Time Management

[wyverngem]

I'm soloing a production of a short sim game. I'd say sim, but it's not in-depth like Princess Maker. The more I look at the project the more I feel kind of overwhelmed, maybe there's a better way to go about this?

The story is outline and what I want the game to be is outlined in my head. Have you ever felt like you've spent a significant amount of hours working on your own projects and feel like it's not getting anywhere?

I think it's time to write it down and actually work on something with more game play and story. I've been absorbed in making screens and coding task. Maybe I just need a better time management or more firm outline. Right now I'm at a loss, I think it's time for a break.

[Sapphi]

Have you ever felt like you've spent a significant amount of hours working on your own projects and feel like it's not getting anywhere?

Yes, when I work without an outline. My native thoughts have the structure of a jellyfish. Have you ever watched rain on a car window? Once the drops create channels, all the new raindrops follow the channels. My brain is full of diverted channels. Once I hit an idea that poses a problem, instead of being able to think through the problem, my thoughts are diverted away from the problem. Like rainwater, they take the easiest path.

I see that you already have an outline for your story, which is definitely good. From personal experience, I would definitely suggest writing all your ideas down. Number one, unless you are some kind of government spy, don't trust your brain alone to keep all this information. You could hit your head and lose it all. Number two, if you're a kinesthetic learner (meaning, you learn best by doing vs. watching or hearing), writing should be good for your mental process. The act of writing things down helps them become more solid in my mind so that I can focus more energy on the problems I haven't solved yet.

I also think you should hold off on coding/screens as much as you can until your core story and game mechanics are finished and implemented. Custom styles and menus are a fun diversion from the creative work, but when icing a cake, it's best to actually have a cake to ice first, or you'll just make a mess.

Good luck with your efforts... I know how it feels to be overwhelmed by your own projects and it is not fun.

[Auro-Cyanide]

Deadlines. Break up everything you have to do into groups eg. planning, writing, designing, coding etc. Then break those groups down into tasks, and even sub tasks if you have. Make plenty of lists so you have a good grasp of what you are doing and so the project doesn't get away from you (the lists can be traditional or digital, I use both). Then set deadlines for the tasks. Sometimes you can only set hard deadlines for the things you can immediately do, but that's okay. The point is to have an idea of where you are going and when you expect to arrive there. Without deadlines and lists it can be very easy to put stuff off and lose track of time. Being able to cross things off and meet deadlines also gives you are very good sense of achievement which can help keep you motivated because you feel like you are doing something.

[erinism]

I'm pretty bad at time management myself, but I find the worst thing I can do is take a break because I'll never go back and finish anything. For me I just try to do a little a day- when I'm feeling full of energy I write huge brainstorms and draw crazy sketches (just anything that comes to mind regardless of how useful it'll actually be) and then, on days when i'm feeling 'meh' I can go though my notes and make decisions about what I want to keep.

I find that when you're in a kind of 'blah' mood you make better practical decisions (eg. 'this will work' or 'this is rubbish') and when you're in a creative mood you shouldn't worry about what will/won't work and what is/isn't crazy and stupid.

So, just try a little every day and you'll get through slumps - And things are much easier to see on paper then in your mind, so write down everything.

...

I hope that helps, even if it sounded a little manic...

[TrickWithAKnife]

Ahh, Time Management - my oldest, most fearsome foe.

Motivation has never really been an issue, but I work slow.

I tend to code as I'm writing, partly so I can keep track of what I want to happen. But that's mostly with menu choices and such.
Also all the Japanese will be written in 3 different ways - romaji, hiragana+katakana, and kanji, so I'm using if statements like they are going out of fashion. This uses up more time too.

Until I can figure out the ideal way to have background images in the game, I'm wasting more time than I'd care to admit to in photoshop just for temporary backgrounds.

