The Binge and Purge Syndrome

Closely related to burn out is The Binge and Purge Syndrome. The symptoms of this are easy to spot – your team members will work on the game for two weeks straight without sleep, and then won't touch it for two months. Then, after two months, they'll work nonstop for another few days. They're impatient, yet oblivious to the fact that they spent so long not doing the game.

Binge/Purge isn't the same thing as when your developers work all weekend on the game, and then ignore it during the week because they have other things to do (like a real job). There's nothing wrong with developing around everyone's schedules, and I'm certainly not implying that developer focus needs to be constant day-by-day to be useful. If a developer is consistently focusing on the project for equal intervals of time, that's outstanding. If, on the other hand, he or she ignores the game for two months, then takes a week off of work to do nothing but code… that's binge/purge, and that's something to watch out for.

Binge/Purge developing leads to all sorts of problems. For starters, your team is much more likely to fall victim to burn out. Their attention will drift more easily, the things they produce will appear disjointed, and they may have problems seeing the big picture.

The best way to fight the binge/purge syndrome is by setting a good example for your team to follow. Stick to deadlines, and set realistic goals. Also, consider starting a daily development diary – diaries force you to focus on something every day, and they provide an excellent way to refresh your memory, or bring new members up to speed on where you've come from, and what you're doing now.

Tunnel Vision