Burnout (and how to recover)

My main problem is the need to do everything, myself, to be satisfied.

I want to make the animations, the scripts, all the maps, all the coding...

While that is possible for smaller projects, it will be impossible for larger projects.
And all my projects are, realistically, pretty darn large projects.

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So whenever I get an idea, I note it.
Wherever I am, on whatever available -- and store it for later use.
That gives me thousands of ideas to work on... but not the time to put them into life XD

While that is possible for smaller projects, it will be impossible for larger projects.

Cave Story took 5 years and only one person to make. Impossible is nothing!

While that is possible for smaller projects, it will be impossible for larger projects.

Cave Story took 5 years and only one person to make. Impossible is nothing!

But you better have one enormous truckload of determination to see it through!

Actually, you might want to make that multiple truckloads.

Honestly, Magi Slayer has been through a LOT of revisions and going through Stencyl is and will be the last one.  It needs to get done because of circumstances.  However, I have come across mental blocks or just that my creativity has slowed down.  There are reasons for it, such as health, as a healthy mind is more active than one that is not.

i get motivation and inspiration from playing other games. One or two in the stencyljam for example have really made me think "why didnt i think of that!" and then immediately I want to go and do it and put my own spin on it.

I usually have a few projects on the go, working on the one that appeals to me at the moment.

Other than that, absolute stubbornness gets me to the finish point. I don't want to throw away the work I have put in so far, hence the need to complete it, whether or not it will ever be a `hit`

I just feel like all my games are junk, my ideas are worthless, I want to give up, but at the same time continue.

The trick is to NOT give up. The challenge you are facing is simply a kind of "sophomore slump".  You are at a point where your skills are high enough to get you started and feel like you should be able to realize the concepts, but the unforseen difficulties that crop up keep derailing you. If this is what you truly want to do, the only thing that you can do is to just keep trying, keep overcoming those obstacles, because that is the path to more experience and skills, and success.

I just feel like all my games are junk, my ideas are worthless, I want to give up, but at the same time continue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td_PGkfIdIQ (skip to 12:29)

"Talent = the ability to be productive"
This is MOTHERFUCKING GABE NEWELL, who arguably manages some of the most "talented" people in the games industry - in it since Half Life 1... he knows his shit.

Maybe your games are junk, maybe your ideas are worthless and maybe no one cares about the games you make.. ITS IRRELEVANT.

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You need to cultivate and adopt the mindset/beliefs that will make you productive. For me this is knowing that i am in it for the long haul and HOW FAST I GET GOOD DOESN'T MATTER, knowing that the quality of the game does not even matter as long as i am working on it regularly, knowing that failure is perfectly fine and you need to fail to grow, comparing my work to others on the same level and sometimes lowering my goals so that i don't get burnt out.

Become self aware and start to realize what things help you to work on the game, and which things stop you from working. This has become one of the most interesting things about game development for me... learning more about myself and how to KEEP MOVING.

Become self aware and start to realize what things help you to work on the game, and which things stop you from working. This has become one of the most interesting things about game development for me... learning more about myself and how to KEEP MOVING.

This is probably one of the most important things when it comes to much of ANYTHING. Know what motivates you and what distracts you. Knowing those two things, set yourself up accordingly to succeed as best you can. EXERCISE SELF-DISCIPLINE.

I've had a lot more time lately to work on game design, and I'm trying to keep the motor running. I'm kind of trying to get myself into a position where I can sharpen my presentation skills (graphics, music), and that's not necessarily easy. I think starting my blog has helped actually; its another channel for my energies, but its in the same vein of what I'm doing and keeps me in the game design mode. That and I like to help out other people.

Some of my works and posts here gave me a shock to my system and a reason to keep working on my 2d pong game. Believe whether or not Stencyl is flexible or not, I still think the effort is well put into it and with the right version, it can work. OVERALL PROGRESS and BELIEF can do wonders. Just put them to work and let it wonder for a few!

Oye, I am currently trying to come out of a slump. My last game project took a lot out of me, mainly because I got about half way through it and realized I didn't feel passionately about the game and its genre as I originally thought I might have (and its still not finished; I'm leaving it alone for awhile). I FINALLY started prototyping something new today.

I'm getting lazy... too much work.

Iwas reading a old mag at work the other day about something called gamification or gamify.  The idea is based of rewards for best a level or whatever in a game. The point is you set up a scoring system for a task and make it a game giving your self positive reinforcement as you progress to the next level.

Lets face it... we all know I suck at game design.

-I'm lazy, unorganized, whiny, effortless, attention wanting, idea-less.

-I can't do pixel art correctly or make it look good on the eye. I can't do animations ether.

-My level design sucks, a monkey placing objects can do better.

-I'm poor, I can't afford any good software or whatever.

-I literally cannot code or write stuff.

In short, I'm a perfect example of an unsuccessful person.

Lets face it... we all know I suck at game design.

-I'm lazy, unorganized, whiny, effortless, attention wanting, idea-less.

-I can't do pixel art correctly or make it look good on the eye. I can't do animations ether.

-My level design sucks, a monkey placing objects can do better.

-I'm poor, I can't afford any good software or whatever.

-I literally cannot code or write stuff.

In short, I'm a perfect example of an unsuccessful person.

Perhaps your destined for upper management.

,
Jason