Good morning!

My journey into the wonderful world of video games started at age 15 with a little game called Ultima 6. I opened the box and discovered magic. Inside the box there was a cloth map, a smooth obsidian “moonstone”, and a compendium which served as a guide for new travelers. I installed the program and was whisked away to a new world. It’s hard to express exactly how large that game world was… you could explore it for months and still not see it all.

I played Ultima 6 for about a year and a half until I beat the game, but before I was done, that world was a part of me. I came away with a love of fiction, imagination, and epic games that persists with me to this day.

It’s probably no surprise that I eventually wanted to return the favor. About eight years ago I started learning programming languages, such as C++ and Java, with the goal of developing role playing video games (RPG’s). A little research told me that it’s not easy to create these virtual worlds, but I had no idea exactly how difficult until I worked on it for a few years myself. Modern online role playing games are developed by teams of professional programmers. The teams generally range in size from around 10 to 300 people, and they take anywhere from three to seven years to release the first version of a new game.

This means that I will probably need assistance to create a very fun online game. Even if I manage to get one working, its market share would be limited because I tend to enjoy games that are more old fashioned, with retro graphics and classic styles. Most consumers these days want the latest modern advances. Basically there are small odds of my ever releasing a game, and almost no chance of financial reward.

Despite these obstacles, I’ve continued the efforts part time for most of the last eight years. I love the ideal and I love the work, and if I occasionally stop loving it, I take a break until I can love it some more. Sometimes it feels like I’m a squirrel climbing Mount Everest, but for some reason I haven’t quit yet. Today I know more about game programming than I ever did before, and maybe it’s possible that I will beat the odds.

Programming can be useful, but I think that persistence is the best skill I’ve taken from from my game development experiences. It’s helped improve many areas of my life.
How can persistence help you reach your dreams?

They say that if you never quit on a goal, then you will either achieve it, or die trying.