Hey guys, with the jam starting soon I thought I’d type up some tips that might be useful for new devs and new jammers! A month can simultaneously sound like a lot of time and no time at all, so here are some ways to plan out your time to help streamline your work and give you more direction.
Define your goal.
Use clear language to visualize what your project will be by the end of the jam. Refer back to this to make sure the work you are doing during the jam supports your goal.
Break your goal down into actionable tasks.
Consider the necessary steps and components to achieve your goal. Try to make these as concrete as possible. For example say: “Implement 1 melee weapon, 1 ranged weapon, and 1 grenade.” Avoid vague tasks like “Complete the weapon system”, because this can lead to continuously adding “just 1 more change” and taking up way more time than you intended.
Organize your tasks.
Mentally walk through a session of your project and take note of what parts depend on each other. This is so you can plan out the foundation first then build on top of it, and avoid roadblocks where you need to switch gears to build something you didn't realize you needed. Designate the priority of your tasks, which are mandatory, which are optional to successfully complete your goal. From there try to estimate how long each will take. Always leave some extra time in your budget, more often than not things take longer than expected or life gets in the way! Also in the event that you need to cut some things, you will have already determined what was optional.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
There is nothing worse for productivity than being tired, burnt out, unhealthy etc. Don’t push yourself to work through every free moment you have! Try to keep a regular routine, make dinner at a regular time, get some time away from your computer, take a day off from it each week. It will help keep you fresh and energized.
With all that said, it’s still a jam for you! Be kind to yourself, and you can be flexible. Things change, sometimes you realize a core idea just doesn’t fit anymore or real life obligations popped up. It’s ok to adjust your plans, or not hit your mark! At the very least you will have made progress and hopefully learned something along the way. (And there’s always next year’s FFSJam :D)