If you haven’t heard, Freeplay is going to happen in Melbourne in about a week and half. It’s turning into a pretty significant event. Not only because of the stellar lineup of people. Not just because most major game conventions in Australia are slowly dying. But for me it’s the way the talks have been put together. Grab a bunch of people and take them out of their comfort zone. Then put an audience in front of them. What could go wrong.
Why am I mentioning this? Well I’m on a panel called “101 things I learnt in Game Design School”. The idea comes from this book, which is a personal favourite of mine (buy it, it’s really good). The way it’s working is that all the Freeplay speakers (there are about 600,000 of them) offer a thing they learnt. And then we panel about them. The last bit is a little hazy but Helen assures me that it’s under control.
Before my friends get out the pitchforks, it wasn’t my idea. I’m not a game designer. And I never went to a Game Design School. But I do run one (which might be the only reason I’m on the panel) and I hang around a lot of Design people so I’ve leached a lot of ideas though the years.
As prep I sat down to see if I could write out 101 things that I actually do know. I present them below as a way of throwing myself at the mercy of the court. If I’ve learnt anything it’s because people much smarter than I already figured it out and shared it with me. This talk is for them.
Click Details to get the list.
BlogPost > 101 things @ #freeplay10 – http://thequietvoid.com/archives/453
RT @polymonkey: BlogPost > 101 things @ #freeplay10 – http://thequietvoid.com/archives/453
RT @polymonkey: BlogPost > 101 things @ #freeplay10 – http://thequietvoid.com/archives/453
Good idea. Maybe doing this should be mandatory for 3rd years?
Just a couple of things (yay for nitpicking):
1. A good narrative is one where the player feels that they are creating the narrative. The second lowest form of narrative is one that only frames the action.
2. A player may have a heart and brains, but it’s best not to assume anything. Especially if you’re dealing with casual players who are unused to the ‘tropes’ of games. Ideally, playtesting should go along with all those iterations.
Goodluck for FreePlay. We’d all be there if we could.
@polymonkey How long will it take you and co to drum this into our heads? Thanks for sharing, I think something in my head went up +1.
@Cake_Support Well just because I think it’s true doesn’t make it fact. In the end you guys will make your own 101 list. :-)
I like your first point. That’s a much better way to put it. For point two, I get where you’re coming from but I like to think that people aren’t heartless psychopaths. Personally I like to believe that eventually there won’t be casual players. Games and their tropes will be part of society like a jump cut in cinema.
But you are completely right. Never assume anything.
@polymonkey Nice list, what’s so awesome about interviewing with Valve?
@simone_mc all expenses paid flight, 5 star hotel, week in seattle. 8 hour interview. very impressive.
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