Saturday Update August 8, 2020


Not much to say for this week. I tried a couple different ways of making my character, but those didn’t work out as well, so I may stick with trying to modify my best one so far. But this was a little more on the side. 

I believe I finished the basic map for my game, and a couple icons that I may or may not use. I am thinking of turning the actual images of locations into tiny icons, and that would have to wait until I create those locations. Or at least the main parts of those locations.

I kept the character creation fairly light this week, focusing more on the code for the game. But I was also slowed down by personal life event, and this will continue into next week, making it even slower. After that I will still need to deal with those events, but they will quickly clear up.

At this point I am thinking that I may just move forward even if the characters just do not look like the characters on video. But this lighter period, and focusing less on the character for awhile might help me come in fresh, especially when I am ready for a break from the code.

Creativity

One thing that doesn’t often get included in these updates is the thought process. I mean where do the ideas come from? How does a person come up with these ideas? Pretty much it is daydreaming, with a focus, and the foresight to write down those dreams and ideas. How many of you remember having great ideas, only to try to remember what it was, and it was gone? 

Although the creative process doesn’t always need to be written down. I brainstorm ideas, write some of them down, but then let the ideas percolate in my brain, running through scenarios until they start to really take shape. Then I start really taking notes. Getting the ideas quickly out of my brain and onto a page is paramount, so at this stage I am not writing scripts, but quick notes with enough details to at least spark my memories so later I can expand on them, or even reject them, once they are more fully fleshed out.

The point is to get those ideas out of your head so they don’t vanish with the aether. (Ether.) I decide later if they are worth keeping or not, I try not to judge very much when they come up, and even if they do not fit the current idea, they could fit another down the road.

So part of the process really doesn’t look like you are doing much of anything. But it can be done in the shower, bathroom, while driving, waiting in line, sitting in the doctor’s office… This is great for creativity, but it also makes it seem like I am spacing off, which I technically am. But it is functional spacing off.