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Plan for Mike Stoddart

Name:	Mike Stoddart
Date Posted:	Feb 09, 2005
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It's 8:25, and I can finally sit down with Torque and experiment with an idea I have. This one doesn't need modelers or anything as demanding as that, but it will require some non-FPS features.

So what's my point? Well I'm knackered! As I said it's 8:25 and I'm so worn out from coding, testing, debugging and leading my team at work that I don't have the energy or motivation to do much. It's so much easier to sit back and browse, watch TV or play my guitar.

What do you all do to get out of this mode? Do you ever get in this mode?

Recent Blog Posts

List:	05/18/06 - Introducing Emma Michaela 02/04/06 - Dusting off old code is always fun 12/18/05 - Have a safe, and merry christmas! 02/09/05 - Plan for Mike Stoddart 09/19/04 - Plan for Mike Stoddart 04/16/04 - Plan for Mike Stoddart 04/02/04 - Plan for Mike Stoddart 12/02/03 - Plan for Mike Stoddart

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Jay Barnson (Feb 09, 2005 at 02:04 GMT)

I take a one hour (TIME IT!) break. It ends at a particular time.

Then I set clear, definite tasks. Then plan a reward for yourself when the task is done. A quick game of Orbz or something :)

What Steve Taylor of NinjaBee told me he does is set a requirement for himself that he only works 10 minutes, but he MUST work those ten minutes on the game. The trick is, once you get that inertia going, it's really easy to keep going and work a whole hour - or two - or three. But if you tell yourself it only HAS to be for ten minutes, it's easier to get started.

Leo "kingDUCTtape" Altmann (Feb 09, 2005 at 02:19 GMT)

Hrm, i've never really had that problem. For me, work on my game IS the break, clearing my mind from such things as the endless pointless busywork of school...

Jay Barnson (Feb 09, 2005 at 04:37 GMT)

My work is all programming, so I typically do need some kind of brain-rest.

And game development is all fun and games for about 20% of the project.

Tony Oakden (Feb 09, 2005 at 06:58 GMT)

I find clear goals are essential. I project manage at work and when I'm at home I project manage myself. I have a loser schedule at home but I still stick to it wherever possible.

I think it's important to know when to walk away from something though. I try not to work for more than 2 hours at a time in the evening and if I really get stuck with something then usually I stop and have a break. Often sleeping on a problem clears my head and sometimes I find the answer on the garagegames site somewhere the next day.

But the most important thing I think is to have a clear vision of what you intend to achieve and to not lose sight of it or become distracted. In my experience that discipline is what most home coders lack.

Best of luck!

Craig Ball (Feb 09, 2005 at 09:45 GMT)

I can so relate to that. Im normally up just after 6:00, and have an hours drive to work. By the time I get home, it's normally 5:00, time to pick my kid up from nursery, and spend some quality time with him. The it's tea time, and the clock is around to 6:00pm. Then it's bath, settle down and bed time, and the clocks is around to 8:00, sometimes 8:30. So, after being up for 14 hours, and spending probably around 1 of those relaxing, I now have to sit down at a computer, start the brain going again, and do some development.

Like you, after 14 hours, it's much easier to pick up my guitar than pick up my mouse. However, I saw a cool marketing type slogan down the gym, which reads "Motivation is what gets us started, habit is what keeps us going". Last year was a poor year for development for me for a number of reasons.

What changed for me. Well I was in the pub with one of my mates, and we were reminiscing about old times. Out of the blue, he said "Do you remember Swashie".

Quick explanation - Swashie was a game I wrote on the Atari ST, and it was so basic it hurt. You had a two frame animated character. The two frames were standing and attack. You had experience points. Experience points gave you levels (very D&D I know). Each level gave you more hit points. You fought monsters relative to your level. i.e. at level 1 you fought a goblin, level 3 you fought a goblin or an ogre etc. and got a heal potion when you killed a monster. Oh, and you could throw daggers to weaken monsters.

As I said the game was crude, but my mates used to come around and play at Swashie to see what level they could get to, and to see what monsters were at the higher levels as I never let on what monsters there were in the game (I never had the heart to tell them the dragon was the last monster).

My inspiration was "why cant I do that again". As a first game, dont try to create the next MMORG etc. Just something that all your mates can rave about it. Well I've started a quick design on that, and have the idea laid down. I think it will take me around a month or two, and will be again horrendously simple.

As for getting motivated? There are some pretty inspiring articles on Dexterity, under the "Personal Productivity & Motivation" section. Well worth spending a few of those minutes you have.

Everyone has great ideas on what works, it's up to you try them out and to find out what works for you.

Stefan Lundmark (Feb 09, 2005 at 19:40 GMT)

I can relate to this as well, but I usually just end up sleeping or playing my guitar (funny coinsidence).

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