Dropped Projects

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Taleweaver
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Re: Dropped Projects

#46 Post by Taleweaver »

blakjak wrote:You're very kind not to mention my droping out from Inside/outside, still, I feel responsible for not going through with this. Crazy part is that it wasn't even that much work, and the script was awesome...I don't know, I think I'm just lazy.
It's okay. There were worse disappointments later on, and I learned a lot from the experience. I'm still giving my best to make every project I tackle work out. It's all I can do. :)
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Re: Dropped Projects

#47 Post by Wright1000 »

In my opinion, one main reason why most projects are not completed is because of lack of dedication.
Whatever people do, they should do it with dedication.
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Re: Dropped Projects

#48 Post by clannadman »

Wright1000 wrote:In my opinion, one main reason why most projects are not completed is because of lack of dedication.
Whatever people do, they should do it with dedication.
I think part of the problem is people get really excited about the idea that they can build a game simply and for free. Newcomers begin extremely enthusiastically but eventually realize there's a lot that can get you slogged down. I think it requires more than just passion and determination - I think you need to be able to work to a deadline and do the job whether you like it or not. Otherwise, you just end up with half completed projects.

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Re: Dropped Projects

#49 Post by Auro-Cyanide »

Camille wrote:
Efreet wrote:It's fun working with my writer, I've met him in person (same with the artist) and we share quite a few interests - work wise he's just slow though I've been very mindful not to push him (cause this is voluntary work, the only pay is the awarded statisfaction of finishing a VN game!).
Without saying too much and getting myself into trouble, I know exactly how that feels. You want to push them because you're so excited and ready to work, but you can't for one reason or another. If you don't communicate and make sure that you guys have the same energy, drive, and feelings about the project, it could lead to a lot of misunderstandings later, which is a bummer. You should never assume that one of your teammates is as motivated as you, but you shouldn't assume that they're not motivated, either. XD Sometimes you guys just need to talk it out seriously without you trying so hard not to step on anybody's toes.

But hey, if you distance yourself from the project a bit, it could always pick up again later. And now you can work on something fresh and new on your own without worrying.

I guess I'm the type that sort of needs a team to operate. Err, at least an artist. I find it very hard to keep motivated when I'm working on something alone. But for MJ, my artist is my best friend of like 8 years and we're very communicative, so I think the risk factor isn't so high. We sort of keep each other going, too. We've had some arguments regarding the project, but because we both keep an open mind and try to listen to the other person's concerns, we've worked through all of those rough patches really well. For BCM, I originally commissioned Auro, so uh. I think when there's money involved, the other person is a lot less likely to just disappear on you (plus when I "hired" her, it was only after I saw that she had worked with other people before and not dropped off the face of the planet XD). And now the two of us get along great and she's definitely more like a partner and friend to me than just an artist I commissioned. She's given me a lot of ideas, too, that I definitely couldn't have come up with on my own. I guess that's the biggest benefit of working in a group: two heads work better than one, and so on. Like Aleema said, it's risky--but it is wonderful when it pays off.

But I do agree that you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket/rely on someone for your project to get done, in general. The moment your project's fate is in someone else's hands, that's never safe. You always want as much (creative?) control as you can, otherwise it's very easy for the whole thing to collapse.
Oh, you will make me blush~

But that is a good point. In most cases you will probably work on a game with at least one other person. It is unlikely, especially for longer games, that one person will have a strong enough range of skill sets to do a polished job. So, when it comes time to look for a partner or a team, try to be careful who you choose. With free games and such, you have a bit of a 'beggars can't be choosers' kind of thing, but it doesn't mean you can't consider who you are going to be counting on. Skill is not the only thing you should be looking at. Basically you want to look for some form of internet cred:

-Proof they have worked with other people
-Proof they can meet deadlines of some type
-Proof that they have stuck to projects
-Proof they have stuck to projects other than their own
-Proof that they can stay active on a site for a long period

The more boxes people can tick the better. It may be someone has already completed a game, maybe they collaborated on an online comic, maybe they have just been an active member of a online community for over a year. Some people are going to come in new and be completely fine in a group, but it is a good thing to at least be aware of.

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Re: Dropped Projects

#50 Post by Wright1000 »

clannadman wrote:I think part of the problem is people get really excited about the idea that they can build a game simply and for free. Newcomers begin extremely enthusiastically but eventually realize there's a lot that can get you slogged down. I think it requires more than just passion and determination - I think you need to be able to work to a deadline and do the job whether you like it or not. Otherwise, you just end up with half completed projects.
Was that a sarcasm? If it was, I would like to tell you that Lonesome was not a half-complete project when I released it by mistake for the first time. Only the coloring of two sprites was not properly done. So, you should think twice before you pass a sarcasm.
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Re: Dropped Projects

#51 Post by bunny-gypsy »

Wright1000, I don't think clannadman means to be sarcastic. He/she's just giving some other reasons
why people tend not to finish their projects, that's all.

And, I think everyone's right: It's a mix of passion, dedication, patience hard work, not procrastinating, working towards deadlines,
staying motivated, staying focused and keep on trucking! :) (But if you work in a team, then someone dropping out could
be another reason why, too.)

