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Geek Culture / the one thing a project needs most

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Teh Go0rfmeister
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 06:02
...and i dont have much of.

do any of you guys/gals have any motivation techniques to get projects/websites done?

if so, please tell me, i really need them.

i keep getting up thinking "ok need to get site done" but then end up playing warcraft, and i really wanna get my site done.

Hamish McHaggis
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 06:05
Place a large bet with someone on whether you will get the project/website done within a specified time period. Preferably make sure you don't have that much money anyway.

Isn't it? Wasn't it? Marvellous!
Mattman
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 06:07
A modellor

"Could you do something where you don't need a video card cause i don't have one" - Program Expert
Teh Go0rfmeister
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 06:10
lol mattman

i like that betting idea- thing is my mates have too much faith in me

CattleRustler
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 07:37
powerful coders?



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MikeS
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 07:49
Quote: "the one thing a project needs most"
is to be/get finished.

No matter what it is, just try to finish it and get it in a finished form.



or Powerful Coders, take your pick.



A book? I hate book. Book is stupid.
(Formerly known as Yellow)
CattleRustler
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 07:57
(you guys got the reference right?)
"great games are made by powerful coders"

...now whos sig was that again...


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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 08:53
Man working on team projects is a bitch. I could probably write a whole book o ranting abou it.

And it's especially hard for me because I'm such a self-critic, that I may get a level done that looks pretty good, but say to myself "No, I'm not satisfied" and start the whole thing over.

I had to remake this *one* hallway 6 times before I was happy. Someone, cure me.



CattleRustler
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 08:55
great work


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Mnemonix
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 08:56
and then u stick a completely white cube in it :-P

Visit the Db chat room, ask me for details!.
Megaton Cat
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 09:24


The cube is just for test purposes to move around the room!

BearCDPOLD
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 13:40
megaton that hallway is a beautiful hallway.

Quote: "do any of you guys/gals have any motivation techniques to get projects/websites done?"

Tell them about all the cool stuff that will happen if you finish the game(exaggerate a little ) but then tell them that if they don't meet their schedule bad things will happen (be sure to give a few nasty examples). Of course that's if they'll fall for it.

Seriously, every project needs more planning.
I forget the place that did it, but some institute did a huge few-year-long study on software development and found that if you do enough planning in a typical 2-year project you should plan (and make some content in the case of games) for 1 year and 9 months, then be able to program it all in 3. This is of course with a full team of programmers and a really smart software architect.

Crazy Donut Productions, Current Project: KillZone
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Dave J
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 16:21
There was an article on this, use the '30 minute rule', you basically work on something for 30 minutes and after that time, you give yourself a reward. So in your case:

Say to yourself, "I'll work on my website for 30 minutes and when the times up then I can play some Warcraft."

30 minutes isn't a long time so it's easier to convince yourself to start and usually once you've started, you want to keep going.


"Computers are useless they can only give you answers."
Van B
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 17:35
I think the key is to keep your mind focussed - like that 30 minute rule is a good idea. I find my brain goes stale when simply sitting and casually working - but seem to get a lot more done when I'm doing umpteen things at once.

Go to McDonalds and get a happy meal!
Honestly, a food break is great for long coding sessions because you tend to want a lot finished before stopping for food, and the happy meal toy is a good distraction. Right now it's little hand held games which are great for whiling away download or loading times. It's not healthy to sit and eat at your PC, so get away from the PC when you want a propper break.

I haven't had any late night coding sessions for a while, I used to think they were how stuff got finished, but I find that if my project is in a good state, like no bugs and making good progress - I want to get up earlier at the weekends to work on it, and the work I do on it is more fruitful. Coding is something that you have to be in the mood for - coding while tired is a very bad idea, your more likely to instigate bugs than make good progress. I usually get to a stage where I give myself a goal - like squash this bug then bed - it can be difficult to find a happy break point that won't leave you wondering what you did last.


Van-B


Muhahahahaha.
Jess T
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 17:45
Great points there Van

Froog,
Also, try to make up a short list of the essentials that NEED to be done to have a fully functional project, but without any bells and whistles.
For example,


Then, once you have that done, and it looks total cr@p and wouldn't win a prize, THEN you move onto something like graphics, or adding that extra function that adds a nice little twist to your project, or making it so that the page loads more efficiently on your website etc.

Basically, desing and then create a BASIC engine that works in it's entirety BEFORE you try to make it look good, or add features to it.



Jess.


