Something I've struggled with and have seen often is engineer-types drawn to game development who lose themselves in code, tech, and getting it "just right." It

Something I've struggled with and have seen often is engineer-types drawn to game development who lose themselves in code, tech, and getting it "just right." It's super important to be clear about _why_ you makes games. If it's just to blow steam after a long day slinging JavaScript or to dabble with new technology be honest about it -- you'll spare yourself pain later. If you really want to _make_ games remember the aphorism, "real artists ship." On the subject of scope, I think it's helpful to remember the Mythical Man Month. If the game you're cribbing took four experts two years to create, that's eight person-years. Can one person hope to make something of that scale? There are examples, but few have that level of resolve. Don't hand wave away things by saying "modern game engines." People were brilliant back then, and expectations were lower in some respects.