Playing Games vs. Making Games

[Aleema]

I usually enjoy playing video games for excessive amounts of time, but recently, since beginning game-making, I find that it is difficult to play games as much. It's even difficult to read a book (since Ren'Py is a narrative experience), because I know that I can be writing my own book, or making my own game, instead.

As much as I want to support my fellow game makers, I find it near impossible to play other Ren'Py games. =\ I'm not sure why. I have the overwhelming urge to stop and return to making my own. Maybe it's a competitive thing?

I think it is more rewarding to make a game than to play it, but it seems I just can't be satisfied by just playing games anymore.

I wanted to know if this phenomenon was happening to anyone else since starting to make their own games?

[draringi]

I kinda know what you mean. I've always had trouble reading/watching anime/playing VNs as every 10 mins or so my imagination would go off on a tangent, and since i've started making my own VN, i've always wanted to get back to it. however, reading other materials helps give you a wider experience, which helps you make a better VN
... I guess...

[PrettySammy09]

Oh wow, I'd say it's kind of the exact opposite for me. Even though I'm in progress making my own games, I love seeing what my peers here at the forums come up with. Granted, nowadays, I download less than I used to. (Back in the day I'd download and play every project - nowadays I only really download what catches my eye or interest.) Then again, a lot of the projects that come out often are like ten minute kinetic novels, which, as awesome as they are, don't interest me much.

However, when someone puts out something incredible that they put a lot of work into, I get so excited to play it. It sorta inspires me to make my own just as amazing, y'know?

I mean, I love writing and I've written my own novel. But that doesn't mean I don't love reading anymore. I guess, for me, reading someone else's work or playing someone elses' game is an entirely different experience than making my own.

[draringi]

I love reading, but my problem is that i can't last 10 mins without my imagination creating a possible ending to the story... it makes me want to go write something of my own when i do.

[Aleema]

You're so cool, Sammy. Maybe I'm just secretly evil?

I love a good read, but, like draringi, I find I'm often inspired to just get up and go write myself.

And then I realize that some of the authors I read are not as godly as I originally though. Growing up on Harry Potter, it took me until the 6th and 7th book to realize that she's just not that good of a writer as I had once thought. And Stephenie Meyer (Twilight) just makes me plain laugh. Not that I think that I am a better author than them, writing just puts it into a perspective that becomes less enjoyable. I can't read even the best sellers without pictures the author sitting at their computer. It all feels too orchestrated to me now.

Maybe I'll get over it, and this is just a phase. Hopefully! There's some great games coming out soon.

[draringi]

lol, i realised by book 5 that JK Rowling wasn't that good a writer, though i read the last 2 books anyway.
the only reason i read twilight was because it had vampires, didn't find it that good as far as vampire stories go though.
and on the topic of new games coming out, i agree...

[this_barb]

I'm not sure why, but I think part of the reason is that I know if I find an idea I like, I can't do it anymore because it's already been done.

Just saying, plot devices exist because they've already been done before. There is nothing wrong in using what other authors or artists have done before you.

[Voight-Kampff]

I'm not sure why, but I think part of the reason is that I know if I find an idea I like, I can't do it anymore because it's already been done.

Just saying, plot devices exist because they've already been done before. There is nothing wrong in using what other authors or artists have done before you.

Heh.

I understand what you mean, Aleema. But this_barb is right. Just because something has already been done doesn't mean it should stop you from doing it.

I don't mean to sound facetious at all when I say this but: everything has already been done. At least, that's the conclusion that I've come to. As far as I'm concerned, everything comes down to details and execution.

Perhaps think of it in terms of art - just because two artists draw the same subject doesn't mean you're going to end up with two identical drawings.

[Aleema]

I understand this with all the books I've read and all the movies I've watched -- it's just the same thing over and over.
In class, I was introduced to the only seven plots that have ever existed. Kinda blew my mind. =P

I suppose it comes down to a personal moral level for me. I make games that I want to play, because they aren't made yet. If I find a game that is similar to what I am making, it renders my project meaningless by that justification. Or maybe it's jealousy. xD

I just want to know if I'm weird for feeling this way, or anyone else is kind of like me.

[MaiMai]

Dunno, it just sounds like there's very few things you enjoy if you put it that way. No offense. That really just sounds like your way of thinking.

