Archive: 15 posts

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im kind of bugging out lately . i've reached a point in LBP where i just cant figure out what to do...for weeks now. i really want to create and im happy with my past creations, but lately i just cant think of anything cool to create, and i dont want to just mash something together just for the sake of publishing. so i guess im just asking everyone out there. where do you get your ideas and inspirations? do your ideas come to you when your not thinking about creating , or when your in the creator? thanks in advance. FrostE

2008-12-02 01:47:00 Author: TheFrostE Posts: 25

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Hey I've been feeling the same thing for the past week or so. I really want to get to work on the sequel to my HAWK Lair level, but I'm not coming up with good enough ideas. So my advice to you is to do what I'm doing. Take a break, play something else, draw, watch movies, do sports! Anything else, and trust me, eventually ideas will come and you won't want to get out of the creator for days Seriously, it always helps to change up what you've been doing to help get inspired

2008-12-02 02:18:00 Author: KAPBAM Posts: 1348

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thanks man, that helps, nice to know im not the only one, but i actually just got something in mind, came to me right after i posted and i was in editor. basically found the general way the libidius.jp level functions...RR30000 your the man! opens up alot of doors for me now

2008-12-02 02:45:00 Author: TheFrostE Posts: 25

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Glad you're back on track We all get blocked once in a while, and it always passes!

2008-12-02 03:05:00 Author: KAPBAM Posts: 1348

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I've been on and off since the game came out in fact. Only right now, It's been off for almost two weeks. >_<

2008-12-02 03:10:00 Author: UmJammerSully Posts: 1097

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I've been on and off since the game came out in fact. Only right now, It's been off for almost two weeks. >_< Same here, and I haven't even published a level yet.

2008-12-02 03:19:00 Author: Unknown User

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I'd strongly recommend taking a break as well. You can't *force* creativity, it just makes things stale and boring. Some other things that might help though... Talk about LBP to creative friends. Invite them around and show them some ideas. You never know how they might inspire you to improve old ideas or create in fresh ways. Play other people's levels. You might be inspired by someone else's work, or you might think something is good, but was poorly implemented. Certainly don't copy in huge detail, that's just bad, but there is no reason why you can't take failing concepts and innovate with them. Don't be afraid to look externally for new ideas as well. Some ideas might come from the things around you. "What if sackboy were to..." You get the idea. Don't work too hard on one specific project. If you focus too much on one thing, you won't see it with fresh eyes. You will overlook bugs and won't necessarily see what bits are not that good or need to be reworked, rebuilt or removed. It's not a bad thing to be working on a few different ideas at a time so that you can stay fresh in the different areas. Finally, plan what you are doing. Break up current projects into segments. That way if you have a limited amount of time, then you can think "I'll just build this next segment" or "I'll skip the next part because I feel I can work more on prototypes for this one". Of course you should come back to the other part eventually, but having a big plan will allow you to work on the bits you feel in the mood for, which should help the creative juices flow. As an extension of this point, be careful with timelines. Some people work really well with deadlines, some suffer because of them. A timeline can help you to keep moving "I'll have these three major segments done by the end of the week" but they can force you in a rut "I didn't get those three things done because they were a) too hard to do in that time b) bugging out and I don't know why c) real life or other things were keeping me busy". Don't stress too much about something that's suppose to be fun! Hope this all helps!

2008-12-02 05:55:00 Author: Elbee23 Posts: 1280

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Wow, I think Elbee pretty much nailed it, really. Really though, just back off from the level and do something else. Work on another level instead. Play another game. Ideas often come in at the most unexpected moments.

2008-12-02 09:20:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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Hmmm... maybe I could make a sticky-able posting for this idea...

2008-12-02 09:51:00 Author: Elbee23 Posts: 1280

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Hmmm... maybe I could make a sticky-able posting for this idea... I second that! Your above post is great, details pretty much all solutions to a block. I say ask a mod if they think it's a good idea and if so make a thread with that post and have them sticky it! I mean I'm good at getting over blocks, I've been an artist pretty much since the day I picked up a pencil and I'm now into all sorts of graphic design, and even I found something in your post that was a good reminder of something I should be doing to get over my current block! Props (and rep ) to you!

