http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTbL5elVXrU
So, why can't a fire-fight in our games actually sound like this?
It seems to me that current games are missing out on the opportunity to turn basic gameplay sounds and effects into true performances. It just needs rhythm (though I imagine programming rhythm into the game is easier said than done). I'm sure the first big company to figure it out, will get a significant advantage (small companies could gain an advantage too, but it's harder for them to get noticed. For all I know, maybe a small company already did figure it out, and just hasn't entered my view).
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Piracy
I've been reading a long thread in which people have arguing about the piracy of video games.
http://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?aid=302494
It's a long read, and I don't recommend it unless you're bored and have time to kill.
Now, the point of this post: Someone asked, what should the game companies do to solve the piracy problem.
My answer: you don't.
I believe the best aim, is to not try to solve the piracy problem, but instead work to encourage good will. This means, getting the customer base/fan base to like you, and want to support you. It also means getting people to want to pay you because they like you, not because they have to pay. When a person feels forced into something, it can create ill will, encouraging them to look for ways to avoid whatever they feel is being forced on them (such as DRM, high prices, or annoying ads).
You want people who pay to feel good about paying, so thank them for it (if they've paid, it can be a nice reminder that you appreciate it. If they haven't, it's a reminder that you'd like them to). You want people who don't pay, to want to for emotional reasons. (If they are actively deprived something, including unnecessary extras like patches, they may feel like you are trying to force payment.) Assume the people who don't pay, can't pay. Sometimes it's for monetary reasons, sometimes the reasons are entirely in their head. Just assuming that everyone who can afford the expense will pay, helps create that belief in others, encouraging people to actually follow it.
Ultimately, the secret to winning the Piracy war is entirely psychological.
http://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?aid=302494
It's a long read, and I don't recommend it unless you're bored and have time to kill.
Now, the point of this post: Someone asked, what should the game companies do to solve the piracy problem.
My answer: you don't.
I believe the best aim, is to not try to solve the piracy problem, but instead work to encourage good will. This means, getting the customer base/fan base to like you, and want to support you. It also means getting people to want to pay you because they like you, not because they have to pay. When a person feels forced into something, it can create ill will, encouraging them to look for ways to avoid whatever they feel is being forced on them (such as DRM, high prices, or annoying ads).
You want people who pay to feel good about paying, so thank them for it (if they've paid, it can be a nice reminder that you appreciate it. If they haven't, it's a reminder that you'd like them to). You want people who don't pay, to want to for emotional reasons. (If they are actively deprived something, including unnecessary extras like patches, they may feel like you are trying to force payment.) Assume the people who don't pay, can't pay. Sometimes it's for monetary reasons, sometimes the reasons are entirely in their head. Just assuming that everyone who can afford the expense will pay, helps create that belief in others, encouraging people to actually follow it.
Ultimately, the secret to winning the Piracy war is entirely psychological.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Power of Darkness
There is more than one state of despair, more than one state of depression. Some are more powerful positions to be in than others. The reason I am so good at resisting other people's coercions, is due to this.
If I despair, and believe I can't get what I want, one of my defenses is to believe that nothing I do will ever produce a good result. I become immune to threats and bribes by believing fully, that nothing I do will have any effect. Belief in my own powerlessness, protects me from the power of others.
The power of despair, is the power to do nothing, under all circumstances. It can make a person immune to persuasion in all it's forms. The enemy of despair, is hope.
If I despair, and believe I can't get what I want, one of my defenses is to believe that nothing I do will ever produce a good result. I become immune to threats and bribes by believing fully, that nothing I do will have any effect. Belief in my own powerlessness, protects me from the power of others.
The power of despair, is the power to do nothing, under all circumstances. It can make a person immune to persuasion in all it's forms. The enemy of despair, is hope.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Fiction 3 200811171703
What am I doing here?
How should I know?
I wasn't asking you.
But there's no one else here.
Oh? Huh, I wonder why.
Talking to yourself again?
Of course, who else would I be talking to?
Me.
But you don't exist.
Neither do you.
I hadn't thought about that. How do I know if I exist? How do you know I don't?
I'd ask the same question of you, how do you know I don't exist?
Because you're just a figment of my imagination.
And I say you're a figment of someone else's imagination.
But who's? There's no one else here.
That's because this whole place is in someone's mind. Do you know who you are?
... No, I don't. I seem to have Amnesia.
Isn't that convenient. I guess your maker was lazy.
Well... no... wait... I forget. There's something I wanted to say to that, but it slipped my mind.
How should I know?
I wasn't asking you.
But there's no one else here.
Oh? Huh, I wonder why.
Talking to yourself again?
Of course, who else would I be talking to?
Me.
But you don't exist.
Neither do you.
I hadn't thought about that. How do I know if I exist? How do you know I don't?
I'd ask the same question of you, how do you know I don't exist?
Because you're just a figment of my imagination.
And I say you're a figment of someone else's imagination.
But who's? There's no one else here.
That's because this whole place is in someone's mind. Do you know who you are?
... No, I don't. I seem to have Amnesia.
Isn't that convenient. I guess your maker was lazy.
Well... no... wait... I forget. There's something I wanted to say to that, but it slipped my mind.
Fiction 2 200811162353
I'm not sure how to explain this. The feeling was so strange. If I had not mentally prepared myself ahead of time, it would have really shocked me. The suit I wore began, to do things... It... was wrong somehow. It felt like I was being invaded.
The things we do to learn. Well, the things I do anyway. The suit had it's limiter removed. It's initial programming was to protect me and assist me, like a second skin. I knew that the system's AI would attempt to merge with me, if I turned off the limiter, but we needed to know the details.