As a person who tends to procrastinate or have half-finished projects, I have to watch out for that. I tend to
get overly ambitious and not have the dedication and patience to get stuff done. (Not to mention, I am a very, very
slow person--ask any of my professors, lol! :lol: )
Trying out different things and learning Ren'py and Python programming. =)

clannadman

Re: Dropped Projects

#52 Post by clannadman »

Wright1000 wrote:
clannadman wrote:I think part of the problem is people get really excited about the idea that they can build a game simply and for free. Newcomers begin extremely enthusiastically but eventually realize there's a lot that can get you slogged down. I think it requires more than just passion and determination - I think you need to be able to work to a deadline and do the job whether you like it or not. Otherwise, you just end up with half completed projects.
Was that a sarcasm? If it was, I would like to tell you that Lonesome was not a half-complete project when I released it by mistake for the first time. Only the coloring of two sprites was not properly done. So, you should think twice before you pass a sarcasm.
That wasn't directed at anybody - I wasn't even aware of your project. I'm just adding some more reasons. It's very difficult to communicate sarcasm through text on a screen so I generally don't do it. (And there was little need to PM me)

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Re: Dropped Projects

#53 Post by Kei »

Wright1000 wrote:In my opinion, one main reason why most projects are not completed is because of lack of dedication.
Whatever people do, they should do it with dedication.
I also agree with this statement wholeheartedly 100%. If one has the drive, passion & determination, (and also the time), projects can be completed, rather than leaving it uncompleted. Granted it wouldn't be an easy task, but if one is willing to do whatever it takes, why not? But, like many said, I also agree that time plays a major role here. We cannot control what may happen in the future.

Personally for me... the problem is getting people in the future I think. (I'm mainly a new writer for now, so drawing is a definite no-no for me.)

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Re: Dropped Projects

#54 Post by Sapphi »

Wright1000 wrote:In my opinion, one main reason why most projects are not completed is because of lack of dedication.
Whatever people do, they should do it with dedication.
Furthering this excellent thought, I think that one of the main reasons people lack that dedication is because they don't have something concrete to dedicate themselves to. You have to let your stories swirl around in your head so you can separate the good ideas from the not-so-good, you have to really think about cause and effect in terms of plot, you have to know your characters, you have to understand their motivations, you have to fill in plot holes, etc, etc. All these things don't happen overnight (if they do, please PM me and counsel me because you are a genius :lol:). You gotta make sure something is 100% worth your efforts, or you'll get burned out. The best way to do that is to take your time and know what story you want to tell before you start trying to tell it.
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Re: Dropped Projects

#55 Post by Lumen_Astrum »

Dedication is something I lack into... :(
Maybe people lose dedication in their projects due to lack of response..
Yes, like u have this awesome idea and then you posted it and when u checked it like few days later nobody replied. You keep on updating, still nobody replied! Isn't that discouraging?

I was like ten years old when I got myself into game making. I was still stupid at that time, I admit, because the ideas in my head were overflowing like crazy and yet I don't have the dedication to map every single are in the game and event it and make random enemies pop out of nowhere lol. I was more into the storyline and less into the game itself.
And then, when I finally have the dedication I need to make it, PC suddenly crashed and deleted all my progress.
So the one that caused it to be dropped is lack of dedication and personal (and technology) issues. (/laughs at self)

Yet the game idea I had at that time was real interesting for me now (I just have to edit senseless scenes lol), and maybe after I go over the endless dump of schoolwork and other game jobs I'd work on it XD

Sometimes this "dedication" thing appears inside me when I don't need it. XD

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Re: Dropped Projects

#56 Post by Wright1000 »

Lumen_Astrum wrote:Dedication is something I lack into... :(
Maybe people lose dedication in their projects due to lack of response..
Yes, like u have this awesome idea and then you posted it and when u checked it like few days later nobody replied. You keep on updating, still nobody replied! Isn't that discouraging?
I think that is wrong. Even if people say bad things about your project, even if you do not receive any comments, you should not get discouraged. Who hasn't heard of J.K. Rowling, the writer of the Harry Potter series? Her stories were rejected. She was called bad names. But still she continued to write and today she is one of the richest women in the world.

Another example is the great Nobel Prize Winner George Bernard Shaw. His novels were rejected at first, but later all were published and he won both an Oscar and a Nobel Prize. He is now famous all over the world.
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Re: Dropped Projects

#57 Post by Auro-Cyanide »

Dedication, while important, can only get you so far. There are only 24 hours in a day no matter what you do. As most of us do this stuff as a hobby, almost everything else in your lives is going to trump it. My job, family, friends and well-being all come before vns and that is just the way it has to be (though the last two do get abused a bit. But I can only turn down so many invitations before I make someone angry).

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Re: Dropped Projects

#58 Post by SilverxBlue »

Auro-Cyanide wrote:Dedication, while important, can only get you so far. There are only 24 hours in a day no matter what you do. As most of us do this stuff as a hobby, almost everything else in your lives is going to trump it. My job, family, friends and well-being all come before vns and that is just the way it has to be (though the last two do get abused a bit. But I can only turn down so many invitations before I make someone angry).
You took the words right out of my... er... nevermind.
Seriously though, If ever I start to live alone, I could probably give more time for my projects (No more brothers hogging the computer all day, No more babysitting/tutoring annoying and notorious nephews that never listen to you , no more stepmothers who'll restrict almost everything you do and ask you to do every chore she could throw on you.)
I haven't entered college yet and I don't have enough time to complete my projects mostly because of my family. (What would happen to me if I start attending college?) T_T
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Re: Dropped Projects

#59 Post by Aleema »

SilverxBlue wrote:I haven't entered college yet and I don't have enough time to complete my projects mostly because of my family. (What would happen to me if I start attending college?) T_T
I found I had a ton of more time, actually. I worked 20 hours a week, full-time college student, and I still had way more time than I ever did at home and a regular 7am-3pm school day.

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Re: Dropped Projects

#60 Post by SilverxBlue »

Aleema wrote: I found I had a ton of more time, actually. I worked 20 hours a week, full-time college student, and I still had way more time than I ever did at home and a regular 7am-3pm school day.
Now, all I really have to do is to get away from my family. They really are the ones who are eating up most of my freedom free time.
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