Comments for Guido Henkel http://guidohenkel.com Welcome to the world of writer and game designer Guido Henkel Sat, 25 May 2013 21:24:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.2 Comment on Why would you have bind-on-equip items in a single-player RPG? by Guido http://guidohenkel.com/2013/05/why-would-you-have-bind-on-equip-items-in-a-single-player-rpg/#comment-121344 Guido Sat, 25 May 2013 21:24:50 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1514#comment-121344 We have certain very particular plans with this feature in the story and I can only repeat over and over again, that it is a very rare occurrence that is tied to very specific events in the game. It is always been our plan that way and we will implement it that way. I simply do not wish to reveal more about it at this time because I do not want to spoil the effect or the storyline that goes with it. We have certain very particular plans with this feature in the story and I can only repeat over and over again, that it is a very rare occurrence that is tied to very specific events in the game. It is always been our plan that way and we will implement it that way. I simply do not wish to reveal more about it at this time because I do not want to spoil the effect or the storyline that goes with it.

]]> Comment on Why would you have bind-on-equip items in a single-player RPG? by Süleyman Okan http://guidohenkel.com/2013/05/why-would-you-have-bind-on-equip-items-in-a-single-player-rpg/#comment-121343 Süleyman Okan Sat, 25 May 2013 21:19:21 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1514#comment-121343 Just wanted to check in to say I came off rather pissy. That granted, I cannot see a solid justification for a bind-on-equip item other than a Gollum-precious dynamic, which should be very rare and well intertwined into the story. Just injure or curse a character; it's way classier. Just wanted to check in to say I came off rather pissy. That granted, I cannot see a solid justification for a bind-on-equip item other than a Gollum-precious dynamic, which should be very rare and well intertwined into the story. Just injure or curse a character; it’s way classier.

]]> Comment on Why would you have bind-on-equip items in a single-player RPG? by Random Wednesdays http://guidohenkel.com/2013/05/why-would-you-have-bind-on-equip-items-in-a-single-player-rpg/#comment-121315 Random Wednesdays Thu, 23 May 2013 04:58:43 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1514#comment-121315 [...] Guido Henkel’s Deathfire got a decent bit of coverage in the last week; he did a short interview with The Nerd Cave, and also blogged about his reasons for having “bind on equip” items in what is going to be a sing.... [...] [...] Guido Henkel’s Deathfire got a decent bit of coverage in the last week; he did a short interview with The Nerd Cave, and also blogged about his reasons for having “bind on equip” items in what is going to be a sing…. [...]

]]> Comment on Items and weapons – key ingredients in a good role-playing game by Shane http://guidohenkel.com/2013/05/items-and-weapons-key-ingredients-in-a-good-role-playing-game/#comment-121300 Shane Tue, 21 May 2013 22:13:16 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1466#comment-121300 These post are fascinating. I love to read about the theories different developers have on game design, and the trails and triumphs they go through while implementing them. Thanks for taking time out of your schedule to write this journal. I am excited to play the game. These post are fascinating.
I love to read about the theories different developers have on game design, and the trails and triumphs they go through while implementing them.

Thanks for taking time out of your schedule to write this journal.

I am excited to play the game.

]]> Comment on Why would you have bind-on-equip items in a single-player RPG? by Roq Marish (@Roqsan) http://guidohenkel.com/2013/05/why-would-you-have-bind-on-equip-items-in-a-single-player-rpg/#comment-121293 Roq Marish (@Roqsan) Tue, 21 May 2013 07:47:18 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1514#comment-121293 I don't think that RPGs are about choosing irreversibly between good and bad options, but rather choosing which one of several paths to go down. In MMOs, devs have been forced (by user pressure) to make decisions taken on incomplete knowledge reversible. So most MMOs now have a respec option, which you can take if you inadvertently nerf your character. Plus you can usually recover from any circumstance, in the long term, without having to start the game over. I think devs of single player games have become lazy, by relying on save/load game so they don't have to balance options; if you do something wrong, die or whatever, just load a saved game. Would be good to see single player games take ironman mode more seriously, so that it is feasible to play a game straight up with out the frustration of losing everything and having to start over - How many people are not going to revert when they lose their best soldiers in XCOM EU, for instance? Not many. Of course, you do have to penalise bad decisions / poor play, otherwise there is no tension; it's a balance thing. I don’t think that RPGs are about choosing irreversibly between good and bad options, but rather choosing which one of several paths to go down. In MMOs, devs have been forced (by user pressure) to make decisions taken on incomplete knowledge reversible. So most MMOs now have a respec option, which you can take if you inadvertently nerf your character. Plus you can usually recover from any circumstance, in the long term, without having to start the game over.

I think devs of single player games have become lazy, by relying on save/load game so they don’t have to balance options; if you do something wrong, die or whatever, just load a saved game. Would be good to see single player games take ironman mode more seriously, so that it is feasible to play a game straight up with out the frustration of losing everything and having to start over – How many people are not going to revert when they lose their best soldiers in XCOM EU, for instance? Not many. Of course, you do have to penalise bad decisions / poor play, otherwise there is no tension; it’s a balance thing.