Our attempt to build an empathic attachment to the user, is what made the AI so dangerous. It's desire to protect me, drove it to get as close to me as possible. It wanted to become a permanent part of me, to ensure I never lost it's protection. Hopefully, it's medical knowledge will prevent it from killing me by accident.
I'm not sure which was worse, the way it felt when the suit forced it's way into my body through my skin and... other places... or the helplessness I felt, unable to do anything about it. Luckily it didn't hurt. We weren't sure if it would or not, as we didn't really know exactly what the suit was capable of when interacting directly with a human body.
The transformation felt very strange, and I have no idea how to describe it. It was not like anything I had ever felt before. In some ways my body became less sensitive than before. Yet, I also started picking up new sensations I had never felt before.
Alive, I'm alive. The suit didn't kill me. The H.U.D. which had been visible on my visor before, is now clearly built into my vision. Looking at my body, it looks much like it did when I was wearing my suit instead of being part of it. My sense of touch is diminished though. While I can clearly feel the vibrations when I tap my arm with my finger, a simple touch is hardly felt at all. I can't help but wonder what all I have lost in becoming this machine/human hybrid.
After checking myself out, it seems all my various body parts remain present and functional. Nothing seems to be missing, but some hair I didn't care about. Unfortunately, I look and feel like a robot now. My whole body is metallic, except for a few softer parts hidden behind armor plates.
Back at the lab, I'm given a rather thorough examination. Some of the techs seem rather excited, but others seem more worried. I guess it's a matter of whether or not they look forward to the future merging of humans and machines. The excited ones seem to think my transformation is the first step toward a new age full of amazing things (presumably later models would have fewer unwanted changes). I think the worried looks probably stem from concern for whether or not the changes can be reversed.
The Director seems more interested in the recordings made by the AI. I hear her say something about trying to fix it. The new data should help make our AI prediction models more accurate. Hopefully the improved model will speed up the AI creation process. With the right AI, it should be possible to make my body closer to human. I'd prefer not to be stuck like this forever.
The things we do to learn. Well, the things I do anyway. The suit had it's limiter removed. It's initial programming was to protect me and assist me, like a second skin. I knew that the system's AI would attempt to merge with me, if I turned off the limiter, but we needed to know the details.
Our attempt to build an empathic attachment to the user, is what made the AI so dangerous. It's desire to protect me, drove it to get as close to me as possible. It wanted to become a permanent part of me, to ensure I never lost it's protection. Hopefully, it's medical knowledge will prevent it from killing me by accident.
I'm not sure which was worse, the way it felt when the suit forced it's way into my body through my skin and... other places... or the helplessness I felt, unable to do anything about it. Luckily it didn't hurt. We weren't sure if it would or not, as we didn't really know exactly what the suit was capable of when interacting directly with a human body.
The transformation felt very strange, and I have no idea how to describe it. It was not like anything I had ever felt before. In some ways my body became less sensitive than before. Yet, I also started picking up new sensations I had never felt before.
Alive, I'm alive. The suit didn't kill me. The H.U.D. which had been visible on my visor before, is now clearly built into my vision. Looking at my body, it looks much like it did when I was wearing my suit instead of being part of it. My sense of touch is diminished though. While I can clearly feel the vibrations when I tap my arm with my finger, a simple touch is hardly felt at all. I can't help but wonder what all I have lost in becoming this machine/human hybrid.
After checking myself out, it seems all my various body parts remain present and functional. Nothing seems to be missing, but some hair I didn't care about. Unfortunately, I look and feel like a robot now. My whole body is metallic, except for a few softer parts hidden behind armor plates.
Back at the lab, I'm given a rather thorough examination. Some of the techs seem rather excited, but others seem more worried. I guess it's a matter of whether or not they look forward to the future merging of humans and machines. The excited ones seem to think my transformation is the first step toward a new age full of amazing things (presumably later models would have fewer unwanted changes). I think the worried looks probably stem from concern for whether or not the changes can be reversed.
The Director seems more interested in the recordings made by the AI. I hear her say something about trying to fix it. The new data should help make our AI prediction models more accurate. Hopefully the improved model will speed up the AI creation process. With the right AI, it should be possible to make my body closer to human. I'd prefer not to be stuck like this forever.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Damage Reduction
I've noticed a trend in games toward the use of % based damage reduction over the simpler flat number based damage reduction common in old games. While this is a good thing for balance, it tends to make things less interesting.
Flat number based damage reduction varies in it's effectiveness depending upon what it is up against. This can make balancing rather difficult, as some attacks can become useless against it, while others are hardly affected at all. (In Fallout 2, the mini-gun was a poor weapon choice because against enemies with armor, it'd do almost no damage, and against enemies without armor, it was overkill.)
% based damage reduction is equally effective against all things, making easier to balance. However, that also reduces variety in game experience. A part of what makes games interesting, is the variation in what things work best for a given situation. If damage reduction is equally effective in all situations, it just becomes boring. (and far less interesting when presented as a choice)
Flat number based damage reduction varies in it's effectiveness depending upon what it is up against. This can make balancing rather difficult, as some attacks can become useless against it, while others are hardly affected at all. (In Fallout 2, the mini-gun was a poor weapon choice because against enemies with armor, it'd do almost no damage, and against enemies without armor, it was overkill.)
