Thread by @TheTransmogrify

I think the most challenging part of working on a long-term #gamedev project, for me at least, is not burning all your willpower on all the more mundane tasks. [1]

If I was on the outside looking in, I would have guessed it was the really big, difficult stuff- designing core gameplay mechanics, coming up with new and fresh enemy ideas, and building all the content itself. [2]

Having worked on the current project for years now, those "big" items don't feel so hard though. They ARE hard- they require a lot of your focus, willpower, and energy. But they are also super fun and more satisfying, so I think that makes them feel less like work. [3]

The small tasks pile up though like they are mountains you shrink from climbing. And unlike, say, creating a new enemy from scratch which may be the same amount of work, the smaller items are honestly boring most of the time. [4]

Worse still- they sap your willpower. Willpower, focus, and energy are all finite resources. You only get so much every day. And it can be frustrating to be tired at the end of the day and not feeling like you accomplished much if you only worked on smaller tasks. [5]

The way to get through it is discipline, and balance. Discipline to say "fuck it, I'm destroying this stuff right now so it's done forever". Balance is also important- weaving in smaller, tedious work with the more exciting stuff. [6]

Completing those small tasks maintains and builds your discipline. Which is super important because that is the only thing that pushes you forward some days. Most of the time I don't feel like doing most of the items of my list- I just force myself to do them [7]

That may not sound like a romantic view of gamedev that we often cultivate, but it's the truth, for me at least. All those small tasks are important for your game- they make your game better. Then, you see your project continually progress and get better. [8]

Ultimately, progress is all that matters. Not how you get there. It also helps sometimes to pull up your code commits, Trello, or whatever you use to track progress and look at everything you've accomplished so far. That motivates me. [9]

#gamedev has been a rewarding hobby and I have learned a lot, met great people, and grown as a person. So I guess the point of this thread is for anyone out there like me that struggles with motivation sometimes for their project, gamedev or otherwise, I say this: [10]

You're doing great! Just the fact that you are doing something, creating something, is really cool and inspires me and other people.

If anyone wants to post their project or anything similar they are going through, I'd love to see it.

Good luck!