- Thread starter 7767
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- Sep 24, 2023
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I don't agree with you. All people who work are susceptible to burnout. I also work and support myself, and I'm burned out too. If I stop working, I won't have money to pay for food and rent. This helps me not to burn out, like everyone else who has a job. According to you, it turns out that in order not to burn out, I need to find a second job. Nobody does that. If you work two jobs at once, a person will not be able to concentrate properly, the quality of work will deteriorate greatly and he will burn out twice as quickly.
- Dec 24, 2018
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I disagree about the concentrating/quality issue - in creative fields, you have one job, but multiple projects/tasks, often for separate clients. I find that different, concurrent projects help solve problems in other projects. So if I'm not feeling inspired because I can't solve something in one project, rather than punish myself staring at the screen, I move to a different project where I can be productive. While working on the other project, subconsciously I am problem solving. And maybe I come across a different workflow that triggers a solution, or is simply a better process, or is just an inspiring way to do a certain task. In Ocean's process, it's ultimately one big story with different facets, most of the actual tasks are pretty much the same. As he problem solves one thing, he learns for the other.
Everyone has their own ways to be productive. My feelings of burnout usually appear when I'm unable to solve problems, but have to keep beating my head against a deadline.
But you're right about the actual amount of work: too much work is the same a a GFX card running out of RAM, so yeah, making sure you don't overload your own capacity does need to be a conscious decision.
- May 22, 2017
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I also have similar experience. Working on another thing, however similar it is to the one you got stuck with, helps to relax the mind and work on the solution on the thing you have problems with, subconciously.
I am working on many very different things and finding solutions on many different problems at my job and it really helps not to get bored or stuck with any of its aspects, at least not for long.
I've had moments when none of the solutions I tried were working and it seemed that there's no way to make it work. Working on something else, even something similar for a while helps to find a solution much faster than not working at all or thinking about the problem intensively and stressfully.
I have zero doubt that working on two different games, writing and visualizing two different stories helps Ocean to increase the combined workflow, avoid writers block and burnout.
- Sep 3, 2020
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Yes and no, it helps with the blocks, but not the burnout, and lately Ocean himself has been acknowledging that situation and talking about needing to take a real vacation every x months.
He has grown as a developer to the point of recognizing that to avoid burnout it is necessary to rest, and not be 24/7 in front of a screen, even if they are two different games/stories/jobs.
- Sep 24, 2023
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I don't understand what you're talking about. Tell me, how many jobs do you work and how many jobs do you take on to avoid burnout? And tell me, how do human rights organizations feel about this? As far as I know, your bosses will receive huge fines for this. I am not allowed to work multiple jobs at once. If they find out that I still have a job, they will fire me immediately.
Ocean is working simultaneously on SG and Wiab. It turns out that in order not to burn out from these games, Ocean still needs to make new games. Does this mean that Ocean will work on 4 games when he burns out? You have me confused.
- May 22, 2017
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Obviously, you still need time off from work. No one disagrees with that.
It's just that you'd need a lot more time off if you get stuck with the thing you're working on and have nothing else to work on either, so you have no other choice but taking some time off from work completely. If you can work on something else for a while, until you are able to find a solution to the problem (without breaking the 8-hours or 5 weekdays limit or taking any vacations, mind you), the combined workflow obviously increases.
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- Dec 24, 2018
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I am self employed, and I work on contracts, project briefs. I work for some clients once a month, some for two weeks at a time. Some clients have returned for more than ten projects over a decade and a half. You shouldn't assume everyone has a fixed employer. There are so many different kinds of work, and there are many many different parts of the world with different rules.
I have been working on 5 different projects simultaneously for the last month and a half. Buying new software for one gave me a different starting point for another, and inspired me to treat it differently. This isn't confusing at all. The workload though, that is what is a challenge. I don't get exhausted by work, or thinking, I get exhausted by the frustration of not achieving things. And lack of sleep.
The difference between my situation and Ocean's is Ocean has a long term plan for the shared projects. I simply have to make my clients happy, even as they shift their deadlines around and miscommunicate. If work was simple it would be boring for me though I guess...
