I already posted this to MeFi Projects, but it's relevant here I suppose, especially since one of the reasons @Play hasn't had a column for a couple of months is because I was working on this:
Game Design Essentials: 20 Non-Computer Games
There are certainly many more board games, card games, roleplaying games and others that I could do sequel article, and have been lightly planning one. Agricola and Acquire would probably be on the list because they're excellent and I have easy access to them, Dipomacy would be on the list because it's the most requested game in the comments to the first list, beyond that I'm still deciding.
Hopefully there'll be another @Play before DragonCon, maybe two. Watch this space.
A collection of John Harris' various columns, articles and other game-related writing.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Where is @Play these days?
The column was wholly absent for the month of June, for which I am sorry. I've been hyper-engaged with a personal game development that I hope to be able to show the world soon. This isn't entirely separate from the column; while it's not a roguelike, it does involve random content generation and a couple of other design aspects of those games, although they aren't the ones that people usually think of.
I hope to get a new column to you guys soon, and I'll be sure to post about it here when the game is better prepared to meet the withering gaze of strangers....
I hope to get a new column to you guys soon, and I'll be sure to post about it here when the game is better prepared to meet the withering gaze of strangers....
Saturday, May 29, 2010
@Play 72: Review of Chocobo's Dungeon for Wii
@Play #72: http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/05/column_play_chocobos_dungeon_f.php
This is one of the most scathing things I've ever written. I played through seven or eight dungeons of this game in preparation for this article, and read through a FAQ on GameFAQs besides. I did not complete the game, which would have taken many hours and eroded my sanity even further.
The paragraphs on moogles are, if I say so myself, some quality, heartfelt bile.
This is one of the most scathing things I've ever written. I played through seven or eight dungeons of this game in preparation for this article, and read through a FAQ on GameFAQs besides. I did not complete the game, which would have taken many hours and eroded my sanity even further.
The paragraphs on moogles are, if I say so myself, some quality, heartfelt bile.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
@Play 71: What randomization has to offer games
@Play #71
Hello blog. I can talk to you right?
I'm fairly unhappy with this column. A part of me considers some of it fairly nonsensical. I believe it all and stand by the idea, but to express what is a strongly-held belief like it were fact, I don't think that is what @Play should be.
I'm talking, specifically, about the games-as-art section, which seems to me like a version of one of my Metafilter comments. This is part of why it took over a month for this installment to go up. It was hard to write, and I even started over once, but after I had written so much of it it became something I had to go with just to finally be rid of it.
It's possible that people will accept it, maybe even like it, but I don't think I like it myself. I will say this however: it does I think explain why I can't bear to play many "modern" computer games. They are wed strongly to their storytelling, and more and more the kinds of stories they wish to tell make me nauseous.
Next time I should be able to field another review. Those are rather good topics at least. See you then.
Hello blog. I can talk to you right?
I'm fairly unhappy with this column. A part of me considers some of it fairly nonsensical. I believe it all and stand by the idea, but to express what is a strongly-held belief like it were fact, I don't think that is what @Play should be.
I'm talking, specifically, about the games-as-art section, which seems to me like a version of one of my Metafilter comments. This is part of why it took over a month for this installment to go up. It was hard to write, and I even started over once, but after I had written so much of it it became something I had to go with just to finally be rid of it.
It's possible that people will accept it, maybe even like it, but I don't think I like it myself. I will say this however: it does I think explain why I can't bear to play many "modern" computer games. They are wed strongly to their storytelling, and more and more the kinds of stories they wish to tell make me nauseous.
Next time I should be able to field another review. Those are rather good topics at least. See you then.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
@Play 69: Review of Shiren the Wanderer for the Wii
@Play 69
The Wii entry in the Shiren series is a game I really wanted to like, but ultimately it tries to hedge its bets too much with lame JRPG-isms. There were times when I was actually shouting at the screen for the cutscene to end. And we're not talking about cinematic Final Fantasy cutscenes, we're talking about those in which 3D models move artificially around their little stage and have an obnoxious little drama. In 2D it was possible to get away with this, but in 3D it hasn't aged well.
Some of the awesome gameplay from past entries in the series is back, but most reports say that the game doesn't really pick up until you've finished the main quest. 24 hours of play time into it, and I'm still not there.
The Wii entry in the Shiren series is a game I really wanted to like, but ultimately it tries to hedge its bets too much with lame JRPG-isms. There were times when I was actually shouting at the screen for the cutscene to end. And we're not talking about cinematic Final Fantasy cutscenes, we're talking about those in which 3D models move artificially around their little stage and have an obnoxious little drama. In 2D it was possible to get away with this, but in 3D it hasn't aged well.
Some of the awesome gameplay from past entries in the series is back, but most reports say that the game doesn't really pick up until you've finished the main quest. 24 hours of play time into it, and I'm still not there.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
@Play 68: Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup Travel Functions
@Play 68
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup's autoexplore function is a bit shocking, at first glance, to witness, but is really useful for getting through one of Crawl's huge levels fast and making sure you don't miss anything. Well, anything not behind a secret door or in a disconnected part of the level. This article is a little shorter than usual, but still pretty long relative to most of the other things on GameSetWatch.
This is the last Crawlapalooza article, but probably not the last we'll be seeing on Crawl, not by a long shot. The next article will probably be on Shiren Wii, which I'l still playing though. Most people who have played it say that the bonus dungeons in this one are particularly fun, so I feel giving this game a fair shake means getting through all the story dungeons first, which are taking rather some time to complete.
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup's autoexplore function is a bit shocking, at first glance, to witness, but is really useful for getting through one of Crawl's huge levels fast and making sure you don't miss anything. Well, anything not behind a secret door or in a disconnected part of the level. This article is a little shorter than usual, but still pretty long relative to most of the other things on GameSetWatch.
This is the last Crawlapalooza article, but probably not the last we'll be seeing on Crawl, not by a long shot. The next article will probably be on Shiren Wii, which I'l still playing though. Most people who have played it say that the bonus dungeons in this one are particularly fun, so I feel giving this game a fair shake means getting through all the story dungeons first, which are taking rather some time to complete.
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