Its very difficult to explain why one obtains a certain enjoyment from a game. Like what it the difference in the fun experienced from game to game. This is why screenshots are one of best ways to sell a game, a picture says a thousand words. But this problem of trying to relate what is good about a game without turning to the uses of jargons has far reaching consequences. It affects the game designer trying to explain what''s so good about the creative thoughts they''ve had for a game. So i''m asking you guys to take part in an exercise that could may somehow give us some kind of insight in how to break down these walls. The exercise has a few basic rules: 1. ''You are not allowed to name any game'' (whether directly or to drawn into similarities). 2. Try to avoid using jargon (eg. fps, rts, character, npc etc) 3. Express yourself 4. TRY to do it in a couple of short pargraphs. What is meant by express yourself is to think emotionally. In other words the objective of this game is to be able to take our game designs and then explain them in a way that would allow any non-gamer to understand and gain possibly inspiration from. -------------------------------------------------------------- Please don''t copy mine to much unless its completely unaviodable I''m completely at home in the field that tries to frighten me. Its the challage of maintaining my wits when my nerves are tried whilst being allowed to overcome these forces that breaths energy into me. Learning the enemy and using various methods of defending and attacking fills me with a strength that makes me feel king. Speed is not parmount, listening to what could be around the next corner and carefully choosing my assult path is. Knowing that the forces are set against me in a world where science has lost the plot, the military are on a rampage and i''m stuck in the middle -a survivor- adventuring through this complex is facinating and the action and physical endevours leave me wondering whats next.

I''ll try to give my thoughts of a good game..

A good game should give the Player a lot of free space to experiment.
A good game should NOT have a limit of how many men u can train..for example on many Strategy-games there is a limit. try to expand that limit at least, and make maps BIG so the armies have room to move and fight.

The grafics should be fine to, but its not the most important thing. the storyline and the options to experiment are more important than good grafics..(ofcourse not an uggly game).

Well....for the moment I cant come up with some more but when I have some more I''ll type it in here then.

A game should be elegantly simple in each small area.

Don''t add everything that sounds cool, add only the features that make the game more engaging in whatever way it is meant to be. Don''t try to add realism just for the sake of it, add it because it makes the game more fun (or don''t add it because it doesn''t).

I think explorative games that allow a number of approaches that are successful would give the player plenty of play room. That way they can play the game in a way that suits their mood or what they would feel most like being at that moment. Where opponents are concerned, perhaps they want to take the strategic, militaristic approach. Perhaps they want to infilterate with stealth and sabotage.

[edited by - Waverider on March 17, 2003 1:23:02 PM]

The readout flashes red again, and the pulsing music of my life goes into overdrive. A furious assult of penetrating warheads is unleashed as I respond to the most direct threat. I intinctively know that I have only 3 tac-nukes left, and the readout shows no more decoy drones in my launch bay. So I enter a quick autosequence and program thrust in excess of my safe levels. The world becomes a quite pinpoint, and is gone.

... Slowly sound enters my world again ... an alarm building in my head. I can see a hazy red on my disply, but cannot yet read it''s contents. The pattern of the alarm suggests both biomedical problems, and sheild failure. I fight to regain perception, and after a few moments, I can again focus on my detection array ... 2 small enemies in pusuit, but not gaining - looks like they sent a scavenger team to verify the kill. Too bad for them I''m not dead yet. Disengage main trust, fire rotational array, line up on first incoming and wait ...

The computer establishes a lock before I can make 10x visual contact, but I lack any armaments with that long a range. So I wait, hopefully the scavenger team is only equiped with standard pulse lasers and some short range missles, please no torpedos. I program the computer for a stationary assult on ship 1 at maximum range, followed by a full speed assult on the second ship ... and wait again, hand on the manual adjust stick, and ears tuned to the alarm system ... I''ll have about 3 seconds after launch, if I can get the timing right, they taught of this so many times in battle school.

Hmm...

My cursor moves across the radar screen in my command station as I survey the battlefield. Suddenly, at the left end, three wedges come into radar range with red text scrolling beneath them, along with an audible warning, notifying me that enemies have appeared.

I highlight Beta Squad, currently on patrol, and instruct them to intercept the incoming threat. Slowly I see the two formations of triangles approach each other, maneuvering around the terrain. The red squad has turned towards a nearby radar tower and threatens to cut off my awareness of the area. As a few missiles fly and strike the tower, signified by yellow dots on my radar screen, the green wedges of Squad Beta have come within range and launched their own counter attack. The red squad splits up in response.

I watch as pairs of fighters begin to dogfight each other. Missiles fly and are evaded. One wedge trails another, and the one in front flashes brightly indicating it is taking damage, obviously from gun fire. Suddenly one of Beta Squad begins pulsing intensely and is fading away. It has been shot down. This battle will need my personal involvement.

