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How to get fully involved into game development? (sopuli.xyz)

submitted 10 months ago by gegil@sopuli.xyz to c/gamedev@programming.dev

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After my previous post on this community, i read all comments and found lots of useful materials on gamedev.

For the firts couple of weeks i was completely involved into gamedev, learning, reading documetation, making project for hours every day. Next week i started to get bored with it. I was still making progress, but i just wasnt involved in it enough. Next week i got completely bored with it, and just left it. I tried to get back on track a couple weeks later, but wasnt successful.

I just cant find myself doing some work, like learning something new, for longer than two weeks. When i was younger, i tried to self learn programming, but couldnt to continue to learn for long. Now i know how to program, not because i personally was interested in it, but because i was taught it. Even if i will somehow learn to develop games, i dont think i will be able to work on same project for months or even years, which is always required to make good games.

Earlier i mentioned that i was bored, which is not what it seems it is. Making games is fun, and i want to do it. I just have a weird feeling, which i cant really explain what it feels like, and it prevents me from just opening the editor and continuing to work on a project i was doing last day, for unkown to me reason. Every time i boot my pc, i just look at that icon on the taskbar for a solid two minutes, until i decide to do nothing. Same thing at the next day, and a day after that, and then i just forgot i was actully doing that. I dont know why, but two weeks seems like the maximum i can spend on any big project, even if i am interested in it, and i know i have enough skill and time to complete it in reasonable amount of time.

So, what can you recommend me to do, to get me involved into game development, to get interested in it enough to actully commit enough of my time to make great projects?

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[–] tyler@programming.dev 0 points 10 months ago

I recommend you go to a psychiatrist and get a test done for adhd. Because I felt the same way, for a very long time.

[–] it_depends_man@lemmy.world 0 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I just cant find myself doing some work, like learning something new, for longer than two weeks.

So, what can you recommend me to do,

It's the same kind of discipline issue everyone has with other times with sports or other kinds of regular practice.

Reserve the time, "get there early", sit down, set an alarm if you have to and when the alarm rings you open your project and go from there.

You don't have to torture yourself though, if you find you're actually not having fun, it's fine to just do small prototype things and switch things up every two weeks.

[–] lIlIlIlIlIlIl@lemmy.world 0 points 10 months ago

The technical term for that feeling is called “burnout” - and it’s something every developer has encountered

What Is Burnout?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines burnout as an “occupational phenomenon” rather than a medical condition. WHO says burnout results from “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed” and is characterized by the following three dimensions:

Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion. Increased mental distance from your job, or negative or cynical feelings about your job. Reduced professional efficacy. In other words, burnout is a work-induced experience that can manifest as emotional, physical, and/or psychological symptoms.

source

[–] towerful@programming.dev 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

I find the best way to learn things I want to learn is with a project.
Don't learn game dev to be able to create a game. Learn game dev to craft the story you want to tell.

If you don't have a story or project that you are passionate enough to see through to a released game, then maybe try and get involved in someone else's project.

Or, put what you've learned in your back pocket. Maybe you have done enough on that for now, and it's time to try some other area of programming or even learn some completely different skills.
Maybe one day you will have a strike of inspiration for a game and you will already have some basic knowledge and ability to see if it will work.

[–] gegil@sopuli.xyz 0 points 10 months ago

I had the idea of a game i wanted to make for a long time, and after think about it, i knew most stuff and skills i had to learn to make it. Of course i didnt want to make it perfect at once. I wanted to make the most basic version of what seemed like this game, and throughout the time upgrading it where i think something is missing, or something can be done better.

Inspiration seems like a thing i am missing out on. Like i know what i want to do, i am just not inspired to actually do it.

[–] IcyToes@sh.itjust.works 0 points 10 months ago

Take pressure off. Don't set targets, just solve one project and if you're fed up, park it. If you feel good, solve or investigate another.

Avoid negative pressure and burn out. Little and often is the process. If you don't want to touch it one day, don't. It's cool.

[–] GammaGames@beehaw.org 0 points 10 months ago

Why do you want to make games? You can make other things!

[–] Brainsploosh@lemmy.world 0 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Break a project down into two week sprints?

And/or adjust your tempo to account for making stuff sustainable in both amount of novelty, intensity and progression.

Finding ways to get past the two week inspiration high is much of what makes an interest different from a hobby.

[–] gegil@sopuli.xyz 0 points 10 months ago

This is why i dont have a hobby. Every time i tried to get a hobby, i just lost interest to things before i got an inspiration to contiune do what i want to do. Game development happened to be last thing i tried to get get hobby of, and when i finally decided to do something with me losing interest to potential hobbies.