[wyverngem]

It's a lot of good advice. I like the analogue of a brain like a Jellyfish. Also writing things down and focusing on your strong points. I can see how daunting it can be if you're not the best at drawing backgrounds and you spend hours on a temporary one that won't fit the project later.

My habits tend to wake up with a "today" I want to finish so and so's character sprite, "today" I'm going to write down all the activities you can do and make their sprites for the menu, or I'm making the menu "today". I think it's a start to write down all my "todays" and reorganize them.

The only thing I don't understand is working with deadlines. How do you predict a resonable deadline? I mean if you were to try it out.

[Auro-Cyanide]

The only thing I don't understand is working with deadlines. How do you predict a resonable deadline? I mean if you were to try it out.

To set hard deadlines for yourself you have to have a very good idea of how long it takes you to do something. If you aren't entirely sure, give yourself some soft deadlines to test out what you can do. Something like 'I'll write 1000 words by this date' or 'I'll finish a sprite in a week'. Time challenges like Nanoreno are EXCELLENT ways to not only learn how to make a game, but also learn about yourself and how you do things. I was midly shocked about how much I could actually get done when I tried and it gave me a better understanding of what I was capable of. Of course you want to create your deadlines in a way that does allow you time for life and free time, otherwise you will burn out.

Once you have an okay idea of how much time it takes you to do things in general, you can start setting deadlines for other things. These are only for yourself and are just meant as a guide to keep you on track and focused. You can create as many deadlines as you feel like you need. I have overarching deadlines, like doing the backgrounds in a month, editing the sprites in a month, CGs in two months etc. I then usually have mini deadlines for individual pieces, like getting 2 sprites done over the weekend. These are usually flexible because real life does mean things pop up on you, but with the overarching deadlines, I can still stay focused on where I am heading.

Everyone will have a different way for what they feel comfortable with, but the main point is to create milestones that you can aim for, achieve and cross off. It really keeps me motivated because I can see the progress written done and I don't get as stressed because I know where I am heading

[Obscura]

The only thing I don't understand is working with deadlines. How do you predict a resonable deadline? I mean if you were to try it out.

This is my own example. I soloed my first RenPy game. Art, coding, writing & music were done by me (though GUI, logo, menus and a couple of other things were done by Nuxill.) And it took me just shy of 5 months of making the game: 25,000 words, around 50+ menus, 1 CG, 6 sprites, 9 soundtracks.

I worked on it probably an average of 3-4 hours a day. Every single day. I only had 3 days where I didn't work on the game at all because I was out of town.

It was my first project, I had to learn how to do digital art, how to color, how to use RenPy and how to use Garage Band for the music etc. etc.

For me, personally, writing is the toughest thing to do and it takes forever. I write and edit about 500 words a day, 1000 if I'm lucky.

I made a complete guess that I'd be done with the game sometime in July, optimistically by the 1st. I ended up releasing it 3 weeks past the deadline.

I just kind of guesstimated how long it would take me, maybe a month of writing, two months for art, one month for polishing and music. (All of these tasks ended up overlapping each other.) Your own guesstimate will probably be wrong, but you've got to start somewhere. So just take a stab at it and pick a nice, solid deadline for yourself. Even if it ends up being wrong, it's a great way to motivate yourself.

[Dim Sum]

"Non-soft" deadline templates that don't need very good idea of how long it takes (in case that's what poster wants)

P.S. Failed to keep a deadline when making VN so not saying these work. Just helping make thread rolling.

How much time do you have today?

Forget web service but basically there's a bar that you can move around that filters through tasks.

Down side: Have to put "Estimated Time" at Task Entry even when you don't know it.

Do worst thing first and time it:

Same principle as wake up and immediately do the task you want. Like if making VN: wake up, open image editor, draw one line of hair. Does not matter how much.

Important part is get rid of "bottleneck" or thing you hate most to do.

Downside: Might have job, might get cranky, might be more of a muse type VN maker.

