I have a fascinating idea for a totally new game and I love it and I want to start writing it.
The problem is, I am already neck-deep in design work for a game that is maybe 1/10th done.
How have you handled similar problems? Should I try to ignore it while I focus on finishing my main project? Write it as a short story, stick it on a shelf, and pick it back up later? Code whatever the hell I feel like and risk not finishing anything, or not for a lot longer than I wanted?
I feel like it’s a Sophie’s Choice moment, and the new game is only a baby, and the even newer one was barely just conceived. What do I do??
Write down the great idea for the new game on paper, spend about an hour or so jotting down all of the details and brainstorming all your ideas regarding it and then put it aside. Concentrate on your current project. You don’t want to handle things the way I did because that is just getting easily distracted by every idea and never getting anything finished at all.
Some people can juggle making more than one game at once. It’s probably best not to to begin with though.
I do have a history of not finishing things. I have about a third of a sci-fi dating sim CSI game sitting in a box. That’s one reason I’ve been trying to push myself to keep up the momentum on Monster High.
Keep writing Monster High! People are interested in it. Finishing is such an important skill. The other ideas will be there once you’re done and I’ll bet you’ll have thought of other great ones too by the time you’re done.
I echo the opinions of the others. It is incredibly difficult just to get one game to completion.
Some authors here are able to multitask (@JimD and @Cataphrak come to mind) but I think they are in the minority. On the other side, there are hundreds of WIPs that were never finished.
I hope you stick with the monsters. I’d like to really dig into it in March.
Here is the thing… if you focus on only one it can help you to be motivated to finish it so you can work on other ideas when you are finished with that one. So I would just stick to one…if you keep bouncing around on projects, you will never finish anything.
I agree with everyone else, but also think you should try writing a bit of it and see how you feel about it. Sometimes your new ideas become more enjoyable (and easier) for you to work on, plus you’re never obligated to work on any one project.
Basically write what you want to write, don’t worry so much about finishing.
But I do get the problem of having a lot of ideas that you like… I have that problem too and keep wanting to change what I am writing, but I finally settled on one and will get to the others after :] the best thing you can do to help your writing interest not to shift too much is write your ideas for other games but don’t think about them yet till you do write them .because thinking about new exciting ideas can cause you to have less interest in the one you are working on now. so just keep focused :] and good luck!
also… I would pick the one that you have most constructed in your mind. and then when you are going to edit your finished work go ahead and start letting your mind drift away to new exciting ideas!
“Multitask” is a bit of a misnomer in my case. I don’t work on two projects at once so much as I set one project aside entirely and work on another. That’s basically what I did with Guns of Infinity while working on The Hero of Kendrickstone.
I’d personally recommend on working on one project, and finishing it until you move onto the next.
Yes. Yes it is. 