EXTRA CREDIT: ARE YOU A GOOD DESIGNER?

Posts

Pages: first 12 next last
I was linked to a site earlier today by Silviera, the site is a weekly posting of videos about the game design field.

Go forth and listen!
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits

In particular, this one really stuck me as one we should all watch and take to heart; both new designers and old:
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/2443-So-You-Want-to-be-a-Game-Designer

In this thread it would be ideal to discuss the "So You Want to be a Game Designer" - would be interesting to see people's thoughts on how it relates to each of us.

EDIT: I think it goes without saying that by "relates to each of us" I mean ourselves - comments about how someone else has problem A isn't going to help anything.
This is great. Absolutely a must watch for anyone here aspiring to make any kind of game ever.
Hexatona
JESEUS MIMLLION SPOLERS
3702
I've never really aspired to be a game designer - I know I'm not suited for it, and the video pretty much states that - but I've always wanted to be a game programmer type person.

INteresting watch, anyway. Says a lot of things that "aspiring game designers" read: "idea men" need to hear.
I'm going to go ahead and start this off by listing what I gained from this:

Although I've created a LOT of projects, I think over time I've started to lose site of the real basics. Being a programmer by nature, the design aspect never felt defined enough that I had what many of us logic-thinkers like; some kind of standard or checklist to make sure we're not forgetting anything!

This article has pointed out to me some things I've taken years to learn that I identified with from just one watching:
1. I need to be more focused on the implementation rather than the fancy systems.
2. The implementation your users experience is your true product, regardless of how amazing it was in your eyes or technically or even to the eyes of those that helped and tested from day one.
3. I have a lot of areas I'm still very weak in and need more help recognizing those faults as they're non-existent from my 'camera angle'

It also pointed out a lot of specifics that I didn't really understand before:
1. How important the basic psychology behind the idea and presentation is.
2. How I should be working with my other team members.
3. The idea is pointless and ideas really are a dime a dozen.
4. The people I work with should have more say, if I try to guide it too hard myself I'm ruining the experience.
5. The more work I do, the more I need unrelated others to test and give me feedback.
6. Again: I am the worst judge of my own games. :)
7. Music. I don't know it, understand it, or know anyone who does!

So post your own thoughts!

NOTE: If you can't list things you learned from this and what you need to start applying, I think maybe you should watch it a few more times and get some thoughts from close, personal friends.

EDIT: Added music to my weakness list thanks to kentona reminding me; also, would be cool to build a list from that video for use here, I might do that later today.
I love exploring the basic psychology of game playing (and by extension, game design). My weaknesses lie in realizing an engaging and interesting aesthetic to go along with my ideas. Also, I do not understand musical theory. I also don't play enough other games (which IS an unusual weakness, at least 'round these parts).

I need to look again, but I wonder if there is a transcript of this video somewhere for me to peruse at my leisure...
slash
APATHY IS FOR COWARDS
4158
I'm in class so I can't re-watch the video, but I have seen it and those guys hit the nail on the head.

I'm pretty sure they cover it in the video, but one thing I've heard repeatedly and firmly believe is that people like to feel smart, and the corallary: If your game makes the players feel smart, they will like it. Not just mathmatically smart, but creative, clever, and ingenious.

It's like when you trump a game's challenge in a way that made you think, "Ha, you bastards didn't think I'd do that, did you?" It's the best feeling.
tardis
is it too late for ironhide facepalm
308
in light of Dungeoneer getting so many hits around the web, i find the name of the website to be incredibly ironic.
I think I am a decent writer, but designer? No. I can do something with RPGM because it's easy, but that's as far as it goes.

Awesome find, though!
In my opinion, everything was preachy and practically useless.
slash
APATHY IS FOR COWARDS
4158
author=Blitzen
In my opinion, everything was preachy and practically useless.


I'm curious, care to elaborate?
Great vid. It always, always helps to be reminded to think of your game any other game and not as YOUR game.

-CM
Yeah all I got was:

-EXECUTION > COOL IDEAS
-basis of receiving criticism
-a really fluffy theoretical overview of a job description



LEECH
who am i and how did i get in here
2599
author=Darken
Yeah all I got was:

-EXECUTION > COOL IDEAS
-basis of receiving criticism
-a really fluffy theoretical overview of a job description





I didnt watch the vid, but i got this from the title.
LockeZ
I'd really like to get rid of LockeZ. His play style is way too unpredictable. He's always like this too. If he ran a country, he'd just kill and imprison people at random until crime stopped.
5958
If you have any intention of ever making real games, this is really helpful. If you're content with screwing around by yourself in RPG Maker for the rest of your life, not so much.
Max McGee
with sorrow down past the fence
9159
Interestingly, I have no interest in (and none of the right skills for) being a game designer as defined by this funny little video.

If you have any intention of ever making real games, this is really helpful.

There are other games than video-games and there are other video games than those made by traditional multidisciplinary teams and financed by traditional money people. Just be aware of what you mean when you say "real games" : )

The guys and gals pushing stuff out on XBLA and whatnot have more in common with we RM kids than they do with the game designers this video talks about.

EDIT: This video is useful for one thing, however, which is explaining to relatives why I don't work for cash money in the video games industry even though I like video games so much. Specifically the part starting at around minute 2 and ending at around minute 3.
author=LockeZ
If you have any intention of ever making real games, this is really helpful. If you're content with screwing around by yourself in RPG Maker for the rest of your life, not so much.


That was kind of harsh. lol Some people (like me) aren't at all interested in game design, and just fool around with RPGM to past the time when they don't have anything else to do.
I'm a good designer... I'm paid.

Am I a good game designer? No. I'm not paid for that.
author=slashphoenix
author=Blitzen
In my opinion, everything was preachy and practically useless.
I'm curious, care to elaborate?

I felt that there was no real practical advice in the "So you wanna be a game designer" video. It was as though it gave you all the ingredients for a recipe but no instructions. It's kind of a hollow list of traits, "know ur maths past advanced algebra, also be good at talking to people," without any sense of how to apply them.

Not every game is an "experience" in the sense that the guy in the video was talking about. Some games have more in common with "tic-tac-toe" than they do with Ayn Rand underwater. It is clear form the video that has conception of "the game" skews towards the latter, especially in the video about diversity in video games where he sort of mockingly references Frontierville.

But this may just be my interpretation. I'm someone who has a certain perspective and interest in aspects of game design(academic but also practical), but for everything I do know about game design in theory and practice, I felt it really taught me nothing, not because I had already heard what he had to say (although its the same sort of one-liners that are thrown around) but because there was flawed logic behind his presentation of them. Not all "great games" are Bioshock, not all great game designers know anything about math, myth, or fundamental psych for that matter.

The OoT deconstruction was more practically useful. In terms of revealing design principles and emparting skills, it's analysis of OoT dungeon design was concise and direct, and shows you how episodic progression is tied to environmental design in a particular way to enhance playability, exercise problem solving, and keep the game from breaking itself. Very insightful.

Remember Socrates who talked to the leading men in his society and realized they knew nothing, and then talked to craftsmen and realized they had more "knowledge" than the others? Reminds me of this. We can learn more from post-mortems and desconstructions of real-world examples than we can from airy talk about what we "should" do.
well, it is just a 7 min video. It works as a good "gateway" into exploring the subject, imo.

Like, for example, I feel now that I really have to work on my music theory knowledge.

Oh, and play more video games.
Why though? Did he give you any practical reason why you should enhance your knowledge of music theory? What god deos it do when you're trying to design a classical RPG? But then maybe I deconstrcuted it a bit too much, idk open to rebuttals.
Pages: first 12 next last