It’s not often you get the chance to finish up a three year project, and I’ve found there comes a point when the end is in sight, and with it a psychological hurdle.  Do you have what it takes to push through the hardest part?  Is the project all you hoped it would be?

I’ve taken more than six weeks off Lone Survivor. The first three weeks were due to sciatica, a trapped nerve in the back which means you can’t really do much.  After that I tried to go back to work but felt the pain coming back. I was quite out of love with the game at this point too – almost unsure if I wanted to finish it.  I loaded it up and played it but I couldn’t see past all the stress the last few months had given me (basically I was burnt out.)  I couldn’t really stand the sight of it at that point.

So I took another three weeks off, relaxing, getting well, playing some DARK SOULS (and Demon’s Souls again,) spending much needed quality time with my wife and daughter, and yes, I admit, working on a secret side project.  Which I’m super excited about (and will reveal when this is all over.)  But I’m putting it back to the side now, as the final crunch begins…

My wife and daughter are off to Japan tomorrow for six weeks, and in that time I’ve resolved to finish Lone Survivor!

Michael ‘brog‘ Brough said to me: “Trust your past self, stick by the choices you made when your head was clearer, don’t let the stress throw you off.”  I appreciated that advice, it was what I needed to hear, I think.

I loaded it up again today, for the first time in three weeks, and finally I saw it with fresh eyes.  When I used to make music as my career, sometimes it would take going to bed to do that (for the ears, I mean.)  But with a massive game, it takes six weeks apparently.  I suddenly decided, from the list of hundreds of suggestions I’ve had from feedback, to pick a few key things I think will improve it, focus on them, and add no new features besides them.  I’m going to work on the combat in particular.  That and take a good look at the level design, in terms of stealth, so I make the best use of my resources, and make the two key mechanics as satisfying as they can be.

Besides that it’s the endings, and I have them pretty much figured out scene-by-scene now.  Although I’m going to trim them down to the minimum too.  I actually want a short ending after the conclusion of the city, it feels right for the game.

Anyway, for now, as Benzido says…

BONUS:  City artwork-in-progress I was gonna use for a behind the scenes, but I honestly don’t think I have time for that now (postmortem perhaps?)