Need some guidance about commission chars (coding stuff)

[Basara Bogard]

Let me resume my life recently: I got short of money but plenty of time (remote working), so I keep working on MUGEN as you saw in this forum (or in MFFA if you post there). The thing is, the other day my girlfriend complained to me about "passing so much time on the PC not making something productive" or "you should make money instead to keep making stuff like MUGEN", but then I thought "hey, I could make money with MUGEN actually"

So remember that exists commissions in MUGEN, I could give a try if someone wants a character made by me. So, without nothing to lose, I tried to search something about char commissions and the 90% here is about sprite/portrait/graphics commissions only, with a few content is about requesting commissions and some scammer out there *ehemikeislegendehem* (also remembering when Chuchoryu scammed a guy in MMV BTW). In the end, the only references I could found are this KarmaCharmeleon thread and this BC consultation about this and nothing more (there's a thread about JZ commissions of $350 per char but it was his account hacked, so doesn't count)

So, I need some guidance about this topic and ask you about experiences you had or seen, and if this is possible or it's just a fairy tale in MUGEN. You know my portfolio and what I can do (8-bits/classic chars, ClayFighter stuff, SPvTW stuff, some CvS/KOF tryouts, etc), of course I'll do what I know and not jumping into stuff I don't know or manage (like PotS-style chars, MvC stuff or cheaps, for example). So tell me... is this a good idea or not?? and if I decided to do it, how much cash should I ask or how amount of time should I invest on this??

[XGargoyle]

As someone who has been commissioned twice for mugen coding duties, I can give you the following tips:
- Commissions are overrated. Most of the times you will be forced to work for some time on something you don't like or enjoy, and it's a contract. Meaning that if you want to get out, you will end up losing. And for long term procrastinators like you (just kidding), it could be frustrating as you are tied to keep working on a mugen project you don't enjoy. Best way to reach full burn out, by the way. And sometimes, the money earnt is not worth the sacrifices and time spent.
- You don't compare your wages with anyone else, because you are the only one that should value yourself and estimate how much 1 hour or day of your personal time is worth.
- You set your own prices and advertise yourself as such. It's up to the other other people to consider if it's worth or not paying you for your services.
- Worst thing that could happen to you is if you undervalue your work. You will end up being frustrated on having to work on a project you don't like and you will be underpaid.
- Be realistic: don't tackle a challenge that you can't deliver. If the customer asks something you are not able to deliver or have never done it before, clearly state it and adjust the project's scope and price accordingly.
- Ask for an upfront price (a small percentage ) before doing any actual work. This shows commitment from the customer and at least minimizes the losses if the customer decides not to pay later
- Split the overall price in different milestones, which you would deliver parts of the project and get paid in segments. Never focus all the work into a single payment. Otherwise, you could end up working and getting nothing back.
- Customer has to always pay before you deliver anything. If done otherwise, say farewell to any money
- Be clear on what is expected from you to deliver and what is not on scope. It's so easy to get involved with "last minute changes" or "small adjustments" while the project is ongoing. Be ready to act and draw a red line, if needed.