Getting Started and Keeping on Track

[reddwarf45]

I'm a writer for the most part, I have next to no experience with any type of coding, Ren'py, or 3D/2D art. The last few weeks I've been trying to do some reading and get my self vaguely familiar with things but the biggest hurdle I've found is actually getting started. I struggle with some ADHD adjacent symptoms which makes task initiation and completion difficult. When it comes to keeping track of things are their any programs or things people use to help them along? Post-its, paper lists, word files, etc don't really work for me and I'm trying to find a way to help me set out a path to learn and get where I want to but it's all a bit overwhelming. I know the games I want to make, but obviously I lack any kind of skill to get there and need to put in the work to develop my abilities.

Does anyone else struggle with similar issues and use a system to keep on track?

 

[MissFortune]

Do you have any knowledge on any basic (non-drug) ADHD management/focus techniques? I'd start there. I've also heard Sativa edibles are great for focus without completely spacing you out, hence why they're commonly referred to as the 'daytime high'.

Stuff like the Pomodoro technique might work. Work for 25 minutes, take a 5-10 minute break. There's also the typical breaking bigger things in smaller ones. For example, Hour 1: Learn X part code. Hour 2: Learn X2 part of code. Hour 3: Play with insert_software/medium of choice. And so forth. Adding a timer to those will hone you in on that thing and learn something before said hour is up. Doesn't have to be an hour or even changing subjects, just something to keep you focused.

 

[reddwarf45]

Do you have any knowledge on any basic (non-drug) ADHD management/focus techniques? I'd start there. I've also heard Sativa edibles are great for focus without completely spacing you out, hence why they're commonly referred to as the 'daytime high'.

Stuff like the Pomodoro technique might work. Work for 25 minutes, take a 5-10 minute break. There's also the typical breaking bigger things in smaller ones. For example, Hour 1: Learn X part code. Hour 2: Learn X2 part of code. Hour 3: Play with insert_software/medium of choice. And so forth. Adding a timer to those will hone you in on that thing and learn something before said hour is up. Doesn't have to be an hour or even changing subjects, just something to keep you focused.

I'm on non stimulant medication currently, started a few months ago and I went from barely able to accomplish basic home tasks to mostly being able to accomplish normal "adult" things. This however has not translated much into getting other things done or starting to be productive with 'work' like tasks.

I've tried using timer like things to work for periods and take breaks which works for writing which to me is fairly straight forward, sit down & type words. I think the complexity of trying to learn everything involved with even making a simple game, let alone something as complicated as what I would like to eventually achieve is making what I normally use not that effective.

 

[FromOtherSpace]

I have no advice for your troubles, sorry.

But there is some no code game engine, like Construct or Gdevelop, maybe you can try to use one of those to reduce the amount of learning needed.

 

[Turning Tricks]

I'll endorse what MissFortune suggested above - about edibles. I had a step-son from a previous relationship who has ADHD. We tried many methods to keep him focused and in school. We were even smuggling Adderall in for him to use, because our government hadn't approved it yet, at that time. We had limited success with Adderall, but it was still a major struggle for him (and us!) but he was able to stay in school and keep a C average. Much better results than when he was constantly getting into trouble and was almost expelled at his old school. Back then he was on Ritalin, which is an evil drug!

Later on though, when my step-son was 20+ and had a family of his own, he reached out to me and told me a bit of his story after his mother and I split. He told me he experimented with smoking weed when he was only 17 and it changed his whole life. He was able to keep focus and tramp down his anxiety and eventually, he switched to edibles. They are legal here, so you can buy them anywhere for cheap. With THC and CBD, he says he is so much calmer. He finished college and got an apprenticeship as a carpenter and now he's married and has a young son himself.

I also use edibles to help me sleep and control some anxiety and PTSD that I have. One side effect I have noticed, is that I get some awesome ideas for my projects when I am relaxing in the evening and having a beer and a gummie or two. I also sleep like a baby now, when before I would spend half the night tossing and turning.

I know many people have some really strong feelings about drugs (and I have lost a few friends after I started using edibles) but if it's legal where you are or you can get a prescription in areas where that's the only way to do it, I do suggest you experiment and try them. I buy mine now in capsule form and I just take them like a pill in the evening. If I want a treat, I'll buy a gummie or a chocolate, but the tabs are easy and cheap (like 80 cents each only).

