Motivation

Motivation is what keeps us going. It's what makes us give it that extra *umf*. For example, you're fishing and you've got a big fish on the hook. What keeps you motivated? It can be hunger, competition, or simply just the urge to kill a fish. Motivation seems to be in short supply around this section of the forums. As far as I can tell, there are tons of people who have this GREAT idea for a hack, they come across one problem, and just drop all of that raw potential like it's nothing. So, in a way, I wanna ask two question:

a) What keeps YOU motivated to hack?

b) What do you think we, as a community, can do to motivate others to continue on their projects?

I know what you're thinking: Oh, these idiots wanna quit? Who are we to stop them? Simply enough, they're what makes the ROM hacking community. Without them, this community will fail. So, we need to have something to keep everyone motivated! I was thinking on more than just a Hack of the Month / Year. I was thinking maybe we can do Map of the week / month / year. We could also do Most creative script of the month / week. Most well-thought out storyline award, etc. There's also the whole aspect of helping. Most of the hacking you do in here has to be self-taught by experimenting or reading a tutorial. I was thinking maybe a thread could be open where people offer to tutor others one-on-one or maybe via a group chat.

I don't know, maybe I'm just ranting. But, these are my thoughts.
Feel free to comment. :)

a) What keeps YOU motivated to hack?

Well I started a red hack Pokemon Violet back in 2003, inspired by an early beta of Pokemon Brown. What keeps me going is that I know It'll be an achievement of completing a project of a fair size and seeing people enjoy my work. Of course most of all I enjoy writing stories and developing games levels, so what better way to realise them than to put them into a ROM hack.

b) What do you think we, as a community, can do to motivate others to continue on their projects?

Positive suggestions and Constructive Criticism, it might sound harsh at times but good Novelists don't become good Novelists without it.

1: My motivation is that I love my hack and can't wait to see it finished. I don't care what others think, I care what I want to add. I can't wait to finish it!

2: Nobody can please everybody, if someone is discouraged because someone doesn't like their hack, that's their problem. Nothing can really be done.

My motivation? That I might actually one day create a hack that I envisioned. As well as playing it, as even then I would still be surprised and not expect certain aspects.

What we should do to motivate others? Encourage them in a gentle way, not too harsh, but not exactly spoon feed. Make them learn things but actually make them feel good when they succeed, but be encouraging to try new experiences. Harsh words just make them ignore you. Kindness makes them considerate.

Umm...damn that's a good question. Maybe the fact that people may like something I made. Maybe that there's something out there I'm actually decent at. Or maybe seeing good hacks and thinking "Wow, it would be so awesome to be able to do that!". Sadly however, I think I'm running out of motivation. I have an old hack that I released an alpha for, and said alpha was released in about a month and a bit after me starting (and I also restarted a few times). That was when I had most fun hacking. Sure the tiles are pretty overused and really old, there are grammar errors everywhere, as well as glitches, and the maps are incredibly plain blame Diamond and Pearl, but it was...fun. And that's the most important thing. So I'd say my motivation comes from having fun in what I do. :)
btw I know that makes no sense whatsoever.

What motivates me to hack? If I was a new member I probably would have used a clichéd answer such as "I've always wanted to make my own Pokemon game and I can do this through hacking". Instead, I'll use an even older cliché say that I do it because it is a really fun hobby that allows me to be creative and meet with great and interesting people. Day-to-day motivation for me really comes with adding new things to my game. Whether it be a basic script, new graphics or convoluted plot point I know that my hack is getting better and better, which can only help to make me more confident and motivated to keep working.

I think the reason why somebody starts hacking and their attitude towards it are also prime factors in retaining new members. If somebody with zero experience starts to hack just so they can get as famous as zel, reality will slap them in the face with a cold wet fish and most likely discourage them from continuing. If a new person is really interested in making a game then (real life influences aside) they should be able to continuously perpetuate their motivation and won't need any sort of help from the rest of the community to keep them working. They'll seek out their own answers and attempt to learn everything that they want to know. For those who aren't as inclined but still want to make a good hack, then I think that the best thing that the community can do is to help them wherever possible. If they get stuck or frustrated with something for a long time then the chances are that they aren't coming back if they can't get any help. Even something as simple as answering a question or redirecting them to a tutorial can let people see ROM Hacking in a whole new light and say "Huh, this actually isn't as difficult as I thought" and give them even more motivation to continue.


