Project: Roguelike Renaissance

[getter77]

Well, the issue is all of it is something along the lines of "work-training" to me---stand no chance of finding work nor making a game of my own with getting the various skills functional that these projects have been gracious to indulge me in.   The economy in the US, especially down here in GA, is in pretty bad shape which somewhat leaves me feeling a bit more and more cornered over time.

I know full well I'm at least a tad overloaded stress-wise due to the myriad of things in the background, but so far slim to nothing makes an impact on evening things out aside from brief spurts of food experiments in the kitchen and minor feasting on good meals/pizza.   In other words, I'm having trouble enjoying...well...just about anything at all anymore---even things that still technically interest me.   It is a wire crossing of sorts that I never imagined would happen so it is throwing me for a loop as I try to take stock of things and push ahead...

[Etinarg]

Sounds a bit like a (mild?) case of burnout. If there is nothing anymore that looks enjoyable, you risk slipping into a real burnout.

I'm not sure if doing game project to get into the game industry is a good way to find a job - it might work, but it definitely it is no easy way. I'd assume that general IT jobs also fit to your skill profile, and those are easier to get.

If you get burned out, your job options will be even slimmer. Before this happens, try to find a good balance between training/working, and recreation.

[Skeletor]

Hey Getter, if there's something we can make to help you just let us know.

[jim]

Don't worry, getter. You're just in the middle of Act II. Act III is where you find some kind of catharsis and burn more gloriously than ever before.

Honestly though getter, one thing that helps, ALWAYS helps, is to try something new. If you haven't been out in the woods for a while, go check them out. The leaves are starting to turn in your area, aren't they? Is there a sweet blues group heading through your town? Is there an old buddy that you wouldn't mind playing correspondence chess with? How about that awesome old short story that you were going to (re)write? How about that great novel you were supposed to read? Why not learn the names of 50 constellations? Go for a swim?

I'm not meaning to be trite. It's just that I'm prone to deep, deep fits of sullenness, and I know that one way to get better is by force-feeding oneself emotional vitamins... and these vitamins are best imbibed in the form of everyday, beautiful experience.

[getter77]

-That's the damnedest thing though Hajo.  All of the existing things, and even more somehow, DO look very enjoyable as do they catch my attention and fire off things in my head logic-wise.  Yet, when I try to get down to each one in turn...the engine just turns over but doesn't start, so to say.  I've heard of burnouts like you mention, where it all just becomes a blur if not something reviled...but not one where it feels like I'm just suddenly missing some puzzle pieces...

-I'm thinking my odd spurt of experiments on pizza making occupy the "new stuff" tangent...especially as that is somehow the only thing that has went "up" as the rest went "down".  I've made a point of sampling/using many of the world's spices, seasonings, sauces, and cheeses(I've hit roughly 52 cheeses as of this past Saturday, with some picture taking along the way though many were lost when this new PC had that horrible episode some months back)---with some notions of experimenting with doughs/breads and meats.  While my area is far from lively, I've also been exercising moreso lately now that something resembling Fall/Winter is here past the wretched GA heat.

How weird would it be if I somehow wind up some esoteric cook/chef-thing that wrangles game stuff on the side?  

I appreciate all the well wishing and constructive feedback though, definitely.

[Kalantir]

Has anyone mentioned noteye in this thread yet? http://www.roguetemple.com/z/noteye.php

Might be a bit more practical.  Plus there's the upside of 3d as well.

[getter77]

noteye is certainly a cool thing with much potential, though certainly would take some doings to poke the vast amount of older projects out there with it that would perhaps be compatible.

Otherwise, my fall of shame continues.     I very much dislike not living up yo my word and intentions, so to be in a position where, for whatever reason, that's taking place on about 4 fronts now...it is as infuriating as it is disheartening/depressing.  It is like a TV stuck on static in my head.

I would not even know how to give up though, as this is all I have left really...not to mention the root of it is just about all I've ever had in terms of something that resonated with me growing up, as weirdly timed a resonance as it is.

