Too many options :S How do you pick what to do?

[Melooon]

An issue I often run into when I'm planning a project is that there are too many possibilities! If I'm making a game, there are so many engines, styles, gametypes etc. If I'm making a site there are many eras, aesthetics and media types to pick.

I find its less of an issue for me with websites because there are a few consistent rules to web design that tend to always been required, but when I'm planning games it's a real headwrecker. Do I want it to be focused on a particular mechanic, or does the story matter more? If I focus on one thing too much it turns into a visual novel, if I focus on a mechanic too much it turns into a puzzle game. Sometimes starting a project can feel like trying to walk on ice, you just slip and slide everywhere. 

What are some of your tips for deciding what to do and focusing on a particular idea?

[devils]

Very interesting question! I don't make games, but often get overwhelmed by ideas when drawing. There's so much I'd like to add, so many styles I'd like to experiment with!

Of course, drawing has a lot less «rules» than game design, so you could technically mix a bunch of different art styles and mediums together. One thing I like to do from time to time is create moodboards of things I'd like to reference, such as clothes, poses, styles... I found it really helps with focusing on a specific idea, though I usually just wing it and see where my mind takes things.

This would only apply to the art style of the game. I think a trap I always fell into when trying to create a game is not thinking about the gameplay loop first, often jumping into projects creating RPG Maker sprites instead of using placeholders... As you can see, I'm not the best at focusing, whoops. I think that it's probably best to decide on a core game mechanic before anything else, honestly.

[shevek]

I thought I was insane for a second, but I was correct; you kinda did make this thread before but I guess the other one is more about actions than different items to pick from?

In terms of different options to pick from when creating (like you said; different styles, engines, software, tools, languages..) I try to identify the following:
- Does it cost me something or is it free?
- Is it proprietary or open source?
- Is there a big enough documentation and learning tools?
- Is it well supported and meant for longevity?
- Are there any prerequisites/prior knowledge needed?

So in practice, to showcase this: I would try to avoid things that are very expensive, closed source, has little to no documentation and isn't big enough for random people to have done tutorial videos on it, and seems like it is only maintained by one guy who could decide to drop it any time, and stuff I would need a lot of other knowledge for that I don't yet have.

But I would love stuff that is free, open source, easy to use with a big documentation, youtube tutorials and other learning tools, either has a long history or has a big potential for the future, and has a big enough community that is passionate in supporting it and creating it, as well as creating content for it. And ideally, there isn't any prior knowledge needed.

Of course, in reality, usually the thing is a mix of these.

I feel like you can apply this more or less, with some slight changes for each, to digital and analog, software and hardware, painting techniques and programming languages alike.

[Melooon]

you kinda did make this thread before

Ah I totally forgot about that one; but it was actually a really different question, though I can totally see how you'd connect the two - that thread was about big life decisions (like quitting a job or breaking up with a friend).

This question is less about single actions and more about the creative process with all the many little choices that add up to a whole project. I suppose in a lot of ways the same answers apply to both; so that's a really good observation in itself!

not thinking about the gameplay loop first

I think that's part of my trouble too. I get caught up in an aesthetic idea and then try to fit that idea into some sort of loop way too late in the process.

I think every time I approach a game project, I end up in the same flawed loop of starting with the mood and working backwards towards gameplay (mood is what I enjoy most after all). That's not how I design websites at all! With websites, I always start with the functionality and work forward to the mood This is very useful to realise, thank you!

[Gans]

Do I want it to be focused on a particular mechanic, or does the story matter more?

Depends on the kind of game!
For example, I made a racing game in an engine designed for RPGs. Well, getting the "racing part" (the driving, the timekeeping, the rankings...) to work is the most important part. And everything else can be built on top of that. A clear case of game mechanics first!

I'd say, if you picked one game engine, and something handsome came out of that, stay with that tool forever. All I can say is, you'll learn how to handle this specific tool better and better, even after years of use. Maybe this approach would fail in professional game development, where things move on more quickly. But as there are some commercial games being made with my beloved "amateur engine", the OHRRPGCE, I think you can pick everything that creates games and make your own stuff.

Also, if you stay with one engine, you may always reuse your ideas, that might have come to a dead-end now, but might have some potential with more development, or fit perfectly like a puzzle piece later in development (these things happen miracioulusly). The unfinished ideas are never wasted, that's my point.