that would make people laugh so their day would feel brighter. I am someone who believes storytelling is a tool of healing and can help inspire your life positively, even a dumb game such as that had a takeaway, such as the importance of family, friends, and kindness. Plus it was just there to make you laugh and smile! One week, with 2 days writing the dialogue, the rest eventing and adding the voice acting. It sounds intense but I had the least stress than even jams that last a month long lol. I think because of my state of mind is why other people enjoyed the product as well. If you don't like your own game, no one else will. So yes, self love is important, including loving your own projects and being proud of them. ^^

I could say more and be more coherent but I am sleepy and it's past 1 a.m. so I hope I made sense? lol

 

[Starmage]

Hello @Kokoro Hane ! And OMG!!! Thank you so much for this long-winded reply! Don't worry, I really appreciate it so much when people share their thoughts and experiences in detail here with me, so thanks for that! <3 ^_^

It was really touching to know that you embraced your voice-acting and story-telling/writing skills as parts of yourself regardless if people agreed with them or not! ^_^ I so wholeheartedly agree with you that anything creative that comes to us naturally is truly a gift from God! So it's truly inspiring to know that you didn't let anybody tell you otherwise!

I can understand the feeling of having your fictions be viewed as a non-Christian evil thing, so I really applaud you for your strength in overcoming these fear-based thinking and just followed your heart! <3 ^_^

I guess I would also like to emphasize that the part of you where you MAY feel ashamed of are actually not as bad as some people want you to believe. So embrace who you are, and your creativity will naturally flow through you like a waterfall in whatever creative path you may partake in! ^_^

Btw, you mentioned your game Crystal Captor, and I have to agree with you because I can really feel the passion and love you put into that wonderful fun-filled game full of laughter! <3 ^_^ No wonder why I found it truly a wonderful experience, it was all because the game was a labor of you and your team's love for game devving and voice-acting that made it the masterpiece that it is! I really appreciate you guys honoring yourselves by creating the game and making a lot of us who have played it smile and have such a good time! ^_^

So once again, thank you so much Kokoro! I am so happy that you found my game dev episodes helpful for your game dev journey! <3 ^_^ This is also part of who I am that I wish to share with you guys! The part of me that wishes to spread the message that embracing what you love will always lead to happiness!

 

[Kokoro Hane]

@Starmage You are definitely doing a lot for the community! If I were to have a suggestion on a topic of an episode, I think in correlation with the self love, I think it is important to talk about self-forgiveness too. Now, what does this do with game dev'ing? A LOT! Some reasons why I halt my game dev process or leave things in development hell or in a very bad state, is due to not forgiving myself. Things like feeling like I failed my team, or that because of this that or the other I am terrible, etc etc. I can go on. In game development, you can go through a lot that causes you to stop. Such as personal life matters, like losing a loved one (twice has this killed me completing projects or just dev'ing in general) and any regret it comes with (feeling you didn't spend enough time, didn't say what you needed to say, etc.). Other matters like game developing matters too, like you produced a failing product thus you are not good enough, or things came up that stressed you and you were in a team and failed them, etc. So I think a topic on forgiving yourself and knowing that is in the past, you can do better, and learning from your mistakes, will help in a healthy game dev mindset ^^

 

[Starmage]

Hello @Kokoro Hane ! and OMG! I'm so happy that you think I'm doing a lot for the community! such an honor to hear indeed! ^_^ And yes, your suggestions with regards to self-forgiveness is really great! Thanks for bringing that up! ^_^ I already have a topic planned for the next video, so I'll most definitely insert that in, as self-forgiveness is a very important aspect for having a healthy psyche as well! ^_^

And yes, I can really see what you mean by the feeling of self-blame, most especially that you are in a team! >.< So I hope I can bring something up that'll tackle that, Kokoro. Remember, everyone makes mistakes, and you can either learn from them, or get stuck thinking about them! XD I'd say the former would be a beautiful choice. XD

Thanks so much for giving me that suggestion, Kokoro! I'll keep that in mind! ^_^

 

[Starmage]

Hi everyone!!! Here's another game dev counseling video that I wish to share with you all! ^_^ Hope you find it helpful! As I do believe that every game has the potential to be great! <3 No matter what!

 

[Finnuval]

It's nice to see you are becoming more and more confident in your videos Good for you my friend!

