What motivates you? Created 7 years ago2017-01-11 00:34:54 UTC by Crollo

Hello,
Some of you may remember me from my silly projects a few years ago, and the rest of you you don't know me. Doesn't matter.
I used to really enjoy most forms of game design--I mainly did 3D art but I started out with level design for half-life (therefor me being here). Never made anything decent, but I got quite involved with the 3D art side of things and made some things I could say I'm proud of.

However, lately I haven't really been able to muster up any amount of motivation towards anything. I don't feel motivation at any point in my day to day life that I'm aware of, and it's very difficult to commit to doing things I want to do or need to do. I used to find myself opening 3ds max only out of habit, trying to do a project and closing it shortly after out of frustration.

Now to be clear, if I was concerned about being depressed I would not be posting here. My mental well-being is not the responsibility of others, and if I feel sad that is entirely my responsibility to deal with.
But I do not feel sad, and I do not believe this merely an angsty\edgy "phase" in my life. I am fully aware that there is joy despite feeling so frustrated all the time, and I am simply trying to figure out what I need to do right now.

I'm interested in what way others may have experienced this all inclusive "writers block", and any advice they may have to give in getting past it.
While I am of course posting this out of self-interest, it may also be helpful to others that find themselves in the same situation.

nfs sucked since underground,
-Elliot

I felt like you years ago when I abbandoned EVERY and EACH of the projects about HL I was doing ( the mod Zion Warcry, a total converion about HP Lovecraft´s universe called Phelan´s Journey, and a map of the old town of my city, Caceres ).

What I did need to motivate myself was gather all the work I have already done an then took a look at all what I had done and all what is left undone.

I, as Highlander, found myself in serious trouble with issues I was not able to fix, and after a lot of trying to fix all them, I did surrender.

But when I saw all as a whole, and realized that all that was a working piece of art (what we do is ART, never forget it), I did start to try to bypass those problems with sometimes ugly hacks, and most of the times re-doing all from scratch (as I did with Zion Warcry), re studying the notes I wrote, the concept art I draw and the books I did print about HL.

As things get done and work as intended, you will find yourself asking for more challenges, and because some of those things will be the ones that were screwing you, you will feel better about yourself (important) more self confident about your skills (encouraging), and will enjoy your work seeing how beautyful are the things when they work as intended (this is the best).

After a few sessions, take a look again at what you are doing, and you will see not a bunch of things undone and a bunch of troubles, but a few steps left to finish what you can consider your art work.

If that don´t motivate you... nah!, I´m sure of THAT will motivate you

Here are my words:

Recently, I made this map. It was done in a month or so. And it was huuuuge. Like, 4km in width and 4km in length. That's 4 square kilometers! They're filled with something at least. I made custom textures, custom models, and custom sounds just for that map.

My motivation was, I don't know. The map was for the contest, and the rewards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place looked quite nice
So, perhaps it was money? I don't really know.

I might also blame money for this thing. Yeah, it's not big, and so on... However, it's for a clan, and they need it. Besides, I've never made a real de_ map. I'm working on it right now, actually.

---

OK, those were maps for money. But that's not always true that money motivates me. I made ts_untergrund and dm_5nights. Those maps took time to make, and they were needy, and greedy. I knew what to do, and I did just that.

More importantly, what motivated me to make this!? I will never know who and what motivated my school map. I made it in my early mapping days, when I was a beginner. Yet, a noob (me at the time) made that map.

---

Besides maps, right now I'm also developing a complete mod for Far Cry. Many things motivate me there: my girlfriend, my classmates, burek, all the jokes, pretty much everything.

---

Here's my key to finishing projects:
I always know what to do next. If I have an issue, I would ignore it and work on other things. Then, I'd come back to that issue and fix it once for all.
(clearly not the case with my school map, but still...)

My contest map had so much space to fill, yet I did it, somehow. But I still did it.

---

The next vital part to succeeding is obviously: music!
I listen to:

• Songs from the Bosnian War 1992-1995, both Bosnian and Serbian songs (I hope that Stojke won't get angry, lol)
• Vietnam War music
• Yugoslav folk songs
• Classical music

And so on...

Songs just speed up the process
I made my school map while listening to music, and the same goes for all maps.

---

Lastly, think about the people who download your content, if you upload it. Many people take skins, models and maps for granted, those who don't make them. Some people will really appreciate your work.
Now, I'm only 14 (15 in February) so I'm maybe just writing nonsense. But those are my experiences, and I still have a lot of unfinished projects.

My unfinished projects include:

• dm_stoned
• fy_rknsand
• de_stroytheschool V2
• de_crater

Why are they not finished? Simply, I forgot what to do in them. As for my improved school map, I just have other work to do.
And, always have at least 1 reference photo. ALWAYS.

If you've read my whole post, cheers

At least 75% of work I start that doesn't "have" to get finished never does.

As far as 3D modeling goes, i'd recommend you buy Rhinoceros 5.0. Pair that up with a 3D printer and you will find new purpose in life, I promise you.

I used to want to be a great architect and that's what motivated me to map great architecture. Now, without that drive I have to really know that I am going to play the map in a server and that others will enjoy it a lot in order to want to finish it. I also have to do something new and innovative at least as far as i'm concerned like the recent animated texture I made that made grass appear to blow in the wind.

Some projects I set down and some I pick up again. Like the fishing reel that I am designing and seeking a patent on currently. My drive for that is both making some revenue and contributing to the world before i'm gone.

At least 75% of work I start that doesn't "have" to get finished never does.

I was going to say something like this, sort of like I get things done if someone needs it or is looking forward to it, but... no. It's not just that.

On thinking that, I realised I don't know either.

