Elysian Shadows

Hi all, thought I would raise this topic as I'm currently in the worst part IMO - final polish and debugging. Every week I think my game is practically done, I submit it for testing, and get another dozen issues and tweaks and tinsel to add to the damn thing. I think the QA tester is too good at his job!

I tend to fall in love with new projects, when I can relax a bit and concentrate on making something fun, experimenting with game mechanics and visuals and all the fun stuff that doesn't seem to ever last long enough. I think that the final stretch is what kills a lot of projects, it can certainly turn a great game into a dissapointment - for me it takes a lot of effort to even want to look at the game I loved to develop a year ago. Trying to make something saleable adds so much stress, and I can't even get too annoyed, because the QA guy/sponser is determined to make the most of it, and I can't fault him for that - but it's like eating shit on toast and pretending its peanut butter.

So what is your least favorite part of game development? - and if you agree with mine, what do you do to maintain your sanity?

Worst part? Finding other people with an ounce of dedication... Finding people who will stick with the project longer than a week... Finding people who can write code and commit it into the repository without you having to watch them do it... Finding people who are willing to dedicate themselves to getting the job done...

Finding developers is the worst part by far for me. I gladly welcome the tedious debugging and whatever else.

TheBuzzSaw wrote:Worst part? Finding other people with an ounce of dedication... Finding people who will stick with the project longer than a week... Finding people who can write code and commit it into the repository without you having to watch them do it... Finding people who are willing to dedicate themselves to getting the job done...

Finding developers is the worst part by far for me. I gladly welcome the tedious debugging and whatever else.

^ Amen.

Worst part? Having to "dedicate" myself. Whats the point in spending any more time than a week? Week done? Code done. What bugs? Having to learn things like "repositories".

All jokes aside, I haven't really encountered anything that I would consider bad. The absolute worst is just small tedious things, or if I can't get an idea out of my head. Coding is really a whole lotta fun.

Van-B wrote:Hi all, thought I would raise this topic as I'm currently in the worst part IMO - final polish and debugging. Every week I think my game is practically done, I submit it for testing, and get another dozen issues and tweaks and tinsel to add to the damn thing. I think the QA tester is too good at his job!

/\ this

You get to the point you think it's a few hours off from being complete, then there is small shit that pops up everywhere. a few hours turns into 4 weeks.

also gamestate menus.

I'll just answer what the worst part is today. Next week it could be something different.

In the middle of development right now, so I'd say the worst part is the nagging feeling that the way you implemented some major feature isn't quite right, and you're not going to figure out why it isn't or how to do it better until 2 weeks before you want to release and you find some major issue. Like a little post it note in your head, "Yea it works, but I know I'm not done with it yet..."

.

Inlinevoid wrote:Worst part for me by far is running into bugs. Not just any bugs though, those goddamn mammoth bugs that completely halt all progress, the ones that take you weeks to fix. This has only happened to me on a few occasions, and it's a total mindfuck. But man, when you finally fix those suckers, you feel like a God.

Also, strangely enough, every one of those mammoth-sized bugs that I've fixed were solved in my sleep (literally). I'd suddenly wake up in the middle of the night and just know a way to fix them. Don't ever doubt your subconscious, folks.

That's an interesting observation. I tend to find when I'm stuck with a tricky bug that walking around and taking a little break gets me right back on track.

I find that I solve a lot of bugs, just by getting away from the computer for a bit, usually when I'm walking to get something for lunch, mind wanders, and end up debugging code instead of watching for traffic etc :D. I often play videogames in my sleep, like if I play a lot of BF3 theres a good chance I'll still be playing it when I'm half-dreaming in bed... and the weirdest thing about that is I'm actually playing it, dying, respawning, I swear my dream even started to lag once. I've never been lucky enough to solve programming issues in my sleep though.

Van-B wrote:I find that I solve a lot of bugs, just by getting away from the computer for a bit, usually when I'm walking to get something for lunch, mind wanders, and end up debugging code instead of watching for traffic etc :D. I often play videogames in my sleep, like if I play a lot of BF3 theres a good chance I'll still be playing it when I'm half-dreaming in bed... and the weirdest thing about that is I'm actually playing it, dying, respawning, I swear my dream even started to lag once. I've never been lucky enough to solve programming issues in my sleep though.

LOL
The same thing happens to me every time I play a lot of Starcraft 2. The game simply continues to run in my head - its akward

Worst part?
Dunno how to call it, but sometimes in a project there is this phase right in the middle, where you just want to give up and move on to the next project.

Milch wrote: Worst part?
Dunno how to call it, but sometimes in a project there is this phase right in the middle, where you just want to give up and move on to the next project.

I'd have to agree, i think i'd call it lack of motivation.

I agree 100% with buzzsaw , finding someone that will actually get the work done that they say they will is such a motivation killer. Hows anything supposed to get done if everyone is just blowing smoke. Am I supposed to write all the code, make all the models. draw all the textures, compose all the music, and put it all together myself? I mean once you've reached this point its kinda hard to do anything but give up

Inlinevoid wrote:Don't ever doubt your subconscious, folks.

Totally agree

GyroVorbis wrote:

TheBuzzSaw wrote:Worst part? Finding other people with an ounce of dedication... Finding people who will stick with the project longer than a week... Finding people who can write code and commit it into the repository without you having to watch them do it... Finding people who are willing to dedicate themselves to getting the job done...

Finding developers is the worst part by far for me. I gladly welcome the tedious debugging and whatever else.

^ Amen.

^ Double Amen.


The worst part for me, besides lack of being able to really find help, is that thinking about game development (as well as my site, youtube, content I could be producting) cuts into my thinking about other things.

I feel guilty sitting at my computer working on stuff and ignoring my bf (even if he's working on his own game), I'm really trying to discipline myself to be more focused at work, I put off chores because I could be programming instead. I'm wearing the same sandals I've had since I was 14. That's 10 years. I need new sandals, yo. I have a hard time playing video games, because it's not as constructive as coding.
And, inevitably, if I go too long without coding, I get really stressed out.
It's like I'm addicted to game development. <_>

Moosader wrote:I need new sandals, yo.

^ this made me lol