This week, a game called The Forgotten City launched for most major platforms. It’s a game that you’d be forgiven for thinking was its own thing separate from any other title. Sure, it shares some similarities to games you may know and love, but it’s still very much its own beast. However, this is in fact the result of a mod, and nine years of hard work that followed after the mod was deemed good enough to be its own standalone adventure. It’s a lesson to all those who think that making a mod isn’t worth it. Follow your ideas through.
The Forgotten City is a unique adventure into ancient Rome at a time when everything is about to kick off. It’s a full on beast of a game, one that I suggest you head out there and experience for yourself. However, it actually began life as what I believe was a Skyrim mod. A free download for Skyrim that changed the game to look a little bit like the final product does now. After Kotaku posted an article stating that it believed the mod had enough legs to make it as its own game, the developer behind it decided to take the plunge and make the full game.
Prior to release, I was told that The forgotten City had received an unprecedented number of wishlists on Steam, something that I’ll always consider impressive because it effectively equates to pre-orders. However, the most impressive thing here is that the mod itself was good enough to not only make it into being a full release but that it made it through a grueling 9 years of development. This is a lesson in passion for anyone who ever has an idea that they don’t think they’re capable of following through.
The bottom line here is that you never have to overwork yourself to the point of burnout. If you’re dedicated, you can make a change in your life and maybe even get a game release out of it. If we all pushed through the doubt as much as this one developer did, then Steam might be filled with a lot less shovelware and a lot more passion projects that are genuinely enjoyable.
