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Developer ADHD

Name:	Andrew Hull
Date Posted:	Oct 22, 2008
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Blog post

Long time, no post. Not that I've had anything really to post about. But anyway, I'd like to talk about a little problem I have, that I would like to call "Developer A.D.H.D," as in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder of the Developer mind. It is a problem i have where, instead of being able to focus on just one project, or even just one aspect of a single project, I suddenly get another idea, and start fleshing out that idea, and create a new project out of it.

"What's the problem with having ideas?" You may ask. Well, nothing. The problem is when I start to work on an idea (good or not) and then abandon it half-way through for my next passing fancy. I don't end up getting anything done on the previous project. Therefore, I have many, unfinished projects laying around, none of which I have touched in the past 6 months.

Time for a re-focus. I'm starting (or rather, picking back up) a project tentatively called Frogs In Space!:

A 3D, third-person action/platformer, it is an outer-space, futuristic variation on the theme in Brian Jacques' Redwall book series. In this story, the prominent characters are frogs instead of mice, but mice and other small creatures will make up many of the characters portrayed in the game. Don't really have a story fully laid out yet, but i'm getting there. I'm mostly working on setting up TGE for use as a third-person platformer first!

Hope to have more soon.
-Andrew

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List:	10/22/08 - Developer ADHD 12/12/06 - XNA and the Indie movement 11/26/06 - Finally something to show 07/17/06 - My Endless Frustration 07/02/06 - Wildlife Tycoon: Inspiration 11/05/05 - Plan for Andrew Hull

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asmaloney (Andy) (Oct 22, 2008 at 22:40 GMT)

I think this is an extremely common problem - not just for game developers, but indie software people in general. Shipping a product is hard. It takes as much time to do the 'other stuff' - testing, packaging, installers, documentation, business, etc. - as it does to do the coding for the project. Few people like to do it all from end-to-end because it's a hell of a lot of work and requires several different skill sets.

If you never seem to be able to ship anything, then maybe you need to find and team up with a 'finisher' - someone who will drag you over the finish line...

Good luck on your project(s)!

Randy Hearn (Oct 22, 2008 at 23:17 GMT)

same problem here. Not that I start different projects, but I start going different trails in pursuit of solving something that may not need to be solved for a while. So I also have a lot of unfinished projects and no game. For now that is ok.. But at some point, I have to start putting the finishing touches on as well.

Guimo (Oct 22, 2008 at 23:27 GMT)

Its not bad to define many different games. The wrong thing is trying to implement them and then leave.

In game development there is something called the Test of Time. Basically you write your idea in one or two piece of papers adding all the details you plan for the game. Then you go to a drawer and place that definition in the bottom and close it.

After 3 months, go to your drawer and open it. You will find that a lot of your wonderful ideas are just - to use the words of Steve Jobs - a bag of hurt. But from time to time you will reread an idea and will find it still interesting. Then, write a better design document adding new features. Then open a second (filtered) drawer and set it inside and wait for another 3 months.

If after three months this idea is still solid in your mind, then go for it. You will save a lot of time using this simple process.

Luck!
Guimo

Matt Huston (Oct 23, 2008 at 07:22 GMT)

I think most of us have that problem and this is the difference between succeeding and not succeeding. Keeping control of yourself and your own thoughts is critical.

Michael Hartlef (Oct 23, 2008 at 07:41 GMT)

Yes, that "problem" is what devides you from the people who release something. Just take what you do as a hobby. Don't announce your projects to the public as you will earn a "never finish something" name. Play with them, then play with something else and don't feel bad about it. Take it just as a hobby. And be happy about it.
Once you want to finish a project, it turns into very hard work. And it feels like that. So many people anounce the next best thing after sliced bread. And so many fail to release it to the public. So don't make yourself look like a fool in the future.

Daniel Buckmaster (Oct 23, 2008 at 15:39 GMT)

Quote:
Don't announce your projects to the public as you will earn a "never finish something" name.

On the other hand, tell all your friends, because it's agonizing to say 'Um... yeah, well...' when they ask you how the game's coming. I've found that's a reasonable motivator :P

Andy Hawkins (Oct 24, 2008 at 02:06 GMT)

I think rapidly prototyping an idea for a few weeks and abandoning it because you are bored or it's not fun is a good idea.

I think the main problem facing indies is that the tasks required to complete a game is insurmountable with a small team (1 or more). The trick to complete something is to set a small scope of works, and persist when the going gets tough (or boring)

Perhaps if you feel like you can't finish something, blog it here and you will probably receive words of encouragement to keep you going :)

JPaxson (Oct 24, 2008 at 14:46 GMT)

Yes, very common problem. I have it too. I will get an idea for something cool, and develop it to a point where I am convinced that my implementation "would" work....then on to the next without finishing last fully.

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