Sid Meier and his posse are a group of brilliant individuals who really put a sh*tload of research into their projects. Just take a look at Alpha Centauri. I use the instruction manual as a basis for my own research.

I think game designers could take some pointers from journalists. By journalists, I basically mean Michael Crichton. That man puts serious research into his books. At the end of each novel, he has a complete bibliography of resources.

By the way, Crichton spent 20 years writing Sphere. Patience is a developer''s most prized asset when performing research. The quality of your game is directly proportionate to the amount of work you put into it, so take Landfish''s advice: sit down, grab some books, and read the f*ckers.

Research doesn''t just have to be books, of course. Part of my research for a war game I was working on recently was watching "Saving Private Ryan." The rest involved visiting armed forces sites on the Internet, and talking to a friend whose father served in WWII.

Anyway, that''s all I have to say. I''d better get some sleep.

Yep, you guys follow what I meant well enough. Just now that you know a little about something, don''t stop there. Don''t ever stop. Never think you know enough, so always be doing your homework. This is the real work of any writer, designer, artist or musician, or anyone creative. If you don''t find new and different material to your work, you''re simply creating something signifigant to only ONE person: Yourself.

Niphty, you seem to have missed my point entirely.

NCSU-whatever... how nice. someone who knows nothing about me. Let''s see... I made a thread just for you in the Lounge. I''ll spare you the task of reading it, since you obviously don''t like to read much; if you did then you would know this already. I''ve spent the last year of my life working full-time to put myself in a position to fix this crap. It''s my only goal in life. I''m taking my sweet time, too, so you can cram your "completed works" up your rectum.

No offence, but if they made every thing realistic, why bother?

Do you really want to play a game where everything is exactly as it is in real life?

If I wanted to do that, I could save myself the $39.95 and go shoot people for real (kidding).

And as for deciding what kinds of weapons can do what kind of damage, does it really matter?

Realism in games: leave it to the graphics and sound =)

quote: Original post by Etnu

No offence, but if they made every thing realistic, why bother?

Do you really want to play a game where everything is exactly as it is in real life?

If I wanted to do that, I could save myself the $39.95 and go shoot people for real (kidding).

And as for deciding what kinds of weapons can do what kind of damage, does it really matter?

Realism in games: leave it to the graphics and sound =)

Hello? Not what el-posto was about.

Realism in games is a ridiculous notion to argue. Some games need it, some games JUST DON''T. Suspension of disbelief is different, most every game needs that, but that''s entirely different from realism.

No, I''m juts sick of know-it-alls. People like me and Niphty, and you, etnu! And I strongly suggest that we all wake up and realise how dumb and diluted we really are.

quote: Original post by Niphty

BTW.. landfish.. i''ve never gotten into a fight and not walked away the winner when it was something serious. so that whole fetal thing.. maybe you should talk to a doctor about that And try working out.. hehe.

Wow. That sure is a nice big phallus you''ve got there. Wish mine were that big. Oh well...

and they let you be a moderator with an attitude like that ?
I was just merely pointing out a quote that you put in another thread where you asked the person if "they were just gonna sit there and bitch all day ?" when they complained about something. And that is what 90% of your posts are about yourself. And I didnt claim to know anything about you, only what I see you post on these boards day in and day out.
But you go on ahead and fix this crap so that everyone can worship you even more then they do now......

"Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
themGames Productions

don''t ask me why, but i just want to throw this in fo0r all the combat oriented posts.

i''ve been in Kung Fu for about 8 years (no specific style some ving sun, saolin animal styles(tiger, snake, mantis), and tad bit of drunken fist (not truely a drunken style... but anyway)). one of my friends named steve used to have this thing called "Steves Backyard Boxing" where a bunch of people would come over, eat, drink, box, and be marry. The thing was kinda like our own private fight club, minus the soap, lye, and vandalism. We would get together and beat the crap out of each-other for three one minuite rounds with 16oz gloves. the only things that could stop the fight where time and knock out. the whole point is that even with 8 years of Kung Fu behind me, i almost got the shit beat out of me (untill the third round where i figured him out... but anyway ) please take everything into perspective, when it come to two martial arts masters fighting, you''ll sometimes get the cool jackie chan / bruce lee results, but if you put martial arts up against street figting, it will be a quick brutal fight. either person could win depending on the actual fighters, not the styles.