I'm not a fan of having a whole series of awards every month. The chances are heavily tilted in the favour of more experienced hackers plus it would give gira and colcol a whole heap of work to do if it is going to have any semblence of being an 'official' contest. Old Map of the Month Contest threads from 2009 litter the Hacks Showcase, so just imagine what would happen if it was to be re-instated along with several other monthly awards.

As for tutoring, there was actually going to be a tutoring livestream two months ago or so, but the idea sort of disappeared into nothingness ;_;

a) What keeps YOU motivated to hack?
The fact that I know that I want to get into games design and possibly work at Valve, And talking to some of my IT friends, I can put down "Modding an existing game engine" for experience apparently.

b) What do you think we, as a community, can do to motivate others to continue on their projects?
Proper constructive reviews. For instance. The the map rating/review thread, We need to get rid of posts such as "This map is really good. I like how it looks and how the tiles match up. 10/10." This isn't a review, It's a comment, It does nothing to motivate people except fuel their ego's, To improve, You need proper suggestions such as "It looks a little small for they type of town you're going for, I suggest.... " and so on.
The second thing we need is proper ideas, (eg. "8 gyms,beat the badguys, save the world" or "Who will save ...." ect., should be scrapped completely unless they can be pulled off really well.) A proper idea should be thought out, for a quick example, World changed -> Mass events happen -> Player has choice to become good or evil -> Players choice varies the way the story happens -> Ending differs depending on choices / gender / events done / ect. . Hackers shouldn't be afraid to experiment with their ideas, and if needs be, network with others and improve. "How can you improve if you have nothing to work towards" is a common thing I hear. Solution? Plan every detail, make exceptions if needed, and if It doesn't work out? Don't quit, try to at least figure the problem out... (gone off on a rant...)
Finally, We need to stop with the "This is such a great hack! I love it!" posts. They're just, IMO, annoying, while I like how they acknowledge the work put into a hack (Barely...) they get boring after a while, they also give hackers that need to improve a false sense of acomplishment.

Competitions such as "Hack of the Week/month" aren't motivating, as only 2-4 hacks compete each week/month. We should just have one hack of the year, and 2 Bi-annual hack awarsd. Such competitions would be done like the the current ones with some new twists (can't vote on a hack which you made/have helped out on via mapping the hack, scripting the hack ASM hacking, ect. [tell a person how to do such things would be allowed.]) and would work on the "Group system"
Eg: Group 1 - Hack 1, hack 3, hack 4, hack 6. Hack 2, hack 7 ,hack 8, hack 5. (ect, ect)
Points would be awarded via quota's(eg, after x votes the hack gets y points (x/4 = y), hacks need to get z points to be put foward to the next round. Example: Quota needed - 48 votes (12 points). Hack 1 - 52 votes(13 points) , hack 2 - 46 votes (11.5 points), hack 3 - 49 votes (12.25 points), hack 4 - 32 votes (8 points). Hack through to next round: Hack 1, Hack runner up of round: Hack 3.) Or something like that.... (went off on a rant... again)

/bluntness.

In conclusion:
Proper criticisim
Don't be afraid to try/suggest new ideas to help vary it up.
Stop with the "10/10 this is greeat!" on some hacks that need improvement.
Proper competition is motivational (eg. MORE THAN 2-4 HACKS A WEEK)

a) I pretty much promise the world to my fans (I work in different boards than PC), and then decide to care what they think. I'm currently in the middle of making the maps for the entire Orange Isles, and it's hard work, with probably still two weeks to a month to go before the penultimate release of my hack; But I know there's a certain standard of quality my fans have come to expect, so I keep working at it. Even if it takes a while, it WILL get done, with finality.

b) Offer help, definitely offer help. I know my hack would have been finished months ago with just one pair of extra hands. I've had fans help with tiny bits in between releases, but in general it's been all a one-man project.

I'm pleased to see some of you are very motivated to do what you like. :)
@nurse: I do agree with you. A lot of the "Wow, this is perfect!" Isn't needed. 'Cause everything can be improved. Plus, when someone tells you it's perfect, you feel no need to improve it anymore. I do admit, trying new things can be a bit scary and frustrating, but I encourage everyone to do so. I'm sure when Lu-ho was creating AdvanceMap, it was a frustrating process. But, nonetheless, he did it and has done a damn good job.

