So I’m in the middle of my Ph.D candidacy right now. Sorry, the lack of posts is not for lack of trying! Anyway…Books books books. Everyone likes books, right? Durn kids and their vidyagames and iTablets. Next thing you know they’ll want some robots to play with. Speaking of that,[…]
I’ve been on somewhat of a reading binge recently. I enjoy finding common themes and connections between books that I read, so I present to you some of those thoughts. I dislike trying to pin down an exact rating, so let’s go with deserves a read or missed the mark.
It’s one of those nights again. It’s 2 in the morning, and I’m sitting at my computer sweating over job listings. I won’t be graduating for over three years, but I’m going at it like my life depends on it. In fact, I’ve been going at it for hours. Suddenly,[…]
The greatest improvement in the productive powers of labour, and the greater part of the skill, dexterity, and judgement with which it is any where directed, or applied, seem to have been the effects of the division of labour. These are the first words in The Wealth of Nations by Adam[…]
Recently I posted a preview of Starship 1 by Geoff Englestein, a boardgame which I look forward to with bated breath. Come on Geoff, pick up the pace. I know you have publishers knocking down your door! As I described fully in that post, Starship 1 is a game where each player[…]
Every design needs goals. What kinds of goals? Aesthetic goals. I don’t mean just how the game looks. I am speaking from the standpoint of the MDA Framework, a groundbreaking attempt to formally model the elements of gameplay. Let’s explore the three elements of MDA, starting from the canon definitions in the[…]
Game design is inherently complicated. It involves the interaction of many widgets and doodads, along with the exciting and often unpredictable human element. This complexity is magnified when the game is multi-player, as the vast majority of board games are. Keeping a handle on the numerous design decisions made throughout[…]
I promise I’ll have more for everybody soon. In the mean time, a recent GradHacker post was most appreciated (and sorely needed) by yours truly. This is what Thanksgiving is all about: …take a step back and think about all the little things you’ve accomplished, all the people who have[…]
I’m back from the wild hinterlands of New Jersey. I had a great time at Metatopia – the highlight was definitely Starship 1 by Geoff Engelstein. (Starship 1 is a tentative title.) Those “in the know” out there will recognize him as being a contributor to The Dice Tower podcast[…]
Lord Kelvin once said, “If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it.”