http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign Mon, 30 Jun 2008 18:47:01 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I have recently became aware of GameCareerGuide.com's game design challenges. In their latest challenge, they ask readers to come up with a better crate for a (most likely) science fiction game. The rules are below: "Given what you do know, make a list of 10 items that could replace a standard "crate" ... http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign/?p=27 It is time for part three in the journey of making a fun puzzle game. Be sure to read both post 1 and post 2 before this one.   The Fourth Try Reverting To Old Gameplay / Adapting the Constellation Idea One of the big problems with constellations that it really limited the ... http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign/?p=23 In Part 1 of this series of posts, I introduced you to a new game I am working on called Starlight Shift. In this post, I will discuss some changes I made in the second version of the prototype. Problems With the First Try The Basic Rules The original rules listed below ... http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign/?p=22 Recently, I begin working on a new game using C# and XNA. It began around 5 in the morning a couple of days ago. I was perusing the internet when I cam across a music video by a band called Straylight Run. I misread "straylight" as "starlight" ... http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign/?p=21 I hope you enjoyed the first comic. If not, learn more about skyboxes. http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign/?p=20 Many different types of save systems exist for video games. Many games offer the player the ability to save anywhere and anytime he or she wants. As storage becomes cheaper and technology advances, the difficulty in saving all of that information decreases. So, why wouldn't developers include ... http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign/?p=19 In Part One of Designing by Feel, I talked about another way to design games. Instead of starting with a story, gameplay, or technology, it begins with a feeling. Check out the previous article to get a better idea of what "designing by feel" is. In this article, ... http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign/?p=18 Many video games today strive to balance levels. In particular, I am talking about online First Person Shooters. I used to play quite a bit of Day of Defeat, a WWII FPS, and Counter-Strike. One thing that I never realized I enjoyed was the inclusion of unbalanced ... http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign/?p=17 Multiple Solutions Are Bad if Not All of Them Work Suppose during a video game, the player must correctly answer a question to move on. The question was thought up by Alexander Grisand, the main character's arch nemesis. He asks the character the following question: "What is the third letter of ... http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign/?p=13 One of the most fun (and most difficult) tasks when doing character design is figuring out what clothing best suits a character. Listed below are a few things I think of when looking for inspiration. (Image from http://www.albatross18.com) 1. Color Theory The Colors of the Character: It is a good idea to come ... http://www.ericwenske.com/gamedesign/?p=12