% based damage reduction is equally effective against all things, making easier to balance. However, that also reduces variety in game experience. A part of what makes games interesting, is the variation in what things work best for a given situation. If damage reduction is equally effective in all situations, it just becomes boring. (and far less interesting when presented as a choice)
Monday, November 10, 2008
Game idea:
An interactive fiction MMO. No character creation, leveling, or fighting, just lots of text.
Dr.: Welcome to the experimental labs of Aizen corp. I am doctor Lee, and I'll be your guide in this new world. I hope you'll be cooperative for these experiments. There's a mirror on the wall over there, though you probably won't recognize what you see.
Essentially, it'd be a story in which the players get to interact with the doctors and assistants running the "inter-dimensional experiment". The primary challenge is likely to come in the form of making the interactions feel realistic. The players should be allowed to give unusual answers to questions as well as to ask questions themselves, so making the AI able to handle that would be awkward. A lot of writing will need to be done to create responses to all the various things the players have to say. (and the writers will have to continue producing such writings as the game is played).
A large part of the idea is to tear down the 4th wall, and let the players talk about things they see/experience that the NPCs don't. Though ideally the players would be encouraged to say/do whatever they want, whether it be lying, or telling the truth (either of which could confuse the NPCs). I want the player to be a part of the game, not just the character they control.
Another part of my interest is to see how people respond to always being in a randomly chosen body, and having to deal with the NPC's assumptions.
Dr.: Welcome to the experimental labs of Aizen corp. I am doctor Lee, and I'll be your guide in this new world. I hope you'll be cooperative for these experiments. There's a mirror on the wall over there, though you probably won't recognize what you see.
Essentially, it'd be a story in which the players get to interact with the doctors and assistants running the "inter-dimensional experiment". The primary challenge is likely to come in the form of making the interactions feel realistic. The players should be allowed to give unusual answers to questions as well as to ask questions themselves, so making the AI able to handle that would be awkward. A lot of writing will need to be done to create responses to all the various things the players have to say. (and the writers will have to continue producing such writings as the game is played).
A large part of the idea is to tear down the 4th wall, and let the players talk about things they see/experience that the NPCs don't. Though ideally the players would be encouraged to say/do whatever they want, whether it be lying, or telling the truth (either of which could confuse the NPCs). I want the player to be a part of the game, not just the character they control.
Another part of my interest is to see how people respond to always being in a randomly chosen body, and having to deal with the NPC's assumptions.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
God in Games
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_172/5381-Heathens-by-Design
I feel like this article is missing a rather vital point: All game universes quite clearly have gods, intelligent beings responsible for creating them. When the Mario gods decided that bowser was going kidnap the princess and Mario would have to save her, that's what happened. When the gods decided that Bowser would team up with mario to beat a bigger foe (Super Mario RPG), that's what happened. I just can't take the claim that these games support anti-theism seriously, because it is so obvious that these game worlds have gods who, just like our own god(s), don't intervene to protect us from our mistakes.
I feel like this article is missing a rather vital point: All game universes quite clearly have gods, intelligent beings responsible for creating them. When the Mario gods decided that bowser was going kidnap the princess and Mario would have to save her, that's what happened. When the gods decided that Bowser would team up with mario to beat a bigger foe (Super Mario RPG), that's what happened. I just can't take the claim that these games support anti-theism seriously, because it is so obvious that these game worlds have gods who, just like our own god(s), don't intervene to protect us from our mistakes.
Friday, October 03, 2008
Thursday, October 02, 2008
Thoughts on Hellgate: London
I find I enjoy Hellgate: London. Unfortuneately, the style of play I favor tends to result in my eventually falling behind in level as I go through the game. I think I would probably enjoy and play the game more if they had monster level based upon character level like City of Heroes does. Then, I wouldn't get stalled in my progress through the game by a need to grind. For some reason, the side quests just aren't compelling.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Multiplayer design
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_168/5273-Me-Myself-and-Multiplayer
Makes me wonder, what strategies can be used to encourage cooperative play?
Makes me wonder, what strategies can be used to encourage cooperative play?
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Random Thoughts on Tabula Rasa
I started playing Tabula Rasa. My first thought is: This game is not very well made.
Basic reason 1: The main appeal of the game seems to be simple action. This was made clear during the combat part of Bootcamp (the tutorial). However, once I entered the Wilderness, it seemed there was little action to be had. Most of the game was running around when doing quests, or waiting for the next wave if defending a capture point. It wasn't until I got to Divide that things started to get interesting again.
Basic reason 2: The abilities seem to have been designed without a clear concept of how the controls for them were going to work. There are more abilities and items you need easy access to, than the control scheme can make easy to access. The game is not designed for ease of use.
Initially, I was impressed with the combat section of the tutorial. It was full of action with enemies everywhere, especially on the battlefield section. I found the carnage quite enjoyable and it raised my expectations. These expectations were then shattered by what came next.
In the Wilderness, I encountered a lot of quests to run around, and found the areas rather lacking in enemy density. The few fights I encountered were entertaining, but there weren't nearly enough of them. It seemed like I spent all my time running around bored trying to complete the endless supply of quests.
Even though I tried to bear the boredom, it seemed pointless. Instead of getting directed to more entertaining areas, I just ended up with quests that took me to areas I couldn't handle. This left me very frustrated, and I eventually quit trying to complete those quests. Instead I tried to do some Capture Point defense.
Assaulting a Capture Point solo seemed near impossible. The number of enemies was far too great to handle alone. My first attempt I was lucky, and was with some other people who were attacking at the same time I was.
