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.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
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/
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