Need help focussing on my game

[Procrastinator]

I'm sure we have all been there; You have some free time on your hands and decide that this is the day you are going to get some work done for your game! But first, you do some "research" by playing other games, surely this will help. Soon that research takes a lot longer than you planned. So what do you do? You take a break and spend hours doing nothing productive at all. After that, repeat the process.

So, I ask you, how do you stay focused on creating your own game? Any tips? :FeelsBadMan:

 

[Egglock]

It boils down to self-motivation. Find that sweet spot that drives you to continue developing. As this can vary from person to person, it's hard to say what that self-motivation is. I hope that some of the things that drives me to progress, helps you find that motivation to push you forward in your game development. The following are just guidelines I follow when I'm working on my game.

1. Set reasonable end and small goals. If my mind starts to wonder, I remind myself of the goals I set.
2. Focus on one part of the game. Whether it's animation, texturing, modeling, story writing, brainstorming, game play mechanics. Jumping around is okay as long as it connects to what is being done.
3. If some part of the game I'm working on starts to get frustrating, I take a break or work on something else.
4. Most important, I enjoy every aspect of the development of the game I'm making.

I hope this helps keep you motivated.

 

[Benn Swagger]

Are you sure you want to be developer ? ... do you know the bitter part of it ? or ready to face it ?

Spoiler: Long BS prep by me

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So be careful when setting your target, when you still inexperience. Instead making a long or tall target, make a simple one. Shitty or good quality is irrelevant, your target is to increase your skill yet. If you really want to do it, all you can do right now is simple.

Open Notepad or similar. Start making your short novel as story base. Finish your short novel, open again the note pad and break down your novel into narrative and dialogs. Finish all of that, start open 3D or 2D software and design it, from environment to the 3D model character. Finish that, start posing the model according to the dialog.

Finish all above, open the game engine and input them all.

 

[anne O'nymous]

Now, I don't know how to develop game with any engine, but when I decide to do it, I will create the game in the same time as I learn how to make it. So research and creation is on the same time. If not, you will lose focus.

This.

Chose a small project and start to make some CG. And when I say "small project" I really mean it. Whatever the game engine you'll chose, make a short (30 minutes long) visual novel with few interactions. It's already a challenge and there's already a lot to learn to achieve this.
Don't care about the quality, don't be too greedy about the pose, facial animation and so on. Just making the scene and a basic rendering is a challenge at start, so stick to this. Then once you've few CG, start coding it.
Each time you're stuck, whatever it's on the CG part or on the coding part, research and learn how to not be stuck anymore. Not only you'll learn more by practice that by pure theoretical study, but you'll also remember it more easily.
The time your project is done, you'll have learned a lot of things but, until you've finished this project, don't go back on what you've already done. You aren't making the game of the year, you are learning the skill you need to make the game of your life, the one you've in mind right now.
Then, you've done it... You just finished your first visual novel, something make by your own hands... Seriously, think about it, think about the achievement it represent...
You are ready, this time create a bigger project, with better CG because you know how to make basic one, you can now learn how to go deeper in quality. Same for the code, no more limitation to a simple visual novel, this time it will be a whole game. A still small game, but a really interactive game. Something like

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by example. It's enough to learn everything you need.
Once again, take the time to savor your achievement, to realize how much you've learned. And when you lack of motivation, think about this, about the pleasure you'll have once you'll finish your project...

This time it's good. You still miss knowledge, because there's always something new to learn. But at least you have enough knowledge to make a full game with good quality CG. Your next game will be even better than this third one, but we all are like this, we all do better the next time.

 

[Zakutsa]

I agree with @Egglock and @anne O'nymous.

It's like how most artists improved their art style over the years of practicing their skills. Same thing with game devs. Just keep practicing and be motivated with your work. Take some time-off if you need it. Patience is indeed a virtue.