And once again there is little to add here. Pure wisdom

Only thing I can think of I would add is this : Be inspired by other games/projects but don't imitate. A lot of times people see a game and want to be like that game and it usually doesn't do your game any real good, imo. Instead be inspired by that game but try and make it different and yours in your own way

 

[Kokoro Hane]

AHHHH YEAH, NEW COUNSELING SESSION! Never thought I'd be excited to get counseling =P

So, long winded opinion coming your way @Starmage ! Here's what I think of all your points ^^

Spoiler

1. Stop Comparing - This is so true! It can be easy to feel intimidated by a game that looks all pretty and flashy, and there you are with a bunch of stock assets and you begin to shrink back like "oh well.... nobody wants to play a game with art they might've seen somewhere else" etc. but it is not healthy to focus on what your game lacks, like you said, your game is unique only to you, and you should focus on its strengths. I focus on what I CAN give to my games, like even if I am bound by pre-made assets, you can learn to utilize them in a unique way and still make the game your own where you will not forget the experience. I've played games that just use RTP and can see them differently if it was well used with its mechanics or story. Myself, I used mostly RTP with a few free to use edits in my first RPG maker game and I did my best to make it unique and fun! I had voice acting to give it that original flare many free RPGs don't have, and I am proud of it. This is what made my game unique, I gave these characters a unique voice of their own even if you've seen their faces before. Same with visual novels, most of my visual novels use pre-made sprites and/or backgrounds as well so I primarily focus on giving it a unique, gripping story, usually apply some form of voice acting, etc. to make it my own. Only my games will have my unique style or sense of humour, only my games will have this and that, just because my game doesn't have this like you said, it is totally cool! So what you said here is so encouraging! I primarily focus on my writing as that is my highest skill, then my voice direction, then of course (for VNs only) my ability to use simple code language to do complex looking things. Especially when you are a new dev, you need these assets in order to understand your engine of choice and to realize the game you want. It's a journey, and no matter how embarrassing, your first game should be treasured--whether it gets released or not, never rid the project file. Don't compare it to others, love your game for what it is and think about what makes it special ^^

2. Self Forgiveness - Ahhhh, you really did include this! Thank you. This is so important to game dev journey, especially early on. Especially if you have teams, but even solo. You can feel like you fail people by not releasing it, delays, random hiatus, people on your team disappearing without warning, feeling like you failed your team, etc. but I have learnt to forgive myself for these things and that I should nto stop dev'ing because of that. I at one point thought I'd never complete a project. I once had so many WiPs and a couple demos floating around, but nothing ever COMPLETE. But if I gave up, if I didn't try again and let that "guilt" eat me up, I would not have all the wonderful games in my roster right now. Forgiving that also made me learn to love some of my incomplete demos and share them again, because they are apart of my journey and deserve to be seen for what they are and how they helped me, how pieces of it carried over into my current works. And I'd also like to add there are some things that happen out of your control you may feel guilt for but shouldn't, like one of the biggest blows to my dev development was when one of my precious voice actors in my loyal team passed away. He made me promise to continue making games, and although I promised, I almost didn't. The game my team originally started lies in development hell, I tried to do workarounds but could not finish it without him. I blamed myself for many things, like not finishing it fast enough, or not opening up about my feelings to him earlier (we liked each other beyond teammates, but he told me on his last day and I reciprocated, but I blamed myself for years that what if I confessed earlier?) The promise I made pushed me to continue, so I tried other projects but then the next blow came when I lost my grandfather slightly less than a year later. I hated myself 'cause I felt I could have spent more time with him, and then the VN software I normally dev'd in, I left all projects unfinished. I could not open it ever again. It wasn't until I remembered I had a promise to keep (kind of goes back to your first video of "why you game dev" mine is that promise AND my passion for good games) and found some lovely pre-made asset set that inspired me back in late 2015, that I opened that program for the very first time in over a year. And I wrote a Kinetic novel in 2 days. I even got to the full spirit of myself and scouted voice overs, contacted some of my original team, and although this project still lies in demo (but I'm planning to complete it this summer), it is responsible for bringing me back to game dev'ing and I even included my VA's voice in memory of, also utilizing a concept he had for the never-made sequel of our very first project which I was almost reluctant implementing due to him being gone for real, but it was his idea and I wanted to reference it and before he passed he told me I can use his voice in other projects to cameo/reference. Doing this, forgiving myself for not finishing projects, disappearing, and even forgiving me for what I could not control and just setting out to have fun, make voiced games I know would make him proud.... it's freeing, a better mindset than wallowing in sorrow ^^

