[Coco] My DE-1 project just took a leep forward!

[Zippster]

I’m glad to see this response.  It’s true there’s no significant market for this
stuff, and if money were the motivation, we’d be better off putting our energy
pretty much anywhere else.

So of course the motivation is having fun, solving technical challenges that 
you want to tackle, and ultimately sharing your projects with the group so that
perhaps a few other people can enjoy them too.

I love seeing any and all of these hardware and software projects going on,
it’s absolutely great for the group.  A sign of a healthy hobbyist atmosphere.

And it’s also true, maintaining motivation and interest in your project
is critical to ever completing it.  So everyone by all means pursue whatever 
interests you.  If you change it too much from what interests you to accommodate
what other people are saying it should be, you may lose your motivation and never
finish it.  Not that input and discussion aren’t great and helpful, they are, 
but it’s your project.

I’m looking forward to seeing both Popstar Pilot and Tim’s DE-1 CoCo when they’re ready!  :)

- Ed


> On Oct 23, 2015, at 7:33 PM, Nick Marentes <nickma at optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> 
> On 24/10/2015 9:36 AM, tim franklinlabs.com wrote:
>>    I guess my only comments would be that there's only a few who would
>>    write software for any CoCo and even less that would buy it. Your Pilot
>>    game is awesome but I must ask why are you writing it? You're spending
>>    a huge amount of time and effort writing a game that only a handful
>>    will play. There's absolutely no market for it so money can't be your
>>    motive. You're posting the sequence of events on creating the game so
>>    others can learn but you don't post the code which limits those who
>>    want to learn.
>>    So why? You write it because you can. You write it because you enjoy
>>    it. You don't share the code because it's yours and some things need to
>>    be kept behind closed doors (Just ask SB).
>> 
>>    For the same reason you are writing the game, we are making our own
>>    "version" of the CoCo. Others have chosen to create hardware clone
>>    equivalent CoCo's. I've chosen a different path. Who will write code
>>    for it? Well, I will. Others may too, It's not important in the end.
>>    The goal is to enjoy this hobby.
>>    I will share the code when I get to a point that I'm happy with it.
>>    Some may learn from it. Others wont care. Either way... I'm having
>>    fun!!!
>> 
> 
> And there you've nailed it!   :)
> 
> It's fun.
> 
> I began Popstar Pilot because of my personal challenge to do a few "impossible" things on the CoCo (split screen hardware scrolling, Amiga'like copper effects etc). That was the challenge, and I've accomplished that. From here on to complete the game, it just becomes...work.
> 
> And as you said, why should I spend so much time when only a handfull would play. There is no market. That's why I've paused, as I find other challenges to work on (software only high-res interface with John Kowalski for example).
> 
> Same with John and his DKREMIX. He was motivated by the challenge to actually make it work and when finished he has given it away to all CoCo users free. He hasn't made a dime from over 12 months work.
> 
> I do plan on resuming my game when I don't have other fun challenges taking up my interests. Popstar Pilot is a "back burner project". There is no other incentive to rush ahead with it and I never release unfinished code. I never have.
> 
> I do have my website blog and this was NOT to teach assembly language (I made that clear on the blog). It was to teach *game design* by documenting my journey. A diary of my time. For those that are dying to see it continue then all I can say is that the blog documents the game design process very well... including my motivation. An important part of developing for something with such small market share as the CoCo is maintaining motivation. I hope people understand how motivation effects progress. Had the CoCo had a market and greater group of gamers, that motivation would be much greater.
> 
> I look forward to seeing what you create. Maybe some will actually write software for it, but build it first and most importantly... have fun.  :)
> 
> Nick
> 
>