JakeZKAM wrote:Since FC invited us to continue these stories/conversations elsewhere I made a thread for it, mostly because I find these insights in the life of a game designer to be very interesting, and while listening to the many experienced designers on the forum as well as FC himself has really given some great advice :-) so any who
1. In continuing the conversation about the public eye in game design, why does it seem like we have good communities and bad communities in various games? The BTW community is fairly small and well mannered, but is this only regulated to small communities?
No joke, lots of very aggressive moderation. It's very easy for the parasites to kill an online community. Yea, keeping small means that you can get to know people better. For example, I been going to P&P RPG Con's, I know lot's the the people their but only because it's a small crowd. There are designers that trust because we've had conversations. I've had the chance to get to know them, and get an feeling for what I enjoy in the games they make. There is even a few I would buy their next project sight unseen.
I don't know how FC does it. Several time's I thought he was about to burn out, but then he bounces back. How he keep up his level of output is amazing.
My personal conspiracy theory is that his is really a collection of trans-dimensional starfish. It's the only thing that makes sense, how else does he find time to both play the game, and work on the mod? Also it's well known that starfish hate wolves. They feel racially superior to wolves. Hence the whole Better then Wolves thing.
My experience is as an unpaid playtester, for pen and paper RPGs. Can you tell I like to make up stories? I work for credit, and the enjoyment I've gotten out of gaming.
These are small press often just one guy. I think that because that community is small and has filtered out the trolls, that's why I've been able to connect with some game designers. And built that rapport, so that they felt they could trust me with play test drafts of their game.
As far as game design goes, who hasn't tinkered with an RPG? Although, I have learned a lot from there guys. They enjoy sharing their wisdom, and I've picked up a bit. Learned how to look at the world though the eyes of a designer.
Comparing programmers and designers, programming is most often are taught from the engineering perspective. Design is the arrangement of those atoms in an elegant manner. It's often taught from an art perspective. I think that designer often piss of programmers because no one can offer an mathematical proof of why something is a good design. At the same time, there is an aspect of design in well written code. The best I can explain that is like when poets break the rules. You know something queer there. That feeling is of bad code design.
Anyhow, do you have any specific questions?