- Dec 1, 2021
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New Update from the Dev about SG release: https://f95zone.to/threads/where-it-all-began-ch-2-full-oceanlab.19856/post-11820668 . It was availble on WIAB thread. Release might happen within 2 weeks.
- Dec 5, 2020
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Bro, I think you misunderstood it, it's not that he does twice as much work per day compared to working on just one project. He doesn't work simultaneously on both projects, as you said, he works alternately on both projects. A week (or day) for SG, a week (or day) for WIAB or something like that. The amount of work per day is always same. At least that's what I understood from his words.
Another thing is that it seems that burnout is not the only reason to work on two projects. Just look at the situation from the other side. He was working on WIAB and the other guy was working on SG. Both games are based on his story. The other guy left. Both games already had fans and shared the same gaming universe. What are the options? He decided to keep both.
Though I'm quite surprised that the focus has shifted from WIAB to SG, which continually upsets WIAB fans. It's easier for me. I perceive both games as parts of one big story, separated by a large period of time, so updating either game for me is an update to the big story. But those who only like one of the games are obviously disappointed and want him to shut down the other game.
- Jul 18, 2020
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While i love summer's gone and for wiab it has its fans but really don't care for it that said if working on 2 games help with burnout people should just get use to it
- Aug 24, 2022
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Do you really think people will "get used to it" when they can just complain about it instead?
- Sep 24, 2023
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I'm assuming you've been doing the same job for over 15 years. Since you continue to do it, you like this work and you don’t experience burnout, this is very good. Unfortunately, Ocean is not like you, since he writes about burnout, it means that it has begun for him.
- Dec 24, 2018
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Over 25 years now. I've had moments when I wanted to give up, and moments when my brain felt fried and battered. Avoiding burnout is not about liking what you do enough enough, because there are days when you have a horrible client, and you still have to deliver. If Ocean gets burnout it'll be from the negative parts of the job, despite all the things he loves about it. Reading everyone's incessant criticism over who long it's taking wears enthusiasm down. It's tough enough following your vision, only to find you have to re-render, because you didn't notice xyz, but then blames for not meeting an arbitrary deadline? Ocean is actually doing far better than I; my clients don't give me feedback for a week and I'm a wreck thinking they hate what I did for them. Then they come back, nope can't find anything wrong, didn't want to bother you with the details, and I can breathe. Creativity always has to fight apathy, and you don't get to graduate from that struggle. Some days are more intense than others. But the rewards and feelings of accomplishment are elevated also.
Anyway, burnout is different from exhaustion, it happens when you don't see an outcome for your effort, or you no longer value the outcome. Ocean seems to me to be pacing himself well, even if it's slower that I'd hope, because he is still very passionate about the stories he's writing.
- Sep 24, 2023
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Thank you, that's exactly what I was talking about. Ocean had to pull double duty. He cannot cope with this load and has begun to burn out. He needs to reduce the workload and only work on one game. If he doesn’t do this, I’m afraid he’ll burn out completely and then 2 games will be abandoned. I really don't want this.
Ocean has been very candid with his supporters about how he is trying to manage burnout.
It is far more than working on both SG and WIAB concurrently.
It also included moving back to the greater Berlin area (if I understood that dev log correctly) - closer to a larger group of friends and better opportunities for some of the classes he wanted to take.
He also commented about taking more frequent vacations away from both VNs (covered by another poster earlier today).
I'd have to go back over the last year and a half of the various dev logs to better capture all that he was doing but - the point is: He recognizes the danger of burnout and is actively working to counteract the effects of burnout.
I trust Ocean to best recognize what he needs to do to combat burnout better than I could recommend for him, just like I believe you can best recognize what you need to do to combat your own burnout better than I could recommend for you.
If you are interested in learning more about his comments on this subject, search this thread for the dev logs - posted every other week by supporters.
Cheers!!
is still GONE or already has come after 3 years?
last time i played this was awfull ? already sex with the sis and other lis? nahhh
last time i played this was awfull ? already sex with the sis and other lis? nahhh
- Apr 26, 2020
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Say what?
- Sep 3, 2022
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Huh? There isn't even any sex in this game
Myabe you mean this game: Where It All Began [Ch. 2 Full] [Oceanlab] and the "old" version of it.