"I love that you've brought this to attention. An extensive database of uncommon but resistant and hardy plants/foods could be developed and organized by climate. Ease of growth and processing should also be taken in to account. I will try to…"
A crash course in changing the world.
Constraints are vital - and fun
As a game designer, I usually get to work with a very varied set of tools and engines, that can basically do anything I want.
However, I have noticed that being able to do everything often limits my thinking to the stuff I'm used to doing.
Now, a year back, I changed jobs. I went from one end of the technological spectrum to the other. From having worked with huge resources from an audio and visual point of view, I went to a very limited audio and visual capability.
Fact of the matter is that I became, and am still becoming, a better game designer for it. The constraints in my work actually make me more aware of what CAN be done with limited resources than I was before. Before this, I could do anything, but stuck to the same old recipe.
Now, I can do very limited things, but I keep trying to innovate my way around the technical limitations to create an experience that is really special. I've become more creative than I thought possible, and the thing I have to thank for that are the constraints put to me.
I'll give you an idea of what I have to work with:
64 x 64 pixel monochrome display
4 channel sound, 1 channel used for special effects and sound feedback
An accelerometer
An engine capable of moving att 4 speeds on a lead
A radio transmitter
That's it. And I make games. The questions I have to answer constantly is:
How do I convey what I want the player to do using only 64 x 64 pixels?
How do I design the sound so that the player understands what the game console is telling her/ him?
How do I make a game fun, using only these components?
The experience has opened me up to a wider set of tools than I had before. Sure, I had audio, but didn't use it in gameplay. I do now.
Sure, I had graphics that could blow your mind, but now I have to think really hard on every pixel, every screen to make it count.
What I'm trying to say is that constraints make you innovative - and for my part, I'm having a lot more fun than I used to.
However, I have noticed that being able to do everything often limits my thinking to the stuff I'm used to doing.
Now, a year back, I changed jobs. I went from one end of the technological spectrum to the other. From having worked with huge resources from an audio and visual point of view, I went to a very limited audio and visual capability.
Fact of the matter is that I became, and am still becoming, a better game designer for it. The constraints in my work actually make me more aware of what CAN be done with limited resources than I was before. Before this, I could do anything, but stuck to the same old recipe.
Now, I can do very limited things, but I keep trying to innovate my way around the technical limitations to create an experience that is really special. I've become more creative than I thought possible, and the thing I have to thank for that are the constraints put to me.
I'll give you an idea of what I have to work with:
64 x 64 pixel monochrome display
4 channel sound, 1 channel used for special effects and sound feedback
An accelerometer
An engine capable of moving att 4 speeds on a lead
A radio transmitter
That's it. And I make games. The questions I have to answer constantly is:
How do I convey what I want the player to do using only 64 x 64 pixels?
How do I design the sound so that the player understands what the game console is telling her/ him?
How do I make a game fun, using only these components?
The experience has opened me up to a wider set of tools than I had before. Sure, I had audio, but didn't use it in gameplay. I do now.
Sure, I had graphics that could blow your mind, but now I have to think really hard on every pixel, every screen to make it count.
What I'm trying to say is that constraints make you innovative - and for my part, I'm having a lot more fun than I used to.
Views: 12
-
Comment by Matilda Almeflo on March 29, 2010 at 6:00pm
-
This sounds really cool! i´ts great you found a new way of making games, just by cutting down the possibilities and extra stuff. And if you go back to the high-resolution advanced technologies i am sure you will use it in a completely different way! This was an inspiring blog post. thank you.
if you re-tag it with learn1 connected you will get your rune ;)
/M
-
Comment by ob1 on May 15, 2010 at 8:40am
-
Keep on creating Asa! ^___^
Thanks a lot for this story!
Comment
Latest Activity
Fourth of July on the Lake
This past weekend was the annual celebration at the lake house in Connecticut. It is amazing that the lake is still so clear and beautiful after all these years. The watershed association has done a wonderful job protecting these waters from the damaging effects of development.The wood grill was finally ready to cook on, so we didn't miss the propane tank fueled grill anymore. The food actually tasted fresher than in the past and was easy to keep fueled.Dad was very proud of the solar hybrid…See More
Stinging Nettle
In this blog post I will focus on a plant that is abundant in our nature, and which is immensely nutritious. It's of course the Stinging Nettle. Let's start with the chemical constituents of this plant:37 % Non-Nitrogen-Extracts19 - 29 % Ash9 - 21 % Fiber4 % Fat22 % ProteinOnce the leaves are drid, their protein content can reach an astounding 40 %, which is much higher than beef, which even under the best of circ**stances can never exceed 31 % protein. In addition the Stinging Nettle consists…See More
The meal
It is 7'oclock, I was late home from work due to an assignment that i wanted to get ahead on. By the time I get home I am feeling extremley tired and I cannot be bothered to make a proper meal. I walk to the fridge and open it to see what there is for me to eat. All of the out of date foodstuffs have been automaticaly thrown away by the fridge, they will be recycled tomorrow as animal feed or something. I see i have organic local eggs and some local cheese. Foods are vacc** sealded for easy…See More
Future
FutureToday is 2020/1/1. It is just like yesterday. The war is still continuing. It has started since 2010. In 2010, that year was a horrible year. Almost every energy ran out. Every country’s governments were crushed down at the same time. There were riots everywhere. All of the big company’s bosses were killed xdeadx in the riots. Troops fought each other everywhere. Food was bought up xawayx at once. There were no more food supplies in any shops. The economy was all crushed down. All the…See More
public servants
The exchange works directly for state and public workers and servants. It gives them credit in exchange for the amount of public work they contribute to the community. The more constructive they are based off a base rate the more credit they recieve.
© 2024 Created by Alchemy.
Powered by
You need to be a member of Urgent Evoke to add comments!
Join Urgent Evoke