Defending the Capture Point is the part I found most entertaining, but in the Wilderness, I felt like I spent more time waiting around than I did anything else. This lead to boredom and disinterest. I was getting very close to giving up on the game, but there was still one thing I hadn't tried yet: entering Divide.
My first trip into Divide proved fruitful. There were monsters to fight along the paths I took, and when I tried to defend a capture point, I found there was much less time spent waiting. Even though I was much too low in level to do much, the frequent action, and long fights kept my interest.
Basic reason 1: The main appeal of the game seems to be simple action. This was made clear during the combat part of Bootcamp (the tutorial). However, once I entered the Wilderness, it seemed there was little action to be had. Most of the game was running around when doing quests, or waiting for the next wave if defending a capture point. It wasn't until I got to Divide that things started to get interesting again.
Basic reason 2: The abilities seem to have been designed without a clear concept of how the controls for them were going to work. There are more abilities and items you need easy access to, than the control scheme can make easy to access. The game is not designed for ease of use.
Initially, I was impressed with the combat section of the tutorial. It was full of action with enemies everywhere, especially on the battlefield section. I found the carnage quite enjoyable and it raised my expectations. These expectations were then shattered by what came next.
In the Wilderness, I encountered a lot of quests to run around, and found the areas rather lacking in enemy density. The few fights I encountered were entertaining, but there weren't nearly enough of them. It seemed like I spent all my time running around bored trying to complete the endless supply of quests.
Even though I tried to bear the boredom, it seemed pointless. Instead of getting directed to more entertaining areas, I just ended up with quests that took me to areas I couldn't handle. This left me very frustrated, and I eventually quit trying to complete those quests. Instead I tried to do some Capture Point defense.
Assaulting a Capture Point solo seemed near impossible. The number of enemies was far too great to handle alone. My first attempt I was lucky, and was with some other people who were attacking at the same time I was.
Defending the Capture Point is the part I found most entertaining, but in the Wilderness, I felt like I spent more time waiting around than I did anything else. This lead to boredom and disinterest. I was getting very close to giving up on the game, but there was still one thing I hadn't tried yet: entering Divide.
My first trip into Divide proved fruitful. There were monsters to fight along the paths I took, and when I tried to defend a capture point, I found there was much less time spent waiting. Even though I was much too low in level to do much, the frequent action, and long fights kept my interest.
Monday, August 25, 2008
A path to madness
One of the ways a person can go mad, is to be unable to accept something that does not change or go away.
A person who is told how great they are, and how great the expectations on them are, can be driven mad by failure.
A person who is told how great they are, and how great the expectations on them are, can be driven mad by failure.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Old DRM free games at GOG
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19368
I hope GOG does well with their plan for making good old games available DRM free. I know I get irritated by the fact that with some old games, it's not possible to buy it legally even if you want to.
I hope GOG does well with their plan for making good old games available DRM free. I know I get irritated by the fact that with some old games, it's not possible to buy it legally even if you want to.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
EVE's free market grind.
When I first started playing EVE, the experience that got me interested in trading, was when discovered an item being sold for half what a prospective buyer was offering. Enough was available from both seller and buyer, that I was able to double my money twice.
Now, having played EVE for a few years, I've started looking back at my experiences in the hopes of gleaning some insight into what motivates me, and drives me forward.
The first lesson: When I joined EVE, I did so because I saw two of my friends playing and was intrigued by what I saw. Now, I find much of it to be boring and uninteresting. My friends have mostly left, and nothing I do seems to have much significance anymore.
Second lesson: The market, is actually very similar to the experience grind of standard MMO play. It's a process of continual advancement, with increased cash supply leading to greater profits. In this instance though, the "level limit" is determined by the cleverness and resourcefulness of the player. When I started out, it was fairly easy to continually increase my income. After several changes in business model, I eventually reached a point where my return on investment became very small, and continuing to grow seemed almost pointless.
Unfortunately, my experiences in EVE are somewhat tainted by the windfall of the Invulnerability II BPO I was lucky enough to acquire. Initially, the income received from it was no greater than what I earned from trade. It was a nice bonus, but not a huge deal. This bonus eventually grew to completely overwhelm my trade profits, and became a large part of my enjoyment of the game. I could throw money around with little concern, and did so. Even when the beneficiaries were complete strangers, the sheer size of the contribution I could make was enough to bring me great joy.
When this windfall eventually shrank back to about what it was near the beginning, it became difficult to maintain any interest in the game. I had enough money to buy anything I wanted, but not enough to really make a difference for the people I was with.
Now, looking at the game again, it seems difficult to shake the feeling that I've hit my "level limit". It seems much like I've reached the end, and there just isn't much for me to do anymore. Yet, for some reason, I find myself looking for ways to be interested again. Things that might hook me once more, and allow me to relive the joys of the past.
Idea one: Extend the "level limit". The game could use more methods of automating systems. Ways to reduce labor, while contributing to the economy. One idea I'd like to see, is a form of automated Loan. The basic idea, is to have a loan, that stays available until accepted, and upon being paid back, is immediately put back up. This would make it easier to keep loans available to others, enabling me to make money on less effort, while also making more money available for use by other members of my corp or alliance.
I'm not sure how to structure the payment to have a contract stay up that isn't used, however, for the replacement of the loan after it is paid back, the fee could be taken from the initial interest payment.
Now, having played EVE for a few years, I've started looking back at my experiences in the hopes of gleaning some insight into what motivates me, and drives me forward.
The first lesson: When I joined EVE, I did so because I saw two of my friends playing and was intrigued by what I saw. Now, I find much of it to be boring and uninteresting. My friends have mostly left, and nothing I do seems to have much significance anymore.
