I make video games professionally, have done for over 20 years. I am also an AFOL. That’s about it.
I’m not entirely sure I want to work this hard at it either. However I agreed to do it. So until such time as that agreement is over, I’ll continue to work hard.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still only doing the 40 hours I get paid for. And as you can see by my forum post history, I’ve been coasting for a while. A few months of hard work will probably be good for me.
On the other hand it does feel like my brain is melting by the end of the day. Which may not be entirely healthy.
1 Like
Another farm boy here, still living in the middle of nowhere. Interested from ZX81 days, though had a Binatone console which was sh!t. Massive Spectrum fan, and still have lots of them.
Working on a long multiplayer project, so not making any cash yet. But I’m a carer, so time is not in short supply.
1 Like
Hello,
I am a complete hobbyist to Unity. Before 2016, I had never wrote a single line of code or done anything with game development. I have always loved gaming since I was little. When I was a kid, my parents got me a lot of PC educational games which I absolutely loved. I loved to learn about new things when I played these educational games. When I was a tutor, I was looking for educational games for adults. But, I couldn’t find anything. Thus, my interest in educational games is what initially got me looking for a game engine. I did a ton of research and spent weeks looking into both Unreal and Unity. I ended up choosing Unity. I went through most of the tutorials. It was fun for a while, I did a ton of messing around starting a bunch of small experiments and never finishing them. In 2017, I got a new full time job and since March I have been working on a small game that I have working on.
I struggle quite a bit with motivation. Most of the weekdays, I am extremely tired from work (I work in a tech job, and I am literally learning something brand new each day/week). I get really frustrated sometimes mostly because programming is so new to me, that it can take a while for me to understand a concept. My usual tendency is to quit something when it gets too tough. However, I have been working on the same project since March, and I plan to basically take a stab at making an educational game. This month, I have a new approach to my game. I want to take my time, and make it fun instead of putting myself under pressure. I want to relax and just be patient with myself.
Now, what I usually do, is to relax and break up a big task into small manageable tasks. I usually have some type of music in the background such as Modern Doo wop, and I just take my time understanding why my code/logic doesn’t work. I then research Unity forums, answers, youtube video, game dev websites to understand what is the underlying problem with how I am approaching the problem. It has less stressful, and I am slowly making progress towards my game.
Personal things
I love ergonomics. I am obsessed. I have a Kinesis Advantage 2 Keyboard which I use for Unity. I love it so much for coding, that I have one at work as well.
I have a vertical mouse, elbow rests, stand-up desk, an active sitting stool. Soon, I’ll get a balance board, so I plan to spend some time standing each day after getting home from work. Eventually, I want to go hands-free and eliminate the need for a mouse and get a device that tracks your head or eyes to control the mouse cursor.
I am obsessed with work/life balance. Well, the study of it. I love reading about 6 hour work days, 30 hour work weeks, and how other countries are approaching the problem of workahlocism (which is rampant in the United States, myself included). I struggle quite a bit with thinking too much about work, and just in general winding down from a full day of work. I think the United States especially has this “crunch” mentality where work is the most important thing, even placing it above your health, family, friends etc. I don’t know how that mentality is like in game development. However, it is found in the educational system, where I work.
I also am passionate about solar power. I just got my first solar panel battery bank. So, I have been using it charge up my cell phone with just the power of the sun. I want to learn more solar and also eventually get a solar oven, so I cook meals with just sunlight while I am work.
I love dogs. I still live with my parents. I never had a girlfriend. I love the idea of real-life superhero and non-lethal superhero weapons. I am a vegetarian. I usually cook my own meals. I am really introverted.
1 Like
Well for me that was long ago and by the time I was 10 or maybe it was 12 the farm was sold and we moved. But I’ve always liked the rural areas and being outside and so forth doing this and that. I live on the outskirts of town now… small town of about 3,500 people.
1 Like
I use Resharper and the mouse is not used at all. Best ergonomics in the world, is not to use a mouse at all 