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Ron Newcomb's Member Blogs
Prose Generation Techniques for Small Platforms  |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on Thu, 06 Jan 2011 09:02:00 EST in
Design,
Programming,
Social/Online,
Smartphone/Tablet
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| Adaptable story frequently finds limited prose generation useful. While substituting one MacGuffin or character for another is pretty straightforward, verb conjugation, pronoun choice, and subject-verb agreement can get hairy. Especially on a cell phone. |
| Read More... | 2 Comments |
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Just Added! Interactive Fiction Freeplay Room at PAX |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 07:10:00 EDT in
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| PAX badge not cover all three days? Want to try something a little different after-hours? OK, how about free snacks? Visit the Seattle Interactive Fiction Group's freeplay room, in the Sheraton hotel.
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| Read More... | 1 Comments |
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Irony Trumps Satire: Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 01:36:00 EDT in
Design
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| A videogame satire goes awry, revealing... |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
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Induced Human Behaviors as a Litmus Test for Simulations |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 08:23:00 EDT in
Design,
Programming
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| Ensuring a correct simulation requires more than checking your math. Try checking your players' behavior. |
| Read More... | 1 Comments |
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Four More Tasks for the Paragraph |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:19:00 EST in
Design
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| Writers know that paragraphs have jobs to do -- develop characters, reinforce theme, etc. But for interactive environments, are there more? |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
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A Role for Could, Would, and Should in Game Input |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:06:00 EST in
Design
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| Games controlled by a language interface -- interactive fiction, "Maniac Mansion", "Shadowgate" and many other adventure games -- traditionally choose imperatives as the only form of input. But this is button-centric thinking. |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
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Gameplay Rules Must Feed Plot Devices |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:34:00 EDT in
Design,
Programming
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| Ruleset design doesn't end with gameplay. Without certain needs met, some techniques of interactive plot become very difficult. Case in point: integrating psionics with the second edition of Dungeons and Dragons. |
| Read More... | 6 Comments |
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Sequels Are Better. For Now. |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on Sat, 26 Sep 2009 06:25:00 EDT in
Design,
Programming,
Production
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| Technological constraints temporarily defined a "gamer" to mean a solitary individual, in defiance of the traditional norm. In the same fashion, another unique characteristic of the videogame medium, "sequels are better", is destined to fall. |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
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Usage of the Rules of Fiction Versus That of Games |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:13:00 EDT in
Design
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| An understanding of how the rules of gameplay differ from the rules of narrative -- and acknowledging that the latter exists -- may help us close the disconnect between the two. |
| Read More... | 3 Comments |
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PAX09 Special Report: A Console Love-in |
| Posted by Ron Newcomb on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:44:00 EDT in
Audio,
Design,
Programming,
Production,
Art
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| The Penny Arcade Expo was held last weekend in Seattle. What's a washed-up gamer with no reflexes do? Watch the gamers, and consider the past and future. |
| Read More... | 0 Comments |
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