We had a rather protracted debate about whether you could do a proper tragedy in game stories - i.e. Romeo and Juliet.
My opinion is that you can do elements of tragedy, perhaps a bittersweet ending or tragedy that affects NPCs, but you just cannot do a tragic story for the main character successfully. Why?
It is my firm belief that you will set the player up for failure if you do this. They "win" the game, but the outcome is a negative one - effectively they lose. I've seen this in a couple of games - situations where you lose no matter what you do - the result is usually extreme player frustration and an overwhelming sense of having no real impact in the game world (and in turn pulling you out of any sense if immersion).
The response from nearly everyone I spoke to is that games have to overcome the childish notion of winning if narrative is to progress. I don't see any real logic in this. Tragedy does not instantly make narrative better than a story with a positive outcome. You can also still deal with tragic elements, loss of a loved one, pain & suffering, etc - just make sure that the player still feels like they have had an impact on the world and that it hasn't all been for nothing.
I think there is still plenty of scope for game narrative to satisfy more highbrow tastes, but we have to still serve the parts of a game that make it a game - the element of the player character making a difference is key to that.
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Long Time no E & Unity vs UDK
So I forgot about my Blog. There's a surprise. Very few people probably read it anyway.
So I kind of stumbled across it again from a link on another site. It reminded me that the blog was a great way to get my thoughts out in a (semi) coherent manner. So I thought I'd start trying to blog again, even if it is only for my own benefit.
So the big development in a personal project regard is that I have ditched XNA as the development method for my own project for a couple of reasons:
1. The Community Games on XBox has been a fail in terms of sales potential.
2. Unity and Unreal decided to go free.
So I had spent a long time creating an engine and an editor for use in XNA and I really learnt a lot from it. But the prospect of a complete engine available to use for free was just too tempting.
So I started with UDK. I use Unreal at work daily and absolutely love it. The editor and Kismet are so well formed that it makes design implementation a joy. However, my experience with the scripting side of things when I downloaded UDK were a nightmare. For a start - no IDE as standard - and the nFringe mod licence means no commercial release - I refuse to pay the prices they expect for a commercial version for something that should be standard. Then there is the sheer overcomplication of getting a project started. I managed to get something running, but it took an age, and a lot of frustration.
So I took a quick look at Unity, and almost immediately I was hooked. The component model is a really powerful way of doing things. It is simple enough to make something really quickly and setting up a new blank project was an absolute breeze. However, I would never want to do anything bigger than a three or four man project in Unity, it would become chaos.
So - for big projects you really cant beat unreal, but if you're doing something small then I really recommend using Unity.
So I kind of stumbled across it again from a link on another site. It reminded me that the blog was a great way to get my thoughts out in a (semi) coherent manner. So I thought I'd start trying to blog again, even if it is only for my own benefit.
So the big development in a personal project regard is that I have ditched XNA as the development method for my own project for a couple of reasons:
1. The Community Games on XBox has been a fail in terms of sales potential.
2. Unity and Unreal decided to go free.
So I had spent a long time creating an engine and an editor for use in XNA and I really learnt a lot from it. But the prospect of a complete engine available to use for free was just too tempting.
So I started with UDK. I use Unreal at work daily and absolutely love it. The editor and Kismet are so well formed that it makes design implementation a joy. However, my experience with the scripting side of things when I downloaded UDK were a nightmare. For a start - no IDE as standard - and the nFringe mod licence means no commercial release - I refuse to pay the prices they expect for a commercial version for something that should be standard. Then there is the sheer overcomplication of getting a project started. I managed to get something running, but it took an age, and a lot of frustration.
So I took a quick look at Unity, and almost immediately I was hooked. The component model is a really powerful way of doing things. It is simple enough to make something really quickly and setting up a new blank project was an absolute breeze. However, I would never want to do anything bigger than a three or four man project in Unity, it would become chaos.
So - for big projects you really cant beat unreal, but if you're doing something small then I really recommend using Unity.
Monday, 29 September 2008
Bye Jack!
This is sad news...
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/09/25/disbarred
...well actually it made my day. Good ridance you lunatic f**k!
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/09/25/disbarred
...well actually it made my day. Good ridance you lunatic f**k!
Monday, 15 September 2008
The Mod Community Needs to Wake Up
Interesting survey:
http://www.hourences.com/book/surveyresults.htm
It's very skewed by the nature of the places where the survey originated, from the mod community. The interesting aspect for me is the disparity between what the mod community considers level design to be and what the actual job entails.
There is still the firm belief within the mod community that the level designer does the visuals as well as the gameplay. This is just not true anymore. Artists in the vast majorty of cases are responsible for environment art. The designers concentrate on gameplay only.