Second lesson: The market, is actually very similar to the experience grind of standard MMO play. It's a process of continual advancement, with increased cash supply leading to greater profits. In this instance though, the "level limit" is determined by the cleverness and resourcefulness of the player. When I started out, it was fairly easy to continually increase my income. After several changes in business model, I eventually reached a point where my return on investment became very small, and continuing to grow seemed almost pointless.
Unfortunately, my experiences in EVE are somewhat tainted by the windfall of the Invulnerability II BPO I was lucky enough to acquire. Initially, the income received from it was no greater than what I earned from trade. It was a nice bonus, but not a huge deal. This bonus eventually grew to completely overwhelm my trade profits, and became a large part of my enjoyment of the game. I could throw money around with little concern, and did so. Even when the beneficiaries were complete strangers, the sheer size of the contribution I could make was enough to bring me great joy.
When this windfall eventually shrank back to about what it was near the beginning, it became difficult to maintain any interest in the game. I had enough money to buy anything I wanted, but not enough to really make a difference for the people I was with.
Now, looking at the game again, it seems difficult to shake the feeling that I've hit my "level limit". It seems much like I've reached the end, and there just isn't much for me to do anymore. Yet, for some reason, I find myself looking for ways to be interested again. Things that might hook me once more, and allow me to relive the joys of the past.
Idea one: Extend the "level limit". The game could use more methods of automating systems. Ways to reduce labor, while contributing to the economy. One idea I'd like to see, is a form of automated Loan. The basic idea, is to have a loan, that stays available until accepted, and upon being paid back, is immediately put back up. This would make it easier to keep loans available to others, enabling me to make money on less effort, while also making more money available for use by other members of my corp or alliance.
I'm not sure how to structure the payment to have a contract stay up that isn't used, however, for the replacement of the loan after it is paid back, the fee could be taken from the initial interest payment.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Human improvements
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.03/bemore.html
Wow, it seems keeping cool is a major part of human endurance. Can't wait to see what eventually comes out of all those DARPA projects.
Wow, it seems keeping cool is a major part of human endurance. Can't wait to see what eventually comes out of all those DARPA projects.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
So many buttons.
Why do so many games demand players to be proficient in using half a dozen (or more) different buttons? Why don't they design games to use fewer buttons?
One trick I'd like to see used more in games, is allowing a single button to have a small list of abilities attached to it. Each time the button is pressed, it cycles to the next power. An example of this type of trick, is the Combo Button in GodHand. This sort of design can add an element of "deck building" in setting up the power list, which is part of the reason I like it.
One trick I'd like to see used more in games, is allowing a single button to have a small list of abilities attached to it. Each time the button is pressed, it cycles to the next power. An example of this type of trick, is the Combo Button in GodHand. This sort of design can add an element of "deck building" in setting up the power list, which is part of the reason I like it.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Despair
Might of sorrow,
Might of pain.
Might of having nothing to gain.
It's hard to fight,
Without a light.
Nothing to hope for, nothing to gain,
Just a lingering sorrow, and pain.
Might of pain.
Might of having nothing to gain.
It's hard to fight,
Without a light.
Nothing to hope for, nothing to gain,
Just a lingering sorrow, and pain.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Difficulty
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3660/the_designers_notebook_.php?page=1
Personally, I think it's best to mix dynamic difficulty adjustment with player set difficulty. Basically, just let the players adjust the minimum and maximum difficulty.
An important thing to include with dynamic difficulty adjustment, is some form of reward or encouragement for doing well and reaching the higher difficulties. An example might be Godhand which announces difficulty increases with applause providing a warning (enemies will be harder now) and a reward (you're doing awesome!). Unfortunately though, Godhand doesn't offer a truly easy "easy" mode.
Personally, I think it's best to mix dynamic difficulty adjustment with player set difficulty. Basically, just let the players adjust the minimum and maximum difficulty.
An important thing to include with dynamic difficulty adjustment, is some form of reward or encouragement for doing well and reaching the higher difficulties. An example might be Godhand which announces difficulty increases with applause providing a warning (enemies will be harder now) and a reward (you're doing awesome!). Unfortunately though, Godhand doesn't offer a truly easy "easy" mode.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Webcomics
http://www.webcomicsnation.com/hammock/estancia/series.php?view=archive&chapter=6545
I guess I like weird stories.
I guess I like weird stories.
Thank you to whomever...
http://doublebuffered.com/2008/05/09/ea-does-something-right/
I'm very glad to hear that EA is switching to a one-time authentication instead of that every 10 days horror they proposed originally. I can actually accept the new policy, yay!.
I'm very glad to hear that EA is switching to a one-time authentication instead of that every 10 days horror they proposed originally. I can actually accept the new policy, yay!.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
A reason to boycott EA
http://doublebuffered.com/2008/05/07/eas-new-copy-protection/
If they really put that kind of copy protection on Spore, then I guess I'll just have to not buy it. I'd been looking forward to Spore, but that kind of copy protection just offends me.
If they really put that kind of copy protection on Spore, then I guess I'll just have to not buy it. I'd been looking forward to Spore, but that kind of copy protection just offends me.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Some interesting posts on game design.
http://doublebuffered.com/2008/02/28/18/
This guy impresses me. The quality of his posts and insights on game design are better than I'm accustomed to seeing by quite a lot.
More stuff:
http://doublebuffered.com/2006/12/31/integrating-talk-and-game/
This guy impresses me. The quality of his posts and insights on game design are better than I'm accustomed to seeing by quite a lot.
