It becomes very tempting not to post anything to the blog when things aren’t going smoothly. It’s much easier to post about things going well, or little hiccups, than to honestly talk about the bigger challenges I’m encountering. However, when I started this my goal was to be as open and honest about everything as possible, so here goes…

I’ve run into a bit of a mental barrier over the last few days of work. I’ve become a little overwhelmed with the work that stretches out in front of me and I’m finding it difficult to decide to actually dive in and start working on something. Working on my UML design helped for a while, but it also may have been serving as a form of procrastination, keeping me from getting into the more difficult stuff.

Here’s where I’m at:

• I’ve got a prototype I’m happy with
• I’ve got designs for 4 separate game modes I want to implement for the game
• I know which game mode I want to implement to completion for the iPhone release first

That all sounds well and good, but I’m starting to get overwhelmed by all the things that need to be done now:

• I need to start recoding the game with a proper code architecture that will let me expand into the 4 game modes I want to do
• I need to learn a lot more about Apple’s Core systems to properly implement my game for the iPhone
• I need to fully flesh out the designs for the four game modes
• I need to find a 2D artist to do some concept work for the visual look of the game and then for them to actually start creating art for the game
• I need to find a musician to start working with me on an aural design for the game and then to start composing
• I need to find a sound designer to start working with me on a sound effects design for the game and then to start creating sounds
• I need to start driving more traffic to the site
• I need to start thinking about how I’m going to market the game once it’s ready for release in the iPhone store and then longer-term about how to market it when I’m ready for my PC/Mac release
• I need to do all of the above in the context of my limited budget for the game

I think the act of actually writing it out has already helped to calm me down somewhat. My wife always tells me to “make a list” when I get overwhelmed with details like this. Maybe she was right (she usually is).

But still, this is a little daunting at first. I’ve worked on a lot of games, so I knew coming into this how much work was involved in making a game from start to finish. The thing is, it doesn’t really sink in until you realise you’re the one who has to do all of it. I’m not complaining, mind you. I’m still enjoying this immensely…it’s just taking some adjusting to.

So…what next? I think what I should probably do is revisit the design document and update it to reflect the new design of the game. I’m going to need to document to show to an artists/musician/sound designer so that they get an idea of what the game will be. Once I’ve done that I think it will be time to lay down a real schedule for the project. I’ll set down some milestones for my own development and scope out the project. This should help me determine where I’m at and where I’m going. From there I can work backwards and determine exactly when I need to get my art and sound assets into the game. It should also help to keep me motivated. Right now I think I’m suffering from too much choice. I have no way of prioritizing. The milestones and schedule should help with that.

Ok, so I have a plan. Phew. Who knew blogging could be so helpful?

Owen