2008-12-02 15:51:00 Author: KAPBAM Posts: 1348

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I'm gonna suggest a pair of previous suggestions put into 1... 1) Elbee wrote Don't work too hard on one specific project. I've got about 6 various partial projects all working at once ... (knowing my luck, I'll never get them done until about November of 2009 ). I get stuck on one, I go jump on another one. I actually made more progress that way on my "big" level then I did working on it straight through. 2) KAp also added: So my advice to you is to do what I'm doing. Take a break, play something else, draw, watch movies, do sports! You'd be surprised how many ideas you can get from just doing other things. I kind of had the inspiration for a construction site from driving to work one day, because I pass a building they've been putting up near our offices... whether or not I actually use it is another question (don't want it too much like "metropolis", which is why this idea may never see the computer screen.)... but the idea showed up, including the ideas for various critters and obstacles... (although I'm trying to wonder if I'd really have a use for a rivet gun.) and I'm going to add a third.. although I figure most people disagree with me... just play with the create options at random.. just throw stuff up on a blank level, adn see what sticks.. see if you can come up with something at random... kind of like doodling on paper and see if something jumps out.

2008-12-02 17:57:00 Author: DaSaintFan Posts: 136

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wow, you guys were a really big help! i feel much better now. now im not afraid to jump into a few other games for a bit and not worry that im misssing out on anything wild. working in little sections at a time is a great one too . so i guess im still going to play lbp of course, but im not going to rack my brain for ideas to the point of frustration...just let it flow. thanks guys! thefroste

2008-12-02 20:02:00 Author: TheFrostE Posts: 25

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Go ahead, guys. You may make a new thread, Elbee, or anyone else. "Ideas to beat that Creative Block!" or something... It can be a sort of compendium where the first post organizes and gathers all the good ideas the rest of the members are posting. Well, that's my idea. Do that, structure it well, and I'll be sure to sticky it. (If I don't, send me a PM; I'm busy going back and forth through the forums and personal stuff.)

2008-12-04 06:39:00 Author: aer0blue Posts: 1603

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I disagree with Elbee on focusing on multiple projects, to be honest. If you have a lot of projects going on, it'll be very hard to polish your level and do the less interesting parts of tweaking, hunting for bugs and generally polishing the level. Instead, I'd suggest you, as Elbee said, cut the level in segments, and focus on a single segment at a time. Switch the segment you're working on every now and then, and get back to previous segments regularly to see if there's something you could improve now that you have a fresh look at it. EDIT: Then again, in a way I agree with the sentiment. Some very small projects can be a good distraction, but perhaps not entire levels. For example, I've made a couple of conveyor belts and other objects, plus writing some creator tips here in between working on my level. I guess it's just a matter of taste, which works best for you. Some might be good at working on multiple projects simultaneously, I'm just not one of them. Also, don't burn through your ideas too quickly. I'd urge most of you to multiply the time you spend creating a level. When you think a level is complete, it might be a good idea to let it sit on your moon for a few days, then go back and check on it. Often you'll notice that this part isn't quite as fun as you thought it was, or that you could improve this little bit, as it's not on par with the rest of the level. Also, give the key to the level to a couple of your friends, and force them to tell all the things they didn't like about the level. If you look at the preview videos of LBP through the year, you'll notice that all the levels they displayed went through several major overhauls over the course of the year. Nobody gets it right the first go around. Don't waste your effort by releasing something you could still make much better.

2008-12-04 12:41:00 Author: Linque Posts: 607

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I did re-write the reply I made into a stickiable post. It's called "How to get rhe creative juices flowing" and you can find the link here: https://lbpcentral.lbp-hub.com/index.php?t=t=5501 In reply to Linque, what I had in mind was ultimately what you came up with when I made the point about other projects. Certainly focus on one thing, but it can be helpful to dabble in other ideas or concepts to help prevent you getting stuck in a rut. What you are suggesting I definitely agree on.

2008-12-04 14:20:00 Author: Elbee23 Posts: 1280

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