Author Archives: Eric

The Stamina Bar

August 31, 2011 by Eric | 15 Comments »

[I'm not working on the game this week, instead I'm doubling up on my other work so I can spend a full week on the game next week. But I've had one little anecdote bubbling around in my head. Indulge me, … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Project Gorgon | 15 Comments

Thinking about Gorgon Combat

August 22, 2011 by Eric | 17 Comments »

[This post is about Project Gorgon, an indie MMO in development.] Pop quiz time: say you have two attacks that do the same damage, but one hits a single target and the other hits multiple targets in a small area … Continue reading →

Posted in Project Gorgon | 17 Comments

Creating a backstory for the game

August 14, 2011 by Eric | 10 Comments »

I had intended to write about combat this week but it turns out that all my writing time is being taken up by the game itself, so I’ll keep this really brief! Basically, my story flopped on me. I’d borrowed … Continue reading →

Posted in Project Gorgon | 10 Comments

NPCs as Systems Nexus

August 5, 2011 by Eric | 13 Comments »

My plans for NPCs have been refined a bit. At first, what I envisioned sounds similar to the “Storybricks system” recently announced by Namaste. I’ve abandoned that, now, though, because it’s too convoluted given my time/resource constraints. But there’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Project Gorgon | 13 Comments

Notes From The Coding Pit

July 29, 2011 by Eric | 4 Comments »

[This week I haven't done any design philosophizing... I've been busy coding game systems for the MMO, so I haven't gotten a chance to write anything too clever. These are just some notes that you may or may not find … Continue reading →

Posted in Project Gorgon | 4 Comments

Go Big or Go Home

July 22, 2011 by Eric | 11 Comments »

“Go Big or Go Home.” I hate this phrase. But this comic made me realize it’s less intimidating than it sounds.  Of course you can just go home! You don’t have to fight every battle. Sometimes it’s smarter not to … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Production, Project Gorgon | 11 Comments

Item Decay Redux

July 21, 2011 by Eric | 4 Comments »

There’s been some great replies to my last post, and I want to thank you for the ideas. I’m still sifting through them and figuring out what I can realistically make work, but I particularly liked these tidbits: The “rune” … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Project Gorgon | 4 Comments

We Can’t Have Nice Things (They Keep Decaying)

July 15, 2011 by Eric | 47 Comments »

[This article is about my upcoming 3D fantasy MMO code-named "Project Gorgon."] One of the many design elements I haven’t fully figured out yet is item decay. This is a tough one. Item decay is when your weapons and armor … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Project Gorgon | 47 Comments

Alpha Art Woes: Sex-Crazed Elves

July 8, 2011 by Eric | 11 Comments »

[I didn't finish the blog post that was supposed to go up today, so here's some gripes about temporary art problems in the MMO I'm developing.] A lot of the art in my game needs to be cheap prefabricated stuff. … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Project Gorgon | 11 Comments

Permanent Character Choices in a Classless Game (or, “Werewolves!”)

July 1, 2011 by Eric | 22 Comments »

Most modern MMOs require the player to make very few permanent choices. Permanent choices cause stress, especially in games where players feel they need to make “the right choice” in order to be successful (or “viable” or “allowed in groups” … Continue reading →

Posted in Design, Project Gorgon | 22 Comments