About


This tutorial isn't about codeing, variables, flags etc. It's about productive game-making. What's that? Productive game-making is working with heart, not like a machine. It's when you really want to make a make, work with it, not because you need, but because you want. Be sure, otherwise your game is ruined.

So how do you become a productive game-maker? These are my tips, so that game-making won't get bored soon, or if so, how to make it interesting again. Hope it will help you.

Warning ! So much text, you could build another great china wall !


1. Listen to Music


Music is a wonderful thing. It can change your mood, even fill your blood with adrenaline. It can encourage you, make things you thought you can't. But you must make the right choice. Listen to music you like, but also ,that was created with heart. The whole techno thing (in my opinion) is worthless. It was created using machines (computers, synthesizers etc.) Professional music, such as rock (which I prefer), is much of a worth. Rock is really fiery music, emotional. It can be :
Alternative;
Hard;
General;
Grudge;
Rock&Roll etc.
Though rock is quite dead right now. Not many people listen to it.
So, I would encourage you to try some of the old ones, such as Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd.
If you want somewhat modern or relaxing music, you can try Coldplay.
Or if you want something heavier, try Nirvana or Mettalica.
Just try. One or all. Of course, you can listen to the music which you like the most , it's just my opinion, In my personal experience, music can encourage to work or change your mood (to the good side). Mood changes productivity , and that's what we want , isn't it ?

Examples of Music:
Led Zeppelin - Stairway to Heaven
Led Zeppelin - Black Dog
Pink Floyd - What Do You Want From Me
Pink Floyd - High Hopes
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana - Come as You Are
Metallica - One


2. Make Pauses


We are human beings - living ones. We have lifes, friends, parents, brothers, sisters... We are living. Not machines. If you get tired of game-making don't work against your own will. That's not productive or quality game-making. Sounds more like a slavery. Make a pause. Play a game, go out, watch a movie, anything. After that, you'll be full of new ideas for your game and eager to continue. Make pauses. You can make from 5 minutes to 1 or 2 hours. Don't work against your will. Be a human.


3. Be Original


How many Assassin clones there are? Or The Mansion? I bet you don't have enough fingers on both your hands and feet to count. Be original. Maybe while walking the street back home you saw something interesting. Maybe in a history lesson you read about some great battle and "*Sigh* It must have been a great battle... Wait a sec... No one made a game about it.. Maybe I should make one ?". Maybe while just looking through window you saw something interesting. In example, I live a bit far from the city, so one time I saw a bunch of kangaroos. That was my muse. I started to work on game about controlling one kangaroo in a group and surviving (go ahead, create one!). I didn't finished for some reason. Maybe you saw your muse in a book ? A film ? Or just watching through a window? Maybe by just thinking? Don't make a clone, be sure to be original. It adds productivity, really.


4. Working in Team


Working alone can be tiresome, boring work. It may be slooow. And one of solutions may be finding a friend in real life or in the internet, work with him. Friend can push you to work, though not against your will (it may seem now ). Working in a team kinda' makes game-making your another job - you must do it, no matter how lazy you are. Otherwise the team will leave you (if you're leader) or kick you out of the team. That's not productive, isn't it ?

Why you should work in a team, and why not.

Of course, working in has it's own cons. The game your team is making may not be the one you like, while working you can discover that your partners are lazy and don't do anything at all, and it may be hard to organize them. They can think that you're idea is stupid, that they don't like you (which results in leaving (couldn't guess that, right)) , they can not work, do something wrong. To be a good leader, you have to have one thing in you - leadership.

What are those?

Some people cannot control a 5 man band while others can easily control 100 man army. What's that ? Charisma and leadership. People are born with more or less charisma, they maybe natural leaders. Don't know if people can "make" or learn more charisma (which sounds stupid to me), but those people tend to work with others ... easier. Charisma and leadership helps organizing a large group, somewhy. Still, you might try. It's just easier for them, not impossible for you. So, organize.

How to do that?

Every one has to have a work station. You can't make one make some coders and then go to do some storyline. Every team has to have Mappers (or a mapper, if your game is small), which are the main ones. Mappers can be splited into three groups:
Roomies;
Coders;
Texters.
Games may be big, so you might want to tell the roomies how you imagine the game, split the game in four or more/less , so that every roomy would have work (having more than one roomy may be a bit complicated, if you're making a multiplayer game.
As for Coders and Texters, you must tell them what systems, events you want in the game, what objects (in my opinion Roomies should also create objects) you want, and as equally important, the storyline of your game. They may not work at first, 'cause they won't have anything to do, but later... So the guys who work on the game have their stations.

How to keep people working ?

If you know them in real life, and they're near you, simply visit them (which will result in getting them mad maybe, still give it a try ), see how they progress.
Otherwise, it may be hard for you, especially with people you don't even know or trust. If you happen to be the "Charismatic one" it will be much easier to motivate them, otherwise, you should ... Well motivate them, but try as hard as you can.
Speak of glory (nothing glorious in that, but no one banned brain-washing)!
Say a bunch of lies! Speak how famous they will (may) become! That may even be true.
Use any means necessary to get them productive!
Thing is, lazy people tend to get bored quickly. You can kick them out and search for another, but if you're a .... merciful one as I am, you should try to speak some work into them, threat them that you'll kick them out of the team.
It's also hard to make sure that they don't do anything you don't need, so ask them to update you with the latest stuff they have done frequently, so you can see the progress. Of course, it differs from what your position is. That's all tips I can think of, so if you like solo work, keep it, if you don't, make a team of mappers and coders, venture into the dangers of organizing them (which may break you kinda' fast). If you're new at game-making, you should try solo first.


5. Don't be afraid of Big Games


When you want to make a big game and realise how much work you have to do, you hit the little X on the upper right corner of the screen, don't you ? That's not working, really. You shouldn't be afraid of big games, if you want, you can make a tiny game, when you finish you can add more, so it wont look so intimidiating. Big games mean a lot of work, but the more you work, the better quality game you make, don't you?


The End


So, I guess I finished on this one. Can't think of more, that I personally use to make my game-making not boring. So, uh, feedback will be accepted, positive or negative.