fmponeJoin Date: 2011-07-05Member: 108086Members, Squad Five Blue
Part of making a map is about having the mental strength to do other stuff, and not consider it abandoning your project. Get in shape, watch films, listen to music, hang out with friends and family, play other games. You got into NS2 mapping because you found it interesting or it filled a void, worst case scenario, simply wait for that ambition in you to come back again.
It's always peaks and valleys, the key is deciding early on that you're gonna stick it out and make a map.
<!--quoteo(post=1946053:date=Jun 23 2012, 11:52 PM:name=zombiehellmonkey)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (zombiehellmonkey @ Jun 23 2012, 11:52 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1946053"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Not much motivation for creating mods for NS2 at the moment.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Every time I think like that, I always look back and count up the amount of time (in hours, sometimes days) I've spent on the project, and how much of my time I would be wasting if I abandon the project. Usually, that alone puts me back on track.
I don't have a happy duck, but this always cheers me up: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e79SuHotazs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e79SuHotazs</a>
hookeyedJoin Date: 2007-08-26Member: 62011Members, Squad Five Blue
You've forgotten why you started. Why you're here in the first place. <!--coloro:#FF8C00--><span style="color:#FF8C00"><!--/coloro--><b>This is supposed to be fun</b><!--colorc--></span><!--/colorc-->, before everything else. If you aren't being stimulated by your work, if you're stuck forcing yourself to think of interesting geometry, then step out of the project for as long as you need.
I've been working on Tengu for a year and a half, I've remade the same rooms over and over. Sometimes it feels like I haven't made any progress. Sometimes I get hung up on my lack of skill relative to others, but then I remember that they worked really f**king hard to get there. This is a mammoth task, to make a map like this that you can be proud of. If it was easy then it wouldn't really be worth it, don't you think?
Remember, you have to keep things fun. If you dont then you will fall out of love with your map and it will surely perish. My only other tip is look through massive quantities of concept art, build yourself a folder of it. Look at that folder when you're running dry on ideas, use the creativity of others to get your spark going again.
<!--quoteo(post=1946141:date=Jun 23 2012, 02:53 PM:name=fmpone)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (fmpone @ Jun 23 2012, 02:53 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1946141"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Part of making a map is about having the mental strength to do other stuff, and not consider it abandoning your project. Get in shape, watch films, listen to music, hang out with friends and family, play other games. You got into NS2 mapping because you found it interesting or it filled a void, worst case scenario, simply wait for that ambition in you to come back again.
It's always peaks and valleys, the key is deciding early on that you're gonna stick it out and make a map.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Unaware of zombiehellmonkey's reasons, but I can certainly sympathise. I think I'm going to drop all work related to NS2 until it has been released, and reassess from there on if it is worth further pursuing some of the ideas I've had. I guess it's a combination of the immense amount of grind-work that still remains to be done, while NS2 is giving very little motivation in return. As well as the uncertainty how things will develop in terms of performance for the v1.0-release, which if you've spent any time on these forums will know I'm a bit pessimistic about.
If the game turns out to run really really well, and gain significant popularity, I'll feel confident enough to continue pouring time into it. Release is only 3 months away, so we'll know soon enough. And it's not as if time has been wasted, dedicated-servers\modding has become such a rarity on the PC-platform these days, any game that steps up and re-introduces these is worth my time (regardless if things haven't turned out for the best).
hookeyedJoin Date: 2007-08-26Member: 62011Members, Squad Five Blue
There is the fact that some people don't have the sheer amount of time it takes. Have you considered trying to collaborate with one or two other mappers?
What PersianImm0rtal said, I know i lose motivation quick as well, in fact i had stopped mapping for about two months or so, but i told myself I'm not allowed to start another map until i finish this one. Now I'm back on it, and i watched Blade Runner which gave me a lot of motivation for the current project. Best of luck to you from one mapper to another Zombie
Comments
<img src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/content/images/2007/09/27/happy_duck_250_250x300.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />
It's always peaks and valleys, the key is deciding early on that you're gonna stick it out and make a map.
Every time I think like that, I always look back and count up the amount of time (in hours, sometimes days) I've spent on the project, and how much of my time I would be wasting if I abandon the project. Usually, that alone puts me back on track.
I don't have a happy duck, but this always cheers me up:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e79SuHotazs" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e79SuHotazs</a>
I've been working on Tengu for a year and a half, I've remade the same rooms over and over. Sometimes it feels like I haven't made any progress. Sometimes I get hung up on my lack of skill relative to others, but then I remember that they worked really f**king hard to get there. This is a mammoth task, to make a map like this that you can be proud of. If it was easy then it wouldn't really be worth it, don't you think?
Remember, you have to keep things fun. If you dont then you will fall out of love with your map and it will surely perish. My only other tip is look through massive quantities of concept art, build yourself a folder of it. Look at that folder when you're running dry on ideas, use the creativity of others to get your spark going again.
It's always peaks and valleys, the key is deciding early on that you're gonna stick it out and make a map.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
well said
edit: well said, everyone.
Tho i lost it because the editor had more bugs than i could handle.
If the game turns out to run really really well, and gain significant popularity, I'll feel confident enough to continue pouring time into it. Release is only 3 months away, so we'll know soon enough. And it's not as if time has been wasted, dedicated-servers\modding has become such a rarity on the PC-platform these days, any game that steps up and re-introduces these is worth my time (regardless if things haven't turned out for the best).