J.R. Allen Writes

In my last journal, I talked about trying game development.

And I actually did pretty good with it.

It took me around four hours just to get some of the basics down, but eventually I had my character moving left, moving right, and jumping. That might sound small to somebody who already knows how to make games, but for me, that was cool as hell.

I started with basically no experience, sat there learning everything step by step, and eventually something I was controlling actually moved on the screen.

I liked that feeling.

I still like the idea of developing a game, and I wouldn’t mind going back to it eventually. I just learned pretty quickly that game development requires a lot more dedication than I expected.

You can’t really sit down for a few minutes, do something, and walk away.

At least not when you’re learning.

I’m sitting there trying to understand what I’m looking at, figuring out why something isn’t working, learning what different buttons do, trying something, messing it up, fixing it, and then learning something else.

Before I knew it, hours had passed.

That’s when I started thinking about my family time.

I have a habit of jumping from one idea to another. I know that about myself. At the same time, when I get into something, I really get into it. I want to learn it. I want to finish it. I want to see what I can do with it.

Game development can easily turn into one of those things where I sit in front of the computer all day trying to figure something out.

I’m not ready for that kind of responsibility right now.

That doesn’t mean I’m quitting.

The game can wait.

Maybe one day somebody sees my work and says, “Hey, we want to help you turn this into a game.”

Who knows?

Or maybe I come back to it myself later and manage my time differently.

I could give myself three or four hours to work on it, stop, and go do something else. Spend time with my family. Go out to eat. Go see a movie. Enjoy life.

I think that’s probably the bigger lesson.

Maybe game development isn’t the problem.

Maybe I just need to get better at managing my time.

Of course, because I apparently can’t sit still creatively for too long, I already jumped into something else.

I bought a 3D printer.

It’s still boxed up right now, and I’m planning on opening everything up Tuesday.

At first, I was just excited about being able to print cool things.

I started thinking about having different figures and things displayed around the basement. I could make stuff for my kids and let them put things on their bookshelves.

That alone sounded fun.

Then another thought hit me.

Wait.

I can make my own characters.

That’s when I really got excited.

Characters that started as ideas in my head could eventually become actual figures sitting in front of me.

Something I created.

Something I could actually pick up and hold.

That’s crazy to me.

And the thing I already like about 3D printing is that it fits into my life differently.

I can set something up to print and walk away.

The printer can be working while I’m spending time with my family, relaxing, watching something, going out, or doing whatever else I want to do.

Then I can come back later and see what it made.

That’s completely different from sitting at a computer for hours constantly learning and troubleshooting a game.

I still get to create something, but I don’t have to disappear into it.

My first print probably won’t even be one of my characters.

I’m thinking Spider-Man or Batman.

I haven’t decided which one yet.

That’ll be my test.

I want to learn the printer, see what I can do, figure out the quality, and understand the whole process.

If I can get that right, then comes the real exam.

My own figurines.

Right now, I’m thinking the first one might be Prime or Nova.

I honestly don’t know which one yet.

But whichever one I choose, I already know seeing that first figure is going to feel like a huge accomplishment.

Because it won’t just be something I downloaded and printed.

I’ll be looking at something that came from me.

A character that started in my imagination, became part of a story, got designed visually, and then somehow ended up standing on a shelf in my house.

Maybe one day something like that becomes merchandise.

Maybe not.

I’m not putting that pressure on it right now.

For now, I just want to have fun with it.

Make some cool things.

Make something for my kids.

Fill a few shelves.

Learn another skill.

And eventually, print something that makes me look at it and say:

I created that.

Game development isn’t gone.

It’s sitting off to the side.

I’ll come back to it when I’m ready.

Right now, I’m just moving from pixels to plastic.