Design: Real Talk from Rahjur

Today was my 1:1 with Roger Altizer in class.

We discussed my role in the class as well as the state of the game we are working on. I'm really surprised by how much the idea has changed over the semester. When the game was pitched and accepted, multiplayer based Mario Kart parkouring was the big draw.

After MP was shot down (for logical reasons), we transitioned to a single player more stealth based ninja title. Over the course of the next few weeks, we realized that parkour and free running were our real bread and butter.

Talking with Roger today, a couple of key things were brought up that I feel are important for our game.

1. "Good Design solves a problem" -- Roger Altizer
http://twitter.com/Romar55/status/266678313790095360

I tweeted about it because I felt like it really framed how I need to approach my role as designer. One of the reasons we chose to embrace parkour was because we really wanted to focus on the non violent aspects of our game. With Avatars, we're limited to what's permitted with the characters and choosing to focus on movement gives us more freedom.

It solves a problem, but not completely. In order for our game to have a purpose, I need to really consider why the player will want to move around on the rooftops and natural terrain. Roger had a good word for that - payoff. What is the payoff for the player to be doing these actions?

2. Don't be afraid to express yourself on your blog.

I'll admit it. I've been neglecting this blog. A part of me is anxious about writing in general (for the most part, I consider myself an above average writer, but it's a love-hate relationship), but a much larger part is nervous about writing something that will make me look inadequate.

Is it weird that I want to maintain a professional presence online? But that's where Roger corrected me. To paraphrase, it's more important to give off a sense of development or growth from the blog. Recruiters aren't looking for student devs who are all powerful, well rounded game makers.

They're looking for students who show marked improvement in a specific discipline coupled with a strong work ethic.

I mean, yes, obviously every recruiter is looking at potential employees in a similar way, but as a student, I'm here to learn and develop the skills I have. Failure is merely an opportunity for improvement. No one got to work in a studio without some decent amount of hardship.

That's all for now. (And writing that really wasn't that difficult)

Ross