@DrFuji: ... Who's Zel? Anyway, you're right. If you hack simply to become famous, you won't get anywhere.

On the topic of the competitions: Couldn't ColColStyles and Giradialkia just hold applications or ask someone they trust to run a monthly newsletter or something? Like hold someone exceptionally great at mapping, like Nurse, to hold a monthly thread for Map of the Month? Or have a very good novelist do a story of the month? Basically, I just want this place to be very community-driven. So far it's pretty much just a place with tutorials, few people discussing projects such as the follow-me script, and people giving basically the same comments on hack threads that drop dead in a month or so. I simply want better. If they give me permission, I would hold these competitions myself. I know I may seem like I'm ranting, I just really enjoy this place and only want it to expand into a better place where there's always something new coming about. Any thoughts?

Winter Wonderland said:

I'm pleased to see some of you are very motivated to do what you like. :)
@nurse: I do agree with you. A lot of the "Wow, this is perfect!" Isn't needed. 'Cause everything can be improved. Plus, when someone tells you it's perfect, you feel no need to improve it anymore. I do admit, trying new things can be a bit scary and frustrating, but I encourage everyone to do so. I'm sure when Lu-ho was creating AdvanceMap, it was a frustrating process. But, nonetheless, he did it and has done a damn good job.

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Indeed.

Winter Wonderland said:

@DrFuji: ... Who's Zel? Anyway, you're right. If you hack simply to become famous, you won't get anywhere.

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Guy who made Shiny Gold. Pretty big hack.

Winter Wonderland said:

On the topic of the competitions: Couldn't ColColStyles and Giradialkia just hold applications or ask someone they trust to run a monthly newsletter or something? Like hold someone exceptionally great at mapping, like Nurse, to hold a monthly thread for Map of the Month? Or have a very good novelist do a story of the month? Basically, I just want this place to be very community-driven. So far it's pretty much just a place with tutorials, few people discussing projects such as the follow-me script, and people giving basically the same comments on hack threads that drop dead in a month or so. I simply want better. If they give me permission, I would hold these competitions myself. I know I may seem like I'm ranting, I just really enjoy this place and only want it to expand into a better place where there's always something new coming about. Any thoughts?

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We used to (several times, in fact) have a ROM Hacking Newsletter. It was great for the first 2, then it slowly became less and less detailed and eventually died out completely. Every time.

They had interviews with veteran hackers, and that was always fun to read. Though most have run away at this point; the people who practically made the 3rd gen hacking possible: Kawa, interdpth, Mewthree9000, etc.


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a) What keeps YOU motivated to hack?
The learning of how stuff works, mainly. I don't get that from Pokemon any more - it's pretty much all FFTA now.

b) What do you think we, as a community, can do to motivate others to continue on their projects?
Giving people the base information and expecting them to expand upon it themselves, really.

Well, is there not anyone to continue the newsletter or something? To constantly bring us news about things coming up, breakthroughs in hacking, etc. etc.?

Winter Wonderland said:

Well, is there not anyone to continue the newsletter or something? To constantly bring us news about things coming up, breakthroughs in hacking, etc. etc.?

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There have been many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many new RHN's. They all died. >:

Anyway, what kind of breakthroughs have there really been? I mean, things we couldn't discover from browsing the forum (which is the same forum that holds the newsletter anyway)?

Back on topic, though, my motivation is simply having a released version of a game crafted by me, for me. To be able to pretend that I'm part of the mainstream series - to make characters that are interesting, games that are fun and events that are new. But larger than anything else, I'm just motivated to have fun. I'm physically inept in pretty much all sports, so I spend my time on the computer, doing what I love. No problem with that, ha.

Winter Wonderland said:

I'm sure when Lu-ho was creating AdvanceMap, it was a frustrating process. But, nonetheless, he did it and has done a damn good job.

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Some credit has really gotta be given to Jigglypuff/Bluesonic as AdvanceMap was based upon the Goldmap's source code.

Winter Wonderland said:

@DrFuji: ... Who's Zel?

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Nice, best comment this week.

