This year’s talks are starting to appear on the GDC Vault website. I haven’t had a chance to see which ones are up, but I felt it was worth noting the availability of the new videos if for no other reason than as a reminder that a lot of great older content is there, as well. Take a look!
Category: Game design theory
A Little Note to Myself
Dear Me,
Just a gentle reminder that physical production always takes longer than it seems like it will. Remember Scotty’s rule: whatever your actual estimate is, quadruple it.
All best,
You
Fire Helicopter
Fire Helicopter was my first run at procedural generation. It’s a simple game: move the firefighting helicopter (represented by a block) as it tries to put out spreading fires (also represented by blocks) using water (yep, blocks). The trick is that the fire spreads quickly; if you’re not fast, your best efforts will be inadequate to contain the blazes.
Although procedural generation seems to offer lots of content without the need to hand-make everything, in practice getting it right is tremendously challenging and a burden all its own. Beyond the debugging required of any digital project lies the issue of fine-tuning the rules behind the generative process. That second step is, if anything, even more taxing; seemingly trivial misjudgments or logic errors can cause the system to run amok.
Procedural generation is not, then, a panacea. It’s an interesting topic to explore, however, and this small testbed was a nice way to ease into it before taking on more substantial games using the technique over the course of this semester.
A Farewell to GDC
First and foremost, let me apologize for missing Friday’s update. Travel got in the way, but I’ve now learned how to update reliably from the road. The same issues won’t arise next time.
Second, I’d like to encourage anyone planning on attending GDC next year to drop by the Shut Up & Sit Down board game lounge! The players had a great time and the games were spectacular. Networking opportunities abounded for those so inclined, but it was also a low-key environment ideal for anyone who just wanted to take a break. Helping out with the board game area was the highlight of my time at GDC, and I’m confident that it was for many of those who visited it as well.
Hope to see you there in 2017!
Ink
Among the many things I’ve learned at the Game Center is that there are many, many game engines out there. Unreal and Unity–we’ve all heard of those. Game Maker, probably that one too. Yet, they’re just the tip of the iceberg.
The latest addition is one I’m quite excited about: Inkle Studios’ Ink. At PRACTICE 2015 Meg Jayanth remarked on its power as a tool for building games with branching narratives, especially when the branches are intended to have such complex interrelations as to defy even the writers’ expectations of the story. I haven’t worked on that sort of game in the past, but I’m keen to do so, if only to see Ink in action.
Link: the Nebraska Problem
Having recently begun to work with procedural generation, I have a new appreciation for how powerful the technique is—and how difficult using it to produce something realistic can be. Thus, I was struck by this discussion of procedurally laying out grass in The Witness. It’s a thorough and engaging look at how one can confront this type of problem.
Theory: It’s OK to Ask for Playtesters
The worst thing you can do, as a designer, is hesitate to show someone your work in progress. It’s not fun, it’s not exciting, it doesn’t work right, it’s not even complete–all of that is fine. Everyone understands that creators need feedback, and by and large I’ve found people very willing to be a part of that. There’s nothing wrong with testing a game before it’s “ready,” so don’t be shy about doing so.
Once every so often I run into someone who feels reluctant to playtest until a game is done. Sometimes this is a matter of pride for them, but more often it comes from a worry about wasting the players’ time. Dropping a bad game in their lap feels like doing them an unkindness.
In my experience, though, people like playtesting. They enjoy the feeling of being an insider, of seeing behind the curtain. What was opaque becomes something they can interact with, and that’s exciting.
What’s more, people just plain like being helpful. If you ask for assistance with testing they’re often happy to oblige. There’s no imposition in help freely given.
Of course, there are some limits. It’s good to make reasonable preparations for your playtesters: have necessary components ready to go, and think through how you’re going to explain the rules (or have the rulebook ready for them, if you’re at that point). The game failing isn’t a waste of the playtesters’ time–that’s part of testing–but being unprepared might be.
So, be courteous–but don’t be reluctant. Playtesting is necessary for you, and often engaging for the testers. Rather than denying them the fun of approaching a game in an unusual way, run your idea out there and see how it goes.
Finally
Rumors are spreading about Games Workshop’s new Warhammer 40K introductory product. The nature of the game, what pieces are involved–like all of GW’s releases, those details are getting a lot of attention. Yet, the most noteworthy thing about it might well be the diversity of the people featured on the packaging. Such diversity is long overdue in minis gaming, and I’m glad to see this first small step being taken.
It’s great to see GW taking the lead in emphasizing that minis gaming is a hobby for everyone. Kudos to them.
Gone Playtesting
Theory: Playtest-Centered Events
One of the toughest parts of playtesting is simply finding testers. Not every group sees “let’s play this broken, not-fun-yet game” as a strong pitch. 😉
It can help a lot to take your game to an event expressly meant for testing. Everyone there knows what they’re in for, and is (presumably, hopefully) in the right frame of mind to give useful criticism after playing a game that’s not quite ready for prime time. Rather than having to convince people to give up some of their entertainment time, you’ll be able to work with people who want to be playtesting.
Luckily, it’s generally not hard to find playtest events. I’ve never encountered a local game group that wouldn’t take time out at least occasionally to try a regular’s new design. If you’re in the New York area, the NYU Game Center has Playtest Thursday at 5:00 every Thursday–it’s open to the public. The Unpublished Games Network puts on Unpub events.
Give these, or other similar events, a try. I’ve found Playtest Thursday incredibly useful; I’m sure that it, or like events, will be valuable for you as well.
The Law of Game Design 
