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Geek Culture / Attention Span = 15 min.

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Fast and Furious
17
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Joined: 23rd Jul 2007
Location: inside that dog
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 03:11
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I just need some tips on how to stay on task of proggraming a game

just a few days ago I was building a game of pong then I thought that the playing field was to big and I thought about powerups,also I thought about a lot of other junk and I spent so much thinking I forgot about proggraming this game of pong

press F5 to release the hounds
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n008
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Location: Chernarus
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 03:14
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Set up a trap around your neck so if you get distracted and move your head much, you get stabbed in the sides with pins as long as you aren't looking at the computer.

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Venge
18
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Joined: 13th Sep 2006
Location: Iowa
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 03:36
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I didn't realize you could have an attention span of -15 minutes...

But I get distracted too. It's best to have a design or some kind of plan you can follow, instead of making it up as you go along. It's alot easier to follow a plan than try to think of one while you're programming it.


Modelled and rendered in Blender. Free software ftw.
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Zaibatsu
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Location: Lost in Thought
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 04:34 Edited at: 19th Dec 2007 04:34
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i find that having music in the background will help me concentrate a bit. Also, promise yourself that after every hour or so you'll let yourself take a break and do something you enjoy (I watch episodes of Futurama), that way, you have something to look forward to (and force yourself to not allow yourself to do that thing if you don't meet your time requirement).

EDIT: also, do I now have the most annoying avatar/signature combo?

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Grandma
18
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Joined: 26th Dec 2005
Location: Norway, Guiding the New World Order
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 09:33
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I liked n008's idea. The wierd thing is, i have thought about something like that before. Though it might be counter-productive since you would constantly be thinking "Don't turn, don't turn!".

@ Zaibatsu

I'd answer yes if i wasn't so mesmerized.

This message was brought to you by Grandma industries.

Making yesterdays games, today!
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MikeS
Retired Moderator
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Location: United States
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 10:28
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Start small and work your way up. Set small goals and rewards yourself as you complete them. Break things down into small more manageable bits, and you'll then you'll see things as they progress.



A book? I hate book. Book is stupid.
(Formerly Yellow)
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Van B
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Location: Sunnyvale
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 10:47
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Agreed, it's easy to get bogged down with the 'big picture'. I tend to start with the very basics, like getting a basic level in place and a character to move around, then keep working on the individual aspects. Once you have the basic ground work, the rest kinda clicks into place. Like when you have your player running around a level, you want to add enemies next so you can get a feel for the game, then you want to kill them so adding a bullet system is a good idea, then when they blow up you want it to look cool so add a particle system.

It's wise to be realistic though, about what you want to do in a single project. I've tried to cover as many bases as possible in my games, so that I have a big library of techniques (not code exactly, I'm more inclined to recode as much as possible) - so when I need to make a particle system, I can do that in the space of a couple of hours because I've done it about a dozen times already.

It's a good idea to make some smaller games, retro is always good fun, the important thing is learning how to do each aspect of a game before you attempt a big project.


less is more, but if less is more how you keeping score?
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BatVink
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Joined: 4th Apr 2003
Location: Gods own County, UK
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 12:45
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Make 2 lists - 1.0 and 1.1. Write your initial idea down on 1.0. When you think of something new once you've started, put it on the 1.1 list, for after 1.0 is complete.

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Fast and Furious
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Location: inside that dog
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 13:47
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thank you all for your ideas

press F5 to release the hounds
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tha_rami
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Joined: 25th Mar 2006
Location: Netherlands
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 13:50
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I kinda do what Van B described, and I can assure you that it works... for me.

I pressed F5, but the hounds are still locked in place...


A mod has been erased by your signature because it was larger than 600x120
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Cash Curtis II
19
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Location: Corpus Christi Texas
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 16:28
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I make lists, short term and long term. The key is I actually do the things on the list.

If your attention span is <=15 minutes your time would probably be better spent playing games rather than trying to make them.


Come see the WIP!
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SpyDaniel
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Location: United Kingdom
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 17:09
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Quote: "If your attention span is <=15 minutes your time would probably be better spent playing games rather than trying to make them."


Or code for 15 minutes then play games and vice visa.

Home Page
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David R
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Location: 3.14
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 18:09
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Quote: "I make lists, short term and long term. The key is I actually do the things on the list."


As do I, although someone told me recently that writing lists is psychologically 'bad' for some reason... dunno why. Oh well, I'm still writing lists - Lists for the win!


09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0
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Michael S
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Posted: 19th Dec 2007 23:02
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Aderol? Stratera? Riddelin???


COME SIGN UP AT [href]www.anime-ego.com[/href]
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NeX the Fairly Fast Ferret
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Location: The Fifth Plane of Oblivion
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 23:06
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Get someone to write a program which flashes the screen random colours for a few seconds every 14 minutes? That might sway your attention back.