ok, i don''t know if that realy had a point, but there it is anyway



-------------------------------------------------
Don't take life too seriously, you''ll never get out of it alive. -Bugs Bunny

quote: Original post by ncsu121978

and they let you be a moderator with an attitude like that ?
I was just merely pointing out a quote that you put in another thread where you asked the person if "they were just gonna sit there and bitch all day ?" when they complained about something. And that is what 90% of your posts are about yourself. And I didnt claim to know anything about you, only what I see you post on these boards day in and day out.
But you go on ahead and fix this crap so that everyone can worship you even more then they do now......

"Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time"
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
themGames Productions

ncsu, ask anyone here. I have never made a post that just complained about the status of games without either a) suggesting a possible solution or b) asking the GDNet members FOR a possible solution.

quote: Original post by Authustian
if you put martial arts up against street figting, it will be a quick brutal fight. either person could win depending on the actual fighters, not the styles.

Really depends on the art.

But anyway, I''m pretty much leading you guys astray. It''s not about having been in fights, or about having held a sword or anything. It''s about feeling you know something you don''t. When we start to produce a game (something I *have* done many times...) we usually select subjects that we are familiar with; hence the old writing expression "Write what you know."

However, I truly believe that once you''ve entered the process and nailed down a premise for your game, you need to invert that advice: "Know what you write."

While this may not mean going out and getting into a fist-fight, it might mean a lot of other things. Most games I''ve seen take influences from only a few sources, namely Tolkien and Gygax, and it''s getting pretty boring, because they were some of the two biggest know-it-alls of all time. Especially Gygax. Why, again, are we still living with his legacy of Murder-based experience and caste-style determinism?

So fighting and penis-comparison aside... if you acknowledge your own ignorance, only then can you take the first steps to combatting it. I''ve still yet to effectively finish that first bit.

Landfish, speak for thyself, and ONLY for thyself. I''ve spent over a year researching my game, coming up with ideas, researching those.. and finding out what could be realistic and what couldn''t, and what rules of physics i want my world to have and which i don''t.. and which i want to add

I have nothing to admit.. i know it all because i know it all. And no.. i don''t know it all, yet.. or i''d have a highly successful game already. I know what i know, my girl knows what she knows. no one person could know it all.. ever. I mean, i''m a god at physics and math, but when it comes to sitting down and drawing a picture.. forget it. I mean, i would more likely die before i got a picture of decent quality freehand.

And i agree with NCSUguy. You sit around and say "yes, you notice it''s a problem, so how would you deal with it?" It''s that style of "ripping off" that you''re doing that made me leave this board in the first place. All you did was critisize OTHER people''s works, without telling a SINGLE bit of your stuff. And look at this post, all you did is what you told him NOT to do.. you pointed out a problem, and offered no solution. And when you''re challenged to offer one, you get mad and say that they misunderstood you!!! What queerness is this that you can''t offer one of your OWN ideas? It seems to me that all you do is steal other people''s ideas without giving them credit! You offer a problem you''re facing, find out their answer, challenge them to do something for you, and when they do, you take it and run off!

Look at your "Game Writing" board. WHAT THE HELL? That''s Landfish''s "post your ideas here so i can steal them and tell you how they''re wrong" board. No wonder no one really posts there!

Even my girlfriend shakes her head at you in pity and disgust now, Landfish. You had such great potential, but what you''re doing is morally wrong beyond all belief, and i''m sorry that it seems that only NCSUguy and I have noticed it.
Please try to answer me with more than a sentance if you dare.

J