More Than I Could Chew
Published on September 15, 2006 By ScottTykoski In PC Gaming

One of the major problems when working on a project by yourself is that it's VERY EASY to underestimate the time things take. Just because you know how to do something doesn't mean that a given task will take less time. On the contrary...the more you know, the more perfect you try to make things and the more you get bogged down in the minute details. In the end, knowledge only takes you so far...the rest is hard work, sweat, and tears.

Lots of tears.


One of the two pages of art I completed this week.
Unfortunately, the last few days, other projects have taken precedence.

Anyways, re-adjusting my schedule to compensate for the several other projects on my plate that need finished, I came to a difficult conclusion: If I wanted to make the game as I imagined it, I wouldn't be able to finish it in 18 weeks

Now, instead of whipping up a half hearted version of the game, I plan on slowly working on it for next year...which is a long time off, but it'll just ensure a high quality end product.

As for my 18 week goal, I'll still be keeping a journal of my status on the game engine, as I chip away the best I can to create an enjoyable 'sandbox' of the various game-engine features.

I'll have a revised list of goals for next week, and hopefully a more interesting journal entry as well.

As for players anticipating the release (all 3 of you), I promise ONE completed and fun level to play through with a friend by the time Christmas rolls around


The other piece of concept I did...like I said, not much got accomplished.

 

- Links -

Previous Journal Entries


Comments (Page 1)
2 Pages1 2 
on Sep 15, 2006
Make that four of us. Love your posts and can't wait to play the game next year!
on Sep 15, 2006
I have no clue what this game is..... what is it?
on Sep 15, 2006

This is a Christmas game that I was making as a side project. I started it about 10 weeks ago, but unfortunatly I wont be able to complete it for this year (and keep the level of quality I was hoping for).

I'll be continuing the project for a super-polished release next year, but my new 18week goal is to complete the Side-Scrolling engine it relys on and get a sandbox level up for you guys to play and enjoy.

Heres a link to an index of the past journals if you want to play what I have finished thus far: http://boogiebac.joeuser.com/index.asp?AID=128919

Let jsut say this has been a good exersise in starting early.    

 

on Sep 16, 2006
Am I one of the three players?



I can relate though, last school year I had been working on a chemistry extra credit project since Christmas and it was due in about a week (in late May). I kept delaying my building on one of the main character's final model and just finished it then. The render times ended up killing me and I only got about 2/3 of the movie finished in time. It got really hard to keep the story half-coherent since I spent most of the time before the cram period rendering action scenes for a trailer. After a couple very long nights, I had the final cut ready but I really worked down to the last hours.



During my free time in the summer, I finished rendering it and fixed most of the unintentional weirdness that plagued a couple of scenes. So it all ends well.



//end story






Anyway, too bad that it won't be out this year. Give yourself as much time as you need to polish it. Are you going to keep posting dev journals on it?
on Sep 16, 2006
mewcurano: My new goal is, for my '18 week project', to complete the engine and have a fun sandbox level for people to play with. I'll continue to do my weekly journals until the end of nevember, at which time I'll release an alpha version of the game for people to test and find the bugs in the engine.

After that, I'll use 2007 to do content creation and engine polishing, and post monthly updates on my progress, up until the big release in november of next year.

It's a ways off, but hopefully a years worth of polish will transform it from a fun little game that some people want to play, into a GREAT little game that everyone wants to play

So definatly keep posted..there's more to come, just not on the timeline I originally hoped for.
on Sep 16, 2006
Cool! SmileyCentral.com
on Sep 16, 2006
I really was looking forward to the game, but I can wait until next year. Good luck on everything you are doing though!
on Oct 21, 2006
When Dark Avatar is done, will you go back to the game journals? I enjoyed them at least.
on Nov 12, 2008

Did you ever finish the game?  It was definitely interesting reading through your development.

on Nov 12, 2008

lol  God bless you, Martimus   You've brought a smile to my face on a day that was going horribly.

No, I didn't finish...last stumbling block was learning TorqueX to make a version that worked on the XBox and PC.  Someday my CHristmas Opus will be released, but for now we'll have to settle for those playable flash bits.

on Nov 12, 2008

ZubaZ dies a little more inside

I thought Christmas 2006 was the worst Christmas ever . . then 200 came and went with no holiday knoights . . and now this one. 

Why not just cancel it altogether?

on Nov 12, 2008

Why not just cancel it altogether?
Never! 

on Nov 12, 2008

Sounds kinda cool! Looking forward to the release, even if it is only a single level demo

 

Keep on trucking Boogie!

on Nov 12, 2008

BoogieBac
lol  God bless you, Martimus   You've brought a smile to my face on a day that was going horribly.

No, I didn't finish...last stumbling block was learning TorqueX to make a version that worked on the XBox and PC.  Someday my CHristmas Opus will be released, but for now we'll have to settle for those playable flash bits.

 

I am glad to have brought a smile to your face.  Now that you have a whole team under you to code, you can put the newbies on this project to get it going again.  But then it would lose that personal touch.  I hope the rest of your day is going much better!  Please post again when you do complete it!  I loved playing those little 'levels' you made, it made me want to get back to coding games myself.  (I don't think I have worked on one since I was 12.)

on Jun 22, 2011

Bump.  

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