[getter77]

Now older, somewhat hungrier, and at least a bit wiser for the stumblings forward and to the side, very often to the side, in terms of my doings while 25.   

Still in a period of game design and implementation study while feeling that will wrap again sooner than later and hopefully the food for thought is enough to munch my way towards new avenues.   Still hoping for a re-sparkening on the Art and such front though as the importance of such is front and center in my mind.

[Cap n Crunch]

Hi, Getter.

Ever thought of a side project?
I write Paper and Dice RPG's and often find when one project becomes a jumble of inconsistencies, problems and a strain of creativity, i start a side project. Something easy.
It helps my confidence and provides me with a productive period where the wheels are turning and it usually shifts my block. It's sort of like a holiday for me, and the side project is something i can put on hold, guilt free, when i get jazzed about my main work.

Maybe write an 8bit style game or something?
Maybe about a pizza chef seeking 52 cheeses

[getter77]

That's something to consider, though in my current straits it'd have to be something that doesn't require technical heft while hitting some interest...

On the other hand, perhaps it is about time to finally start to type up (rough) design documents for the various game entities that have been residing solely in my head for this past good while?   Would be bad if I lost the thread entirely on an idea rattling in my head from the stress and distractions and whatnot.

[Cap n Crunch]

Indeed, but i dare say you wouldn't entirely lose the thread. Just throw something together out of old routines from your library. Then again, the nature of coding is to find two problems for every one you solve.

I intend to write a 8bit-grade 4X game. Its the environment generating routines that scare me, but for a good 4X they're essential. The environment also has to feel natural.

I haven't coded since i was a nipper, but the experience of pseudo-coding hasn't left me.
Hehehe, i used to code in BASIC on 8bit, then AMOS on the Amiga...i have a whole new syntax to learn and routine library to build. One advantage of modern machines is that my code won't have to (in theory at least) be too efficient.
Thinking about it, i have a LANGUAGE to choose to learn.
Give me 8 months and i'll be 'AAAAARRRGGH!!!'

Well, i hope your current block doesn't persist, it IS a grand thing you've gone for after all.

[getter77]

Thanks for the words Cap n   

[getter77]

http://flame.escapemotions.com/  Went ahead and settled on this art program to be my first purchase/the one I try to do everything relative to it in today---I like the style, potential for other Element-oriented software to come, and it not being bloated and trying to do tons of stuff at once.   The cheap price for the next couple days also handy as funds are scarce outside of the small bit I need to leave alone until actual business times come.

Still shaking things around code/sound wise, one in particular code wise, while in rotten Holiday straits.   Still, gotta claw forward in what avenues I can...

[getter77]

Well, things have been pretty bad on all fronts while trending towards much worse lately in general.   

BUT, as it so very randomly happened, and out of order at that, I'm now technically at another go of it getting onto a game development engine/IDE/programming wrangling thereof.   

It seems to be, to me, that the less one knows the more one has to gain via extreme harassment of people that know much---so that's pretty much the plan from here while saving some money in exchange for some Risk and Sweat.

I'm still intent on the other things in my somewhat secret "Plan A-various letters" rubric in terms of a game dev environ, so somehow some juggling and cross-doings will likely happen, but for now this'll be an object of my attentions.

http://pyrogine.com/index.php

[getter77]

The above has now morphed into something a bit different(Engine-Library'ish thing), http://2drealms.com/index.php   but now another of the "Plan A-various letters" projects has made it to the next major milestone, and as such it seems a prime time to jump in as well:

http://www.zgameeditor.org/index.php

Create games that have a redistributable size of only 64kb or less using procedural content. The game engine use OpenGL for graphics and a real time synthesizer for audio. ZGE is Free Open Source Software.

In other words, procedural sorcery---probably a good thing to come to grips with going forward and especially where Roguelike machinations are concerned.

Though I am horribly wracked with the other things afoot, I can still feel a spark from the likes of this that spurs me onward with some zeal and optimism.  


ALSO: Slowly chipping away at the book on at what I hope to be an educational and useful ally named GS9  http://www.simion.co.uk/gs9/