Writing, Art, Or Coding...What Do You Find the Hardest?

[Roiya]

hmm just about every except for doing art scares me in making a vn. i would totally make my own vn but the programming, the writing, coding, music and editing...ugh...but i definitely can do the sprites,cg and bg well. maybe i can do some writing though because as a bookworm i read many many fiction books and it helps a little.

[Yakkety]

I see that many people here find that writing is the hardest, that's understandable since writing is some sort of a passion you should be learning from a young age, coding for example is something you can learn whenever you want to, you just need the capacity of understanding codes... Drawing art can be difficult too at times, you need to be very creative and intuitive to draw something good...

But for me, coding is the hardest, I am a self-proclaimed writer, I always find ways of inspiration, and drawing art isnt such a big deal, just time consuming if you want a piece of art to be perfect...

Making music and sound-effects/soundtracks is easy for me...

[Cake]

Eeesh, what a question....

It really depends, IMO. I feel like Ren'py helps making coding python a lot easier, so in the case of creating VN's I would say that the Art is the hardest with Writing being in the middle. The artwork of anything creates the first impression, so it's always good to try to create impressive artwork for your game. However, I personally know that it can be a HUGE timesink to create an impressive background, interface, and character sprites.

In cases outside of Ren'py, I would totally say coding. I have experience programming in Java, and I am all too aware of how much mind-bashing ensues when your code doesn't compile, or you shamefully catch bad exceptions. There have been too many sleepless nights trying to get my programs to work. ;'(

[Cidz]

I'm torn between writing and coding (im not even going to attempt art ill leave that up to the people dedicated enough to stick with art haha!)

but if i had to choose i would say coding. I feel like i cant even grasp the simplest things! i'll tear my hair out spending the whole day trying to figure out what is possibly wrong with my coding. I look at renpy site and wiki and things i want to do and it completely baffles me. I wonder if i can even make a game with my lack of coding experience.

At least with writing, although hard because im inexperienced and have horrible grammar i feel like i can grasp a better understanding. at least when i read up tips and tricks on improving writing i understand it. i just look at coding and im like @_____@ what is this i dont even.

but maybe ill understand coding eventually, i just need to start out simple and work my way up i think?

[GeneDNC]

Mmm interesting question. Art is a non-issue for me, so I'll just consider writing vs. coding.

Coding can definitely be more frustrating, but I generally love figuring it out and do happy-dances when I get something right. So the feeling of accomplishment usually cancels out the frustration. That said, I don't know anything about programming outside of Ren'Py, so obviously my experience is biased.

I think I'm a fairly decent writer, but sometime my motivation for that is harder to muster than for coding and I think it can be harder to get a piece just right. The editing and rewriting aspect also makes it more of an effort. I also usually write by the seat of my pants, so if I can't figure out the next part it gets frustrating.
So I think writing edges out a bit ahead of coding for me, but it's nothing if not an ever-changing, ever-learning situation anyway.

[kaleidofish]

It's not in the topic name, but I have to talk about music. It's one thing when I'm playing guitar or bass for myself. It's a whole 'nother thing when I'm composing a fully arranged piece with all sorts of instruments. I don't even know where to start when it comes to music composition. At least with art, I see some sort of pathway to getting better (keep on drawing), but music? I barely know where to start when it comes to combining instruments together and making them all sound good.

I'm still recovering from doing the art for my Nano project, so, yeah. I find art extremely difficult. I don't have the time nor patience to dedicate myself to becoming a decent artist. So, I put music and art together as being the hardest for me. Even though coding gives me a headache sometimes, GeneDNC said it better than I can - "the feeling of accomplishment usually cancels out the frustration."

Writing can be hard sometimes, but it's definitely the easiest for me out of those four. It's also one of the things I love doing the most in life. :)

[hiko27]

I think it actually depends. Like if you're good at writing, then you'll be best when you're making and writing down the story, while if you're an artist, then you'll obviously be better at art.

But on a personal note, for me, it's probably coding. I mean, I could code and all but it just gets frustrating and annoying. That's why I look up to coders out there. YOU GUYS ROCK. And maybe coz I'm an artist and writer and have been for years so I never really have a problem with writing and art. But art is the easiest for me because I'm an artist and I draw from time to time when I have the time or when I'm bored in class LOL

[wakagana]

It certainly depends on what you prefer doing. I love writing and it is natural to me, but I am so self-concious of any art I do I just automatically say it sucks.

So in my case I'd say Art is the worst to deal with, which Is why I've got a friend of mine helping me out with the VN i'm working on, although I hope its not to much work for them... >.<

from least hard to most

Writing > scripting/coding > Music > Art > PROOF READING. HUEEEEE

[Pyonkotchi]

I think its writing. because im a biased artist and i know how to draw. Coding is difficult but its just so much easier for me to learn how to program than it is for me to look up how to write my head-thoughts
without getting mad and changing everything slkd;jdf

i mean. i've rewritten parts of this very post like, a gazillion times
its just a post but i cant aslkjd;asd

also its not always the thing you can do best that's the easiest. sometimes i think art is so hair-tearing annoying i can't even ;___;

[Joey]

Writing, definitely... I don't do art so I wouldn't know, but coding is kind of like Math -- with a little trial and error you can get the right answer where everything you want just falls into place, even if you go it the long way around. But writing, oh man, I keep getting sucked into the vortex where it's like one step forwards, two steps back because every time I look back at what I worked on the day before, I get annoyed and pissed and delete everything because it sounds stupid :X Then I try to work around the block by changing the plot and... things get very, very messy and frustrating.

Coding is difficult but its just so much easier for me to learn how to program than it is for me to look up how to write my head-thoughts
without getting mad and changing everything slkd;jdf

i mean. i've rewritten parts of this very post like, a gazillion times
its just a post but i cant aslkjd;asd

Mte ;_;

[Colby Alighieri]

Writing is ALWAYS the hardest for me and it was further supported by the fact that I always get an F in Writing for Animation class. In my opinion about visual novels, the writing's the most important-- It's that factor that will get your audience to continue reading the story you want to tell! (Urgh... I have re-written 'The Last Order' plot for 10+ times last year and I still don't like it...)

Coding and Art comes in easy for me since I could find my way around to reshape anything for my own convenience (a.k.a. to indulge in my laziness... XD). I draw a lot-- but none of it gets into the VN.

[SelLi]

Coding's the hardest because it isn't nearly as fun as all the others!

[mapletaffy]

Uhm. . .Writing is the hardest part for me. Sometimes, I don't feel I can write something so I procrastinate and wait until I can write whats next...and I'm not a writer by nature so. . yeah. . I always had a hard time.

[Lumen_Astrum]

You know guys, one reason why my first few works are KNs because I can't branch for god's sake. Just imagine how many pieces of paper I had spent on writing the branching thingie for TSE when I was working on it before and see how my efforts are wasted because I can't use it in the end. XD

So yeah, coding. Writing's okay for me.
Art... I actually enjoy it.
Coding? Go get a rock and smash my head a bit.

[Reikun]

Coding :/ It breaks my brain.

This is me too ;____;