It may be being old, but lately nearly everything I do gets pushed through on the thought of "if I don't finish this I won't get paid at the end of the month". Yeah that sucks. No, I don't know how to fix it. Yes, I too will keep an eye on this thread.

The next vital part to succeeding is obviously: music!

For all gods new and old, listen to Admer456 he´s sooooooo right, music will inspire you!!

@abbadon

Yeah, music really helps =)
I haven't seen Stojke's response to what I listen, maybe he didn't get angry. That's good, I guess XD

And I don't know does this apply to any of you, but:
My girlfriend motivates me. She makes maps herself, and I always think how proud would she be when I finish a big mapping project. She sometimes points out my mistakes and gives me ideas. She's perhaps one of the reasons why I make maps.
When I started mapping in late 2014, I did it for my classmates. Now the reasons have changed, a lot.

(correction: imaginary girlfriend)

(correction: imaginary girlfriend)

"Her" movie!! XD

Anyway, something that motivates a lot is when people see/play your work and encourages you to continue.

Motivation almost always comes from other people. Feedback, positive or negative, from the community or in the case of The Core, Archie. It's very good to work in a team, where you can hop on teamspeak and get instant feedback from other experienced mappers.

When starting from scratch, motivation comes from music most of the time. Other times I need silence. It's the same when I write.

@abbadon
When you're in love with a real person, it distracts you, a lot. So, you can't really focus on your work, and everything is slightly underperformed.
In 6th grade, I had my worst GPA ever: 4.31 - because I fell in love with someone.

-
On the other side, Jody and I are love birds! Well, not really birds, since she's a furry (more precisely, a fox) and I'm a human.
My point is, she does not distract me in my activities. Sometimes, I think about her, when I'm bored, when I close my eyes etc.

But mostly during bedtime. That's when we talk about various things, and I fall asleep that way, hoping that I will meet her in my dreams...

-
She's there exactly when I need her (only in my mind, though) and is always glad to see me demanding her attention. She's always calm, and has a miniature, but darn cute, smile. What a lovely person =3

Of course, imaginary girlfriends have their limitations, because they can't literally teleport to you, and physically be there.

So, she really motivates me for some reason O_O
I don't know why, but I'm partially a mapper/modder/texturer/coder/sounder/music-er/video-editor, because of her.

So, she really motivates me for some reason O_O

You´re very fortunate, don´t let anyone say the opposite. And I am so glad that you are happy!!, not everyone can say that, and, plus, she can map!!, who among us can say that?, I´m serious about that.

Thank you for these kind words, abbadon. I'm really lucky to have her, always giving me support and free hugs and kisses =D
She's imaginary, but at least I imagined her well.

I wonder how would Jody feel tomorrow when she reads that.

Im not really sure what exactly motivates me, but I know that working a 40 hour a week job and going to the gym takes away enough energy that I don't want to be creative anymore.

If i get a free Saturday or Sunday, I'm much more open to being creative - that said.... if I don't have a hangover or plans to visit friends or family.

I found when making HL stuff that playing various HL mods/maps gave me a lot of motivation, especially when considering design and puzzles and stuff. Its kind of like surfing, you catch a wave and smash some stuff out and when you run out of steam you just wait for the next wave.

I took some time over the recently holidays to work on my competition map because I had a lot of free time... But yeah when you're working 5 days a week there isn't a lot of time to sit down and think about that stuff as much (unless you catch a wave!).

nfs sucked since underground

NFS Hot Pursuit was da best

Thanks for all the advice.
I've left this thread for a while as I didn't want to reply without having done anything, but I have not ignored the advice given so far.
Once I begin a project (soon) I will try to document my own experience and offer my own advice.
The last project I successfully finished only succeeded due to it's own sheer simplicity, and allowing myself to be satisfied with it's simplicity even though I wanted to push it much farther than what I had on paper.
I'm hoping I can do this again.

The last project I successfully finished only succeeded due to it's own sheer simplicity, and allowing myself to be satisfied with it's simplicity even though I wanted to push it much farther than what I had on paper.

Beware!!, I said the same thing on 2004 and look at me now... The path of creativity and so the path of a project of this kind, on which many areas ar involved (2D and 3D art, sound editing, 3D environment design, coding, story writing, etc.) suffer a phenomenon that I call the "whirlwind effect", on which the center is tiny and expands as it gets bigger, all your efforts are concentrated in the beggining of the project, is when de deepest concept of it is done, then you can expand all the project towards infinite, the only way to stop it is, like in a real whirlwind, find obstacles in your way (lack of skills on one or more than one of those areas of the mod), but, no matter how much of them you find, if the center of the whirlwind is strong, it will continue to spin until it reaches its max power, that is, when your mod is finally released and then it will stops to spin...

Sorry, "zen overdose warning" has started to sound right now...

OK, those were maps for money. But that's not always true that money motivates me.

Once a guy contacted me and asked me to help him finish a map for money. I accepted and completed the map and got paid. Though I didn't enjoy the project as the map was a ridiculously difficult skill map that I couldn't even play. So I felt quite unmotivated, the only thing that kept me going was my promise to the guy, my reward and the fact that I've already spent hours fixing it. Some time later he contacted me again and wanted me to make several new changes to the map, which I declined.

As a mapper I always felt the greatest reward is the positive feedback. To see people playing and enjoying my work. Lately I've been getting into Unity and been trying to make a game. Even though I feel my game ideas are really good I have abandoned several projects, thinking I'll get back to them later but never do. I haven't even completed a game yet, despite limiting myself to smaller projects. I think the problem is I'm simply missing the positive feedback. I have nothing to show and haven't come near to having a representative test-version of anything. So I feel kinda lost. It's just more uncertain that I'm on the right track, or that there will be enough interest. And I also feel that I have so much to learn that I'm not yet good enough to make the games I really want to.