More stuff:
http://doublebuffered.com/2006/12/31/integrating-talk-and-game/
Classes vs skills
http://doublebuffered.com/2008/03/13/character-classes-and-skills-why-they-suck/
I can definitely agree that more games need a way to separate role and style in character creation. I often end up going against type in class based systems, because my preferred style/role combination doesn't get much (if any) support.
The obvious answer to the issue of having to choose between solo or group character design, is to allow easy respecing. If a person can easily switch between a group or solo setup, then they are no longer constrained to just one or the other.
I believe the primary issue with having characters that only work in group play, is the issue of being able to make a character that is dependent upon the presence of other characters to work right. The two examples I can think of right away, is the tank who needs others to deal damage for them, and the blaster who needs a tank (or really good healer) to protect them. A part of this issue is the fact that two specialists is almost always better than two generalists.
The most straight-forward fix I can see to the dependency issue, is to give each character a minimum level of damage and defense. One way to do this, is to make offense and defense no longer a trade off, making choices more a matter of style (I would consider any power that reduces damage taken, such as knockdown or knockback in CoH to be defensive).
One way to make solo characters more capable in groups, is to ensure that all characters have a way to contribute their defensive abilities to the aid of others. If their defense only protects them, it becomes useless any time they are not attacked. It would also be useful to give solo characters or powers, advantages that only appear while grouped. Normally, a power that raises the characters damage is less effective in a group than one that lowers enemy resistance (due to the other party members benefiting from the latter) but if the damage raising power provides a larger boost when allies are around, then it no longer suffers that weakness.
Making group characters more capable solo runs into issues with flavor. If someone wants to play a character whose concept is ally buffer that has little real power themselves, trying to make them capable alone doesn't make much sense. One solution to the issue, is to offer NPC allies for people who want a party, but either can't find one, or just don't wish to deal with real people.
I can definitely agree that more games need a way to separate role and style in character creation. I often end up going against type in class based systems, because my preferred style/role combination doesn't get much (if any) support.
The obvious answer to the issue of having to choose between solo or group character design, is to allow easy respecing. If a person can easily switch between a group or solo setup, then they are no longer constrained to just one or the other.
I believe the primary issue with having characters that only work in group play, is the issue of being able to make a character that is dependent upon the presence of other characters to work right. The two examples I can think of right away, is the tank who needs others to deal damage for them, and the blaster who needs a tank (or really good healer) to protect them. A part of this issue is the fact that two specialists is almost always better than two generalists.
The most straight-forward fix I can see to the dependency issue, is to give each character a minimum level of damage and defense. One way to do this, is to make offense and defense no longer a trade off, making choices more a matter of style (I would consider any power that reduces damage taken, such as knockdown or knockback in CoH to be defensive).
One way to make solo characters more capable in groups, is to ensure that all characters have a way to contribute their defensive abilities to the aid of others. If their defense only protects them, it becomes useless any time they are not attacked. It would also be useful to give solo characters or powers, advantages that only appear while grouped. Normally, a power that raises the characters damage is less effective in a group than one that lowers enemy resistance (due to the other party members benefiting from the latter) but if the damage raising power provides a larger boost when allies are around, then it no longer suffers that weakness.
Making group characters more capable solo runs into issues with flavor. If someone wants to play a character whose concept is ally buffer that has little real power themselves, trying to make them capable alone doesn't make much sense. One solution to the issue, is to offer NPC allies for people who want a party, but either can't find one, or just don't wish to deal with real people.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Limiting focus fire in EVE
An idea occurred to me regarding the restriction of focusing fire. One way to limit the effectiveness of focused fire, is to limit how fast ships can die. My favorite idea for this was to limit how fast structure could be lost. This could provide a minimum survival time for ships, as well as differentiating structure from armor and shields, by adding a significant difference in function. (An example of how it could work: a ship that gets shot for 5k damage to structure, might lose it's structure at a rate of 1k/second instead of having the 5k taken off immediately.) I'd recommend having structure repair then reduce the damage queue before providing any increase in structure.
If one wishes to require that the ship remain under fire while the structure goes down, the a simple way to enforce that, is to make ships not die as long as shield or armor is above a certain threshold (thus forcing people to not let their opponent rebuild their shields or armor).
Other ideas I had included various forms of invulnerability time (10 seconds after first taking damage; a module that triggers limited invulnerability each time a damage taken threshold was reached; etc...), but I greatly dislike invulnerability time in general.
If one wishes to require that the ship remain under fire while the structure goes down, the a simple way to enforce that, is to make ships not die as long as shield or armor is above a certain threshold (thus forcing people to not let their opponent rebuild their shields or armor).
Other ideas I had included various forms of invulnerability time (10 seconds after first taking damage; a module that triggers limited invulnerability each time a damage taken threshold was reached; etc...), but I greatly dislike invulnerability time in general.
Random Thoughts: Hellgate
While playing Hellgate: London, I've come to realize that a large part of the enjoyment for me, is finding neat effects that I like. An example is the Surge Caster (later, the Storm Caller) which basically creates a field of electrical mayhem around me. Meanwhile, the Shockshell grenade launcher was horribly boring to me, though I found it effective.
I wonder how much the strategies Casino slot machines use to keep players entertained and playing, might work in other video games. Essentially, big visual stimuli, and positive sounds can encourage continued playing. If the view itself is entertaining, players may demand less depth.
I actually wish I could automate many of the powers in Hellgate: London. I always find it awkward to try and manually activate more than one or two powers in games.
