Tweet
Everyone,
Don't panic.
I've finally looked at these discussion board for the first time in five days and am getting back an image of a plethora of decapitated chickens imitating BattleBots. The world has not ended (if it had, I'd be collecting on my insurance policy which covers that).
For those who are concerned about me, bless you. Since my return from a very enjoyable vacation in New York, things have been very busy. Now I'm in the midst of dealing with a major personal concern and the company has been very good about giving me the time I need to deal with the immediate and impending stuff relating to that. Rumors of my demise have been exaggerated. I'll let you know more when things get sorted out.
As for MOO3, holy cow! (I can't believe I just said that.) People, chill for a bit. I've been in 'the game biz' for over 25 years. I've learned a few things in that time, some of which I need to share with you right now. We've been giving you a lot of 'inside baseball' all along on this project, and now it's time to share the benefit of some insider wisdom that goes with the insider look at the making of a computer game that you're being presented via these forums.
First, I learned never to write in stone (I use MS-Word, myself). Changes ALWAYS happen, right up to the last possible moment. Every game, paper or electronic, that I've ever worked on or even HEARD worked on… that's just the way it is. Change is not your enemy, it is your destiny. In the immortal words of game designer James F. Dunnigan, "Games are never finished, only published." That is, you COULD dink around with a game forever, were it not for a real-world publishing deadline. MOO3 is no exception to that rule.
Second, just as no plan survives contact with the enemy (according to von Clauswitz), so no game design survives contact with playtesting. Beethoven could write a symphony without hearing it, Mozart could write reams of sheet music without making a single correction, but I've yet to see a game design go from concept to design to prototype to published in such a manner. In computer games in particular, you really never know what you got until it is 'built enough' to push the pieces around. That's where MOO3 is right now, we're pushing the pieces around and reconjiggering based upon what we discover. There's nothing mystical about any of this. That's what we're SUPPOSED to be doing. Don't go too far off the 'worried' end of the scale because the game morphs; that's what ITS supposed to be doing at this time.
Third, good designers can add and multiply features. Great designers can subtract and divide them. Now is the hour where all the pieces are on the table and you measure success and greatness in the product by how many things you can remove to still have a great game. In other words, the mission has changed now to pursue the ESSENCE of the game and focus in on it. We were fortunate to consider a great many novel things with the design of MOO3; it was a Colombus-like voyage of discovery. Now it's time to colonize the New World and make things practical and playable for the players – and that means discipline, focus, and a lot of tired engineers and artists.
Finally, this is a real-world process, not an intellectual exercise. The 'intellectual exercise' phase of this project is over and now the blueprint changes are being drawn. I've told all you wonderful critics out there who didn't like this or this feature which we sparred over during the 'intellectual exercise' stages that, if playtesting proves an idea on paper doesn't work in practice, out it goes. The only thing I'm married to, after all, is my wife. How can there be so much surprise out there when you find out such promises are actually being KEPT?
So, keep your tools cool, people. The Process REMAINS 'The Process,' and down that road leads to good (and finished) games. It's no time to bail out of a speeding vehicle just because there's a few bumps in the road ahead; better to focus on your driving and get to the end of the journey. Quicksilver has been going down this road (via The Process) for almost 20 years now. This time though, because you're getting a chance to ride along with us and see out the window, it seems to me that some of you are getting a case of motion sickness. I don't blame you if that's the case; in fact, I totally understand. But all I can say right now is 'grab a bag and hold on.' The winding part of the road lies ahead, so fasten your seat belts, people. This project is really starting to fly now.
Alan Emrich, MOO3 designer
Quicksilver Software, Inc.
Don't panic.
I've finally looked at these discussion board for the first time in five days and am getting back an image of a plethora of decapitated chickens imitating BattleBots. The world has not ended (if it had, I'd be collecting on my insurance policy which covers that
For those who are concerned about me, bless you. Since my return from a very enjoyable vacation in New York, things have been very busy. Now I'm in the midst of dealing with a major personal concern and the company has been very good about giving me the time I need to deal with the immediate and impending stuff relating to that. Rumors of my demise have been exaggerated. I'll let you know more when things get sorted out.
As for MOO3, holy cow! (I can't believe I just said that.) People, chill for a bit. I've been in 'the game biz' for over 25 years. I've learned a few things in that time, some of which I need to share with you right now. We've been giving you a lot of 'inside baseball' all along on this project, and now it's time to share the benefit of some insider wisdom that goes with the insider look at the making of a computer game that you're being presented via these forums.
First, I learned never to write in stone (I use MS-Word, myself). Changes ALWAYS happen, right up to the last possible moment. Every game, paper or electronic, that I've ever worked on or even HEARD worked on… that's just the way it is. Change is not your enemy, it is your destiny. In the immortal words of game designer James F. Dunnigan, "Games are never finished, only published." That is, you COULD dink around with a game forever, were it not for a real-world publishing deadline. MOO3 is no exception to that rule.
Second, just as no plan survives contact with the enemy (according to von Clauswitz), so no game design survives contact with playtesting. Beethoven could write a symphony without hearing it, Mozart could write reams of sheet music without making a single correction, but I've yet to see a game design go from concept to design to prototype to published in such a manner. In computer games in particular, you really never know what you got until it is 'built enough' to push the pieces around. That's where MOO3 is right now, we're pushing the pieces around and reconjiggering based upon what we discover. There's nothing mystical about any of this. That's what we're SUPPOSED to be doing. Don't go too far off the 'worried' end of the scale because the game morphs; that's what ITS supposed to be doing at this time.
Third, good designers can add and multiply features. Great designers can subtract and divide them. Now is the hour where all the pieces are on the table and you measure success and greatness in the product by how many things you can remove to still have a great game. In other words, the mission has changed now to pursue the ESSENCE of the game and focus in on it. We were fortunate to consider a great many novel things with the design of MOO3; it was a Colombus-like voyage of discovery. Now it's time to colonize the New World and make things practical and playable for the players – and that means discipline, focus, and a lot of tired engineers and artists
Finally, this is a real-world process, not an intellectual exercise. The 'intellectual exercise' phase of this project is over and now the blueprint changes are being drawn. I've told all you wonderful critics out there who didn't like this or this feature which we sparred over during the 'intellectual exercise' stages that, if playtesting proves an idea on paper doesn't work in practice, out it goes. The only thing I'm married to, after all, is my wife. How can there be so much surprise out there when you find out such promises are actually being KEPT?
So, keep your tools cool, people. The Process REMAINS 'The Process,' and down that road leads to good (and finished) games. It's no time to bail out of a speeding vehicle just because there's a few bumps in the road ahead; better to focus on your driving and get to the end of the journey. Quicksilver has been going down this road (via The Process) for almost 20 years now. This time though, because you're getting a chance to ride along with us and see out the window, it seems to me that some of you are getting a case of motion sickness. I don't blame you if that's the case; in fact, I totally understand. But all I can say right now is 'grab a bag and hold on.' The winding part of the road lies ahead, so fasten your seat belts, people. This project is really starting to fly now.
Alan Emrich, MOO3 designer
Quicksilver Software, Inc.
Comment