So, the main point of this blog is to share cool games that I think we - as the coding club - can learn from in terms of game design and new systems. I won't really be getting into the code of these games - I don't necessarily have access to the code nor the knowledge required to understand the myriad of languages used in game development. What I do know, however, is how games work, which I am now going to share with you.
So, introduction aside, down to business. This post will focus on the game Stonehearth. Stonehearth is an indy (independent) game being developed by Radiant Entertainment - which formed solely for this game. It's still in early alpha (just out of pre-alpha) and is riddled with bugs and far from done. For that reason, the game itself, as it is now, is not the focus of this post. Rather, the goal is the important thing.
Stonehearth is fascinating in what it intends to be - a kind of Minecraft-esque world, but you are not a citizen of this world. Instead, you control a group of them and build a town, which you would logically aim to build into a mighty city, then civilization or even empire. Or not. The game is open ended, meaning you can do whatever you want in this sandbox world. (Open-ended seems to be a growing trend in games recently.)
But perhaps the best thing about it is the way it intends to create this world for us. Instead of having set rules for every action, the game is instead governed by many different systems and laws, meaning that you can use different systems to interact with each other and produce wild results - results that even the developers would be surprised by. This system of chemistry really is the future of gaming. As computer grow more powerful, a given game can include more systems to cause more "chemistry" - logical reactions between two different systems.
Basically, instead of building a world for you to play in, Stonehearth is creating a universe with its own laws of physics, biology, and so on, letting a world form and allowing you to learn and exploit the systems yourself. Farming, for example, is based on a number of factors - location, soil quality, water and sunlight received, etc. This means that you might be able to exploit any number of other systems - like water physics or sunlight physics or plant biology and genetics - to create a really friggin' awesome farm. Or you can, you know, just plop one down and go conquer somebody. You don't really have to master everything to have fun in this game, just do what you want.
Stonehearth also has one system in particular that I think we should also look at - the dungeon master system. The game reacts intuitively to your actions - raid some caravans and you might find some enemy kingdoms down the road. Help some vagabonds and you might be rewarded for your generosity. The game will provide you with situations tailored to how you react to earlier situations - in essence, the way you play is based on how you've played in the past.
In conclusion, Stonehearth looks incredibly promising and is a great example of what games are rapidly becoming - less of interactive stories and more of an interactive worlds - complete with their own complex and volatile systems, which create marvelous and entertaining systems for the players. Definitely think on how creating systems rather than causes and effects in a game could improve them, and consider "gane chemistry" when you decide to make your own game.
On lack of a better outroduction (is that even a word?), I now say goodbye.
-Mason James Baughan
So, introduction aside, down to business. This post will focus on the game Stonehearth. Stonehearth is an indy (independent) game being developed by Radiant Entertainment - which formed solely for this game. It's still in early alpha (just out of pre-alpha) and is riddled with bugs and far from done. For that reason, the game itself, as it is now, is not the focus of this post. Rather, the goal is the important thing.
Stonehearth is fascinating in what it intends to be - a kind of Minecraft-esque world, but you are not a citizen of this world. Instead, you control a group of them and build a town, which you would logically aim to build into a mighty city, then civilization or even empire. Or not. The game is open ended, meaning you can do whatever you want in this sandbox world. (Open-ended seems to be a growing trend in games recently.)
But perhaps the best thing about it is the way it intends to create this world for us. Instead of having set rules for every action, the game is instead governed by many different systems and laws, meaning that you can use different systems to interact with each other and produce wild results - results that even the developers would be surprised by. This system of chemistry really is the future of gaming. As computer grow more powerful, a given game can include more systems to cause more "chemistry" - logical reactions between two different systems.
Basically, instead of building a world for you to play in, Stonehearth is creating a universe with its own laws of physics, biology, and so on, letting a world form and allowing you to learn and exploit the systems yourself. Farming, for example, is based on a number of factors - location, soil quality, water and sunlight received, etc. This means that you might be able to exploit any number of other systems - like water physics or sunlight physics or plant biology and genetics - to create a really friggin' awesome farm. Or you can, you know, just plop one down and go conquer somebody. You don't really have to master everything to have fun in this game, just do what you want.
Stonehearth also has one system in particular that I think we should also look at - the dungeon master system. The game reacts intuitively to your actions - raid some caravans and you might find some enemy kingdoms down the road. Help some vagabonds and you might be rewarded for your generosity. The game will provide you with situations tailored to how you react to earlier situations - in essence, the way you play is based on how you've played in the past.
In conclusion, Stonehearth looks incredibly promising and is a great example of what games are rapidly becoming - less of interactive stories and more of an interactive worlds - complete with their own complex and volatile systems, which create marvelous and entertaining systems for the players. Definitely think on how creating systems rather than causes and effects in a game could improve them, and consider "gane chemistry" when you decide to make your own game.
On lack of a better outroduction (is that even a word?), I now say goodbye.
-Mason James Baughan