My general enjoyment in games tends to come from two separate parts: Planning a strategy, and watching the outcome. In Hellgate, the planning is often early in character development, then the gameplay is largely the watching part, seeing how well the idea works. For me, making this entertaining, is more about two key things: clearly offering information (so I can figure out how well/poorly the plan works, and why), and having easy, enjoyable visuals and sounds. I'm more interested in watching and learning, than focusing on skill (such as: practicing my speed and coordination).
I believe that my tendency to lose interest in a character after finishing the main plot, is due to my lack of interest in the gameplay itself. By the time I've finished the main game, I've figured out how effective the strategy is, and need no more time to learn. All that's left, is to try something different from the beginning again.
I wonder how much the strategies Casino slot machines use to keep players entertained and playing, might work in other video games. Essentially, big visual stimuli, and positive sounds can encourage continued playing. If the view itself is entertaining, players may demand less depth.
I actually wish I could automate many of the powers in Hellgate: London. I always find it awkward to try and manually activate more than one or two powers in games.
My general enjoyment in games tends to come from two separate parts: Planning a strategy, and watching the outcome. In Hellgate, the planning is often early in character development, then the gameplay is largely the watching part, seeing how well the idea works. For me, making this entertaining, is more about two key things: clearly offering information (so I can figure out how well/poorly the plan works, and why), and having easy, enjoyable visuals and sounds. I'm more interested in watching and learning, than focusing on skill (such as: practicing my speed and coordination).
I believe that my tendency to lose interest in a character after finishing the main plot, is due to my lack of interest in the gameplay itself. By the time I've finished the main game, I've figured out how effective the strategy is, and need no more time to learn. All that's left, is to try something different from the beginning again.
Friday, May 02, 2008
Impossible Ideal
The image of the ideal forever haunts.
An impossible thing that doesn't let go.
Forever hating what is, for what isn't.
It can be a creative drive, or an unending misery.
An impossible thing that doesn't let go.
Forever hating what is, for what isn't.
It can be a creative drive, or an unending misery.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Random Writings
Silly thoughts permeate the mind.
One's views, twisted by time.
The future of truth, lost in rhyme.
'till the seekers discover, there's nothing to find.
One's views, twisted by time.
The future of truth, lost in rhyme.
'till the seekers discover, there's nothing to find.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
CoH: Offenders
I feel like Sonic/Sonic is the easiest way to add a lot of damage to a team as a defender. Shriek, Scream, and Sonic Siphon make bosses go down quick, while Disruption Field and Howl allow ally AoE to tear entire groups apart. Sonic Dispersion is also a handy little buff though it doesn't add damage, except by preventing people from being held or stunned.
Disruption Field is a very expensive toggle, and should be slotted with Endurance reduction enhancements as soon as possible.
Note: I personally believe all Defenders should get Assault and Tactics from the leadership pool, which is why I didn't bother mentioning it as part of the Sonic/Sonic offender build. Just make sure you remember to put 3 endurance reductions in each, and to hit buff enhancements in Tactics.
Disruption Field is a very expensive toggle, and should be slotted with Endurance reduction enhancements as soon as possible.
Note: I personally believe all Defenders should get Assault and Tactics from the leadership pool, which is why I didn't bother mentioning it as part of the Sonic/Sonic offender build. Just make sure you remember to put 3 endurance reductions in each, and to hit buff enhancements in Tactics.
Saturday, March 08, 2008
A chaotic mess.
Breaking time. What exactly can it handle?
Lets find out, pick a time already high in temporal activity.
21st century Earth? Interesting.
Identify the characters of interest, and we'll have a chat.
Hmmm... a mad scientist unintentionally creating heroes.
Let's see if we can speed this up. I'm sure she'd be interested in my proposal.
How many times will she travel back in time?
I'd estimate about 10 times before someone catches on and stops her.
Need to find more.
Lets find out, pick a time already high in temporal activity.
21st century Earth? Interesting.
Identify the characters of interest, and we'll have a chat.
Hmmm... a mad scientist unintentionally creating heroes.
Let's see if we can speed this up. I'm sure she'd be interested in my proposal.
How many times will she travel back in time?
I'd estimate about 10 times before someone catches on and stops her.
Need to find more.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
A link
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_84/474-A-Play-within-a-Play
More evidence that character matters.
More evidence that character matters.
Random writings...
I wonder at times, what it is that I am doing.
I think, and ponder, and devise, but do nothing.
I dream, and imagine, but create nothing.
I spend all this time, (unable to rhyme)
yet have nothing to show, (except what I know)
There is nothing I've made, (some thoughts begin to fade)
Just a messed up mind,
a messed up body,
a messed up time.
Unable to share,
the dreams of my mind,
I feel alone...
I think, and ponder, and devise, but do nothing.
I dream, and imagine, but create nothing.
I spend all this time, (unable to rhyme)
yet have nothing to show, (except what I know)
There is nothing I've made, (some thoughts begin to fade)
Just a messed up mind,
a messed up body,
a messed up time.
Unable to share,
the dreams of my mind,
I feel alone...
Monday, February 25, 2008
City of Heroes: Fire Control + Kinetics
I see lots of controllers using Fire Control with Kinetics. While theoretically (and in the hands of a skilled player) it is possible to get very high damage out of such a setup, I find that in actual use, most of those controllers I see, end up doing very little.
Kinetics is a powerset that, to use fully, can easily be a full time job. Often, the controllers I see with it, end up not using it much, because they already have their hands full with using Fire Control. Additionally, Speed Boost, which is a very good power, can be a real pain to keep active on a full party.