Team EOD :: Programmer/Logical Engineer/All-Round Nice Guy
Teh Go0rfmeister
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 18:20
Quote: "There was an article on this, use the '30 minute rule', you basically work on something for 30 minutes and after that time, you give yourself a reward. So in your case:

Say to yourself, "I'll work on my website for 30 minutes and when the times up then I can play some Warcraft."

30 minutes isn't a long time so it's easier to convince yourself to start and usually once you've started, you want to keep going. "



lol in my case i wouldnt help but "play warcraft for 30 mins and then code"

Dave J
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 19:02
Quote: "lol in my case i wouldnt help but "play warcraft for 30 mins and then code""


That's called procrastination, the point is to 'suffer' for 30 minutes and then reward yourself. By doing it the other way around you're achieving nothing because you'll get side-tracked.


"Computers are useless they can only give you answers."
Teh Go0rfmeister
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 22:14
mmr: i wanna get the site done b4 the project, so then i dont have anything to worry about, since once a websites done it takes 2 seconds to update

BatVink
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 23:46
One word...milestones.

If you set achievable milestones, life becomes so much easier.

COMPLETE PROJECT

is a killer, and totally unachievable. The project will change constantly, and never be completed.

Break it down in to manageable chunks:

manageable chunks are good
acheivable milestones which creates motivation each time you reach one
focus...you will want to stick with one task, so as to reach the milestone, and be motivated!
Additional tasks become new chunks, and are easily prioritised
Version 1 and Version 2 are easily divided into must haves (V1) and nice-to-haves (V2)

BatVink
http://biglaugh.co.uk/catalog AMD 3000+ Barton, 512Mb Ram, 120 Gig Drive space, GeForce 5200 FX 128 Mb, Asus A7N8X Mobo.
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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 23rd Jul 2004 23:52 Edited at: 23rd Jul 2004 23:53
Well okay I'll cough up *some* advice.

1)Keep your team AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE. This is importent.

2) Try to do as much of the work as hummenly possible BY YOURSELF.
(e.g don't ask for coders, 3d artists, and tell them you'll just supervise)

3) Shut that damn computer off boy! No, I'm not kidding. To help yourself plan, it's alot easier to get it down on paper. No one wants to sit on thier computer for hours staring at a open Notepad document. Write random ideas down on a peice of paper, and then retype it on your PC to create a design document.

4) Try to have as much of the nessasary tools ready before you start on your project. It's a real pain to go halfway through the coding and then discover that you don't have any level design tools (or any skill to use them in that case)

5) "Cut the fake company junk" as Rich says it. It wont make you look proffesional for long. That's right, you don't have to look proffesional by putting ©, ®, tm after every inch of your work. Just a clean modest site, and a good forum attitude is all it takes. (Most of us lack the forum "attutude" stuff )

anyway, I can't think of anymore now. I'm gona go have breakfast.

Teh Go0rfmeister
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Posted: 24th Jul 2004 00:42
1) my team is just me n jrowe
2) hes on holiday so im by myself for 3 weeks
3)on my shelf behind me is 10 A4- sides of paper with ideas for the rpg we're starting on as soon as patch 6 comes out
4)next to me is my pc tool kit with a hammer, few screwdrivers etc, pleanty of tools- j/k- between us, me n jrowe have evrything we need.
5)isnt it illegal to do so unless it is legally registered/trademarked/copyrighted anyway?

BatVink
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Posted: 24th Jul 2004 01:13
Quote: "isnt it illegal to do so unless it is legally registered/trademarked/copyrighted anyway?"


Sole Trader / Partnership doesn't have to be registered. It's up to you to complete a self assessment each year. You will, however, have to have a bank account, and the bank will expect a business plan.

Copyright isn't something that has to be registered, it an "after the event" concept that allows you to kick ass if someone blatantly steals your work.

BatVink
http://biglaugh.co.uk/catalog AMD 3000+ Barton, 512Mb Ram, 120 Gig Drive space, GeForce 5200 FX 128 Mb, Asus A7N8X Mobo.
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Megaton Cat
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Posted: 24th Jul 2004 02:21
Quote: "5)isnt it illegal to do so unless it is legally registered/trademarked/copyrighted anyway?"


No it's not illigal. It just ticks people off.

