Motivation

[Quentin]

I've been lacking motivation for doing anything recently and I feel so lazy.

How do you guys stay motivated to make/learn how to make games? I'm currently still learning(want to learn Slick), but I can't bring myself to start.

D:

[Damocles]

Make a little Microproject (a little Duckshooter, Invaders, new Textrendering)
-> quick Rewards

This gets your Mind free, and yields some quick results that you can use later
in your project. (Gameloop approach, technical solution)
It also trains you to apply your knowledge.

But dont spend too much time on it.

When you got something working it motivates you more to spend time on boring tasks.

Also:
keep easy and rewarding tasks OPEN in the ToDo list.
When you feel down, you can skip to them to have some nice feedback.

[princec]

The need to eat, have a roof over my head, and ensure the same for the rest of my little family keeps me motivated...

... not so motivated that I don't waste time on forums mind 

Cas

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[Grunnt]

I've been lacking motivation for doing anything recently and I feel so lazy.

Maybe do something you like to do instead? Like play games? If i'm lazy and unmotivated I sometimes just give in and play games for a loooong time, until I get bored with it.  Alternatively, having some regular physical exercise (e.g. running) helps if you lack energy in general.

And maybe you just dont want to make a game eagerly enough? There's nothing wrong with just enjoying games (or anything else). Not that making games isnt fun 

[gimbal]

I've been lacking motivation for doing anything recently and I feel so lazy.

Maybe do something you like to do instead? Like play games?

Nooooooooo. That's what I do and that eats up so much time you hardly leave any to code something.

Doing something new is likely the best thing to do. I've finally jumped into LibGDX, such a wonderful exploratory experience especially when you realize that stuff 'just works'. And do something small and relatively simple, in my case a Tetris game (with a twist). Actually finishing something will likely be a good motivator.

But what it really sounds like? You need some vacation time from your computer dude! I can highly recommend taking up cooking, that keeps me busy in a creative way with the huge benefit of having really nice stuff to eat without paying excessive amounts for it

[Riven]

Hehe, it is suggested that he does something else, you say 'nooo!' and then you suggest he does something else

[ReBirth]

Yeah just finish something relatively small. Try to clone a game, try new mechanism etc.

[gimbal]

Hehe, it is suggested that he does something else, you say 'nooo!' and then you suggest he does something else

nooooooo @ playing games, not @ doing something else Better to go do something else that does not have some sort of addiction factor tied to it is more to the point.

[ctomni231]

I am amazed people haven't created an article for it, because staying motivated to complete anything is a task. Hell, I wouldn't feel motivated to finish my job if I knew that I wouldn't be able to get something to eat the next day.

The best advice to stay motivated...

Take a break.

Seriously, your brain is more like a computer than you think, it needs to defragment and refactor all the new ideas (and old ideas) that get into your head. What I usually do is write down the last thing I did in the program, and go do something else. Then I let the ideas flow, and whatever I come up with new for that project, I write it down on the same sheet.

I realize the code gets better and more efficient the more time I spend away from the computer. I also realize the bugs and errors are much easier to spot if you come back to a problem. All positives for coding in my book. Inspiration comes from many sources, and it is not always from sitting 24 hours in front of the screen. Don't let time be an issue, sometimes you have to be patient for great code.

[Grunnt]

Actually finishing something will likely be a good motivator.

Yeah, this is important. Setting yourself a goal that is challenging, but doable helps. (e.g. not a MMORPG making you millions within 2 years if you just start out, but completing a small, trivial game to the point where other people can play it and have fun). Lethargy sometimes comes from not really believing that you can make something good, that you can actually finish a fun game. Making small steps and rewarding yourself for it (e.g. play some games without guilt after working on game development ) can help in building belief in your own capabilities.

Focus is another factor for me. I tend to want to do 10 things at the same time: learning to draw, to play the guitar, build a website, make a game, read a lot of books, .... But in the end that means that I try to do 10 things but succeed at none. Consciously choosing one thing to focus on (for me it's making a game at the moment) and setting myself a clear goal (e.g. complete an original game before the end of the year, after completing two trivial games last year) works for me. This means I'm not learning to draw or play the guitar, but hey, sometimes you have to choose

Games published by our own members! Check 'em out!

[gimbal]

Actually finishing something will likely be a good motivator.

Yeah, this is important. Setting yourself a goal that is challenging, but doable helps. (e.g. not a MMORPG making you millions within 2 years if you just start out, but completing a small, trivial game to the point where other people can play it and have fun). Lethargy sometimes comes from not really believing that you can make something good, that you can actually finish a fun game. Making small steps and rewarding yourself for it (e.g. play some games without guilt after working on game development ) can help in building belief in your own capabilities.

Exactly, and it can be some simple. An intern for the company I work for was tasked to learn Ruby on Rails - I set him a challenge to create a command line hangman game (complete with dictionary loaded from a file of course - even trivial games have their challenges). I had done so also, so we could compare the results. Its always fun to see what wild variations you can come up with when you don't give very specific requirements

In the end he managed to finish his hangman game. Pretty soon after that the entire company was playing it. You should have seen him glow.

[Quentin]

Thanks everyone! I have a folder on my computer with a few game ideas that I've been wanting to make for a while, but I want them to be really good. So yeah, I'm just going to start working on a lot of small stuff and work towards the bigger stuff

[gimbal]

Thanks everyone! I have a folder on my computer with a few game ideas that I've been wanting to make for a while, but I want them to be really good. So yeah, I'm just going to start working on a lot of small stuff and work towards the bigger stuff

Also check out the showcase, there are some real gems in there that show how simplicity can be big fun.

[Quentin]

Well I found the motivation I needed. Ludum Dare is coming up, and I know I won't be ready for this one, but I'm hoping to be experienced enough to enter the next one or some Mini-LDs.