Tips needed: How do I stay motivated?

[The Florana Princess]

So I've been working on a game for close to 7 years now. The story is perfect, the characters are well-developed.....

...and that's about it. Every time I create a map or event a scene I hate my own work and leave it for sometimes months on end, then I attempt to start all over again! It's a viscious cycle.

What I'm asking is if there are any tips or pointers to stay motivated or even just to accept the work i've done on it already. It's getting to the point where I hate the thought of getting my laptop out and working on it. Heck, even when I do get it out I avoid it and do something else. Not to mention every time a new resource pack comes out, I think it's a fantastic resource for this same game, then I go into crisis mode because I don't know which song or asset to use as 4 or 5 fit the scene.

Experienced and inexperienced game makers I really need your help on this one, or I may go batty!

 

[Kes]

You might find some of the discussion in this thread, as well as the original article linked in the OP, relevant.

Also, I think that e.g. putting your maps on the Game and Map Screen Shot thread can be a help.  It would give you objective feedback, instead of just your own, and specific pointers to improve things, if they need it.  That external viewpoint can help to keep a balanced perspective on one's own work.

 

[Andar]

One thing I learned is that you cannot force motivation and sometimes you need a break from the project. My main (non-computer-) game project was started more than 25 years ago, I'm currently in the fifth variant (after having scrapped the first four due to different problems from balancing over having too complicated rules to not doing what the rules were intended for), and I expect it to take a few more years of work.

However, in those 25 years there were at least three times when I completely stopped the project for between one to three years for unrelated reasons - and I alse realised that it helps when you have a secondary project that is something completely other.

Whenever I couldn't motivate myself to continue working on my primary project, I switched to the secondary one. That prevented me from loosing my skills and provided me with something else to be creative on while keeping the main ideas on slow burn instead of beginning to hate them...

 

[Sharm]

Sounds like you're too worried about obtaining perfection with this project to do anything.  You either need to accept that this game is going to be terrible and go ahead and make it anyway or you need to stop trying to make this game and do a different one that you don't care about so you can actually create something.  You still won't be able to work on this one until you can accept that it's going to be terrible, but at least you'll be making games and improving.  If you don't ever learn to accept it you'll eventually reach a point where you've gotten so much better that you'll open the project and realize that everything you've done up to now is already terrible and you'll have to start over if you want to make the game.  Usually people who reach that point have no desire to though.   Do you really want to waste all that work you've already done?

The truth is that it probably isn't terrible, it's just the type of mindset you'll need to not get caught up in a perfectionist loop.  Once you're done you'll be more likely to see your own stuff clearly and can judge what to do with it then.

 

[Makio-Kuta]

What Sharm said is the best advice. It may also help to share what you are working on with other people and get THEM motivated and then ride on their motivation to help spur your own. I find this helps me a lot. Knowing that I am making something to present it to other people - to share it with them - and knowing that they are excited to see it just gives me a lot of positive energy to continue.

(BUT if you go that route then you have to teach yourself that in the world of creating free entertainment for people, your own happiness matters most and sometimes you won't finish things you started. That that that's okay too.)

 

[Kazuki]

So I've been working on a game for close to 7 years now. The story is perfect, the characters are well-developed.....

...and that's about it. Every time I create a map or event a scene I hate my own work and leave it for sometimes months on end, then I attempt to start all over again! It's a viscious cycle.

What I'm asking is if there are any tips or pointers to stay motivated or even just to accept the work i've done on it already. It's getting to the point where I hate the thought of getting my laptop out and working on it. Heck, even when I do get it out I avoid it and do something else. Not to mention every time a new resource pack comes out, I think it's a fantastic resource for this same game, then I go into crisis mode because I don't know which song or asset to use as 4 or 5 fit the scene.

Experienced and inexperienced game makers I really need your help on this one, or I may go batty!

I struggled with this with my comic for a long time but, when I started to post and show off my work it helped re-motivate me. I do the same for my game I post what I can and gauge people's reactions. Despite having only a few people comment its enough to know that people could look forward to my work when it comes out.

 

[sabao]

Just chip away at it where you can whenever you can! Unfortunately, you're going to find yourself lacking in some departments. We can't all be good writers, artists and programmers all at once. Our own skill won't always match up to the standards we set for ourselves and that's fine. Sometimes, 'close enough' has to do because fixating on getting one part just right stunts your ability to move on to other parts of development. Focus on getting it all done first: Plot out the path players take on the maps and worry less about filling it with decorations. Need a character set you can't sprite? Use the RTP as a placeholder and figure out how to get it done later. If the story's fully-written, focus on transcribing that into the game. Polish can always follow after.

RPG Maker's supposed to be fun. Capitalize on your strengths first so you aren't frustrated by your weaknesses and get it out there for everyone to see. You may just find someone who can help down the line.

 

[The Florana Princess]

Thank you everyone! What you've all said are good ideas and I'll follow them. I'll share some screen shots in the appropriate thread, and face the facts that the game, being my first, will proably be terrible I think the fact I wanted it perfect was really holding me back.

You've all been absolutely fantastic. Thank you for sharing your stories.