CattleRustler
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Posted: 24th Jul 2004 03:31
you cant take copyright infringement action against someone unless you then register the copyright, at least in US law


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zircher
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Posted: 24th Jul 2004 03:40
My method is to maintain a to-do/milestone list in a sturdy notebook that I take everywhere. I jot down ideas, features, whatever strikes my fancy and I do not want to forget. I review the list daily to keep things fresh and I decide what I want to finish today. If I have something like a 'complete project' item, I'll break that down into a page of smaller snack sized items to do.

In addition to the list, I also jot down story boards, game design brain storming sessions, whatever I want to keep and review. It's tough (wire bound with heavy plastic cover pages), portable, permanent, and does not need batteries. It's very handy when I'm away from the computer.
--
TAZ

History did not begin with PONG. -- Greg Costikyan

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BearCDPOLD
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Posted: 24th Jul 2004 04:17
Milestones are great.
Also Froogle, I'm guessing you and jrowe live near each other and probably swap between houses every few nights so you can work together and coordinate easier. Everybody I have on my team lives within a 20 minute driving distance of me to make things simpler. Whenever you're doing something with another person it's a heck of a lot easier to slack off and flip on the xbox for "just a second". Before you ever start anything, talk a little bit (15 mins max), about what you want to accomplish in the evening. Put it in order easiest to do at top, hardest to do at bottom, and put it in notepad. We always just leave the notepad running whatever apps we may be running on the computer since it doesn't take much to run.
Milestones come in varying sizes.

Crazy Donut Productions, Current Project: Project Starbuks
Sony stole our name!
Teh Go0rfmeister
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Posted: 24th Jul 2004 19:24 Edited at: 24th Jul 2004 19:26
no-one lives near us- at least not that i know of- maybe i'll ask if neone in the team requests is from nearby. been looking for someone in our area for a while now.

me n jrowe have known each other for 5 yrs now- we're old school buddies

CattleRustler
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Posted: 24th Jul 2004 21:54
our team spans three continents so a 20 minute drive is out of the question, sadly


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Pazza
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Posted: 26th Jul 2004 08:09 Edited at: 26th Jul 2004 08:09
one thing that motivates me is loud music, just stick your fav CD on and then get working as long as you know what you want to do i find it helps my concentration.

"Bite my shiny metal ass!" - Bender
HZence
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Posted: 26th Jul 2004 08:31
Don't do the menu first.

I've heard of very few programmers into game development who finish the game after doing the menu first. If you can do it, more power to ya, but I don't recommend it for the following reasons:

1. A menu is supposed to give your end-users control over your game. A lot can change over a few months of design, and you don't know what new features you're going to end up adding. Thus, leave the menu alone, until last.
2. If you're like me, you'll get fascinated by the menu, keep playing with it over and over, get bored of it, and thus get bored of the game.

My 200 and a half cents.


Team EOD :: Programmer/Storyboard Assistant
Teh Go0rfmeister
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Posted: 26th Jul 2004 20:14
i established that after my compo entry

ok today i WILL get the login script done.

and then im gonna get the database for members done.

and then im gonna.... play some total war

and then... umm... start learning flash- which i hav 2 days to do

Ilya
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Posted: 28th Jul 2004 06:30
Megaton, you might be able to sell that to microsoft and they'll put it in Halo2 and you will make a lot of money.

-Ilya
Teh Go0rfmeister
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Posted: 28th Jul 2004 06:34
have i got either done? no lol, as soon as i got out of bed yesterday and today i had mates comin round for the whole day. sigh. ill see what i can get done tomorrow tho

Rye
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Posted: 28th Jul 2004 07:21
Get one of those shock therapy machines with a mates finger on the button.
Three Score
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Posted: 28th Jul 2004 11:31
i wish i would have read this thread before i started my project it would have really help me especially the menu tip
cause i spent 2 days designing the menu then started on the actual code and figured out i couldn't do a lot of stuff i started out going to have about 13 items on my menu now it is only 8

Sir Spaghetti Code
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Posted: 28th Jul 2004 11:43
If I really need to do something, I always make myself not play any games before I do it. ESPECIALLY online games lol.

"What? It's already 4a.m.? When did that happen?!?"

Fraggles where quite the scary lot...
mr dr
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Posted: 28th Jul 2004 12:06
for websites, you can get free templates. or use them until you create your own.

[href]www.bcgames.dbspot.com[/href]
Sparda
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Posted: 30th Jul 2004 00:36
My teams spans from the west coast to the Netherlands. Yep
No 20 min drive there.

If you're going to listen to music, I always wear headphones. It's blocks out all the other noise and kinda puts you in your own little world.

gl and hf

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