Designing 'Six Ages', a Storytelling Strategy Game

[@GonziHere]

This talk is incredible. Never played the games (now I will), but these systems all together are incredible. Also "do, don't show" as opposed to "show, don't tell" is a rule that I absolutely agree with. It's a shame how many AAA games don't get what this medium is all about...

[@milanstevic8424]

Actually, they get perfectly what it's all about, it's you who don't get the medium they've been selling. (hint: a game for them isn't necessarily what a game is for you.)

[@GonziHere]

@@milanstevic8424 I get what you mean, but the power of the medium lies in interaction. I just "run through" most games, but I was deeply invested in choices in the Mass Effect for example. Also, your argument could be used verbatim for say Marvel movies.

[@milanstevic8424]

@@GonziHere I don't mean to oppose your sentiment. I just intended to give you a closure. It is ultimately what you're missing. You said "It's a shame how many AAA games don't get ..." and while it is a shame, not only they do get it, you are a fool in their eyes. It's their turf you see, no one really gets to compete with AAA games, and who are you to say they don't get what they've built. What you're missing to see is that the corporations are employing unhappiness, turmoil, market instabilities, inequalities, addiction, escapism, idling, and are generally servicing a very unproductive and unimaginative cross-sections of cultivated destructive consumerism, crossed with aggressive marketing and short-sighted market saturation, through copious amounts of unethical behavior, value arbitration, tax evasion, and organized labor division, exploitation, and exhaustion. That's not gaming. I'm 100% sure when dissected like this, not a single decent, reasonably intelligent human in this world would be able to mix up such an unhealthy social paradigm with what a game as a genuine human expression is truly supposed to represent.

[@milanstevic8424]

@@GonziHere Also don't confuse designers with corporations. People who work for these installations are still human. Some of them really try hard, and sometimes it shows through. This is exactly why Mass Effect turned out the way it turned out in the end, no true human emotions are ever allowed. It's a shit fest, all kinds of politics got into it, the core team that was behind the original Mass Effect bailed either before or during Andromeda. Nothing is ever white & black in this world, but if we are to understand things in this world, we have to adopt some human categories. For starters, AAA games are not games. They are some sort of an intellectual service, but usually an impromptu one, similar to gravediggers, bankers, pimps, insurance salesmen, and gambling house owners. Additionally, many of the games people readily consider to be indie, aren't exactly indie. Not only the corporations have learned to masquerade their daughter companies as indies, they can also quite easily throw their own stealth employees to the lions, never being truly accountable for the actual R&D, creative concepts, or lives. Let's just demarcate left from right. (And I don't mean this like in a political spectrum.)

[@GonziHere]

​@@milanstevic8424 I get you, yet even for AAA, there is a lot of money to be made in an actual interaction. See Mass Effect before they sunk it. After the second installment, it was one of the most hyped gaming IPs ever. Same goes for the Witcher, which is heavily based on choices. PS: I'm talking about things like Ghost of Tsushima or God of War => ambitious (and great) games with big budgets, that are still movies with interactive busywork in between, rather than true games. I'm not discussing corporate practices.

[@Callaxes]

Favorite game of all time. This and Dragon Pass

[@zentonil]

I bought the Glorantha sourcebook after playing King of Dragon Pass. The crown of these games is how immersive the setting is and the player is rewarded by being immersed.

[@MonhooGameDevlogs]

One of of my favorite thing watch GSC talk to understand game development and learn more about it

[@xplodegg]

Do you developer games yourself? If not you should get started :)

[@MonhooGameDevlogs]

@@xplodegg Yes, I am. I working on my first indie game

[@xplodegg]

@@MonhooGameDevlogs well done man!!

[@benjaminlefkowitz9463]

One of the best games I've ever played. Can't wait for the next one to come out!

[@supertavio2]

Probably only a few weeks now!

[@Malicos]

This information is amazing. Such rich examples... WOW!

[@DudeWatIsThis]

These guys should have been swimming in gold since 1999. One of the most unique games of the 90's, along with XCom, Urquan Masters, or Blade Runner.

[@Rsyle]

Good comparison: "Civilization x Choose Your Own Adventure". Great game that is all about the journey. But then again after a while you do start caring about the destination :D . I play Six Ages: Ride Like the Wind because of the events! They are so well made and implemented it's unequaled.

[@MrSkyydude]

That is incredible

[@Bajamamut]

Their sacrifices were worthy.

[@tompuce84]

[@R3V1ZION]

Wow that is a lot of words!

[@KillerMZE]

This game seems very interesting, but the talk goes over way too many things in a very shallow way. Better to have focused more or given it more time

[@milanstevic8424]

I don't think that's his fault. His interests are a VERY broad subject, the games have been many many years in development, and GDC dictates the conditions on how lengthy the talk can get.