Just for fun I decided to write up a gunblade for use in OSR/SWORDDREAM style tabletop RPGs. Initially I thought it would be pretty simple, just a regular sword with bonus damage. But after looking into the new Gunbreaker class in Final Fantasy XIV, I realized through specialized ammunition it could be much more interesting.
The rules below are mostly system neutral (leaning towards Knave.) I’m sure it will not be difficult to adjust things to fit into your game.
Before the end of the year I uploaded a bunch of new games to my itch.io page. These games represent the early stages of my getting back into PuzzleScript and game development in general. They’re pretty poor games, in all honesty, but the ideas behind them are OK. I also see them as a stepping stone to much better games. After working on these mediocre releases I’ve already got better games ready to launch and in development.
But whatever, here are some notes on the design of each game.
With this post I want to take a look at weapons in video games that are mechanically unusual. They can’t just look weird, they need to to do something different than they would in other, similar games. The question is, what do these unusual behaviors add to the game play experience? Let’s take a look at a few different examples to see.
Continue reading “Trigger Happy – Weapon Gimmicks in Video Games”
Creating your own video game is a very daunting task. It’s a craft that incorporates coding, graphics, sound, game design, and basically everything else under the sun. There are many different pieces of software to help you along: Game Maker Studio, Unity, Construct, plus others. I’ve tried out the three mentioned in the previous sentence. They’re all good, and are a good choice to start out. But recently I decided to try a new program that I feel is the best for absolute beginners: Pico-8.
Continue reading “Making Fun – Game Development for Absolute Beginners”
AI partners in games have changed a lot over the years. Sometimes these end up as the dreaded “escort mission” where it’s your job to protect the partner. Other times they can be invaluable assets to your cause. Let’s look at a select few examples to explore different ways this mechanic is handled.
Continue reading “Buddy Systems – AI partners in Video Games”
Over the past week I’ve been messing around with PuzzleScript, developing my own little game. And now, its finished! Check it out here: Escape The Dark. In this game you are a little green person trying to escape a cave. Push around rocks, and avoid pits, to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
After the jump I’ll include a quick rundown of the development process.
Continue reading “Play my newest game: Escape the Dark + Devlog”
The publishers of my first card game Journey of the Emperor asked me to write an article about my design process for it. You can read it here.
Facebook page for the game – Do me a favor and give this a like.
BoardGameGeek page – If BGG is more your thing, like it here too.
In my mind the biggest issue with MTG (other than cost) is its mana system. Anyone who has played MTG can tell you about the many times they’ve lost games because they either drew too much, or not enough mana. This problem is so old and common it has a name known by both its players and developers as Mana Screw. While this problem can be managed to a certain extend by good deckbuilding and mulligan practices, there is nothing preventing it from rearing its ugly head in any given game of magic.
In the summer of 2016 I got really into making little video games with Game Maker Studio. Most aspects of the games were created by me: coding, level design, and artwork. Sound effects and music were the only things I didn’t create myself. Each game revolves around a single mechanic and features very simple controls, most only making use of the arrow keys. They are pretty bare bones, and lack many quality of life features like saves or level selects. But they are functional and (IMO) fun, so I am very proud of them.
Cantrip 