As for learning all the things you need to know to make a VN or game... just take things one at a time. Play with DAZ. Make models, do test renders and keep practicing. As for coding... I started by copying what I saw in other games. Keep a link to the official Ren'py document page on your toolbar and constantly reference it when you have quastions. I also watched all of

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videos. This guy (Game Developer Training) may not be the most talented or skilled programmer, but his videos are very easy to follow along with and to learn the basics.

 

[Sir Gary Bummer]

I've been struggling to formulate a response to this. I'm in the process of getting an ADHD diagnosis myself. Well, I'll probably get one, can't know for sure. Either way, I've had very similar issues, especially when I first started out.

For me, it's all about two things: Habits and caffeine.

My goal is to always do something every day. If that turns out to not be very much at all, I still pat myself on the back for a job well done. Because I maintained the habit, i safeguarded it, it's still there. That's the important bit for me, positive reinforcement instead of getting mad at myself for not getting as much done as I wanted.

One has to accept that it's a marathon and not a sprint. You won't get good at any of this in a day or a week, just let it build up little by little over time, and make it a habit to just do something every day.

As far as caffeine goes, for me ~200mg per day is good, that gets me about 2-5 hours of decent focus. Any more fucks with my sleep, and once your sleep worsens, you want more caffeine, and it spirals from there. I can't speak on the edibles mentioned above, since I haven't tried it myself.

All that said, every brain is different, so all you can really do is try a bunch of different things and see what works for you. The things I have mentioned work for me, and may be worth trying, but there's no guarantee they'll be of any use to you.

Oh, and I totally recommend something like LeechBlock NG, it allows you to block certain websites over specific time periods. Absolute lifesaver for me, can't get anything done if Reddit is available for procrastination.

And a final note on tools for organization and such. I've just accepted the fact that my brain thrives on chaos. It loathes organization, any attempts at it lowers my enthusiasm to do anything at all, and as such will ultimately lower my productivity. Chaos on the other hand feeds my imagination and helps me come up with interesting things to do with the story/game on the fly. If organization doesn't work for you, try to simply embrace chaos.

 

[reddwarf45]

I'll endorse what MissFortune suggested above - about edibles. I had a step-son from a previous relationship who has ADHD. We tried many methods to keep him focused and in school. We were even smuggling Adderall in for him to use, because our government hadn't approved it yet, at that time. We had limited success with Adderall, but it was still a major struggle for him (and us!) but he was able to stay in school and keep a C average. Much better results than when he was constantly getting into trouble and was almost expelled at his old school. Back then he was on Ritalin, which is an evil drug!

I also use edibles to help me sleep and control some anxiety and PTSD that I have. One side effect I have noticed, is that I get some awesome ideas for my projects when I am relaxing in the evening and having a beer and a gummie or two. I also sleep like a baby now, when before I would spend half the night tossing and turning.

This just makes me more anxious, worried, and generally makes things worse for me. I just stay away from any kind of THC or similar thing that contains it. I was on something similar to Adderall when I was young and it only turned me into a robot. The non stimulant meds I'm on now are much better despite a few side effects.

 

[reddwarf45]

I've been struggling to formulate a response to this. I'm in the process of getting an ADHD diagnosis myself. Well, I'll probably get one, can't know for sure. Either way, I've had very similar issues, especially when I first started out.

For me, it's all about two things: Habits and caffeine.

My goal is to always do something every day. If that turns out to not be very much at all, I still pat myself on the back for a job well done. Because I maintained the habit, i safeguarded it, it's still there. That's the important bit for me, positive reinforcement instead of getting mad at myself for not getting as much done as I wanted.

And a final note on tools for organization and such. I've just accepted the fact that my brain thrives on chaos. It loathes organization, any attempts at it lowers my enthusiasm to do anything at all, and as such will ultimately lower my productivity. Chaos on the other hand feeds my imagination and helps me come up with interesting things to do with the story/game on the fly. If organization doesn't work for you, try to simply embrace chaos.

I've tried to stick to getting at least one thing done a day even if it's small just to keep things going but even with that I've struggled. All through school I could never find any form of organization that worked for me besides trying to remember everything which is starting to get really exhausting. I've 'embraced the chaos' quite a bit with my writing and it mostly works, but with the complexity and many parts of developing even a basic VN I worry things will suffer.

