Well, I'm taking a few courses at College and working full time in a job that has me travailing all over the place. So, I know that many members here are in the same age group as me dealing with possibly even more real life things. (Girl friends, wives, army, who knows!)

So what I'm asking is, how do you find the time? How do you make it all work together? How do you find the drive when you can only work on a game 2-3 hours a week or less?
-Elmernite

you don't always have to create a video game when creating a game.  you can create a game of/from anything in life.  you can squeeze out work on non-video games almost any time, any place :)  this is always worth it, too; it sharpens your game design (using this term literally) skills and understanding.  the lessons you learn and discoveries you make can be carried into video game development (the game design part of it).

To me it's not a matter of finding the drive - having something creative to work on is in large part what gives me the drive to deal with school, work, etc.

I have way more time than 2-3 hours a week, I can't imagine how stressful life would be if I hadn't. I really dislike stress and never work overtime. I prefer being unprepared for something once in a while than schedule my life and constantly worry about being prepared. If I don't have time for somthing now I leave it for some other day.

Like Jabber I have a need for creative outlets. Without them I feel restricted and apathetic. It's necessary for me to draw, program, compose, dream and build. I get into grooves where I sprite and program for weeks on end. Most of my games were made during those coupled with long period of free time.

I'd be happy getting that much free time a week to be honest. I work 50+ a week and a have girlfriend to occupy in the mean time. When I do get some free time I'll generally just get as much done as I can.

How do you stick with one project though when you can work on it so little? I need to keep working on the same project every day to stay focused. Otherwise I feel kind of stagnate and start longing for new projects.

-Elmernite

This has always been one of my main stumbling blocks. I have difficulty concentrating on one thing for a long time, and it gets especially bad when I encounter a major problem, usually one that requires me to go back and change a lot of things. I just can't find the resolve to move past it.

oh, and hi!

Well working on compositions and arrangements for games isn't quite making games, but it's still a lot of work. So I'll chime in.

The drive issue is definitely a major factor. You have to know where you're going to find it, and sustain it for further use in those times you have free. I find that foreseeing the time and day on which you're going to fit that slot of "development time" into is useful. So I'll be sitting here, Wednesday, knowing my Thursdays are full, but I have 9am to 12pm on Friday to work on some Dust material. So I get up at 7.30am and I get to it by or before 9am. Getting the jump on the time you set out can help you start bang on that time, because we all know we can sometimes have the tendency to arse around before getting into things.

Looking for the drive is not always the issue, but it's one of the factors, as I have said. Using influences and seeing other peoples drive, hearing other peoples work, seeing it, whichever, that effect on me can become part of my motivation.

I.e. if somebody makes something incredible and I'm watching a film while listening to this amazing scored piece, I get all excited and I'm eager to grab my keyboard afterwards and crack out some ideas and themes in my head, I know this is easier with the free time on your side, but like I said, if you get it during the week, try and harbour it, until you can use it, since you can bring the time to work on this stuff to you. You must wait for it to come around.

Rant over!