Game Development

Game development is what I do for a living. From time to time I like to pick things apart and think about them from a design perspective. Or maybe I'm just raving or ranting about some particular game mechanic I think really works, or really doesn't.

Unity3D At Home Project

I've started working on a project at home. Starting from scratch, I'm going to build something resembling a game until, well I finish it, or I get tired of it.  I'll chart my progress here.

Introduction
Day 1 - Terrain
Day 2 - Simple (Really Simple) Character Controller
Day 3 - Basic Camera Controller
Day 4 - Simple Animation
Day 5 - Version Control
Day 6 - Multiplayer
Day 7 - Walking with Robots
Day 8 - Sound Effects
Day 9 - Twistin' by the Pool
Day 10 - From Simulation to Gameplay
Day 11 - Weapons & Effects
Day 12 - Explosions and Stuff!

Game Design

Often, I'll just have thoughts on game design and game mechanics in general. In fact, I'd say the majority of my posts regarding game development are going to be along these lines. Here's a few I thought were actually good.  And a link for all the rest.

Hidden Garden - A Design Perspective
I take a small hidden zone in Guild Wars 2 and walk through it piece by piece from a level designer's perspective.

Why are there no tanks?
Thinking about the issues a developer faces in building a class role that requires player responsibility in a world where no one wants to be blamed when things go wrong.

Rethinking Roles in Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 has a peculiar perspective on class roles. They exist, but not in the way you would expect. Taking a look.

On Guild Wars, The Secret World, and the Metagame
The perils developers face in trying to teach players about their metagame - both before playing and during.

Everything Else
A search of the blog for articles related to game design.