 

[Turning Tricks]

This just makes me more anxious, worried, and generally makes things worse for me. I just stay away from any kind of THC or similar thing that contains it. I was on something similar to Adderall when I was young and it only turned me into a robot. The non stimulant meds I'm on now are much better despite a few side effects.

Ya, the prescription drugs like Adderall and Ritalin are not ideal. I hated seeing how they affected my son. Have you tried the other component of cannabis... CBD? It's non psychoactive and has been shown to have a bunch of beneficial effects. The edibles I use are usually a hybrid of THC/CBD and the CBD is what makes it more mellow and calming. Also works great keeping my arthritic pain down - without having to munch on Advil or other pain meds.

One thing I remember clearly from when my first wife and I were dealing with managing her son's ADHD was that he used sugary foods like a drug. Unlike most of us - who get hyper when we have a lot of sugar - eating sweets would actually calm him. Same with caffeine.

In any case, I am sure you'll find the right formula of things to manage. As for getting started... just pick something and start to learn it. And practice... practice... practice.

 

[Sir Gary Bummer]

I've tried to stick to getting at least one thing done a day even if it's small just to keep things going but even with that I've struggled. All through school I could never find any form of organization that worked for me besides trying to remember everything which is starting to get really exhausting. I've 'embraced the chaos' quite a bit with my writing and it mostly works, but with the complexity and many parts of developing even a basic VN I worry things will suffer.

Yeah, it's tough to find a working system. Took me years and years of trying different things, and even then I only think of myself as semi-functioning at the moment.

Honestly, though. You needn't worry too much about the complexity of making a VN, there are only three core parts. Images, writing, and some simple code to glue them together. Ain't much to it. Time consuming, yes, especially if you want the images to look fancy. But complex? For a basic VN, not really.

 

[aereton]

Probably shouldn't take drug advice from randoms on the internet, especially not from a porn game pirate forum of all places.

I'm trying to find a way to help me set out a path to learn and get where I want to but it's all a bit overwhelming. I know the games I want to make, but obviously I lack any kind of skill to get there and need to put in the work to develop my abilities.

Well, first step would be to ACCEPT that learning the required skill set to make your own games will take time. A lot.
Depending on what type of games you want to make, there will be all kinds of concepts, software and topics to learn: Programming, actual programming language, 2D graphics, 3D modeling, rigging, animating, writing a story, audio, etc etc..

2nd step should be to think about what type of games you want to create mid-term at least. That way, you can plot out on what you need to actually learn. Standard visual novel? Probably should look into Ren'Py or similar. Real time rendering games? Probably should look into modeling, rigging and animating. That kind of stuff.

If you have some idea on what you need to learn, take weeks, even better: some months and stick with only one each time. Want to learn how to create your own 3d models in Blender? Start pumping out exercise models. Want to learn C#? Pump out small programs or tiny games in that language.

Don't just jump straight into your 'dream game'. You know what I mean, the game you always wanted to make, that huge lofty ambitious project.

 

[MissFortune]

Probably shouldn't take drug advice from randoms on the internet, especially not from a porn game pirate forum of all places.

Have you ever tried edibles? Do you work with people who have ADHD? Their mind is basically cerebral gumbo. Weed (smoking or otherwise) is one of the few things that quiet/slow it down, and offer a dopamine hit. They're finally able to think about a singular thing outside of themselves without 25 other thoughts going at once.

Nobody's offering drug advice (though I am qualified to do so, to some extent.), just stating options that have been empirically proven to help. 5/10mg of edibles is a fairly clean high, especially with something like sativa that tends to really help focus without the drowsiness of indica (CBD also being an option if you don't want the high). Edibles are legal for a reason. You can basically walk into a dispensary and grab a box of gummies for $20 in most states, at this point.

 

[aereton]

Nobody's offering drug advice (though I am qualified to do so, to some extent.)

Yeah well, there's been phrases such as "I'd start with" or "I'd recommend" ITT.
I would definitely qualify that as advice.

But hey, I wasn't saying you shouldn't do that or that you should be stopped. Just mentioning someone should not take advice from strangers - the same way I would tell people not to take advice on how to raise children from 4chan.

I do think, however, discussing the merits and demerits of different drugs on people diagnosed with disorders and its legalities certainly is off-topic. So I will refrain from engaging in that conversation if you don't mind

 

[Baronluck]

Maybe you can start with a simple course like this one:

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Then you can use something like Codecks or Trello to help you organize your first project.