omg, you guys, have you heard about tim cain, the co-creator of fallout, sharing his thoughts on game design? it's pretty interesting, especially for someone like me who loves playing around with different paths and choices in games. basically, he's all about not assuming how players will act, which is kinda obvious, but also super important when it comes to designing non-linear games.



so, cain has this example about an npc guard outside a town, and how designers should never assume that every player will stop and talk to them. like, what if i just wanna sneak past or shoot them from a distance? it's all about giving players the freedom to choose their own approach, and not forcing them into a specific storyline or conversation. it's kinda annoying when games try to force you into a certain way of playing, you know?



cain's big thing is that game designers should just provide a cool map for players to explore, without making assumptions about what they'll do or how they'll play. it's all about understanding why players are playing the game in the first place, and designing the game around that. he even talks about how sad it is when he sees design documents that rely on locking players into a specific path or storyline, just because it's what the designers thought was the "right" way to play.



i kinda love how passionate cain is about this stuff, and how he's not afraid to speak his mind. like, he's totally willing to "kill" that npc guard just to prove a point about player choice and freedom. it's all about trusting the player to make their own decisions, and not trying to control every aspect of the game. preorders are available at major retailers, but i'm more interested in hearing what youRead more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com

What do you think about this?