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Avid amateur game design theorist; experienced programmer and software project manager; first (noncommercial) game developed was a real-time multiplayer space combat sim for IBM mainframes in 1985.
Gaming-related interests include "deep" gameplay, Explorer/Simulationist gameplay, psychology of gamers, player-centered design, massively multiplayer game design, and industry trends.
Personal game design blog at: http://flatfingers-theory.blogspot.com/
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Member Blogs
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Hey! You Got Your MMORPG In My Single-Player RPG! |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:53:00 EST in
Game Design
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| Dragon Age: Origins appears to have replaced typical single-player RPG gameplay mechanics with conventions taken directly from MMORPGs. What are the implications of this design, if any? |
| Read More... | 10 Comments |
An Alternative to Aggro  |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 02:18:00 EDT in
Game Design
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| Why is the "aggro" mechanic still being baked into MMORPG designs? This essay considers the origin and side effects of implementing tactical combat as aggro management, and suggests an alternative to show that other models for combat are possible. |
| Read More... | 28 Comments |
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Game Development as Customer Satisfaction |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 04:11:00 EDT in
Production
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| This essay considers the possibility that a conscious, continuous emphasis on customer satisfaction distinguishes successful game development studios from the others. |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
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New Worlds in Game Design |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Tue, 12 May 2009 12:02:00 EDT in
Game Design
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| A diagram showing the intersection of basic computer game styles reveals opportunities for new kinds of games. |
| Read More... | 16 Comments |
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The "Living World" Game |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:49:00 EDT in
Game Design
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| Single-player computer RPGs and massively multiplayer online RPGs each have strengths and weaknesses. The "Living World" concept explores a game design derived from blending the most desirable business and gameplay features of these two formats. |
| Read More... | 12 Comments |
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Is There Now a Functional Language of Game Design? |
| Posted by Bart Stewart on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:28:00 EDT in
Game Design
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| During a panel discussion at GDC 2009, Will Wright and Warren Spector briefly discussed the possibility that today's game designers inherit a working design language. If so, what is the nature of that language? |
| Read More... | 9 Comments |
Bart Stewart's Comments
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Comment In: Opinion: Rethinking Player Death [News - 11/20/2009 - 05:55]
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Permanent death in an MMORPG ... Permanent death in an MMORPG which doesn't use character progression based on points and level would be extremelly good, but very niche. That's definitely possible, Luis. I sometimes wonder if we've reached a point in MMORPG design where too many players actually believe that character advancement is a defining feature ... |
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Comment In: Lead Designers Who Only Say 'No' [Blog - 11/17/2009 - 09:53]
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Exactly. It's smart to leave ... Exactly. It's smart to leave open some opportunities for others to help figure out how to get something done, but the top-level vision needs to be zealously defended even if that means saying no a lot. Of course, that means whoever gets to specify the vision had better know what ... |
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Comment In: Analysis: Shattered Horizons and New Horizons For Weightless Gaming [News - 11/19/2009 - 05:46]
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If I'm being honest, I ... If I'm being honest, I guess my reaction might be a bit like H lder's.... Wow. The developers create a representation of a place that is visually beautiful and architecturally interesting, in which world-systems like gravity and Newtonian motion are faithfully represented... and then implement gameplay that once again is ... |
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Comment In: What is fun? [Blog - 11/17/2009 - 02:50]
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Not to disagree, Joseph, but ... Not to disagree, Joseph, but to try to better understand your thinking: how is knowing the rules consistent with surprise Consider tic-tac-toe as it's known in the U.S. . The rules are well-known, so that satisfies your first point. And people do play it it is organized as a game ... |
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Comment In: In-Depth: On Company Culture, Hiring, And Retention [News - 11/18/2009 - 05:46]
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Fascinating stuff This reminds me ... Fascinating stuff This reminds me of some research I did a few years ago for a book I'm trying to write. Translation: I suffered for my art, now you will, too. : Four of the five cultures that David Edery describes seem to be extremely similar to the four corporate ... |
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Comment In: Randy Smith: Do Games Need To Be Fun? [News - 11/17/2009 - 02:46]
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I've pretty much stopped using ... I've pretty much stopped using the word fun in a design sense it's just not functionally useful when people enjoy different things. I find the word entertaining to be a better if longer catch-all term... but can a grim experience be considered entertaining When I want to talk about some ... |
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