I highlight Gamma Squad and instruct them to join the fray, and to assist, I highlight an available craft of Beta Squad and hit the WARP button on my console.

There is a flash of blue light. I am in the cockpit of the craft I highlighted, my ears filled with the roar of the engines and the warning beeps of radar lock, and I quickly pull up to avoid the mountain I am heading towards. I spin around and lock onto the nearest enemy, hopeful that I can keep them occupied until Gamma Squad arrives. If they take out the radar tower and I am shot out of my craft, I'll have no way to warp back to the command station...


[edited by - Waverider on March 17, 2003 2:04:05 PM]

I've travelled a long time to reach this fortress. Inside, the evil mage that destroyed my home village lurks. I enter his throne room and I see him there, and the top of the steps, wearing a headdress, with a body like stone and a mighty staff. He screams to the heavens and magic pulses into the four statues in the room.

I managed to dodge most of their blows and crush them with the sword that has served me so well in my travels, along with the decorated armor and shield given to me by my family to avenge my father. As the last statue falls, the mage begins calling down electricity from beyond the cieling into his staff, launching lightning bolts where I stand. I evade the explosions happening around me, and after a long battle, I manage to cut through his defenses and strike him down.

I stand in the silence of the room over his crumpled husk. His staff and headdress might make good donations to a better cause...

His throne suddenly comes afire, and a mighty column of flame shoots skyward. In the midst of the flame emerges a black face of doom. Apparently, this mage was merely a servant of something much larger...

[edited by - Waverider on March 17, 2003 2:01:55 PM]

After a long battle with the dragon in his cavern below, I once again emerge from the cave onto the ledge high above the mountain valley.

Sitting there, waiting for me, is my steed, a griffon, stretching its wings and calling out over the wind. I approach him and his attention turns to me. He stands to offer himself as my mount.

I climb aboard and now see everything from a slightly higher perspective. I nudge the griffon along into a light trot, and then into a full out run, towards the edge of the outcropping. I can hear the speed of his footsteps. At the last moment, I command him to take flight, and I hear the woosh of the wings, and the griffon calls out again as if to proclaim his ownership of the sky.

I'll have him climb a hundred feet or so, so he doesn't tire out - he likes to tell me when I'm working him too hard with innocent and then annoyed chirps. Once we get high enough, we can ride the thermals back to the forest, and my steed can regain his energy.

(This is fun - I've had these ideas for a long time)


[edited by - Waverider on March 17, 2003 2:13:54 PM]

To much of this, and I''ll never get any coding done

The problem with this forum is, it gets me used to instant gratification, for little work (I used to write just 1 page of stories and books too) ... I like your posts waverider ...I''ll be back here in a day or 2, right now unfortunetly I''m working on a SIMPLE 2D turn based strategy game ... so it''s more like -

I calculate my next move based upon the equations in my head, how many citizens to leave at home, how many to transplant to a brave new world? Will the enemy be waiting to take them in the void? Who is this enemy I know exists and yet have never seen? THE GREAT SERVER awaits my offering, but I know he will not wait for long. And what if spend too many resources on advancing technolgy while my factories lie unattended, will I be able to ramp up the war machine in time? I know, I shall build 3 more scout ships, and send them out amoung the unknown stars, surely I will not be taken unawares then, and they are so cheap compared to a full armed escort.

Ah, another year has passed, and still I am leader. No opposition ever rises against my rule (from within), but beyond this realm, I know they conspire against me. And still I know not who they are. The scout ships are done, and ready for orders, isn''t it odd how there are no underlings to make such petty decisions for me. I am sure that the great leaders of old relied upon their many generals and advisors, and yet in the fantastic realm I alone control the action of my people. If we fail, there will be only me to blame. I wonder if they will ever patch this dammed silly computer interface, so that I may automatically repeat my previous commands, and not bother with such trivial decisions again. I wonder if I will be allowed to see the glory of my ships conquering these unknown enemies in space. But I am glad that I do not have to see the poor mothers who must die from my hand, those who built the factories that we so easily defeated and conquered. For they too went for technology before fighting ships, but they we''re lead by a gambling man, who had not the vision to use scouts properly. "Information is Ammunition" if only I could remember the great leader who first said that. For his memory I dedicate this victory. I wonder what I shall have for diner now, perhaps I will order pizza, and take over a few more systems while I await it''s delivery.

Great stuff! Here''s something more to think about if you believe you''re having problems. Ask someone who doesn''t play games what they would like to play, get them to be as consise as possible about the game without putting words in their mouth. You''ll see what i''m talking about when you do it.

Remember that what you''re doing is trying to communicate your ideas or fav game as if it were your own creation in order to get your development team to make it. This is the main reason i asked you''s to be short and sweat about it because teasers are one of the best ways to inspire people.

One last point, can you identify other peoples games? Its important to discuss what other people have said in order to improve the communication of our ideas.