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Tuxlar

What is your preferred notion of 'done'?

What is your preferred notion of 'done'?  

47 members have voted

  1. 1. What is your preferred notion of 'done'?

    • When I lose interest.
      5
    • When everyone else loses interest.
      2
    • Done is done. There is no grey area.
      15
    • There is no done. Just 'acceptably unfinished'.
      20
    • There is no done. I'm literally a slave to my work.
      5


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Well, I'll use Doom mapping as my example, but this applies to virtually anything I do, but done is really for me the point at which I feel adding anything will only detract from the overall project. So specifically, when I'm mapping, and I feel the map has reached its climax, I stop. It's like, "Okay, I've come a long way, it all builds up to this awesome fight, and anything I add after this point is going to feel like a letdown in comparison. I could build up to an even more awesome battle or whatever, but I should stop here or I might end up retreading old ground."

Same basic thing applies whenever I write a paper or something (though I can't even remember the last time I had to write a paper, being that I haven't been in college in ages). I can always add more, but I consider it done if I don't feel like I can add more without risking repeating myself. Unfortunately, that doesn't always work - I hate when I haven't reached the minimum page limit and I've already said everything I felt needed to be said, but when that happens, I go back and try to elaborate on sections of the paper that might be thin, rather than try to add new sections which might simply end up being a repeat of something I've already said but worded differently.

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It is "done" as in "complete", when I consider it finished enough AND AT THE SAME TIME I lose interest to continue.

It is "done" as in "given up and left incomplete", when I lose interest to continue OR when something prevents me to continue anymore even if I wanted to.

Applies universally for me. Also, I can claim a thing to be done, and half a year later the status may change because I changed my mind and wanted to continue. It can even work vice versa, when I have work in progress for half a year without progressing at all, so that I call it done. The "done" state often depends on my momentary interest indeed - and I don't really believe it's alright :(. Let me also say that I'm lazy and highly ineffective in practically any work I try to do.

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Stick a fork in it.

My manager says its done when the client stops paying for it.

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When all of the mapping, graphical (and possible musical) work and playtesting is finished.

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Well I just heard one for done from Yatzi about writing.

You're not done when there's nothing more to add, you're done when there's nothing more to take away.

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In terms of WAD making (and as far as I'm concerned), "done" is when a map can be 100%'d in all three categories, has no bugs/exploits/bullshit that requires dumb luck to pass, is fun to play, good to look at, fully co-op compatible and couldn't be expanded on in any meaningful/useful way.

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Nomad said:

When we've both climaxed.


Panties drop.

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When I have 75%+ of all achievements.

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I want to offer some ways to interpret the poll options:

  1. When I lose interest. - Your (ultimate) goal is undefined, and may not even be existent. You are going with the flow. The product/service at hand is itself irrelevant beyond its pleasurable qualities. Regardless of whatever it means to the world, to you, it's only a single-player game.
  2. When everyone else loses interest. - Your goal is whatever others' goals happen to be. The product/service itself doesn't matter, as long as others are made happy by it. To you, it's a multi-player coop game.
  3. Done is done. There is no grey area. - Your goal is to live up to standards. The product/service is irrelevant; it is but a practice for, and an expression of your ability and will to execute decisions already made. To you, it's a matter of honor; a multi-player competitive game.
  4. There is no done. Just 'acceptably unfinished'. - Your goal is presently undefined, but constrained by what it isn't, and upper-bound by an idea of what it could be. The product/service exists only as a means to solve a problem. To you, it's a puzzle game.
  5. There is no done. I am literally a slave to my work. - Your goal IS the upper-bound idea of what it could be. The eternally-elusive state of absolute perfection. The product/service is like life itself for you, and you're seeking nothing short of immortality itself (figuratively). To you, it's like an unending survival and/or sandbox game.
These are simply my own interpretations. Take them as you will.

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When I want something, or someone; I usually persist until I get it. Even if it takes a number of years. Sometimes, I give a bad first impression, because I'm very rash and impulsive. But I work to redeem myself, until people see the light of who I truly am.

But I consider myself done, is when I've exhausted my patience. It will always end at my accord.

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Tuxlar said:

  1. When I lose interest. = to you, it's only a single-player game.
  2. When everyone else loses interest. = To you, it's a multi-player coop game.
  3. Done is done. There is no grey area. = To you, it's a matter of honor; a multi-player competitive game.
  4. There is no done. Just 'acceptably unfinished'. = To you, it's a puzzle game.
  5. There is no done. I am literally a slave to my work. = To you, it's like an unending survival and/or sandbox game.

These are really interesting comparisons of real-life thinking to a game.

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In terms of mapping, when it looks and plays beautifully through and through, all the crash bugs are squashed, and it runs at 60 FPS with little to no stuttering.





......or alternately, when the tissues are in the trash and the browsing history is cleared.

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scifista42 said:

These are really interesting comparisons of real-life thinking to a game.

I'm just having fun with interpretations. Sometimes I do get legit-useful insight from thinking in such ways, even if they're a stretch.

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