Since the other one was scaring you guys so much...
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Fallout
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Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 19th Dec 2007 23:23
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Quote: "Make 2 lists - 1.0 and 1.1. Write your initial idea down on 1.0. When you think of something new once you've started, put it on the 1.1 list, for after 1.0 is complete."


^ I think that's a great idea. I'm exercising that now with my current project, and it seems to be working. I'm pretty much at 1.0. The 1.1 list is pretty big too.

I would also say, when you are deciding on what game to make, your game "world" needs to be small and finite, which will make it easier to fill and complete. Small games that can be made complete very quickly are best, cos you can then ram them full of more and more detail to make them rich, without the task being too much for you.

Also, you can ignore anything Cash says, as he is a superhuman game maker, so any advice he gives only applies to similar game dev superheros, of which there are none.

And finally, if you're struggling to stay engaged enough to make pong, you're screwed, so quit now.


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Insanity Complex
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Posted: 19th Dec 2007 23:39
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Quote: "If your attention span is <=15 minutes your time would probably be better spent playing games rather than trying to make them"


Or your time could be better spent finding ways to control your attention span(music works for me), which is at least somewhat constructive, as compared to playing games, which while they're fun, not so much constructive


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Venge
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Posted: 19th Dec 2007 23:42
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Yea, music is a good way to block out distractions, especially techno/dance music with no/few words.


Modelled and rendered in Blender. Free software ftw.
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demons breath
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Location: Surrey, UK
Posted: 20th Dec 2007 22:22
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Techno? How do you ignore the beats though? I can listen to it when I'm doing things, but sometimes I find that just too distracting. Oh well, at least it's better than country music for when you're trying to concentrate; I always wish I was in some sort of weird old barn dance. Nothing more embarrassing than being caught having a one-man spontaneous hoe-down. Well there are worse things to be caught having, but this is a family forum...

"A West Texas girl, just like me"
-Bush
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bitJericho
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Posted: 21st Dec 2007 06:15
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I think a one-man hoe-down is pretty graphic to begin with :S


My humble little electronic music community site
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Fallout
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Location: Basingstoke, England
Posted: 21st Dec 2007 08:54
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In this day and age, people are desensitized to porn and profanity, but nobody is desensitized to hoe-downs. Therefore, hoe-downs are perhaps the greatest evil of all.


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Van B
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Posted: 21st Dec 2007 09:58
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I wouldn't advise listening to Techno when your trying to work - I mean it's designed to get people motivated to do anything but sit around and code. I suggest some industrial like NiN or Tool, I usually listen to that sort of stuff.


less is more, but if less is more how you keeping score?
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Virtual X
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Posted: 21st Dec 2007 15:34
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New research has proven that learning for 8 minutes then doing something else like a little bit of exercise then doing it all again can have a dramatic improvement.

I personally feel, if you can't concentrate for more than 15 minutes then you need to figure out why you are being distracted? also look at what food you are eating, too many sweets? too much coffee? not enough fruits'n'veg! Diet plays a huge role in productivity!

exercise and good food works for me!
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Insanity Complex
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Posted: 21st Dec 2007 19:07
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Quote: "too much coffee?"


Pardon? This is possible? Oh dear...forget you all, I my coffee


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aluseus GOD
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Joined: 19th Mar 2007
Location: I\'m here. Now I\'m there. I keep moving
Posted: 21st Dec 2007 19:42
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YOU HAVE AN ATTENTION SPAN OF 15 MINUTES?

Lucky you. Mine is literally about a minute. Even when I code, if I'm stuck on a bug, instead of sitting there trying to figure out what it is, I rerun the program every 15 seconds just so something happens.

If I don't get anything done in a minute, I do something else.

alus.portbb.com go there.
Quote: A book. I hate books. book is stupid. I know that I need codes but I dont know the codes -zenicanin14 the 2nd stupidest user in the world
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DB PROgrammer
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Location: Nowhere But Everywhere
Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 09:35
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Hmm. never had this problem my attention span is huge seeing as I have been sitting at this computer for 8 hours straight programming. I find that if I do get board that I might just be able to switch to a different area on the project. Say im programming the A.I. and I get really board I'll go Model somthing or just program a different part of my project. Also, I noticed that there is a alarm clock next to me that has a very loud "Tick Tock" sound...

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Venge
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 15:38
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Oh, that's right. I don't know anything. Please contradict everything I suggest.

Modelled and rendered in Blender. Free software ftw.
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Van B
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 21:12
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Sorry Venge, certainly didn't mean to contradict you - it's a matter of taste I suppose, I never did like techno very much.


less is more, but if less is more how you keeping score?
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Virtual X
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Posted: 22nd Dec 2007 21:34
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Vivaldi is the way to go when coding
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