Finishing Games

This is a tips & discussion topic on finishing fangames. From the comments on the posts below, and generally watching MFGG, I have learned that many people (including me) have millions of ideas and only about 5 fangames as a result. I have thought long and so I created this topic, all discussion welcome. (advice from those who do not have this problem, simple discussion from those who do)

My tips on finishing games

-Get a supporter. Multiple supporters if you can. Then do your project, taking advantage of the pressure to finish your game. (many fangames seem to do that)
-Based on the first tip, make a topic about your fangame, and people will learn about and probably support your game if its good enough.
-Do what is within your programming power to do, or you will get frustrated. Every idea you get, think about how you would program it.
-Don't try to do everything. (sounds, sprites, and programming) It's way too much work, and why else would there be large teams making the professional games?
-Stay dedicated, because doing a new idea tends to "trash" your old one, even if you planned to go back to it.
-If you just need to do your new ideas which threaten to swallow your old ones, don't make them as a game. Instead, include them in your current game.
-Project swapping. You can switch between two projects at a time, just make sure that you aren't losing interest in both.

This post has been edited by True Mario on May 4 2008, 08:31 PM

I am in the EXACT same boat. Only difference is that my best ideas, I hold onto them and improve them and perhaps one day I'll improve my skills to a professional level and come up with something great.

Edit: 200th non-CCC post but 557th overall :x

This post has been edited by Majiczenith on May 3 2008, 12:34 PM

The main problem that I'm sure most of us have when it comes to making a fangame isn't the programming required (That just drives us forward to get better at it) but the dedication required

I constantly bounce between projects, and I haven't finished a fangame in over 6 years

I wish I had the dedication to complete my projects, but I never do.

I started 2 years ago on a fangame project, making the sprites and stuff. I actually never finished a game.

Just as I suspected. I'm waiting for someone who's out of the boat, who can help me and anyone else who reads this topic. All advice or simple discussion is welcome. The biggest deal is, I'm SKILLED enough, just not dedicated enough, like mentioned earlier.

This post has been edited by True Mario on May 3 2008, 12:49 PM

Never finised one. MILLIONS OF IDEAS and never finished one. But I'm kinda lazy like that.

I have an idea. I will put this topic to REAL use, considering that it is a huge problem that ruins possible awesome fangames everywhere. I will, after some time of advice and thought, turn this into a tips topic, to help anyone who sees. After all, it seems that a massive amount of MFGGers have this same problem.

I checked my Games Folders,and I got 5 finished Games,6 WIPs,and 47 scrapped.XD

This happens to me all the frigin' time.

It only really happens with my most ambitious projects though, if I aim for a small minigame or if I make a demo of a big game, it usually gets done.

This post has been edited by Morrad on May 3 2008, 01:30 PM

My last completed fangame was almost two years ago

I especially welcome tips from people who don't have this problem; about how they surpassed it.

I also shift between projects (start new projects and re-pick old ones), but unlike most people, I actually finish something at times. I rarely label a project canned.

I was actually thinking of how you mentioned your annoyance at constantly canning games when I made this topic, as well as the fact that so many people never complete a fangame.

This post has been edited by True Mario on May 3 2008, 01:49 PM

I'm on the same tier as you, but I'm fairly close from getting away from it.
Here are some tips I could possibly give:

- Try doing 2 projects at the same time. If you get bored with one, bounce to the other for a while.
- Do the programming, sprite collecting, and music collecting AS YOU GO. Getting everything together before you even start to make the game seems to give the illusion that there isn't anything else to do. For example, don't get World 1 and World 2 stuff, Get world 1 stuff, finish world 1, then get world 2 stuff.
- Program what you know you can program. Otherwise, some new problem is going to block you, and you'll just ditch that project.

With me, I'm just barely hanging off the cliff to ditching my Super Peach Dreams project (and I sure hope I don't), but my Wargame is sorta keeping that in check.

This post has been edited by Soiyeruda on May 3 2008, 03:24 PM

...

Come to think of it, I don't think I've actually ever finished a whole entire Mario fan game. But I also broke all of the rules in the topic post. I think it's also due to the fact that my level design sucks for platformers and I just can't think of any ideas for non-platformers.

Don't have the patience to even make one nowadays...

or ever.

I know we gotta keep within the range of our programming knowledge...but...and if we actually don't know how to program, like, AT ALL?

Like, what if we can't program? Then that's a problem.....why are you even attempting making a game in the first place? Go take a class x_x

Where?

Good question...

For Game Maker, Mark Overmars (creator), has a class in England on how to use it :P

I'd SSSOOO take that class......

This post has been edited by Soiyeruda on May 3 2008, 03:57 PM