Timeboxing

Concept is you enter timer (usually immediately set to play in timeboxing software) and you do task.

You pause when you break.

You return and make sure to exceed or meet up same amount of time as previous work entered.

Downside: Rigid schedule

Random tl;dr Google search: http://bytebaker.com/2011/04/15/combini ... technique/

Teux Deux/Auto Focus/Do It Tomorrow

Write list of outline/tasks on paper. Cross out. Move undone tasks to next page.

Teux Deux website does it automatically but space for words too little..

Downside: No date. Deadline set by pages consumed daily.

Punchcard software:

Win donationware: http://appsapps.info/anotheronedone.php

Web: http://rootein.com/

Downside: No Date, No feedback, just click.

Kanban

http://www.mhwilleke.com/managing-deadlines-in-kanban

Downside: Agile method based. tl;dr (includes how to schedule week, day, year if you just want to skim)

Quick preview: Design your Day - http://gettingresults.com/wiki/Chapter_ ... n_Your_Day

Planting

Web: https://www.mindbloom.com/

(Click Get Started for tutorial)

Polyphasic/Power Nap

Set time for optimal rest period and food. Ignore task. Wake up. Schedule work.

Downside: Fit person needed. Rigid sleep schedule. Understanding of good sleep "feel".

Many others. Lotsa soft. Some hard.

Principle always the same for hard:

Quantifiable Numerically: Timers, logs, countdowns
Chunk based: Mood, Focus, Desperation, Highlight Single Task, Self-e-mail progress
Virtual Fuel-like: Checkbox, Outlines, Waterfall, Daily/Hourly Check-up

Edit:

Forgot. If you do tonal shading exercise on pencil, you can use this to cheat: (it blog for expensive software but article can be done on any drawing surface)

http://www.goalscape.com/blog/why-visua ... arcus-baur

[Miyuki]

I personally have to make outlines when I work. I'm pretty good at mapping things out in my head, but when it comes to actually getting it done, without an outline I don't get anywhere.

I think that Auro-Cyanide's idea of a soft deadline is a good one. It's a way of gauging about how much work you can get done within a specific amount of time. Just be careful about not being too soft. You're working on your own. It's okay if you don't make the deadlines you set. But without them it can be hard to get anything done, and you need to hold yourself at least party accountable for the deadlines you choose.

In preparation for that a detailed outline can be indispensable. I know that you already have an outline, but I have no idea how detailed it is. If you're worried that your time will be filled with trying to figure out how you want to write everything or that what you've written doesn't properly describe what you want to write it might be worthwhile to dedicate your first deadline to the planning process.

I would like to warn you though about the trap of spending too much time preparing. Sometimes it can work out, like your outline wound up so detailed that you're already almost finished, and sometimes it's just a sign of putting off getting it done and you're just procrastinating in what looks like a productive manner.

Each person has a different process, but the outlining and deadline process works well for me and it looks like it works relatively well for others too. Good luck with figuring out what works best for you.

Also, I think it's okay to take a break. Sometimes you're working and working and you just get tired of your project. Just make sure that you don't give up on it completely. Don't let a break become a permanent vacation unless you're okay with that.

[MusicaFate]

I know this isn't my thread or anything and alot of your ideas have helped me, but it's really hard to stick with a solid schedule. No matter how hard I try to stick to a schedule, I end up spending more or less time on a task. Also, unexpected events pop up. Do you guys have any advice on focusing and sticking to one project?

[Auro-Cyanide]

I know this isn't my thread or anything and alot of your ideas have helped me, but it's really hard to stick with a solid schedule. No matter how hard I try to stick to a schedule, I end up spending more or less time on a task. Also, unexpected events pop up. Do you guys have any advice on focusing and sticking to one project?

