I was looking back at some old rpg maker projects and came across a game that I've always told myself I'd finish one day.  The main issue is that when I started making it, I barely knew what I was doing when it came to writing and I ended up trying to make something with no real plan in mind.  However, as the years went on I started to get better at writing and ended up being the top of my class in creative writing during my senior year in high school.  This resulted in a new burst of confidence in the project and so I told myself once again that I can finish it.  I had even started working on a new version of the game and moved from rpg maker VX to rpg maker VX Ace.

   Here I am about seven years after starting this project and I still have basically nothing to show for it outside of a few early screenshots.  I know that since I haven't really done anything that I could just start the project over but I've already done that before.  I just can't motivate myself enough to work on it I guess.  So I've decided to cancel it and free myself up for something else.  Not sure what that something is yet but when I find it, I'm going to actually figure out a plan first before I just jump into development.  Although it's sad, I also find it somewhat relieving to finally accept that this project is dead.

   Obviously, I still have all of these notes and files for the game so perhaps one day I could bring it back with a real plan in place.  For now though, I can't seem to organize this mess of a project into anything that makes sense so I need to step away from it.  If you're curious about what exactly this game was just send me a PM and I'll give you a link to the game's profile.  I think this has been a good lesson for me overall and I hope that moving forward I can come up with something I really can finish.

   If you read all of this, thank you!  I apologize if this dragged on a bit too much, I just felt like I needed to provide some closure for myself.  Also, please let me know if you have an rpg maker project you could use some help with.  I'm experienced with eventing in rpg maker VX Ace and MV so I may be able to provide some insight.  It's always been easier to motivate myself to help someone else with something than it has been to make something on my own.

That is the story of my life. I feel like all projects I've worked on have been failures. Sometimes its good to quit but if it leaves you with nothing to do it may be time to reconsider starting it up again or working on something else that interests you.

Thanks guys.  I was having a slight meltdown when I posted this but after talking to few people and reading your posts I'm feeling a lot better about things.  I think I might start making some other random projects to try to get the juices flowing again.  I'm not gonna completely give up on this old project but I definitely need some time away from it for now.  Anyway, thanks again!

nakina : "Never give up, you can do it."

Sometimes that phrase just isn't true. I've learned that with some (many) of my projects. Now, that doesn't mean we don't have the potential to do those things. But there are plenty of things we may want to do that we can never do. You have to stick with things that you can do and see them to the end, if you can. And you can, in the process, build your skill so you can do more things. That last thing is the most important part. Building your skill is more important than completing projects. Personal progress always trumps pandering to the crowd. You have to grow, and if you feel trapped, you need to do what you have to in order to break free. This may mean giving up one thing in order to start another. Never give up.

nakina : "It's always been easier to motivate myself to help someone else with something than it has been to make something on my own." Don't forget this. That's not a weakness if you're willing to adapt. It's a strength. It used to be true for me, and overall, it still is. I often feel down when just trying to do things on my own. But when I notice someone needing help, it is difficult for me not to offer at least a little. I feel like I'm betraying myself sometimes by focusing on larger projects than seem doomed to fail. And sometimes, I am.

Balance. That's the key. And it's something we all need so much of. We can't succeed at larger projects on our own. It's simply impossible. Even Wagner (a famous composer well known for being "controlling" and a perfectionist) needed help. After all, his music had to be sung and played by others. It had to be tested, tried, proven.

supernerd117 :  





   Last night when I posted this thread I also went on omegle and actually ran into someone

going through the same problem I was having.  I tend to overthink things a lot especially

when I'm trying to create something which is why I try to help other people instead. 

However, someone on my discord also told me they like to just make random stuff and if

something happens to turn out more interesting than previously thought, they focus on that

for a bit.  Overall I think I'm going to try making stuff again soon whether it's this

project or something new.  Thanks for posting though, a lot of what you said is stuff that I

just started to realize more last night even though I always thought I understood those

things already.  I've never had a problem accepting failure before but last night I really

let it get to me but I feel a lot better now and I think I've grown a lot from this

experience alone.

Here's a simple way to look at this kind of thing:  If you're having fun, keep doing it.  If you're not, make a change.  That's applicable for jobs, for projects, for friends, for activities, and so on.

If you enjoy the process, keep at it.  Finish what you started and see what you can create and make out of thin air.

If you find it frustrating, boring, and you don't want to do it, simply don't do it.  Walk away, get rid of everything, and go back to zero.  Maybe a reset will clear your mind and in a year you can go back with more skills and abilities, and create something you really love.

Good luck!