AwPG

I understand what you're saying but I'd like to agree to disagree (not trying to split hairs) just a bit. Skill as a game dev is important and that skill is improved by having both knowledge and experience, but they can only take you so far. If you are using outdated or less than efficient tools, it won't matter how skilled you are because time is the most precious resource and it is non-negotiable. Once you have a solid foundation of knowledge and experience, it really is about having the "right tools for the job" and knowing how to use those tools, which really accounts for the big picture of the game development "skill".

Quick example, if I want to make a simple game of pong, I could decide to pick an IDE and make a text-based console game that runs in the likes of Visual Studio and coded in C++. Lets say it takes X amount of lines of code to make it. I could then use a game engine, lets say Game Maker and using a higher level language (the GML) I can do much more with less code, say X / 2. Or in the case of Unity, I can use components and behaviors such as forces, rigidbodies, colliders, etc without having to code their equivalent functions myself (more function is actually achieved without having to code it since you're using a better framework, in this case a well-designed and well-tested constantly updated game engine with lots of free and easy to access community support). Using the inspector, having a scene window, and drag/dropping as well as having instances of scripts active upon different objects... all these things... these "tools" add up to give you more power to create what you want to create with a faster workflow (one that is able to keep up with your creativity and evolving vision easier) than coding everything in a IDE and then having to learn other tools like OpenGL to display things on the screen and then WindowsAPI code to actually make a runnable application. Someone with the same amount of "skill" using different tools can be the difference between spending a month or spending 10 years on an equivalent, functional game (and the tools as well as your audience would have evolved and moved on by then).

This concept applies to other arenas in life, hence the saying "don't reinvent the wheel" but I thought I'd just put it out there so you don't feel discouraged. Finding the right tools for the job really is half the battle, but its takes dabbling and experimenting to become more aware of things. Like anything in life, with more experience and knowledge you begin to learn that there is more that you don't know. Just my two cents, anyways. Enjoy it for the journey, not the destination... someday the destination would just be a cherry on top, not the main course. At least that's what I think.

Tldr; Having the right tools for the job and having a love for learning, self-improvement, and adapting to new challenges is necessary to gain this "skill" to succeed (by whatever definition, could be personal victories or corporate ones or a mix of both). So its important you enjoy the journey, one step at a time, instead of looking up at the mountain top of where you want to be and being disappointed at your progress. Speaking purely from my experience, so take what you want of it. This all applies for anything in life, really. That's why its great to celebrate the small victories, don't worry about comparing yourself to anyone else, and learn to enjoy the journey. Take off the burden and pressure or expectations and just give yourself the space to be yourself. That's how any hobby or interest should be anyways, a space or place for you to be yourself.

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