Machine Made: Rebirth (Just Do It!)

Hello ladies and gentlemen, gamers and game developers of all ages,

Welcome back to the Machine Made: Rebirth blog.. a place where I, your friendly neighborhood Allsvin talk about my thoughts regarding game development, RPGs and the awesomeness that comes with working on a fun and exciting project.

Today I'd like to talk a little bit about what happens when you get that … deep, unsettled feeling in your gut, that feeling that says "there is simply no way to handle this entire project — WHAT was I thinking?"

Lately, I have found that Machine Made is showing up in a lot of small communities around the web, and as exciting as that is, it comes with a little bit of a nerve wracking feeling — I don't know who is going to be commenting on our game, I don't know who is going to be playing it, I no longer really have much control over what people think or do when they pick up a copy of this and look at it for the first time. As the lead developer of this game, that gives me a little bit of a pit in the stomach.

I've been thinking, as appreciative as I am for all of the great comments and insights we've had from our fans, I still worry that people will look at this as… one person's pet project with no real potential. When I really think about it, I know that we're still a long way from our finished state of development — and a lot could change between now and then, but it will be hard for me to explain exactly what the process has been like and what our development is GOING to look like for those who are just encountering us and making on-the-spot judgments.

There are three things that I do whenever I get these feelings, and I'd like to share them with all of you for the sake of saving people from worrying about things that they can't control. Here they are:

1. Allow it to grow — that means, eventually some part of your work will be out of your hands, and you have to keep it growing, people will talk freely about you and what you do for better or for worse, and it's the only way you can grow as a person! To appreciate what people are saying and understand that different opinions exist for a reason.

2. Play your cards — when you have options about what to present to people, always be on your guard about what light you show your work in. Play your cards to the best of your ability, show potential for the unfinished aspects of your work, show growth where growth has occurred, and always show the best of your finished work when you can. Don't let yourself get nervous about things that are taking a long time, or get nervous about what other people will think! There's always more to be done.

3. JUST DO IT! — no matter if it gets done exactly as you imagined, you can keep working and improving, just focus and keep your goals concise and complete them when you can.

For Machine Made: Rebirth, I'm going to be finishing our content for the last few levels, populating with dialogue and sound, adding in all the new skills, items, abilities and so on… and a lot of it still isn't written! I'm basically going to be documenting this process although I have no idea how long it will take.

I hope you guys enjoyed this blog and check us out on steam, or send me an email if you'd be interested in playing our game!

There are lots of keys being given away on the web if you'd be interested in trying to get one!

Cheers,
Keep being awesome!
Allsvin