This belief led me to a rather dismal experience when trying to hire from the mod community not long ago. I'm from the mod community myself - the 1997 - 2000 era of mapping when BSP was king and the level designer was responsible for visuals. The attitude I came up against in the mod community was disbelief and even anger that we would not consider that part of the role.
Worse still however was the expectation of being able to work from home in their native country on a console project. It's just not a feasible proposition - for a start there is the sensitivity of the material being produced, procuring dev kits - but most of all modern development teams are just that - teams. The design role especially really relies on them being together in one place and having quick and easy lines of commincation. Notably most mod projects fall to pieces within months when they find it difficult to comminicate at the right times, or fall out because they misunderstand each other.
When this was pointed out to them the reaction was indignant anger. Why should they have to move? How dare I ask that they come over to the UK and be paid for a job they love to do?!
The mod community needs to wake up and smell the coffee a little bit. If you want to turn your hobby into a professional vocation then you have to understand that there are certain ways that things are done in the professional world.
Maybe the truth (as the survey suggests) is that the mod community is mostly made up of teenagers. They need to do a little growing up if this is something they want to pursue as a career.
http://www.hourences.com/book/surveyresults.htm
It's very skewed by the nature of the places where the survey originated, from the mod community. The interesting aspect for me is the disparity between what the mod community considers level design to be and what the actual job entails.
There is still the firm belief within the mod community that the level designer does the visuals as well as the gameplay. This is just not true anymore. Artists in the vast majorty of cases are responsible for environment art. The designers concentrate on gameplay only.
This belief led me to a rather dismal experience when trying to hire from the mod community not long ago. I'm from the mod community myself - the 1997 - 2000 era of mapping when BSP was king and the level designer was responsible for visuals. The attitude I came up against in the mod community was disbelief and even anger that we would not consider that part of the role.
Worse still however was the expectation of being able to work from home in their native country on a console project. It's just not a feasible proposition - for a start there is the sensitivity of the material being produced, procuring dev kits - but most of all modern development teams are just that - teams. The design role especially really relies on them being together in one place and having quick and easy lines of commincation. Notably most mod projects fall to pieces within months when they find it difficult to comminicate at the right times, or fall out because they misunderstand each other.
When this was pointed out to them the reaction was indignant anger. Why should they have to move? How dare I ask that they come over to the UK and be paid for a job they love to do?!
The mod community needs to wake up and smell the coffee a little bit. If you want to turn your hobby into a professional vocation then you have to understand that there are certain ways that things are done in the professional world.
Maybe the truth (as the survey suggests) is that the mod community is mostly made up of teenagers. They need to do a little growing up if this is something they want to pursue as a career.
Thursday, 4 September 2008
Google Map based games
Having seen The Last Guy - a rather nice zombie game that appears to be based around google maps (well satellite photos at least), I got started thinking about other ideas you could play around with using google maps as a basis. I came up with the following ideas:
1. Fire Fighter
Fires may outbreak in cities or forest based areas. Make use of water resources, fire stations and various equipment to fight fires across the globe. May have a competitive aspect, where competing players fight to defeat as many fires as possible. Could be played at a local level within a city, or on a much larger scale to fight forest fires, etc.
2. Sim City
Recreate a similar feel to Sim City using real world locations and terrain.
3. Nuclear War
Already been done with Defcon, but might have a more pronounced effect with satellite imagery.
4. Racing
Drive cars across various cities or other routes in some form of race (create set course or find the fastest way from A -> B).
5. Treasure Hunt
Bury treasure at various point and leave a trail of clues and puzzles for players to solve.
6. "Real Life" RPG
Quest across the length and breadth of the world using the real world maps as the basis for a fictional story.
7. Recon
Mirror use of satellite immagery to recreate a recon scenario - bombing targets from a detached view, track targets to find locations, etc.
8. World Based Civilization
Similar style of game to civ - build and improve cities and take over other countries, form treaties, trade, etc.
9. Cops / Criminals
Act as a police commisoner deploying resources to track organised crime - or run a criminal organisation and avoid cops!
10. Pacman
Pacman using real city streets (thanks to Peter Field for that one!).
1. Fire Fighter
Fires may outbreak in cities or forest based areas. Make use of water resources, fire stations and various equipment to fight fires across the globe. May have a competitive aspect, where competing players fight to defeat as many fires as possible. Could be played at a local level within a city, or on a much larger scale to fight forest fires, etc.
2. Sim City
Recreate a similar feel to Sim City using real world locations and terrain.
3. Nuclear War
Already been done with Defcon, but might have a more pronounced effect with satellite imagery.
4. Racing
Drive cars across various cities or other routes in some form of race (create set course or find the fastest way from A -> B).
5. Treasure Hunt
Bury treasure at various point and leave a trail of clues and puzzles for players to solve.
6. "Real Life" RPG
Quest across the length and breadth of the world using the real world maps as the basis for a fictional story.
