Burnout Blog
by Will O-Reagan · 03/16/2011 (2:39 pm) · 4 comments
Recently I have finished a game, which has been released as a TorqueX title, I will not mention the name because I don't want this blog to come up when people search for my game per se, but damn, I will be surprised if some of you don't know what unmentionable game I created.
We have all heard about the problems of engineering, and how scope creep can kill a project, and feature cutting can be painful. But why is it that these things end up taking such a large toll at the end of a project. Is it the coffee, the 12 hour days, the pressure of realizing that you are quickly becoming not only the only engineer, but also the only designer, writer and Q/A guy, as flakes fall off the train. Everyone always seems so motivated when a project starts, but when it comes time for doing work, and looking at deadlines, I always thought it would be natural to work 40+ hour weeks. But I digress.. because really, if I thought I could not manage the project, I would never have started it!
So what happens after you have done this fantastic thing, moved mountains, or stormed the breech? You would think a few day's of rest would be enough, but there you may be wrong. Along come headaches, and tiredness, and more lazyness then before you ever started the project. You would think all this heavy lifting would put you in good shape, but it has not. Your brain has fired itself into oblivion, and though your design patterns may stay good and true, your ability to push keys and create has diminished. Creative energy needs input, and you are fresh out of output.
So what to do, all these projects you thought you would have time for, and the documentation you once thought would be important, becomes so unbearably laughable, you think someone could probably start a theme park titled "Documentation Land".
In essence, you are in a mode of zero output, and you look in wide eyed amazement at the wonders people continue to produce. Gosh, I really do appreciate THEM now, look at what they are doing, how do they do it!!
So you continue to do the easiest things, check e-mail, check twitter, check every link posted on twitter.. tweet more... play video games, for days..? What the hell, I'm supposed to be the one pulling the strings here, and I've logged (X inappropriate hours) on this!
Creative ideas, big troublesome ones pile up...
Birds vs Honey Badgers - The new Tower Defense game!
Sling Shot-Cat !
And the list goes on..
Anyways... I'm new to this.. headaches.. tiredness.. its a month since publishing (game I will not mention), and still don't feel that spark to get things going...
Oh yeah.. and while I was dealing with all this.. I made this.
That took about 30 minutes a day, and just can't wait till I'm putting down those 12 hour days again.
We have all heard about the problems of engineering, and how scope creep can kill a project, and feature cutting can be painful. But why is it that these things end up taking such a large toll at the end of a project. Is it the coffee, the 12 hour days, the pressure of realizing that you are quickly becoming not only the only engineer, but also the only designer, writer and Q/A guy, as flakes fall off the train. Everyone always seems so motivated when a project starts, but when it comes time for doing work, and looking at deadlines, I always thought it would be natural to work 40+ hour weeks. But I digress.. because really, if I thought I could not manage the project, I would never have started it!
So what happens after you have done this fantastic thing, moved mountains, or stormed the breech? You would think a few day's of rest would be enough, but there you may be wrong. Along come headaches, and tiredness, and more lazyness then before you ever started the project. You would think all this heavy lifting would put you in good shape, but it has not. Your brain has fired itself into oblivion, and though your design patterns may stay good and true, your ability to push keys and create has diminished. Creative energy needs input, and you are fresh out of output.
So what to do, all these projects you thought you would have time for, and the documentation you once thought would be important, becomes so unbearably laughable, you think someone could probably start a theme park titled "Documentation Land".
In essence, you are in a mode of zero output, and you look in wide eyed amazement at the wonders people continue to produce. Gosh, I really do appreciate THEM now, look at what they are doing, how do they do it!!
So you continue to do the easiest things, check e-mail, check twitter, check every link posted on twitter.. tweet more... play video games, for days..? What the hell, I'm supposed to be the one pulling the strings here, and I've logged (X inappropriate hours) on this!
Creative ideas, big troublesome ones pile up...
Birds vs Honey Badgers - The new Tower Defense game!
Sling Shot-Cat !
And the list goes on..
Anyways... I'm new to this.. headaches.. tiredness.. its a month since publishing (game I will not mention), and still don't feel that spark to get things going...
Oh yeah.. and while I was dealing with all this.. I made this.
That took about 30 minutes a day, and just can't wait till I'm putting down those 12 hour days again.
About the author
I have a degree in dramatic art, and literature, from UC Santa Barbara. I've worked for a few studios, also at Animax Ent in 2008, and some smaller studios. Currently studying Computer Science at CSU Channel Islands.
#2
03/16/2011 (8:26 pm)
Steve's absolutely correct, after you complete a huge project, you should definitely chill out out for a while and not even think about game development. I used to not even let myself turn on my PC after a project was released for an entire week. Though I always found it difficult to step away, but there is plenty of beer out there. MMMmmm.. Beer and Bioware RPGs, thats a win win and Dragon Age II just came out. Just play videogames for a change, then just being apart from your machine for a while will drive you crazy and at the end of the week you'll be jacked about getting started on a new project.
#3
03/16/2011 (10:16 pm)
Thanks, you guy's make great points! Especially the beer part. 
#4
I'm so freaking burnt out. The solution is to take a few days and drink beer and do nothing. etc.... Problem is I work every day. When I get home I work all night. I work all weekend. and then there's the wife and kid who want my free time (all 30 seconds per day).
Sooner or later I'm just gonna implode.
(Sounds like you just did, let me know how your recovery works out)
03/17/2011 (9:13 am)
I feel your pain man.I'm so freaking burnt out. The solution is to take a few days and drink beer and do nothing. etc.... Problem is I work every day. When I get home I work all night. I work all weekend. and then there's the wife and kid who want my free time (all 30 seconds per day).
Sooner or later I'm just gonna implode.
(Sounds like you just did, let me know how your recovery works out)
Associate Steve Acaster
[YorkshireRifles.com]
Y'know, sit round the pool, slurp on the Margarittas, recharge the batteries. Then make a full creative assault on Honey Badgers From Uranus versus The Man of The Hound of The Baskervilles.