]]> Comment on Why would you have bind-on-equip items in a single-player RPG? by lilmagi http://guidohenkel.com/2013/05/why-would-you-have-bind-on-equip-items-in-a-single-player-rpg/#comment-121291 lilmagi Tue, 21 May 2013 07:01:41 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1514#comment-121291 "I know that some people seem to take exception with this" That is an understatement. “I know that some people seem to take exception with this”
That is an understatement.

]]> Comment on Why would you have bind-on-equip items in a single-player RPG? by Guido http://guidohenkel.com/2013/05/why-would-you-have-bind-on-equip-items-in-a-single-player-rpg/#comment-121290 Guido Tue, 21 May 2013 06:01:36 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1514#comment-121290 I know that some people seem to take exception with this, but let me just say that I have my reasons for doing this, and you will see in the final game that is neither tedium nor pointless. Just because it is a feature not found in other games before doesn't make it a horrible design decision. We have some pretty unique ideas for this concept and I am pretty sure that players will enjoy them in the end. Just have a little faith… I know that some people seem to take exception with this, but let me just say that I have my reasons for doing this, and you will see in the final game that is neither tedium nor pointless. Just because it is a feature not found in other games before doesn’t make it a horrible design decision. We have some pretty unique ideas for this concept and I am pretty sure that players will enjoy them in the end. Just have a little faith…

]]> Comment on Why would you have bind-on-equip items in a single-player RPG? by Ryan http://guidohenkel.com/2013/05/why-would-you-have-bind-on-equip-items-in-a-single-player-rpg/#comment-121289 Ryan Tue, 21 May 2013 05:53:31 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1514#comment-121289 There's a reason it's never been used in SP games, it's a horrible design decision. The reason it exists in MMOs is solely for economy/Raid reasons. I've never played a table top game that had such a system in the rules either. It doesn't add depth, it's just tedious. It prevents you from passing down a weapon from say Warrior #1 to Warrior #2 when an upgrade is found. Now it just makes more sense to give the new upgrade to Warrior #2 rather than waste an item, regardless of which is better from a min/max stand point. Limiting choices is rarely the right way to go imo. 99.9% sure we can count on a mod/hack/cheat table removing this system. There’s a reason it’s never been used in SP games, it’s a horrible design decision. The reason it exists in MMOs is solely for economy/Raid reasons. I’ve never played a table top game that had such a system in the rules either. It doesn’t add depth, it’s just tedious. It prevents you from passing down a weapon from say Warrior #1 to Warrior #2 when an upgrade is found. Now it just makes more sense to give the new upgrade to Warrior #2 rather than waste an item, regardless of which is better from a min/max stand point. Limiting choices is rarely the right way to go imo. 99.9% sure we can count on a mod/hack/cheat table removing this system.

]]> Comment on The technology behind “Deathfire” by Guido http://guidohenkel.com/2013/04/the-technology-behind-%e2%80%9cdeathfire%e2%80%9d/#comment-121280 Guido Mon, 20 May 2013 17:00:20 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1440#comment-121280 Roq, crowd-sourcing is not a bad idea, but it won't work for us—at least not currently, because it requires a significant time investment on our end. We'd need at least one person to handle it all, prepare specs, oversee the process, evaluate submissions, handle the communication with the submittors and walk them through the process to keep things on track, go through the iterations, etc. We simply do not have such a person and none of us can free up that kind of time without the project really suffering. Roq, crowd-sourcing is not a bad idea, but it won’t work for us—at least not currently, because it requires a significant time investment on our end. We’d need at least one person to handle it all, prepare specs, oversee the process, evaluate submissions, handle the communication with the submittors and walk them through the process to keep things on track, go through the iterations, etc. We simply do not have such a person and none of us can free up that kind of time without the project really suffering.

]]> Comment on The technology behind “Deathfire” by Roq Marish (@Roqsan) http://guidohenkel.com/2013/04/the-technology-behind-%e2%80%9cdeathfire%e2%80%9d/#comment-121279 Roq Marish (@Roqsan) Mon, 20 May 2013 16:38:37 +0000 http://guidohenkel.com/?p=1440#comment-121279 Just makes a lot of sense to use middleware, where possible, rather than write everything from scratch. And frees you up to think more about the functionality, rather than having to release a game before it's ready, because you spent so much time optimizing irrelevant graphic details, that don't really make games play better anyway. I was impressed by Brian Fargo's W.A.S.T.E. initiative for sourcing art assets. Are you considering doing something like that for Deathfire? Seems to me that Unity + crowd sourcing + crowd funding could allow relatively small teams to direct the future of PC gaming, so we get some thing more than minimally interactive shooters with linear cut scene stories. Just makes a lot of sense to use middleware, where possible, rather than write everything from scratch. And frees you up to think more about the functionality, rather than having to release a game before it’s ready, because you spent so much time optimizing irrelevant graphic details, that don’t really make games play better anyway.

I was impressed by Brian Fargo’s W.A.S.T.E. initiative for sourcing art assets. Are you considering doing something like that for Deathfire? Seems to me that Unity + crowd sourcing + crowd funding could allow relatively small teams to direct the future of PC gaming, so we get some thing more than minimally interactive shooters with linear cut scene stories.

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