Haha, management feels like a good word for it sometimes! 
Really, Heart of Battle took about 12-14 months of actual writing time; I just had a hiatus just short of 1.5 yrs, right in the middle of the process. I’m not planning on falling down any stairs in the future, so I actually feel good about writing this one, which is lovely and refreshing!
11 Likes
Oh, I am dying to see your new project! I am sure you will improve a lot.
4 Likes
So, this month of September I plan to celebrate my birthday and release the premise for my story on the Interest thread. I’ve been writing my story on Twine, then I plan to move it to ChoiceScript later on. It was a necessary compromise since I need to visualize the skeleton of the story otherwise I easily get confused. Other than that, I’m having some problems finishing the first chapter because of my brain lacking ideas, but I think going slow and steady is the right way to do it.
10 Likes
If you need bounce ideas or something you can pm me or something. But yeah, slow and steady wins the race
4 Likes
You know it’s a bad deadline when I’m writing almost every day and still don’t meet it! Oughtta give myself a bit of leeway. And keep reducing scope. I’ll let myself have this big chapter, but I’m keeping the rest short until much later in the story. Constant battle with scope.
11 Likes
I feel ya, I’ve passed my self imposed deadline by 1.5 months despite keeping a consistent schedule and still haven’t filled out all of the details that I initially planned.
10 Likes
Next time double that deadline. In fact, quadruple it and deliver early.
6 Likes
Lifehack: If you’re the one setting your deadlines, only set them after you meet them.
8 Likes
I agree, now I only set deadlines when all the heavy lifting is already done and all that’s left is testing and proofreading. During development/writing cycles, I just stick to a regular schedule and get as much done as I can (usually averages to about 15 hours/week).
7 Likes
If are yourself the one setting your time estimated progress. Never call it deadline The whole name is negative and create stress.
It is a estimated value in a diagram. Not something that determines whether your fail or not.
Deadline it is something that a professional outside contract determine and yes, You have to fullfil that. But that is only a commercial thing.
5 Likes
I guess it depends from person to person. Failing something does not have to be something negative, it can be used as a learning opportunity.
For example, if you fail because you did not put in enough time, you can ask yourself why that happened.
Too much irl stuff → scale back the target so you that you don’t burn out
Procrastrination → it could be a discipline issue or maybe the goal was too hard to tackle and needed to be broken into smaller pieces
If you fail despite putting in the time it could also mean a number of things
Scope was too big → reasses if you are willing to put in the time to make the project happen or if it’s better to scale back/ try a different one
Rewriting/ tweaking too much → you should review the core principles/ what you want the game to be and stick to them. Of course, it’s natural to pivot over time if necessary, but when you decide on something stick to it.
Lack of experience → no problem, just write moar 4Head and you will get a feel about how long things should take.
Overall, I think having short/ mid-term goals / deadlines is important because it keeps me in check and gives me a chance to reflect on what I can do better, but I don’t see “failure” as a bad thing in general.
8 Likes
We are different in that regard for me my Failure is real failure. No way to sugarcoat that.
I can try to lie or pretending that there is something positive on it but that is for me a lie. I am bad I am a failure and I have to work hard and tiresly to change that. Until then, Until I have a success I am nobody and I cant expect anyone else value me.
I know that I am hard of myself but this is something I firmly believe. I am working hard to try to be worthy and I know I will someday. I am working for it every day every year.
3 Likes
For what it is worth, I never set deadlines for stories. I set monthly word goals and just trust that the story will probably end eventually if I keep writing enough.
10 Likes
Seems like my project is way more unpopular than I had thought. Massive update, 50k words of new content, and the result was essentially nothing; immediately buried. Hard not to find it discouraging.
10 Likes
@hustlertwo that’s the perk of doing HG as I see it. It’s done when you say it’s done! And not a minute sooner!
@will sorry to hear that. There are so many games being developed these days, I also constantly get the feeling of being buried. I’d be willing to bet many others feel similarly. What’s your new project?
8 Likes
And both of you are known writers with well received hosted in your belts. Imagine how we feel the ones that never published anything and have no imediate waifu or husbando to sell their project.
So many people don’t even trying to write; because they know that wall of nothingness and lack of feedback exists.
I suffered it enough times to trying to do something about it; so my idea for my workshop and my jams started to try to give a pltaform and experience to new people or people that feels their new projects are forgotten.
My ideas are good but sadly I am not a skilled host or writer so I have to apologise to let some of you down.
10 Likes
Also, your update was the same day Samurai of Hyuga Book 5 was released. I am sure eyes that would have normally seen the update were focused on this.
8 Likes
Sorry to hear it. I think that it’s as much the genre as anything, so at least you don’t need to take it personally. Sci-fi with a little bit of mystery is a poisonous concoction for mass appeal here. Just because Lucid made sci-fi (kinda) work on a sales standpoint doesn’t mean the rest of us can. I think some of the success there was a combo of it being his first game in years and a continuation of sorts to the Life of… series already well-established. And even then, it won’t get close to Lost Heir numbers. I love seeing more sci-fi titles out there, but I know you’ll never catch me writing one again. That dog simply refuses to hunt.
@Eric_Moser That’s also a large part of why I’m not interested in shooting for a CoG release on anything. I want to only be worried about letting myself down when a story takes forever to be done. Not missing actual deadlines.
8 Likes
Wait, hold on, which project is this and how come I missed it? The only WIP of this kind I can remember seeing was the one about a research space station (which was also horror), and I know that one wasn’t by @will .
Thanks. I don’t think I’ve seen it before. It’s time for my daily walk, but I’ll give it a gander tonight.
4 Likes
It’s this one
The problem that i hear about it on a few discord servers is that people are worried it’s going to be one of those you have to perfect manage a bunch of stats in order not to get an ending that sucks kind of game
4 Likes