4 ms·

Day in the life of a Roguelike Developer - overcoming burnout.

38 points by jwecker 17y ago

gcv 17y ago
It sounds like the author works on Unangband full-time. I can't help wondering how he can afford that with a free niche product.
- plinkplonk 17y ago
  "It sounds like the author works on Unangband full-time. " From the page linked to,(emphasis mine) "I'm a IT manager from New Zealand who spent the last 5 and a half years working in the United Kingdom. I've just emigrated to Sydney, Australia with my wife, and spend my free time at the moment developing Unangband and blogging. I also write as the Amateur for GameSetWatch." I guess this could be interpreted to mean he is not working and all his time is "free time" but it doesn't sound very likely. It sounds like he has a fulltime job and is working on unangband parttime.
- ricree 17y ago
  Tarn Adams, the developer of Dwarf Fortress ( bay12games.com/dwarves/ ), is working on the game fulltime. He gets enough in donations to get by for the most part, but even living cheaply he still ended up spending around $2000 more than he took in last year.
antiform 17y ago
I'm glad I'm not the only person who has #3. For some reason, I seem to get miraculous insights into problems when I'm exercising, so I've taken to keeping a tiny pen and a couple index cards within reach at all times. While running, this has sometimes resulted in me crouching on the side of a street, scribbling madly while constantly looking for oncoming cars, but when I get back home and finally finish that tricky proof or implement that evasive idea into code, I find it is well worth the trouble.
- pasbesoin 17y ago
  I keep thinking I should get a voice recorder (my MP3 player can record, but starting up recording takes several seconds). But the sound of my own voice makes me uncomfortable, and I'm doubtful I would follow up. I also get ideas e.g. when driving. A voice recorder could capture those. Recently, I discovered while trouble-shooting something else that my old cell phone has a sort of half-*ssed recorder built in (requires extended button press; voice notes limited to 1 minute, despite having a 1 GB card in the thing). I imagine this feature is available on iPhone, Android, etc.?
pasbesoin 17y ago
The "Burnout" graphic is from despair.com, by the way. They have quite a collection of similar "demotivators". http://www.despair.com/viewall.html http://www.despair.com/viewall.html
bayareaguy 17y ago
Of possible interest: an interview with Glenn Weichman (co-creator of Rogue): http://www.roguetemple.com/interviews/glenn_wichman_interview http://www.roguetemple.com/interviews/glenn_wichman_intervie...

38 points by jwecker 17y ago

gcv 17y ago

It sounds like the author works on Unangband full-time. I can't help wondering how he can afford that with a free niche product.

plinkplonk 17y ago
"It sounds like the author works on Unangband full-time. " From the page linked to,(emphasis mine) "I'm a IT manager from New Zealand who spent the last 5 and a half years working in the United Kingdom. I've just emigrated to Sydney, Australia with my wife, and spend my free time at the moment developing Unangband and blogging. I also write as the Amateur for GameSetWatch." I guess this could be interpreted to mean he is not working and all his time is "free time" but it doesn't sound very likely. It sounds like he has a fulltime job and is working on unangband parttime.
ricree 17y ago
Tarn Adams, the developer of Dwarf Fortress ( bay12games.com/dwarves/ ), is working on the game fulltime. He gets enough in donations to get by for the most part, but even living cheaply he still ended up spending around $2000 more than he took in last year.

antiform 17y ago

I'm glad I'm not the only person who has #3. For some reason, I seem to get miraculous insights into problems when I'm exercising, so I've taken to keeping a tiny pen and a couple index cards within reach at all times. While running, this has sometimes resulted in me crouching on the side of a street, scribbling madly while constantly looking for oncoming cars, but when I get back home and finally finish that tricky proof or implement that evasive idea into code, I find it is well worth the trouble.

pasbesoin 17y ago
I keep thinking I should get a voice recorder (my MP3 player can record, but starting up recording takes several seconds). But the sound of my own voice makes me uncomfortable, and I'm doubtful I would follow up. I also get ideas e.g. when driving. A voice recorder could capture those. Recently, I discovered while trouble-shooting something else that my old cell phone has a sort of half-*ssed recorder built in (requires extended button press; voice notes limited to 1 minute, despite having a 1 GB card in the thing). I imagine this feature is available on iPhone, Android, etc.?

pasbesoin 17y ago

The "Burnout" graphic is from despair.com, by the way. They have quite a collection of similar "demotivators". http://www.despair.com/viewall.html http://www.despair.com/viewall.html

bayareaguy 17y ago

Of possible interest: an interview with Glenn Weichman (co-creator of Rogue): http://www.roguetemple.com/interviews/glenn_wichman_interview http://www.roguetemple.com/interviews/glenn_wichman_intervie...