You can't. Seriously, life won't let you. Things are always going to come up and that's okay. You should always live your life first and foremost and you WILL have greater responsibilities. Deadlines and Time schedules aren't meant to always be set in stone, and there main benefit isn't from that anyway. The two main reasons you should have deadlines, even if you can't follow through on them, are:

1. It keeps you motivated and working. As I mentioned before, being able to tick things off a list can do wonders for your motivation. It makes sure you can keep a grip on what you have to do so you don't feel overwhelmed. Basically it gives you goals and your mind will always work better when you have something to focus on.

2. For anyone who suffers from perfectionism and feel like they can't move on without having eveything be perfect, a deadline can act as your personal permision to let it go. Once you reach that deadline, you can say it's done and move on to the next thing. You have to be strict with yourself but I have found having a deadline and a list of tasks helps me to say to myself 'Enough is done now. I have other things to do. I can do better next time'. Because if you are chasing after perfection, you will never get anything done. You get just as much practice done completing things with the added bonus of actually producing work (that you can feedback on and improve faster ).

[Sharm]

Ways to keep motivated 'till the end? Have goals for you, like scenes you want to write or fun code you'd like to see executed and space those out between the hard parts that you don't like doing as much. Have a list of reasons why you wanted to do this project in the first place. Make it a goal to seek out new reasons to love your project. Request critique when you're feeling proud and show off when you're feeling defeated, but never let on either emotion to whomever you're showing your work to. Find someone who wants to see it finished more than you do. Talk about your project. Mix up your task list so you're never in a situation where you have to do the same thing every day to finish. Set a timer for 15 minutes and do it anyway, then compare how much you've done to where you were. Remember, if it were easy to do, it wouldn't be worth it in the end.

[Destiny]

It's kinda funny that one suggest deadlines here :'D
I NEVER use them.
Deadlines are one of the main reasons to get me unmotivated, simply, because I get more and more frustrated when I'm not able to reach them.
I have my goals and I always work at least an hour a day on my project (more if I like to) and I have my goals about what I want to finish next (without deadline).
And I get it done since I work steadily.

Of course I have a fixed plan about what to do when in which order.
Otherwise I would risk jumping around and getting nowhere.

Another thing is to test out :3
When you have scripted a scene or finished a cg/background/sprite, just put them in the game and look at it.
I deeply enjoy seeing my work, even when it is unfinished in general (for example I like playing my game at the moment even though there are no backgrounds and there are only 17 cgs from 81 finished), it keeps me motivated to see the game becoming more beautiful and complex with everytime I do that

[Dim Sum]

I know this isn't my thread or anything and alot of your ideas have helped me, but it's really hard to stick with a solid schedule. No matter how hard I try to stick to a schedule, I end up spending more or less time on a task. Also, unexpected events pop up. Do you guys have any advice on focusing and sticking to one project?

Same story as before. Advise being given does not help me but a couple of anecdotes:

-Great trainers and great athletes don't do "solid" schedules. They do "passionate" schedules which they define as schedules in which they can do solid work. Not as subtle as it sounds.

Solid schedules = amount of time you can work on
Passionate schedules = knowing amount of time when you are actually working and limiting scheduling options based on those

-Great athletes compensate from failed schedules for practice. In Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin for ex., author uses a concept of circles and break compensation.

Circles work kinda like graphical editor layer. It is as if artist is banned from creating that one layer where they can draw. Mediocre talents would wait for that layer to open up and maybe work on different project first. Great talents would work on perfecting line art in anticipation of that layer opening up so instead of dead line it's kinda like christmas line (assuming fav holiday is christmas)

Don't remember exact concept but it's like signal strength graphical identifier like how strong a wireless connection is when detecting for wireless networks.

It's kinda like...there's christmas time but if athlete is injured or recently lost he goes through suicide watch time but he shouldn't.

...therefore: great athletes changes game by treating it signals. If signal is weak, work on acquiring speedier internet speed when signal becomes strong there upon having stronger and faster internet once signal goes back to strong but at same time, if you have task, you work with idea that signal is low rather than signal is broken so suicide watch becomes watching tapes or doing low signal stuff like injuries becomes training safely and smartly time/researching smart training that unlocks that & sports psychology stuff for when impatience kicks in.