Winter Wonderland said:

On the topic of the competitions: Couldn't ColColStyles and Giradialkia just hold applications or ask someone they trust to run a monthly newsletter or something? Like hold someone exceptionally great at mapping, like Nurse, to hold a monthly thread for Map of the Month? Or have a very good novelist do a story of the month? Basically, I just want this place to be very community-driven. So far it's pretty much just a place with tutorials, few people discussing projects such as the follow-me script, and people giving basically the same comments on hack threads that drop dead in a month or so. I simply want better. If they give me permission, I would hold these competitions myself. I know I may seem like I'm ranting, I just really enjoy this place and only want it to expand into a better place where there's always something new coming about. Any thoughts?

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I like your attitude. The problem with this community is that the majority of users are very young, and with that they may have good intentions but with an attention span of a nit. If an Newsletter were to be produced I believe the completion of at least five issues should really be produced before issue one hits the board, then each week with preparing the next issue you'll have it all pre made all you'd have to do is add in some recent news.

Hmm. I may look into doing that. I really want this community to be alive. Not die.

Cartmic said:

The problem with this community is that the majority of users are very young, and with that they may have good intentions but with an attention span of a nit..

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Hahah, this is me.

What helps me to stay motivated is if I can see satisfactory progress in my own hack. If this doesn't happen for some reason, for example I can't figure out how to change what I want, then after a while of no progress my interest switches to something else (although I always have intentions of going back later). The other problem would be that I get too many ideas, and if one seems like it'd be faster/easier to work on then I switch to doing that.

ohk so motivation is what we are talking about...... wll what keeps me motivated is the fact that i can be proud once i see my hack played and enjoyed by many people
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that is one reason... i would love to see the map of the week thread up it would be nice for people to see hack maps that are awsome that should be showcased ___ the whole tutor thing is a good idea i think so people can apply for help and get it.... well thats my opnion

Cartmic said:

Some credit has really gotta be given to Jigglypuff/Bluesonic as AdvanceMap was based upon the Goldmap's source code.

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I've had Jiggly on my list of credits since I first used A-map.

Cartmic said:

I like your attitude. The problem with this community is that the majority of users are very young, and with that they may have good intentions but with an attention span of a nit. If an Newsletter were to be produced I believe the completion of at least five issues should really be produced before issue one hits the board, then each week with preparing the next issue you'll have it all pre made all you'd have to do is add in some recent news.

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That sounds more like a magazine. We'd just need to get Bulk interviews, and such. And fill in the gaps with recent news.

Winter Wonderland said:

Well, is there not anyone to continue the newsletter or something? To constantly bring us news about things coming up, breakthroughs in hacking, etc. etc.?

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Truth is, Rom hacking news only happens at MOST twice or 3 times a month, and sometimes It isn't very big news..

Winter Wonderland said:

Like hold someone exceptionally great at mapping, like Nurse, to hold a monthly thread for Map of the Month?Any thoughts?

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Wait what? Me? Good at mapping? Not gonna lie here but I'm not good by my own standards. Hell I do more tile insertion than mapping lately, and it takes me about a month to come up with a concept map that I like, and an additional 2-3 weeks to finalise is. Heck, My latest map "Lanat Village V3" Isn't actually Version 3, It's like, Version 7, maybe 8? Most of my maps fancy tiles have been hunted down and Inserted by myself, Hell, I have an archive of backups just sitting there from last year, full of different concepts I don't like anymore. But on the "Map of the month" I'd have it so that It would be more of "Map of the quarter" (3 months) under the sections : Map layout, Map Tileset and Map Creativity , 3 judges one for each section, best of 30 points.. Just saying.

Generally, what keeps me motivated to proceed with a project is others projects. I tend to look around and surf a number of hacks or whatever which serve as an 'ignition system' for my personal hack. I also have been always fascinated with game and software development so the idea of me actually satisfying that fascination and making my own game or program is enough to keep my eyes locked into the computer screen.

I'm notorious for losing motivation to hack. I'll usually hit a very active period of rapid hacking and progress and then burn out for a couple months before starting up again. Naturally, this leads to a very random and slow pace to my hacking. I find there's so much to do in my life and so little time to do it! The only positive to that is that I'm sticking to one project, which means I'm never hacking and not making progress on it.

As for what the community could do. Personally, I think there needs to be a stronger sense of community. More outreach and social interaction between members of the community would keep many people going. I know people who play MMOs not because they enjoy the game, but because they love their guildies and online friends so much that leaving is unthinkable!