I guess I'll start by introducing myself, my name is Jason but more comfortable with Jay (yes, i am quirky that way).  I am 17, pale (no sun exposure), listen to music my parents hate...  theres me lol.  Ok, enough about my background and onto where I am helpless...

I have read these forums for quite awhile and have been interested in game designing since I was... ummm.. about 10 years old.  I have several ideas for games but the problems comes when I go to type these ideas.  I have tried doing character bios first and did them but no juice left to finish and abandoned the work (for that I am stupid to not keep it).  Tried doing the "exciting" parts first then nothing to look forward to... (stupidity followed after... delete.)

So heres my question, is there a way that some of you have found to stay interested in the project until completion?

If it helps, my ideas are mostly RPG's and story based FPS's

Any help is GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks,
Jay

After thinking about it a few minutes, scratch FPS from my original post - long ways away.
I am more concerned in things that can be done at my current level of experience (w/o advanced programming) so my focus is RPG's.  Stuff that can begin as table top and be upgraded to graphical.  I would like to see a table top FPS :-)

This answer won't sound helpful, but it is true.

The best way to learn to finish a game is to finish one.

The first one is the hardest, and, at some point, you will want to give up.  Have someone around who will remind you to keep going and listen to him.

Don't cut any corners, either.  Do your best.

Then, one fine day, you will be done.  Really, honestly, done.

There are no tricks, only the discipline of finishing.  But it gets easier with practice.

Start with simple mechanics for what the main theme of the game is.

What rules do you need to play?

For example Combat and Movement rules?

Skills and such.

Keep them simple or try freeforming it.

What rules do you have so far?

Thank you for the replies.  I'll give it another shot and maybe this time I can finally complete something.

Eldrad wrote:

What rules do you have so far?

Hi Jay

I guess every person have there own way of dealing with this problem. The way I do it is to try as early as possible to play-test the game. It does not really matter if the rules are rather sketchy, and even may fail at certain points, just as long as you can get a feeling of the game. My experience is that I then get exited about the part of the game which works well, and I therefore want to write about that, and I get so annoy about the stuff which does not work well – or is missing – so I am also motivated to write about that.

Of course you have to have a minimal working system before you can do this, but if you just stay focused on making a rough play-test version, then you can keep it rather simple.

But it is important to note that there will be boring periods of hard work, no matter what you do.

- Anders

Jason wrote: Theres a few things I want to try however, such as a modifiers that are based on protecting someone precious or emotions like anger.

Anders wrote:
I guess every person have there own way of dealing with this problem. The way I do it is to try as early as possible to play-test the game. It does not really matter if the rules are rather sketchy, and even may fail at certain points, just as long as you can get a feeling of the game. My experience is that I then get exited about the part of the game which works well, and I therefore want to write about that, and I get so annoy about the stuff which does not work well – or is missing – so I am also motivated to write about that.

That may help, when I would write something I would always pinpoint their personality and their objectives in life.  So basically I should try to create this to be more about the players personality rather than the characters.

I would always try to make more of a Final Fantasy style game with set personality and stuff like that, maybe I should look back more to my D&D days

Thanks

I fully endorse playtesting to keep your intrest.

Also remember, you dont have to have all the rules wirten down even it play test.

Usualy, for simple games, i keep all the rules in my head untill its almost done.