.: WEREMSOFT :.

It’s very important to center the game development around the player.

Dear game designer wannabe, don’t forget that your are always working for the people, the people that play your games. That means that the game must be understandable, and that the “understand what to do is part of the game” is a bunch of crap.

I’m doing a game right now, and I’m doing a lot of playtesting. I bring people from all ages and works to play my game: from experienced game producers to security guards. From hardcore gamers to little sons of my friends. And all I can tell you is that I’m pretty happy with the road that the game is taking.

Playtesting is a very rewarding activity if you understand how to do it. When I say rewarding I mean, that when you see the “WOW” expression in the face of the people that play the game, the feeling is great.

Basically, the process is:

1. Program/Level design
2. Playtest
3. Correct
4. goto 1

Remember, the most valuable feedback comes from people that don’t play games often. I use security guards, little childs, desperate housewifes, haircutters, pornstars, and somes etc.

So come on, take your notebook go out and so some playtesting.

And that is what I have to say

Site is changing, please be patient with the glitches!

Interesting question indeed. Several books try to tackle this topic from several angles. This is mine approach.

From a year ago, I have had to overcome several obstacles developing advergames. This is a list of observations that I want to share with you.

I play a lot of games, I just KNOW how to create good games: This is a common lie that people that have a little experience do to itself. Game design is not just “instinct”, is a skill that result of hard work, read A LOT, have several meaningful activities that NOT JUST INCLUDE PLAY GAMES and own try and error.

My own try and error is a very important attitude that comes out from making own prototypes and give to the other people to play it without OPEN YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!. When the game that come out from this prototype is on the streets(or online, if it’s an advergame) the players will NOT HAVE A GUY TELLING THEM HOW TO PLAY THE GAME. Keep that in mind, the game must be UNDERSTANDABLE.

They make this way in __________ (replace fill the blanks with Nintendo, Sonny or whatever you want). I agree that learn from the greats is important, but you have to focus on your target and current tools. If works in Mario Galexy, doesn’t mean that will work in a flash game for web. Keep clear what are you using and understand the limitations of the tools and platform(EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT DEVELOPER).

Understand the limitation of the tools and platform is a must, you can’t just write a 100 page game design document, throw to the developers and artist and say “It’s your problem!”. You are not doing your job if you don’t understand what can be done and how much of what can be done fits in the game.

Crunch time it’s NOT OK: maybe you don’t mind keep working until 4 am. but create a real good game requires teamwork. A team is formed by several people, this people HAVE LIFE OUT OF THE JOB. Respect that.

The people in the team is not a tool of your creativity. The game is not YOUR GAME, is the game of the team. If you want to assure the commitment of the team, be sure that EVERY PEOPLE IN THE TEAM FELLS THAT CONTRIBUTES CREATIVELY WITH THE PROJECT.

The list continues, but…

…that is what I have to say for now.

Level design is a very important discipline for a game designer. You can’t allways come out with innovative mechanics, but come out with a great level design is allways in your hand.

Understanding to the people
I was working for a year making advergames, and several times the constraints about budget and time were very stiff. This makes innovative mechanics very risky. The people can be unable to understand it.

Safer bet
Clever level design, in the other hand, is a safer bet. You can always evoke emotions and feelings to the players with a well designed hard thought level design. And is far more easy correct a mistakes in a level than in a mechanic. Think about it.

Ease of correction
If you are dealing with a innovative mechanics and have a bunch of levels constructed around it, if you detect and correct a problem in the mechanic, you almost sure must to make corrections in the levels.

Playtesting is the key to success
Fact: The most important thing in a game is emotions. If the game can’t trigger something inside you, the game is soulless.

When you are dealing with level design, you can go out of the building, stop some people in the streets and make play your game(yeah, literally!) and see their reactions in certain parts of the level. You and allways see the “wow!” in his face (I can assure you, beyond any reasonable doubt, that such moments are priceless).

This will give you vital information about what you have to correct(things that you’ll never realize by yout own).

And that is what I have to say

From this time and so on, I’ll try to write my toughs in English.

Several reasons leads me to take this decision:

1. My english is not good and my repertoire of words is very limited. So I hope that my posts will be simplest and will stick to the main topic. As Stephen King says “while fewer words, less bullshit”.

2. I’m trying to reach a wider audience. Most of the people that read spanish, can read english, but not all the people that read english can read spanish, so…

3. I’m trying to transform myself in a game designer, not just a game developer. I want that my skill lays beyond any discussion, so I’ll start to write about game design mostly. So, while the most people can understand and challenge my thoughts via comments, the more refined they will be.

Welcome to my new series of posts, hope you enjoy it(and understand it!)