What do programmers want/What motivates programmers?

[omniscient]

Hello programmers,

I'm a game designer. I am passionate about designing great gameplay, and bringing together art and technology to form my game design into a great experience.
I've learned myself to program, because it empowers me as a designer, and so that I know the problems that programmers face better.
Now I do have a pretty good picture of what kinds of problems programmers face, but I realised that I really don't quite understand something, that might be even more important than what challenges programmers face, namely what it is about programming that gets programmers excited.
So what is it that programmers really want when making a game? What keeps them going, what makes them enthusiastic?
I'm genuinely trying to understand my fellow game developer a bit better.

Thank you.

[yaustar]

Ultimately, it comes down to solving 'stuff' with 'stuff' varying pending on the programmer.

[LittleWolf]

For me there are two parts:

One part is about solving problems. There aren't many things that are as satisfying as finally getting something working you have been working on for hours. I'm still in school, and it happens way to often that when I see something is working I scream a "YES!" out loud and everyone will look at me. (Luckily, they're all programmers, so everyone can relate :P).

The other one is about creating something. First, there was nothing. After I'm done, there is a working computer program. Even better if it's a game . I could never get a job where I'm not creating something.

Programming combines these. Math's is problem solving too, but you're not creating things . (Well, you might be a small part of a large process, but it's not the same 'first, this didn't exist, than I did something, and now it does!)

[David krsty]

nice post!

[jwalters]

LittleWolf hit the nail on the head exactly for me.

The only thing I can add is that, as someone geared towards gameplay/graphics, I like seeing the visual result of my work. When you're playing with some piece of code and then the dwarf finally swings his battle axe just the way you told him to, or the AI (correctly, for the first time ever!) follows the path you created, or the catapult's fire rock plays a beautiful fire effect... there's just that big sense of relief and accomplishment that makes you scream "YES!" out loud

[Reaperc89]

Motivation often comes from the challenge that is associated with something. Often times programmers find themselves doing something that they have never done before, but they have the capacity to complete simply due to their understanding and creative abilities. In addition to that, a clear definition of what is desired is also good. There is nothing worse than putting forth hours worth of effort into something and realizing you need to start over due to requirements not being communicated properly. Specific requirements (unless you want the programmer to do their own thing) are very good

[SBP_Romania]

New challenges, new technologies and of course gadgets (new pieces of hardware) keep my colleagues going on (and pizza of course ). On the other hand requirements that are not complete and testers are driving them crazy. I think you took a good step in learning to program, and this will make you even better at your job.

In my opinion every programmer should know a little bit of design, and as much as possible about testing.