3. Accept Feedback - Ah yes, negative feedback. It can be helpful because it points out what you can improve on, see in a different perspective, and I love also how you added you do not need to implement everything. Sometimes you may do things intentionally they do not get or understand, so imply this game is not for them, it is just not their preference and it is OK. But a lot of (constructive) feedback is so helpful! It's helped me. The only negative ones you should ignore are troll feedback, etc. They want to cause trouble, but never engage them, like you said--shrug it off. Choose the feedback that you know improves upon your game, leave out what isn't in the best interest of what you're trying to do--after all, we game dev to make the game no one is making for us, yes? lol. But really, it is good to know what people like and what would enhance their experience ^^

4. Be Resourceful - YES YES YES! No shame in stock sprites. Plus so many people make beautiful music, art, etc. for you to use and get EXCITED when you use them. I even see some people say "please show me your project if you use" because if you made a bunch of free/paid assets, and nobody is using them, well that creator might feel what's the point? Bless these people and their assets. Have fun and utilize what you like. It was free assets that brought me back to game dev'ing, I literally started my Kinetic novel stumbling upon a set of sprites and a certain background art, and that background art gave me this complex plotline lol. So resources are good to also give you good muse. Origina lassets are great as well, learn how to make them, utilize the programs. I am learning some graphic editing, I sometimes also get o work with wonderful artists too. But never turn your nose to good freebies. They can make your game beautiful, too, when used correctly ^^

 

[Starmage]

@Finnuval - Thank you so much, Finnuval! And I'm really happy that you seem to think I become more and more confident in every video! XD I hope to keep improving and just fight my nervousness lol xD And btw, yes!! I truly agree with you! ^_^ I've seen a game company in the past who was so caught up on copying other "successful" games of the same genre, that it eventually led to their downfall... Even though their game started out unique and everyone used to love it. It was quite sad indeed. So it is best to take inspirations from successful games, but not copy them fully.. instead make your game the best that it can be in its own different way. ^_^ So that's a great advice indeed, Finnuval.

@Kokoro Hane - Thank you so much once again, Kokoro Hane! For sharing with us here your experiences and thoughts with how the episode has helped you! ^_^ I'm so happy with that!! And again, I don't mind a long winded post, as I always love reading such experiences! ^__^

1. Stop Comparing

Yes! That's it exactly, Kokoro! ^_^ It makes me happy that you are fully embracing the uniqueness of your games! ^_^ And it shows with how passionate you are and dedicated in making them! Like in example, your RPG Crystal Captor may have mostly RTP assets, but that didn't stop me from enjoying it so much because of the life you've put into the story, the characters, the comedy, and most esp. the voice acting! ^_^ So keep it up, Kokoro! And don't stop doing what you're good at with your games! I also noticed that you've been revisiting old projects and not abandoning them, and that's a huge step as it is already, Kokoro! So a huge thumbs up!! ^_^

2. Self Forgiveness

OMG >.< I am so sorry to hear that, Kokoro! I understand how hard that must've been for you, most esp. the loss. X( But the beauty in it is that you didn't allow the pain to sink you down, but you used it as an opportunity to make yourself stronger in the process, and become a lot more creative with what you do. ^_^ I am sure, that your friend will be looking down from heaven, feeling happy that you are now currently doing what you love doing, and that is something he also loved during his times here on earth. <3 ^_^ So again, a huge thumbs up for you for not giving up, and instead become even more motivated to follow your dreams! ^_^

3. Accept Feedback

Yep!! Accepting feedback is truly helpful! As there are tons of people in the RM community who are always willing to give their time and energy to help you improve! ^_^ So it is truly important to see things in their perspective as a sign of respect to them, and at the same time, implement only the things that you feel are going to really help your project become the best that it can be! And oh my God >.< That's so true, with the really great reviewers who give their feedback, also comes some of the people that don't have anything constructive to say, but only pure negative stuff out of spite >.< And shrug it off indeed! XDD So yes, it is best to meet in this middle ground with accepting feedback: Listen to the feedback and give them thanks for their time, then implement what you feel are truly gonna help the vision of your game or what can enhance the experience of players or target audience.

4. Be Resourceful

Indeed!! You said it, Kokoro!! ^_^ Bless these wonderful and talented people giving their assets for the community to enjoy for free! <3 ^_^ And it's amazing to know that they've also helped as a muse for your projects in many ways! Cause I agree with you; seeing some cool free assets stuff can also fuel your imagination a lot! So that's really nice. Like when I first saw the new RMMV Dark Fantasy free pack, I was immediately captivated by it and have already started imagining a game out of them lol xD And yes!! Free assets, when used correctly, can really make your game beautiful! ^_^

Anyway, I wish to thank you so much once again for sharing your thoughts, Kokoro Hane!! ^_^ And I am so happy and honored that you found them helpful indeed!

I just wish to help in bringing the vibrations of our fellow game devs (most esp. the newer ones) way way up! <3