7. Recon
Mirror use of satellite immagery to recreate a recon scenario - bombing targets from a detached view, track targets to find locations, etc.
8. World Based Civilization
Similar style of game to civ - build and improve cities and take over other countries, form treaties, trade, etc.
9. Cops / Criminals
Act as a police commisoner deploying resources to track organised crime - or run a criminal organisation and avoid cops!
10. Pacman
Pacman using real city streets (thanks to Peter Field for that one!).
Monday, 18 August 2008
Mine Carts - the holy grail of design(?)
Every game I've worked on I have designed a section with Mine Carts. Every game I have worked on has been released without a section with Mine Carts. Why?
Ever since I saw Temple of Doom as a kid, I've always been fascinated with the idea of getting an homage to them into a project. The whole sequence when you first see it is mind blowing - the whole rollercoaster ride feel, the danger from other carts, collapsing sections, selecting the right route.
The simple fact is Mine Carts don't actually have that much gameplay - they are quite simply a visual spectacle, but there is little interaction. You are a essentially a fixed point moving along a rail. Any kind of shooting is essentially a form of "Virtua Cop". Switching tracks or collapsing sections are extremely hard to telegraph at speed, and likely result in instant death - never fun.
Sure, a fairly good Mine Cart section could be done, but will it ever beat the thrill of seeing that sequence in Indiana Jones for the first time as a child? Simple answer: no...
Still, it won't stop me trying. It's gotta happen at least once - damn it, I need to satiate my inner child!
Ever since I saw Temple of Doom as a kid, I've always been fascinated with the idea of getting an homage to them into a project. The whole sequence when you first see it is mind blowing - the whole rollercoaster ride feel, the danger from other carts, collapsing sections, selecting the right route.
The simple fact is Mine Carts don't actually have that much gameplay - they are quite simply a visual spectacle, but there is little interaction. You are a essentially a fixed point moving along a rail. Any kind of shooting is essentially a form of "Virtua Cop". Switching tracks or collapsing sections are extremely hard to telegraph at speed, and likely result in instant death - never fun.
Sure, a fairly good Mine Cart section could be done, but will it ever beat the thrill of seeing that sequence in Indiana Jones for the first time as a child? Simple answer: no...
Still, it won't stop me trying. It's gotta happen at least once - damn it, I need to satiate my inner child!
Thursday, 14 August 2008
How to get a job in Game Design
Design is by far the hardest discipline to get into as it's difficult to show aptitude and requires a lot of knowledge in different areas. I see lots and lots of really poor applications, but very few good ones.
What I would look for in a candidate's application is:
* A level built in a world editor such as Source's Hammer (Half-Life 2) or Unreal (you get the world editors free with the game).
* A well written and presented design document for an interesting game.
* A well written design specification for a particular game mechanic.
* A well written level design overview (perhaps using Sketchup - which is now free http://sketchup.google.com/download/ ).
* A game demo written in something like XNA ( http://creators.xna.com/ ).
What I definitely don't care about:
* Reviews of existing games.
* Screenshots of 3D models.
* Screenshots of levels (I'd want to see the level itself or at least a video - preferably with commentary to explain design decisions).
* Articles about games and sociology. This seems to be a huge topic in academic circles. In commercial terms, unless it is knowing your market better, I couldn't give a shit.
All in all I want to see applications where it is obvious that some effort has been put into them. Also people often seem to mistake what the design role is. Certainly the days of level designers building all the geometry are fading. These are generally art centric roles now. Design is now much more concerned where it should be - focused on gameplay.
It is essential that an designer has a decent portfolio of work to show a potential employer. We need to know how well rounded you are, where your strengths lie and your aptitude for particular things. We also want to see real passion for games and games development.
What I would look for in a candidate's application is:
* A level built in a world editor such as Source's Hammer (Half-Life 2) or Unreal (you get the world editors free with the game).
* A well written and presented design document for an interesting game.
* A well written design specification for a particular game mechanic.
* A well written level design overview (perhaps using Sketchup - which is now free http://sketchup.google.com/download/ ).
* A game demo written in something like XNA ( http://creators.xna.com/ ).
What I definitely don't care about:
* Reviews of existing games.
* Screenshots of 3D models.
* Screenshots of levels (I'd want to see the level itself or at least a video - preferably with commentary to explain design decisions).
* Articles about games and sociology. This seems to be a huge topic in academic circles. In commercial terms, unless it is knowing your market better, I couldn't give a shit.
All in all I want to see applications where it is obvious that some effort has been put into them. Also people often seem to mistake what the design role is. Certainly the days of level designers building all the geometry are fading. These are generally art centric roles now. Design is now much more concerned where it should be - focused on gameplay.
It is essential that an designer has a decent portfolio of work to show a potential employer. We need to know how well rounded you are, where your strengths lie and your aptitude for particular things. We also want to see real passion for games and games development.
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