Okay. I think I begin to see your problem. Have you ever participated in one of the contests here before? Or somewhere else? I think you need to have a bit more fun doing this. Allow me to explain my own work schedule for you. If I decide to work on my game for the day, I give myself one goal to accomplish. If I don't accomplish that, then I move on to something else for the game, or I take a break. My priorities generally go like this.
Graphics, code, music. They may be switched around a bit depending on what my mood is, but that is how I operate. While working on my other project, I was always worried about graphics. I would go to a crit site and post about every other work that I 'finished'. Get advice, and try to change it. I think your getting too 'hung up' on one aspect of the project and not focusing on the others. I believe, since your happy with the music for now, it is how the game will look and perform. Okay, we got that settled. If you have a performance issue that you don't like, which, imo, wasn't any in the build I played, try and focus one day or a couple of hours on it. Set a watch/alarm if you have to. When your time is up, stop. That's it.
That's all the time you have to work on that one thing. Then look at your list, pick something from it, and then work on that. You said that your project is getting too large for you. You have two other team members right? Use them. I don't have any other members for my contest game, but I would use them for something. Maybe animation, maybe some gui, maybe a level design or two. Use your members to cut down on the work load. Use gwerdy if you have to to communicate. Tell them you want x done by Y and that's all the time they have. No more, no less. It's like asking for crit on pixel art. Sometimes you have to not ask and simply practice and finish. I knew that if I asked for crit on my project, I'd never get it done by the deadline.
Now I have some okay looking graphics, a good engine, and a few good soundtracks. It's okay to stop once in awhile, and focus on another area. Stop, focus, stop, refocus, stop, focus, etc. I will try to try out this build, since I haven't seen the latest yet. So, try and get a schedule, and chill with it for a little bit.
(Sorry for the wall of text.) Comment edited by Xhunterko on 10/7/2009
Believe me I have tried to get other people to help me out and lighten my own personal workload. I've got a good handful of testers, but as far as actual help with design aspects and other project responsibilities, I'm really on my own.
I'm going to really try to set specific, targeted goals each time I sit down to work on Fangame, as you suggested. Part of my personal problem is that I'm a perfectionist, and so if I notice something [not in my goal] along the way, it's really hard for me to not address it immediately
Anyway... it is encouraging to me that you care enough to spend so much time on your comment. Thanks!
I will be posting builds a little more frequently, but a lot more casually (if that makes any sense).
PS: "lease" is my wife and I just added her to the project team for fun. She can't really do much. Arkhanno, on the other hand, is my top tester and forum administrator. He helps lighten the workload by helping me manage the forum and performing some tedious tasks in that area sometimes. I appreciate that.
I now also have a beta team coordinator, whose primary job is to recruit and manage the members of the beta testing team. Additionally, I have been talking to another person on the beta team who has shown interest in helping with level design, which should help out a lot.
One problem with "getting others to help" is that even if I find some people willing to help, and even trying, they often may not be able to meet standards or requirements, so in truth it isn't helpful at all.
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