Spoilers?

Sorry, nothing funny today, just a quick post.

The ending "gameplay" to Condemned: Criminal Origins is brilliant.

That is all.

Old Skool RPGn'

Oh, did I ever mention what a Final Fantasy addict I am/was?

I really fell in love with the job system in the 5th title of the series (Which I'm replaying through right now). While it could have used some balancing and possibly a more dynamic way to gain abilities through job selection, it was still excellent for it's time. I love how the elements of character customization was directly linked to the core gameplay, if only the concepts of jobs was just as linked to the game plot.

I'd really like to see some newer JRPG titles released today with a splash of updated 2D art without sifting through piles of indie crap. A side project I'd like to explore in the future is creating some episodic content for an RPG style game using the RPG-Maker "Engine". The one major design focus I'll be investing time in is how to improve the existing combat system from a stat war (which I find are all often poorly done since the balancing is a nightmare) to something a little more polished and involving than choosing from an ever-growing list of actions.



Creating a brand new combat system from scratch is certainly an option, but I like challenges, and I like constraints even more. Using Jesse Schell's advice, my problem statement would be:

"Using a traditional Turn-Based JRPG model, how do I keep combat interesting and challenging while keeping the number of action options per turn to less than 5."

Why 5 actions? I find that when there is a large number of options to choose from, players quickly become overwhelmed, and those evil optimal strategies appear far too often. With a limited action set (likely dynamic and uncertain which will be available per turn) player's are forced to get involved and think every turn rather than hitting "Fight Fight Flare". I think a type of card/deck system might be in order.

New Books

PBF. Don't ask me how this connects to this topic, I just think it's funny.

With my Xbox and Laptop out of commission the last two weeks, I've had a lot of time to catch up on my reading:

Scott McCloud - Understanding Comics
I kept hearing this book recommended by designers of all walks of life. I enjoy the odd graphic novel, but I wouldn't consider myself close to a fan, I don't even own a single comic book. However, what makes this book relevant is how it so effectively analyzes and breaks down it's own medium, but also provides a very useful perspective on all media. One could use this book as a "how to" guide for connecting with your audience/player. Plus, it's a damn comic book, who wouldn't have fun reading one to learn ;)

Raph Koster - A Theory of Fun for Game Design
A short and sweet summary of what games do for people, and generally why we go about playing them. It's a refreshing read and an accessible book for us Short-Attention Spanned types. Informative as it is brief, and overall, I highly recommend it to just about anyone who is involved in games.

Jesse Schell - The Art of Game Design
For once I'd like to read a game design book that bridges the high-concept theory behind game design, and the practical side of what an actual game designer "does". This book is the answer and easily the best I've read on the topic by far. Not only is it comprehensive, but accessible.

A feature which makes it so interesting, is how Schell has managed to implement a game design mechanism into the book itself. A major goal of the book is to communicate the mind map that is Game Design (what does it mean, and what are the goals?). Each chapter introduces a new chunk of mind map. Gradually, as you read through the book, this mind map is developed right in front of your eyes like a dungeon map one might develop as they play through a game of Zelda.

He even manages to take a poke at the old annoying debate of "what defines a game". Ha.

Canada Is Not That Big

Being a metal-head, this is only appropriate. I'm not sure who did it. I would be playing GH: Metallica, but my Xbox is out of commission sadly.

I don't get as much time as I would like to play board games, but I'm happy I got to try Ticket To Ride. A really fun game that reminds me of Monopoly in terms of how quickly friendships get destroyed, except this game actually ends. Colourful, clean, and elegantly designed. I hear some people ask why there isn't a Canadian version, honestly, they've pretty much got the bases covered:

Looking For Artists!

The shot above is the final look I went for a polished prototype. It is the building in the upper right hand corner (see below). The gameplay* is solid, and I'm satisfied with it, but I'm sure I'll always be refining it. Right now I'm looking for an artist who wants to create the final art assets. You're more than welcome to keep the rights to your artwork and share in a % of the sales when it sees the light of market, but it's really something to be discussed. If you're interested, comment below with your email address and I'll get in touch. If I really like your work, I may be willing to offer some informal pay in the $250-750 range depending on what you can do.

Assets I need would be (any work would be appreciated):

-Art for the game board
-Art template for game cards
-Art for the game cards (75 unique pieces needed)
-Design for tangibles such as player tokens

Or, if you have had experience in board game materials, I am very much open to new ideas.

The game itself is very Romero/Max Brooks zombie apocalypse survival. 4 survivors, 1 zombie player, 24 turns, no demons/occult/fast zombies, just classic zombie faire. Getting the game published is a goal, but not a priority. Right now, moving to Toronto is the priority :P


*Why do all my spell checkers hate the word "gameplay" it is one word right? not "game play"?

Another Preview

Another preview shot! I've finished the video, now just have to secure some domain/server space.

Back from the Dead?

Wow, it has been far too long loyal readers!

Now that school is over, I finally have the time to get my portfolio together the way I want it. The image above is a sneak preview from my first board game prototype "City of the Dead". Be on the lookout for my portfolio website featuring the full rundown of the game, including a video preview of how the product went from concept through the testing phase!

I recently got back from a week at GDC where I was volunteering for the CA program. It was, career wise, the greatest week I ever had. I went there to get my finger on the pulse of the game industry, and left with hundreds of contacts, dozens of new friends, and a new level of confidence about myself as a game designer. There is a lot I don't know, and I cant wait to learn it! If you are an aspiring developer or even an industry vet, for the love of god, sign up for this program (goes up late-November I believe).