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Making a game without inspiration or even liking it

A topic by Maidelen created Jun 21, 2024 Views: 313 Replies: 6
Viewing posts 1 to 7
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Media that are popular and financially successful are made by people that admits that they did for did it and not necessarily like it. Plenty of times, and just recently, I wanted to do something just, because it has posibilites of be liked for more people. I can't finish the VN I was doing for a jam, because it can't even reach the middle of the script without feeling like I was making a stale bread. In the case that you made and finish something just for making it, how did you feel about that?

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While I think that there's nothing really wrong with making something to appeal to others, and not yourself, I could see it as devastating if you make a game that appeals to others, but not yourself, and others end up not liking it.

So I try to make the projects I make, projects that I also at least somewhat like, as well.

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I did receive commission to make games which I didn't play so it felt kinda bland. But still, I did test it so it's balanced and good enough for me.

However, I did make game that I don't quite like it (and not paid also) and ended up ditching it. It was good experience though and I've salvaged good parts from the game.

TLDR, unless you have good reason to, I highly suggest that you don't make a game that you don't like.

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I’ve done it before and have no qualms doing it if it’s a paid gig. It’s expected that not all jobs are gonna hit your interests, after all.

But if money’s not changing hands, I’m not gonna bother. I’d rather spend that time on projects I’m actually passionate about.

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Can't argue that logic (I mean, I 'could', but aside from entertaining you, what would it serve?).  I find myself in the same boat.  The bigger problem I have is finding a paid project, at all.

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In the case that you made and finish something just for making it, how did you feel about that?

It is the feeling of finishing unfinished business.

But this is hobby we are talking about. If it is not fun to you, you should change something. Overcoming the challenge of finishing it, can be fun of it's own kind, of course.

I could probably do it if I was paid to do so, since that would make it indistinguishable from what I do for my day job. But for personal projects, there's no way I could ever summon the motivation to finish it if I wasn't deeply passionate about it. There's just too much time and effort involved.