Station-X is done ... so far as I am happy with it. There will undoubtably be a few bugs and glitches along any playthrough ... but what an experience of learning! I feel that any future titles I make will benefit greatly from the knowledge I have gained with this project. It may not be perfect, but it served its purpose well!
A few lessons through this process were...
* "Always have and maintain a clean and organized code" ... I found that adding things along the way without an overall control code or pattern, made for a very difficult time locating the particular codes I was looking to change. Since I use GameMakerStudios2, all code is embedded in objects. So, if you are using an object-based programming system, always have a REFERENCE OBJECT that holds all commonly used variables.
* "Have an end goal and stick to it" ... don't get me wrong ... creating as you go is a lot of fun, especially when you learn a new thing and want to incorporate it into your project. And spontaneity can be amazing, just look at "Whose line is it anyway". BUT! Having an end in sight and staying to that path ... although challenging ... is always the right idea.
* "I am NO ARTIST!" ... this one is kind of unique for everyone obviously ... some people can create astonishing art with not but a pencil and paper ... I however ... will stick to imaging how amazing something could look instead of trying to create it myself :-P I'll leave that artistry to far more talented people.
* "Time management is hard" ... I first tried to tell myself ... at least 1 hour per day, that didn't seem that bad. But 1 hour a day ... during a hot summer ... after working a full-time job ... living on a farm ... in this expensive economy ... being tired ... having to be a 'mature' adult ... ... turned out to be a big ask. So, to stick to my original thoughts ... I will program ... when and ONLY WHEN I feel like it to avoid forcing myself.
I hope to make more projects in the future, and I hope to hear any thoughts / suggestions for future improvements.
Thanks again for your support!