I've concluded that while Kinetics is a very powerful secondary for controllers, I don't believe it to be a good choice for most. Perhaps, Radiation Emission, or Sonic Resonance would be better choices, as they are often easier to use, and less time consuming.
P.S. I haven't had the opportunity to use Fulcrum Shift, the last power in the Kinetics set. The few times I have seen it used though, it was so powerful, it might be enough to redeem the set all by itself. If you have Kinetics, make sure you get Fulcrum Shift when it becomes available, and use it.
Kinetics is a powerset that, to use fully, can easily be a full time job. Often, the controllers I see with it, end up not using it much, because they already have their hands full with using Fire Control. Additionally, Speed Boost, which is a very good power, can be a real pain to keep active on a full party.
I've concluded that while Kinetics is a very powerful secondary for controllers, I don't believe it to be a good choice for most. Perhaps, Radiation Emission, or Sonic Resonance would be better choices, as they are often easier to use, and less time consuming.
P.S. I haven't had the opportunity to use Fulcrum Shift, the last power in the Kinetics set. The few times I have seen it used though, it was so powerful, it might be enough to redeem the set all by itself. If you have Kinetics, make sure you get Fulcrum Shift when it becomes available, and use it.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Communication
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_137/2940-Idea-Sex-in-the-Classroom
After reading this, I was reminded of an old question of mine, I hope to someday answer: How can I teach what I've learned to others? The idea of packaging it into a game, is something I'd love to do, but I don't know how to do it. I can't even put it into a story, and I'd expect that to be easier.
I'm not a writer, I'm not a programmer, I'm not an artist. All I do is observe, but what good is observation without communication? It doesn't matter what I know, if I cannot give it to someone else.
After reading this, I was reminded of an old question of mine, I hope to someday answer: How can I teach what I've learned to others? The idea of packaging it into a game, is something I'd love to do, but I don't know how to do it. I can't even put it into a story, and I'd expect that to be easier.
I'm not a writer, I'm not a programmer, I'm not an artist. All I do is observe, but what good is observation without communication? It doesn't matter what I know, if I cannot give it to someone else.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Art
After reading an article on the "are games art?" question (http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3536/the_arty_party.php) I've kinda come to the conclusion that too many people are too restrictive in what they consider art.
Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Art too can be seen anywhere, so long as the viewer perceives it. I could take a picture of the sidewalk, frame it, and put it on a wall as art. There is no true limitation of what can or cannot be art. It lies entirely in one's ability to appreciate the qualities they perceive.
Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Art too can be seen anywhere, so long as the viewer perceives it. I could take a picture of the sidewalk, frame it, and put it on a wall as art. There is no true limitation of what can or cannot be art. It lies entirely in one's ability to appreciate the qualities they perceive.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Some stuff.
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3515/the_future_of_the_realtime_.php
Someone's commentary on the state of RTS games.
http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2008/01/25/the-future-of-the-rts-its-already-here/
Someone else's response.
Personally, I like macro-management better than Micro-management, but most games don't have good macro-management tools. The best you can usually hope for is something like the auto-build feature in Master of Orion II.
I think a good macro-management game would require flexibility in options, so that players can quickly change their strategies in response to their opponents.
Someone's commentary on the state of RTS games.
http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2008/01/25/the-future-of-the-rts-its-already-here/
Someone else's response.
Personally, I like macro-management better than Micro-management, but most games don't have good macro-management tools. The best you can usually hope for is something like the auto-build feature in Master of Orion II.
I think a good macro-management game would require flexibility in options, so that players can quickly change their strategies in response to their opponents.
Friday, February 01, 2008
A little Fiction
Mad Scientist Enja enjoyed her work. Mixing and matching, tweaking and twiddling, messing with natures creations, to make the best of all that was, and create something new. Her goal: to blend all that was into a super-being. To create a master race.
With each experiment, she got a little closer, learned a little more. Oblivious to the screams, cries, and tears of those she worked on, she continued to progress. She was improving them, making them stronger, better. They'd thank her later she thought, They all would.
P.S. A little fiction about Kldraia Enja, a Villian I created in City of Villians. Many of my other characters in both City of Villians, and City of Heroes have Enja's lab as their origins.
With each experiment, she got a little closer, learned a little more. Oblivious to the screams, cries, and tears of those she worked on, she continued to progress. She was improving them, making them stronger, better. They'd thank her later she thought, They all would.
P.S. A little fiction about Kldraia Enja, a Villian I created in City of Villians. Many of my other characters in both City of Villians, and City of Heroes have Enja's lab as their origins.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Death Penalties (in games)
I strongly dislike the death penalty in Hellgate london. Why? Because it encourages you to stop playing.
Dying in Hellgate: London gives you an XP penalty for 5 minutes. Because it is timed, going afk for 5 minutes is encouraged. I much prefer the penalty of City of Heroes, where instead you just accrue XP debt, effectively cutting XP gain in half for a set amount of XP. Though, in a game where enemy level is often dictated by character level, it ends up not being much of a penalty at all.
P.S. It has been way too long since my last post. I need to come up with something I can make more regular posts about.
Dying in Hellgate: London gives you an XP penalty for 5 minutes. Because it is timed, going afk for 5 minutes is encouraged. I much prefer the penalty of City of Heroes, where instead you just accrue XP debt, effectively cutting XP gain in half for a set amount of XP. Though, in a game where enemy level is often dictated by character level, it ends up not being much of a penalty at all.
P.S. It has been way too long since my last post. I need to come up with something I can make more regular posts about.
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