Break compensation has two variants:

-There's system like paid product Wake Up Productive only much simpler which involves asking yourself what your mood is right now after waking up and attacking from that mood. Like if you're mad, draw something that conveys mad. Only don't draw mad scenes. Draw something that you want to draw when you feel mad.

Art of Learning book has anecdote on how one great chess player picks his daily style based on that mood.

-Then there's sleep schedule which is scheduling sleep time in preparation for work time instead of scheduling work time. First reason is commonplace now in creativity theory/blog sites. Sometimes you have to relax the mind to unlock flow/inspiration.

2nd reason is more important for athletes which is basically going through highs and crashes but doing better afterwards kinda like going through hang over when waking up and doing even better.

Concept is kinda like figuring when you're Last Supper is only Judas won't betray you. I.E. when you could actually go to sleep.

Afterwards: Wake up + immediately do task you scheduled for. Can be done by shortening sleep schedule. Can be done by leaving placemarks when taking short nap and hitting sudden inspiration. Some do meditations. Some do showers.

Most athletes of this variation are mostly weight cutters cause weight cutting is extreme discipline and right after or before a fight, you've got to do something. P.S. Know nothing about weight cutting but it's common anecdote for them: Awesome binge night after weigh-ins, next day wake up and make sure focused for entire day before actual fight or just wake up late but still focused for fight time. Fighting injured counts as double.

-Then there's worst mode:

Worst mode is basically principle of quantity over quality whenever you get to touch your "tools".

It's kinda like marking your art but for really bad VN makers like me, it's not about line art since I don't do line art for my art and is more like in-between drawing and getting frustrated, I remember I'm intending to make really bad VN not just I'm making really bad VN and I just let my fingers move and continue drawing over what I'm drawing/writing over what I'm writing and sometimes I write and draw beyond crappy and I wonder wtf is my drawing coloring/drawing at all and have to restart but more often than not I find way to include it in VN but this is only cause I'm making bad VN.

It's like giving yourself the right and confidence to not care if you're drawing suck or good or you have to deal with what if you have to restart/delayed. Just draw/write and do Fashion Reality TV quote: "Make it work".

Often times, it's not really the "mode" that kicks in but it makes me forget about my deadline while still knowing I have a deadline and I found out I did a lot more work done beyond what my own head is saying I've been doing for past couple of hand on stylus time before being sharply interrupted again.

Finally there's friends type of concepts but I don't have any friends. The most friendly VN/friend thing I got both real life and online is through a PM in Lemmasoft and that worked cause it's random so it felt authentic when I received it and it worked my body for a while but I don't think as standard I would really have started VN if it was stock pm.

I also go through the crazies. Sometimes I get so interrupted and I know my delay is legit but in my head I hear like imaginary posters saying all I just do is sleep or I should have moved to paper and learn how to work scanner or I shouldn't have wasted time reading/research web sites and just kept on writing and when deadlines chokes me, I have to type in software to-do list and act like it's an instant messenger, 1-on-1 chat and add tasks that are convos. Other times I go on LSF active topics refreshing spree for new topics/reply (like right now)/and mentally belittle myself for doing so when I don't have resume to talk like this subject. I also talk in showers. Pace around in rooms vocally telling myself "You're not making the best VN you can make and then next sentence saying you're not making the worst VN you can make" and basically alls crazy shit just to live with reality that I suck and am not going through perfectionist mindset and then picking up stylus and then create random lines and then create new file and only then starting to draw.

It's not tip though cause I don't worry about coding since idk how but it's only way I can live with making VN: Do the crazies-pick up stylus-get interrupted-repress hatred for all that exists-sleep/crash-wake up-do the crazies-pick up stylus-ad infinitum.