March 8, 2010
What makes me a Games Designer?
I found this questionnaire on the internet and thought it would be a nice exercise to consider my current views on games design.
Why are you interested in becoming a part of the games industry?
Working in the games industry is something that I have always wanted to do from a very young age. Even before I had any understanding of computing I was interested in writing stories, creating characters and developing rule sets for games during my early school years. It was also around this time I began to want a deeper understanding in how computer games were made and began jotting down game ideas and creating characters which I would one day hope to see in a game. After deciding to study games programming and design at University, I found ways to bring my child hood ideas to life and am now ready to build a career.
What games are you currently playing?
I’m a regular Street Fighter player and am eagerly awaiting Super Street Fighter 4 later this year. I have recently played through Heavy Rain, Bioshock 2, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and casually play Guitar Hero with friends. I tend to play through previous generation titles if there is an aspect of design I’m interested in researching. I enjoy playing through titles on the Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo Gamecube and the original Xbox when I am not playing anything on current generation hardware.
What is one of your favourite games, how would you make it even better?
I have played a lot of great games over the years but one that stands out in particular is Bioshock. The sense of immersion felt whilst playing that game is unparalleled with anything else I have ever played. The story, characters and environments created a haunting atmosphere which was easy to get lost in. As great as Bioshock was, there was some issues with the game. The fantastic atmosphere quickly disappeared when I realised how pointless it was to be scared of anything. The vital chambers scattered around everywhere meant that when you died, you never really had to learn from your mistake. You could get into a fight with more challenging foes and just grind them down by respawning and attacking them until they’re defeated. I would either give the player the choice to use the vital chamber (at some sort of cost) or just allow the enemies health to be restored if the player was killed.
What genre of games do you prefer?
I try to play as many games from as many genres as possible. I enjoy casual gaming such as guitar hero, rock band and peggle just as much as I do FPS’s and Adventure games. I have a soft spot for 2D beat em ups as well as adventure/fantasy games.
Do you prefer PC or Console games? Why?
I don’t favour one over the other. I like to play RTS games on PC as I find using a mouse is quicker and easier than using a pad but prefer playing shooters and adventure games on consoles. One thing I enjoy about PC gaming is being able to create content using tools such as Epic’s Unreal engine and level editor.
Have you done any scripting or programming before?
Throughout my time at University I have used C#, C++, Java and C to make games with. I have experience with Microsoft’s XNA platform and their DirectX API aswell as scripting experience with Epic’s Unreal 2004 Engine. I am comfortable with object orientation and encapsulation.
Have you done any game, mission or level design before?
I have written games design documents from a young age and constantly try to keep an up to date documentation on any ideas I have. I have used UT2004′s level editor to create a map for a University project as well as personal projects outside of university. I have recently discovered methodologies for creating puzzles and getting a better understanding of player psychology.
List some elements you have used to make your missions exciting if any
I am a keen believer in the risk/reward pattern used in gaming and have incorporated it into many of my projects. I tend to start with these first and then insert moments in between for the player to take part in. I like to make the risk/reward as clear to the player as possible as it can drastically affect how they choose to play. I believe chance, skills and rules should be carefully considered and implemented accordingly.
What 3D packages are you familiar with?
I have only used Maya and 3DS Max and with both have very little experience. I am however hoping to get more experience with them over the next year.
What role do you yourself doing in the future?
I try to stay as open to all aspects of game development and get as much experience in all areas. This gives me a better understanding for when working with people from other areas of development.