You can't expect your creations to be completely original-- no doubt there's an idea that hasn't been used yet doubtful as it seems. And I like reading other people's stories because they all have their own flavor to them. Granted I'm very picky myself, but it doesn't mean I won't do it

[Aleema]

Aww, c'mon ... that's not fair. Don't start assuming stuff about me because of my silly topic post. ;_;

Let me be more clear: I'm not saying that I don't like reading or playing games anymore. I just have a huge attention deficit now. I can't do the them for long periods of time after a novelty wears off. I enjoy being productive -- making things is what makes me happy, it seems.

And I don't expect my games to be even original in the least -- which is why I might be subconsciously avoiding the truth in this manner. As I said before, I suspect that's only part of the reason.

[Voight-Kampff]

Well at one point, I definitely had thoughts similar to yours. But in my case, they were based around a false assumption - that I could avoid the issue by simply not consuming media. But as I mentioned previously, I now feel quite strongly that there's no story that hasn't already been done.

Consequently, it behooves me to seek out and consume as much media as I can. Why? So I can see how other authors go about telling their stories. Learn what tricks worked and what concepts didn't. Any time I watch, read or play something, I'm constantly evaluating it - imagining how I'd change things, or sometimes, being surprised at how to do something else.

And besides, the point I was trying to get across earlier was that even if you find a story in some form that's already been done and it seems similar to what you're producing, it should be irrelevant. Your life experiences and perspective are undoubtedly different from said author. What you're working on will certainly end up differently.

And if you know about a similar work ahead of time, at least you have the option to purposefully reroute yours to avoid similarities - if you so wish.

[PrettySammy09]

I think writing and reading are two vastly different experiences, even though, strangely enough, they're related to the same mediums. For instance, I am not a very huge pleasure reader. I don't read a lot of books (then again, recently I've been so busy reading for college I haven't had TIME for pleasure-reading). But I continue to write a lot.

So yeah, I firmly believe that one can enjoy writing but not necessarily reading. I think it's rare, because often times people who take up writing do it because they love reading and want to imitate it. :/

As for J.K Rowling... ;___; I love Harry Potter! Sure, she's not Hemmingway, but who is? I think that a lot of commercially published books have about the same writing level as dear J.K. but her plot and characters are so much more intricate and fun.

[Aleema]

As for J.K Rowling... ;___; I love Harry Potter! Sure, she's not Hemmingway, but who is? I think that a lot of commercially published books have about the same writing level as dear J.K. but her plot and characters are so much more intricate and fun.

Oh, I read all of her books and enjoyed them, that's for sure. I caught an airplane home just to watch the midnight premiere of the last HP movie. Don't get me wrong: I love the series.

I was just surprised by how human she is. There are several things I could point out from the last book alone that makes me go, "Really? Really?" But I have to account some of this to be from the overwhelming pressure put on her shoulders to make the best book evar. I admit, she really did hook me when I was kid, because I was never that much into reading. Heck, I pretended to read the first book because my friends wouldn't shut up until I did. So I eventually actually read the second book -- was blown away -- and read the first.

I think there was just a point in growing up when we stop accepting everything handed to us as "this is how it is" like it was scripture. You realize that the author who wrote that book was a kid just like you once.

@Voight-Kampff: You know, I suppose I'm more inspired by the games and the books I read now than turned-off. I guess I didn't really understand why I was so quick to put something down. It really is more "I wanna play, too!" than anything else.

[F.I.A]

As time goes by, we will find that our free time will start to lessen(From school to college then work). Soon, it is hard to allocate time into everything( Watching anime, playing games, socializing and well, working on your own games). I've pretty much dumped RPGs out of my game diet and followed only a single tv series to enable me to devote on game-making for instance, because, let's face it, game-making is a time consuming hobby. I also have a habit of playing games during tea break.

As much as I want to support my fellow game makers, I find it near impossible to play other Ren'Py games. =\ I'm not sure why, but I think part of the reason is that I know if I find an idea I like, I can't do it anymore because it's already been done.

Every makers strives for originality, so that is understandable. But keep in mind that if you had an idea that shares similarity with another, it is inevitable that both would be compared.

But the more driving reason I can't play other Ren'Py games is because I have the overwhelming urge to stop and return to making my own. Maybe it's a competitive thing?

I think it is more rewarding to make a game than to play it, but it seems I just can't be satisfied by just playing games anymore.

That's you feeling the need to be productive. Since you believe that you will have a game at the end result of game-making, while perhaps the satisfaction of completion for playing a game. That, is not bad at all.

I wanted to know if this phenomenon was happening to anyone else since starting to make their own games?

You are not alone. That's for sure.