Indie Games Manifesto
The IndieGames blog has put up a manifesto by Ed McMillen that has sparked some interesting discussion. One point that seems to have resonated was 12. Grow up. I’ve been thinking a lot about this recently – how can games reflect the breadth of experience that’s to be found in the world? I like shooting things, blowing stuff up is great fun! Go blowing stuff up! That said, there’s a multitude of other interesting ideas out there.
For example, how does one convince other people to be honest and effective when you’re not looking? Peter the Great had a heck of a time building governmental institutions in 18th century Russia. People would obey his orders to the letter when he was present, but would hesitate to act if a command was not issued. Because of Peter’s energetic and domineering character, many of his subordinates lacked initiative and feared making mistakes.
Another dragon he wrestled with was corruption. He raised wages, created internal auditors, threatened and executed, but still everyone stole from the government in gargantuan quantities. Peter accomplished a great deal and had an insatiable curiosity for warfare and engineering, but he lacked empathy. If he understood people better, he would realise that trying to prod everyone like cattle has limited effectiveness. Instead of trying to micromanage the country, he should have focused on finding the right people and nurturing their talents. To be fair to Peter, he was dealing with a thousand problems and once, and he DID work to educate the Russians. He wasn’t perfect, but he did enough to be “The Great”.
What does this have to do with games you ask? Absolutely nothing! This bothers me a great deal – we’ve gone a great job exploring shooting things in corridors and managing resources, but little else. Those spots in the fabric are starting to wear a little thin, if you ask me.
I don’t have all the answers; you’ll notice that my games (including the current one) deal with shooting things and managing resources. More and more though, I imagine broad green fields, as far as the eye can see and where no game designer has trodden before. Who knows what riches we’ll find there?
Attack of the Paper Zombies
January 8th, 2010 at 2:47 am
Don’t you dare think I’ve left-I’ve been watching your blog carefully and lurking instead of commenting. Plus, my last computer blew up a week ago. Aside from that, how are ye’ jobs goin’?
I wish developers would stop thinking about the risk and release innovative games-Think not about what would make a good game..But your childhood dreams. For instance, I’ve always wanted to be a scientist of some sort[ALWAYS. Seriously. I wanted books instead of games for Christmas as a toddler(though I don't recall, being so young.)]
So, how about I take my dream and start developement on the game,”A Day in the Life of a Scientist”. I give a direction by asking what kind of job the player wants, then which company they want to work for, with disadvantages and advantages to each. Then, each company gives them a project, to come up with something..But what, you ask? It depends! What if you took a job as a researcher in a military agency? Maybe you’ll get to design the newest piece of tech that just might save some soldier’s life!
I’d make it open source and free. I’d add whatever features I’m suggested[So long as it doesn't ruin the freedom of gameplay]…And when I release the final, Who knows? I might be able to get it published. Maybe if you choose to work as a chemist, beakers full of chemicals will have fluid physics…Each liquid designed to flow and move exactly how the real-life counterpart would.
Don’t move it too fast-You’ll spill, and then you’d need to clean it up..But not with any old rag..Go check the MSDS.
In a game, I need to realise that there is no real-life constraint, aside from time. I could make a metal 10x denser than uranium[Impossible, but who cares? If I just copied RL, it wouldn't be fun.]
Maybe, I’d work for a demolition firm, developing new ways to use pre-existing explosives to greater effect.
What gets my goat is great games that clearly had a closed mind developer.
RPG’s didn’t exist till someone made them-If they could do it, why can’t we?
Now, the crappy part is, all of what I’m saying is hard to do. Making a new genre requires a creative, unstable mind-After all, if it’s bound by social norms, how is it supposed to make something new, never before seen? The Nintendo Revolution wasn’t new, per se, but it was the first to make any kind of VR into a console.
Why not a game that lets you play God? Creating new forms of life, unbound by only my creativity. Nobody has made a creature entirely made of gas-So, why don’t I, in my new multiplayer God simulator? Maybe each player has to work from a periodic table of 300 elements, making new forms of life, weapons, planets..Maybe each God will get a solar system. They’d be two servers…One for violent conquest, the other for peaceful expansion.
Or even one? Pick the path of the US, peace through power.
I know it sounds like I’m rambling, but I’m trying to point out that all of these games[If you would classify them, instead of letting them stand on their own..] are at least somewhat feasible. A God-simulator would take a great deal of time-But the gameplay would be unparalleled in depth-300 elements..Combined in different shapes, amounts, forms-The possibilities are boundless. We’re still coming up with new materials, mind, and we don’t even have 150 of them!
Aha…You caught me. 300 elements? The results would have to be programmed..Or would they? What if we make an engine that deciphers the things that make our world like it is..Why not create entirely new particles for your atoms? After all, if our engine understands how the universe runs, then surely it can create new possibilities for new types of atoms. Maybe your special type of atom doesn’t exist in our realm..Dark matter, unable to be observed, but their effects felt? Again, pitching ideas, or rather, showing how only completely feasible games are being attempted..If we don’t try something that’s “impossible”, how do we know that it is?
January 9th, 2010 at 11:25 am
You ARE rambling =), but your core point is valid. Games have focused on a very narrow band of the spectrum – reflexes and resource management for the most part. There’s a whole unexplored world out there!
As far as my work goes, I’m going to start beta-testing the Zombie game on Monday with friends. The plan is to finish it sometime this month.
January 21st, 2010 at 12:26 pm
Sometime, huh? Joking.
How’s the beta-testing going?
January 21st, 2010 at 7:16 pm
I had to push the date a bit, since I had too much stuff to fix. Read the new post about the current schedule.