What do you do to stay motivated?

Chat about various topics.

What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby Teh Frog on Thu Sep 26, 2013 8:18 pm

I started a map for CS: GO about 4 months ago. Abandoned it a month in despite it being my favorite thing I've done in Source thus far. It's a really tactically balanced DE map and I like the feel of the areas. I know I should finish it but I lack the motivation. What do you do to stay motivated, guys?
Contrary to popular belief, I am not actually a frog.
Image
Image
User avatar
Teh Frog
Regular
Regular
 
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 12:02 am

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby LordDz on Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:26 am

Do something else for a while, and stuff.
User avatar
LordDz
May Contain Skills
May Contain Skills
 
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:28 pm
Location: Hammer Crash Logs

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby Armageddon on Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:45 am

I often listen to motivational music on YouTube. And remind about my past achievements.
Last edited by Armageddon on Mon Sep 30, 2013 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Armageddon
Forum Goer Elite™
Forum Goer Elite™
 
Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2008 5:53 am

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby Mehis on Fri Sep 27, 2013 5:07 am

Since I have some free time between classes, I like to go and sit in a park and write down everything I'm thinking on to my phone. It's a great way to make notes about your map. It keeps you centered around that one single map and you always have the chance to go back and look at your notes in case you forgot something.

I'm really bad at sticking with my projects but this has helped me a lot!


You also get really good at writing with your phone. :wink:
User avatar
Mehis
Regular
Regular
 
Joined: Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:41 pm

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby Knights on Fri Sep 27, 2013 5:35 pm

I find inspiration in concept art (google it) and google maps. And I set goals for myself, but generally I just enjoy doing it so don't need much motivation for that... :smt021
Image
Random gallery... Knights_Stuff.
Home page --> http://www.knights.interlopers.net/
User avatar
Knights
May Contain Skills
May Contain Skills
 
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 4:35 pm
Location: In a van down by the river

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby Teh Frog on Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:32 am

I enjoy it too, but sometimes I come up with something really tactically fun to play, but can't get a decent aesthetic for it. I can't place what I've made in any real area in the world so it just stays greyscale.
That discourages me soooo much.
I sort of have a thing going for this map I'm developing right now of like run-down bombed out Chernobyl, but it's not really feeling special. The layout is great fun, but the map looks kind of boring honestly. I need to figure out something to do with it that will stick and make me feel happy.
Essentially, if I make something going for asthetics, it ends up looking very nice but lacks fun gameplay. If I go for gameplay, it ends up being very balanced and fun, but looking boring as all hell.
WHY DO YOU CHALLENGE ME SO, DEVELOPMENT?!
Contrary to popular belief, I am not actually a frog.
Image
Image
User avatar
Teh Frog
Regular
Regular
 
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 12:02 am

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby ErikKiller on Mon Sep 30, 2013 1:44 pm

Planning, planning, planning, easier to erase something on paper than undoing 3 hours of Hammer work.
Game soundtracks work as a pretty great motivational source, helps with the concentration.
Don't be afraid to work on 2-3 projects at once, I often find myself this helps avoid burning out + this helps to get additional ideas.
Image
Image
First rodeo? Use the Source SDK Documentation for reference!
User avatar
ErikKiller
May Contain Skills
May Contain Skills
 
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:05 pm
Location: Estonia

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby [Steve] on Mon Sep 30, 2013 2:07 pm

I would have to agree with Erikkiller, i find working on multiple projects is the best way to stay motivated as i can switch between them and then have a fresh perspective when i return to one.
I think everybody finds there own ways to self motivate , but good organization and pre-planning is pretty much essential for any project.
It might sound obvious but once you complete something be sure to look back and analyze what worked and what didn't, what caused bottle necks, what worked best ect. Applying this and optimizing your own workflow will help your future motivation and increase your productivity greatly.
User avatar
[Steve]
Interlopers Staff
Interlopers Staff
 
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:25 pm

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby Teh Frog on Thu Oct 03, 2013 6:51 pm

I agree with you guys. I sort of drew out the layout to one bombsite only, mapped it, did some edits, and ended really happy with it. The problem? I didn't know where to go from this bombsite. Urgh, I hate getting stuck. I've been thinking a lot. I could easily have it go into a warehouse or some other thing but I want to avoid cliché maps. Like, every fucking map ever is in an industrial warehouse or something. I want to do something fresh, but fresh doesn't always work with the way the map's layout feels. It already feels to urban, even in greyscale, to do anything new. :/
Contrary to popular belief, I am not actually a frog.
Image
Image
User avatar
Teh Frog
Regular
Regular
 
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 12:02 am

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby seir on Fri Oct 04, 2013 9:32 am

I've heard a nice quote "Think about the end when you start". I guess it's a good motivation to think about the profits of your effort.
seir
Dumpling
Dumpling
 
Joined: Sat Jul 13, 2013 11:14 am

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby Oskmos on Fri Oct 04, 2013 6:31 pm

When I started on my latest map I began with making the kitchen, and I made it really detailed. From there I started adding rooms until I had a house. And then I made a huge terrain that I started detailing, bit by bit. If I would have made this huge map with dev textures I would have been overwelmed by looking at it and knowing how much work would be needed to finish it.

Image
User avatar
Oskmos
Regular
Regular
 
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:08 pm
Location: Sweden

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby Teh Frog on Sat Oct 05, 2013 4:54 am

Oskmos wrote: Image

Wow, that looks fucking awesome dude.
Thing is, I have a very small area in grey scale with some detail. (Some buildings are textured, some aren't.)
Contrary to popular belief, I am not actually a frog.
Image
Image
User avatar
Teh Frog
Regular
Regular
 
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2011 12:02 am

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby wereMole on Thu Oct 10, 2013 7:17 am

I usually start working on something different of the map when I'm really frustrated or bored with a certain part.

Oskmos wrote:When I started on my latest map I began with making the kitchen, and I made it really detailed. From there I started adding rooms until I had a house. And then I made a huge terrain that I started detailing, bit by bit. If I would have made this huge map with dev textures I would have been overwelmed by looking at it and knowing how much work would be needed to finish it.


I've did that as well but afterwards I realized that all the dimensions were totally off, optimization turned out impossible or gameplay wise something would be terribly wrong. How do/did you avoid these things?
User avatar
wereMole
Regular
Regular
 
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2006 10:55 am
Location: Netherlands

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby Dives on Thu Oct 10, 2013 8:17 am

Its important to think about how much of a loser you'd be if you abandon the project you've been working on for a long time. Self guilt trip is the way to go.
User avatar
Dives
May Contain Skills
May Contain Skills
 
Joined: Sat Feb 28, 2009 9:54 pm
Location: Moorpark, CA

Re: What do you do to stay motivated?

Postby Oskmos on Thu Oct 10, 2013 2:52 pm

wereMole wrote:I usually start working on something different of the map when I'm really frustrated or bored with a certain part.

Oskmos wrote:When I started on my latest map I began with making the kitchen, and I made it really detailed. From there I started adding rooms until I had a house. And then I made a huge terrain that I started detailing, bit by bit. If I would have made this huge map with dev textures I would have been overwelmed by looking at it and knowing how much work would be needed to finish it.


I've did that as well but afterwards I realized that all the dimensions were totally off, optimization turned out impossible or gameplay wise something would be terribly wrong. How do/did you avoid these things?


I've always done maps this way, more or less. And i've made changes to my "mental image" of the map as I go when I notice that some areas doesnt feel right. Instead of killing my darlings, I change my darlings just before I make them :)
User avatar
Oskmos
Regular
Regular
 
Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 9:08 pm
Location: Sweden
Next

Return to General Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users