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    <article class="h-entry post-text"><header><h1 class="p-name entry-title"><a href="simple-things-that-drive-you-mad.html" class="u-url">Simple things that drive you mad.</a></h1>
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            <p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">Joshua</span></p>
            <p class="dateline"><a href="simple-things-that-drive-you-mad.html" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2015-10-06T07:01:48-06:00" title="2015-10-06 07:01">2015-10-06 07:01</time></a></p>
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<p>So, there are many things in an game that are important. The art direction, battle system, how dungeons and open areas work. Not to mention the single most important thing in a great game the story. This article is however not about the all important story. Ok, maybe it is, but not in the most direct way. When you are in control of a character it's actions reflect your personality meshed with that of the character you are playing. You prioritize a certain way. Is killing the enemy the most important thing, keeping your party alive, or do you always get revenge on the creature that attacked you first. Goals and priorities is what makes you different from the NPC and your party. If a game is to have a great story this can not be the case. Our party members and NPCs must reflect their personalities in their choices in combat and other places as well.</p>
<p>While this may seem obvious. There are not many RPGs that do a good job at this. Often a character will have a have their special weapon type that only they can use. This sort of defines what the character is capable of doing and how the behave in combat. This does not necessarily or normally tie into the personality of the character in cut scenes or their root motivation. These are simple pairings are not the worst offenders in games. The worst offenders are games wherre you can equip your party members with any weapon in the world. Changing weapons should not change the way that character thinks and behaves to great extent. If a character changes from a bow to stave or sword it should not change how the their underlying strategy works, only the materials and capabilities they are working with. So a character who is precision based as their underlying strategy is not going to suddenly become a raving berserker when you give them a sword.</p>
<p>Let us talk about games that suffer from this problem. The much beloved <a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy">Final Fantasy</a> series often falls into this trap. Ok, it is probably not really a trap or as bad as I'm making it out to be. If you are an old school gamer than your love of RPGs probably started with this series. I know mine did. In <a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VI">FF VI</a>, Kefka is easily the most badass villain ever and competent to boot. He actually destroys the world.  The early series started by making generalization of their character's traits and tying them to their characters weapons. It is simple and seemingly effective decision. As the games grow in complexity and more important the players are given more choice as to what to equip the party members with it becomes clear that this is an over simplification. Leading to every character behaving basically the same when they have the same weapon. It does not change how the AI behaves to it a swordsmen is a swordsmen and they all dance to the same tune. Stats can and do make a difference with obviously but it does not change with character's personality.</p>
<p>There are many games that have followed this pattern some of them great, a lot ok, and a few that are unable to even be called bad. So how do you stop a simple and common issue in a genre of games you love. Talking about the issue that drives you mad can only go so far and it is not like other people have the same issue. If we want to take it further we have to design a great story, filled with characters whom's personalities and motivations show not just in the cut scenes. Anyway, I'm done harping on this one little issue. Maybe not, but for now we need to sit and think about the best way to handle this in story, game and code.</p>
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    </article><article class="h-entry post-text"><header><h1 class="p-name entry-title"><a href="how-complex-should-an-actor-class-be.html" class="u-url">How complex should an actor class be?</a></h1>
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            <p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">Joshua</span></p>
            <p class="dateline"><a href="how-complex-should-an-actor-class-be.html" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2015-10-01T07:01:48-06:00" title="2015-10-01 07:01">2015-10-01 07:01</time></a></p>
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<p>I have been working on creating our base class for NPC, party members, and other characters. This is the single core that we will use to tell our story with. So it must encompass the berth and width of the story we need to be able to tell. This brings me to the above question. How complex should an actor class be? We need our basic things like stats, conditions, immunities, equipment, and items in storage. Beyond those we have to have a list of skills and methods that our charaters will use.</p>
<p>Oh so little has changed since the days of <a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_&amp;_Dragons">Dungeons &amp; Dragons</a>. Every RPG has its roots buried in the first widely available system for gaming. Some games are inspired by it, some game re-invent it, and some games have direct lineage to it. I'm looking at you <a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldur's_Gate">Baldur's Gate</a>.</p>
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    </article><article class="h-entry post-text"><header><h1 class="p-name entry-title"><a href="the-crazy-reasons.html" class="u-url">The Crazy and not So Crazy reasons to start a game.</a></h1>
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            <p class="byline author vcard"><span class="byline-name fn">Joseph</span></p>
            <p class="dateline"><a href="the-crazy-reasons.html" rel="bookmark"><time class="published dt-published" datetime="2015-08-25T07:01:48-06:00" title="2015-08-25 07:01">2015-08-25 07:01</time></a></p>
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<p>It started some time ago. I would like to say my love of goats, but the truth is my love of video games. It started out with my dad's Commodore 64, proceeded to the Odyssey 2, we (my brothers and me) fell into the Sega Genesis, then finally to PlayStation. I loved <a class="reference internal" href="the-crazy-reasons.html#spelunker">Spelunker</a>, Mario and Sonic, but it was <em>Crystalis</em> and <em>StarFlight</em> that first really caught my attention. Leveling up was such a great concept, actual story line and plot that was beyond a few vague pictures. The depth, time, and yes even a little love that was needed to finish a game well.</p>
<p>Fast forward some years and you'll find me with almost no technology and a lot of farm animals. A dog named Jessie, chicken galore, sheep you have to dodge and hungery goats. What a change in fortune! It was and while I found sheep are fairly dumb I also found how lovable and smart goats were. I could even understand their maaaas. I know that sounds crazy to people who have never spent that much time with animals, but it's true. Granted most of there comments were about food and scratching hard to reach places, but it was also filled with love and concern.</p>
<p>I don't think I've made myself clear on how much I love goats. I love their shear cuteness, the way they socialize and form community; the way they run, jump and dance; their playful yet inquisitive nature; their loyalty and concern(I'll tell that story later). The way they swarm around you when you bring them food, going in face first totally ignoring you for a moment, then putting their head up and giving you a little maaa of gratitude. The deliciousness of goat jerky or corned goat.</p>
<p>Again fast forward some years I'm no longer in Michigan and now in Colorado Springs working like I normally do, then all of a sudden, the thought occurs to me I like RPGs and goats, why not combine the two!</p>
<p>Were not talking humanoid goats. Actual goats. With hooves, teeth, and all.
So this is blog is about that creation. The pain and pitfalls of making this crazy dream come true. Design of: plot, character/enemy, maps, dungeons, and choosing the art style. Implementation in <a class="reference external" href="http://www.godotengine.org/">Godot</a>, game mechanics, level design and programming to name what comes off the top of my head. Plus giving you status updates just to show off progress.</p>
<p>I hope to help you see in your minds goats exploring, scavenging, and in desperate battle against their foes, sheep and other oddities. A good RPG means lots of good stories with, in my opinion, lots of choices and out comes.</p>
<p>To that end my first major goal will be to make a short demo to whet your appetite.</p>
<p>Hopefully the first goat RPG <em>Goat Song</em>.</p>
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