Do you plan on playing?

[Zexion]

Alot of us here have an on-going rpg maker project. Whether it be xp, vx, vxa, or anything else, we all have our own projects that we work on for our own reasons. I was thinking last night, about one of the biggest reasons that I even work on my project. Me. Will I play my own game?

Right now I'm dieing to get to the point where the battle system is done, the menus are done, and all that is needed is a storyline and graphics. Reason being, I am creating a game that I really am dieing to play myself. However, can I really enjoy it if I know what should happen next? Instead of exploring aimlessly and discovering the game, I will know exactly what to do ._. I just don't know at this point if I will be able to enjoy it?

What are your thoughts? Could you really play your own game? To anyone who has finished a game or games; do you actually play them?

[WhiteRose]

I think I play my games more than anyone else does. Hahaha. It's a lot like writing a story - there is a lot more than goes into writing than goes into leisurely reading, and the author knows every little nuance of each character's thoughts and emotions. The author is the only one who can really appreciate every little detail of a work, since they are the only one who knows even the smallest corners and the history behind those small corners. In a game, for example, an event, battle, or cutscene might have been incredibly difficult to pull off just right, requiring hours or even days of work for a few simple minutes of gameplay. To the average player, they might just pass this as another event, and might not even be paying the attention that it deserves, (though they should be, of course, if they are really involved in the game.) The one who made it, however, can savor every second of it.

[winkio]

Of the five or six short games and tech demos I have made, every single one has been fun to play myself.  I think part of it is that if you do a good job, you will set up challenges that you yourself find enjoyable.  The other part is that even knowing where to go or what to do, you can still enjoy the changes in scenery, the dialogues between characters, and any number of other little details.

[Blizzard]

Not only have I played through story elements and dungeons multiple times during development and testing, I also played through my own game LL4 multiple times, even in different game modes. I definitely made the game primarily for myself to play.

[PhoenixFire]

Yes, I have definitely played my game, though it's always been while developing it. However, it's a case of that I've played it much more than necessary for testing purposes, because I usually enjoy playing the games I make, to see just how far I can get with it, regardless of the fact I know what to do and where to go. Sometimes, I worked so late into the night on the project, I make mistakes that I don't even remember, until I try to play through it and can't lolz..

[G_G]

Whether I'm messing around with RPG Maker or any other game making utility, I love playing around with whatever I've concocted so far. Now if I could actually finish a game or make a decent chunk of progress to have something to show for it, I'd definitely play it over and over again (I have actually) and I do it because I'm proud of what I've achieved so far.

[Heretic86]

It all sounds as familiar as the meaning of Life.

It isnt the goal of getting through life itself as death lies at the end, but the journey itself.  We create for the sake of creating.  If others are entertained or find value in what we create, then so be it.  The goal isnt always the end of the project, but small sections of achievement as part of the journey, not just the end. 

There are some drawbacks to being the only one that plays our own games.  For example, there is absolutely no suprise.  We also tend to observe gameplay from a perspective of "what can I change to make it better" instead of just for enjoyment, due to the lack of suprise and mystery that our games can offer ourselves.  This is also where we tend to go overboard on quests of perfection.  As each of us has both the ability to tweak what exists, and knowledge of foresight, it skews the difficulty.  I know how to beat this enemy because I designed it, which robs me of an "aha!" moment where another player would feel a sense of cleverness.  Its almost like watching a movie youve already seen before that has a major plot twist.  It may be a different form of entertainment the 2nd time through, but the goal has to change to watch a movie a 2nd time.  Inception and Fight Club are examples of movies that are viewed differently the 2nd time watching.  Playing our own games is similar in that regard.  First time through a completed project is a major sense of accomplishment, and usually for the goal of ensuring that a game is playable from beginning to end.  2nd time through our own games causes us to change our goals.  100% collection of all chests.  Other achievements.  Bug tests.  Continuity.  Speedruns.  It mostly depends on our perspectives.

Personally, I plan on one day releasing a game for the enjoyment of others.  But to achieve that, I often change focus to previously completed smaller projects to maintain a sense of "moving forward".  I find a lot of times looking at some of my old work inspires new material.  Some tricks I may have forgotten, some goals I changed.  I look at what I like, and what I dont, then press forward once inspired.  If I do play my own games that are finished, I do it so I can remember that sense of accomplishment.

[KK20]

Advance Wars XP? Hell yes. I'll online versus when I can figure out how to do that >=D

[Blizzard]

RMX-OS + plugin + server extension.

[KK20]

Yep, I'll be using RMX-OS for sure
Of course, my main goal has been to require no database (I don't see why there would ever need to be one) and to allow players to host games without having to download RPG Maker XP and editing/installing things themselves.

[Blizzard]

Eeeeeee, you might wanna have account registrations to avoid server spamming and cheating.