So You Wanna Be a Game Designer

page 3:
Going from the original creative vision to what the game is eventually going to be…it isn't always about making the best game possible. It's about the tradeoffs you decide on as a designer. You're making the best game possible with x people, y months, and with z dollars. It's like playing an RPG where you have 20 points to allocate to strength, dexterity and intelligence. You can't have it all.

That's an awesome idea... the RPG is... the act of making an RPG!