If you haven't guessed, SU is now on hiatus for a few months while I restructure both the game and my own personal life.

Feel free to contact me if you ever want to chat.

With love,
--dhm

No rush, just take your time. No need to apologize because your affairs in the real world obviously take precedent over matters in the virtual one

NO! YOU MUST FINISH THIS NOW!! ROAR!


Kidding. Don't worry about it, man. We all need a break sometimes. Don't burn yourself out, since this is meant to be a fun side project, not a paid full-time job (though I wish it were paid...).

It's been almost a year since ch6. Really, I'm failing hard. XD

The sad part is ch7 is 90% complete. Like any loading screen, it seems that last 10% is what takes forever. I'm unhappy with my efforts and I really want to start over the entire game but that won't come until later.

Ahhhhh, the desire to start a game over because you think you can do better... I know the feeling well. The game I'm currently working on was started when I was in 7th grade and I'm now going into my 3rd year of college. I've scrapped it and restarted from the beginning FIVE times now without ever getting totally done (and that's only one of the many games I've started working on over the years). Looking back, that original version was pretty bad though. Terrible graphics, no real story, and glitches all over the place. But to this day, I still haven't actually finished a game (or even gotten enough done to consider a demo) and posted it for the world to play.

I definitely think it's better to finish a game and then go back and fix stuff you're dissatisfied with later though. I kinda regret not finishing those other games before doing a complete game engine overhaul. But I will finish the game this time! (heh, I'm pretty sure I told myself that on my other attempts as well...)

I don't recommend starting all over again, but rather just going with your initial plan for the game and seeing where it takes you. You can always go back when you're finished and revise things. Also, don't forget that you don't have to be tied to down to just one game. You can always start work on a brand new game in the future (although I would recommend finishing this first before starting a second).

Regardless, the game you have right now is extremely popular, which I'm sure you've already noticed (Solitayre voted your game as one of his favorites on the Educated Choice Awards on RMN). You have a huge following (me included) and have accomplished things that I didn't even think were possible in RM2k3. The biggest critics of anything are usually the creators themselves, so just give yourself some time to do other things before returning to work on this. When you come back, you'll remember why people fell in love with this game to begin with.

I agree with everything everybody has said here. It's been awhile since I showed up here actually. As for my own input, it's sort of collecting ideas everyone has said here and some of my own as well.

I'd say finish the project. Then just take a look at it. Write all the problems you have with it, and ask ask questions to your game. Your game probably has the answers.

I know my experience with music is very similar to this. Sometimes I make a mistake or something I don't completely like. (Ex, one note in a melody that I may not be happy with)
Now... I don't always impulsively delete that note, replace, or re write the section. I let it sit, do some other things, come back to it, and question it. Then I think, "Well if I have to question it, then this song has personality, a true mistake or problem would not make you think about it. You would change it."

Think about raising a child, you shape them up to prepare them for the world but sometimes you can be a little over restrictive. Once that restrictiveness is lifted a bit and you allow them to live their life, then you have someone who is truly alive.

:)

Hope this helps.

Are you reffering to the storyline or level design? You can always re-do the levels at anytime but the storyline is another animal.

Yeah I'll definitely be redoing some level design. In regards to storyline it's just some reordering/cleaning/demystifying.