games design
Buzzing about the GW2 Buzz
by covert.c. on Aug.12, 2010, under games design, gaming, mmo, mmorpg
(Thanks for the video link, Mr. Headcrash)
Can I say Nextgen? Oops, I just did. I hate that word. Thank-you Areanet for kicking the bar aside and ratcheting up a whole new one.
And Guildwars, Two.
by covert.c. on Jul.18, 2010, under computer graphics, games design, mmorpg, rpg
Oh Guildwars, how you disappointed.
There were so many good things about it, most notably the visuals, but also the interesting quests, fun combat, an innovative henchman system, cool spell-effects and general polish. For the time, all of these virtues seemed great when held up to WoW’s cartoony, cutesy style.
So what was the problem?
Gamin’ on…
by covert.c. on Jul.08, 2010, under consoles, game reviews, games design, playstation
WIPEOUT HD FURY PS3
Driving often makes me think about futurism. How will we be regarded by generations far ahead of us, peering into the soup of the 20th and 21st centuries? I think one of the least interesting aspects of our society is how horribly inefficient modern-day automobiles look and act. We’ve engineered and over-engineered a century-old technology that spends most of its time idle, slow, pollutive, noisy…
And weaponless.
Impressions on (a not yet finished) LBP
by covert.c. on Jul.03, 2010, under games design
LITTLE BIG PLANET – PS3
It’s a tricky little thing. Tricky and weird. My early forays into LBP’s bouncy, plush little world have been entertaining and interesting. Under my girlfriend’s ever-patient tutelage, I’ve finally experienced what everyone else was blogging about last year. Do I love it? Well, there are so many good things about this odd little creation. The visual and quirky style, the polish, the kinked out puzzles and wacky kinetics are just so unique. I expected weird, but came away surprised.
In my clumsy state of console retardation, I die a LOT, I whine and wonder blankly at the wonky camera angles and impenetrable platform logic. The only time I seem to do well is when it’s clearly by accident, or when my lovely playmate rescues us by solving a puzzle or escaping the crocodiles.
This game doesn’t survive long play sessions. I’m used to extended sessions of play, interspersed with unhealthy episodes of bad food and caffeine, but I reach a marked distraction point with LBP. The cuteness wanes into frustration, my nominal attention span wanders. I don’t often care about what I’m doing as I nudge the little puppet along the various platforms, pitfalls and otherworld physical rules. However, jumping straight in for a short visit seems to work well. I get overwhelmed by cuteness, am entertained and challenged, and come away with an overall good impression.
I haven’t finished it. I probably will. My initial understanding was that this was a game of toolsets and creation, of which I have yet to plunder. I probably will. All said, LBP is a fun, interesting place. One I will visit often through my PS3’s journey.
Gamin’ gamin’
by covert.c. on Jun.29, 2010, under consoles, game reviews, games design, playstation
It appears that I’ve got my gaming-mojo back. In defense of my nominal nerd quotient, I’ll insist it was never lost, however the pesky realworld-o-sphere forced its ugly hand and dragged me away from all things gaming. At any rate, I’m BACK, with new toys… A PS3. My first console ever. This is exciting, well, it’s exciting to me. I own a Wii, but that doesn’t count. Sorry, Nintendo.
So, in the spirit a reducto of my gaming ways, I’d like to start sharing what’s been baking in my gaming oven of doom…
BORDERLANDS PS3…
Tera goes for Lowest Common Denom
by covert.c. on Jun.03, 2010, under games design
This game gets suckier every time I see it mentioned.
Thinking about thinking with Portals
by covert.c. on Mar.24, 2010, under games design
An absolute treasure of an article from Game Informer.
An excellent peek at the upcoming sequel to everyone’s pet favourite, Portal, along with notes about the design of the game’s devious puzzles. I’m a huge lover of Portal, hearkening back to my first experience with the concept in the student-made prototype, Narbacular Drop.
Have a look, enjoy… just wanted to share it here.
Kicking skeleton butt in Trine
by covert.c. on Feb.10, 2010, under games design
Have a look. Trine is reminiscent of the platformers I played in the C64 era, but with zany light effects and physics! On Steam for $5!
OFP2 Rocked!
by covert.c. on Oct.27, 2009, under games design
Oh yes, loved it! Had it’s suckage but all in all…. thumbs up.
… more later!
Planetside 2???
by covert.c. on Sep.29, 2009, under FPS, games design, mmo
I would very, very, very much welcome this.
According to RPS, this may be in the works. Per http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/09/26/sony-to-develop-planetside-2/.
As a somewhat seasoned (but inexpert) Planetside player (CR4), Planetside had a great mix of teamplay, massive battles, and a wide variety of individual player choice (specializations, vehicles, objectives). It’s probably one of my favourite games of all time. I moved on when it was clear the game was dying a slow death (empty servers, etc.).
My thinking on PS2:
- A PVE axis that contributed to the overall battle (and your XP). This was planned for, and never implemented in the original. There was a real lack of solo content in PS, and this would have really helped.
- Better base design, thus removing the layout silliness that players would exploit. Also base placement was a huge problem, very odd design decisions were made in that regard.
- Better LFM/LFG system. Enough of the hunting for extra squad members.
- Proximal VOIP system would allow you to shout at nearby players to get them moving. Teamspeak was great if you were already grouped, however the whole server couldn’t be on your TS server.
- If the game has a “Command” specialization that allowed them special privilege to direct the battle, then reward players who following your orders. This would ecourage better organization and get groups moving in the same direction. Having more people on one side of a battle made all the difference.
- Reward the support activities of players who chose to perform roles that don’t involve battle. The ANT drivers and the GAL pilots should be encouraged, not excluded.
- Outfit/Guild Housing is absolutely required. The implementation of Outfits was an aborted design, obviously. There must be clear benefits to joining an Outfit and sticking with it. And then rewarding the successful ones. A game built around teamplay should structure itself around the entire concept of “Team”.
The list goes on, now that I start thinking about it. Planetside was THE GAME that realised the goal of most MMO games. Massive battles, massive coordination, esprit de corps, and most of all, fun! I miss that game.
now playing
Torchlight by Encore
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