http://www.irontowerstudio.com/forum/index.php?topic=444.0

J.E's design philosophy =

I try to think from the perspective of player action as the foundation for the system. That is, I think "What should the player be able to do in this environment?" and "What will the player want to be able to do in this environment?" and then try to build a system to support it.

 

For example, in the Aliens setting, there is a heavy emphasis on a character's ability to deal with stress. So I've thought about that in terms of the differences between learned skill and something innate to a character in the setting. It's arguable that the ability to resist the sort of mental trauma in the Aliens setting is a learned skill (the equivalent of Combat Cool in Cyberpunk 20/20's "Friday Night Fire Fight") and some of it is more inherent to the character, a fundamental part of who they are that isn't likely to change much over the course of the character's time in the game. So I think "Should this be represented in the game?", "How should this be represented in the game?" and "By what mechanics can the player mess with this representation?". You can see a similar sort of approach in games like Chaosium's Call of Cthulhu and even in the 2nd Edition AD&D Ravenloft supplemental rules.

SAN checks of some sort confirmed?

I'd guess something more similar to what we had in Mask of the Betrayer.

 

You've got to give J.E. his props. He's no pretend gamer.

You've got to give J.E. his props. He's no pretend gamer.

Absolutely.

The interview I must say is very interesting and enlightening.

 

On a side note, it will be interesting if there is a Stress check attributes implemented in the Aliens game.

Edited August 12, 200817 yr by Zoma

The interview I must say is very interesting and enlightening.

 

On a side note, it will be interesting if there is a Stress check attributes implemented in the Aliens game.

 

It was interesting to me to watch the different characters react to the worsening of the situation in Aliens 2. On the one hand, you have the increasingly panicked, demoralized Hudson (although of course his LINES in the movie were classic). On the other, the steely, cool Vazquez. Shows how different people react to Stress differently...

 

The combat mechanic for this game is going to be interesting. Since the aliens have acid blood that even eats through body armor, HTH combat with them appears to be very foolish -- aside from the fact that they can rip you to shreds.

 

So while there might be HTH combat skills, I can't see many using them, at least in fights with aliens.

That part about the stress is the first actual gameplay tidbit about Aliens isn't it? I wonder how it will work. Perhaps a mixture between Clock Tower and The Thing.

Not first one, we already know the core game mechanics such as:

 

 

Party based

3rd Person

I'm hoping that when party members go bananas you have to put up with them doing crazy stuff that jeopardises or enhances survival.

Not first one, we already know the core game mechanics such as:

 

 

Party based

3rd Person

 

Well, yes but, that more or less just amounts to saying it will be an RPG from Obsidian.

You could tell he's been thinking about skills in RPGs. But then again, maybe that's because he's worked as a game designer for eight years.

 

I agree with that the three different firearms skills in Fallout is bad solution, though. Too bad it's such a good game, kind of keeps people from seeing all the bad things in it.

Josh is fab, isn't he?

 

There are so many things he says in that interview that should be framed and hung over the desk of every crpg developer.

 

I've been playing computer games on and off since 1976 or 77, and over that time have picked up enough personal beliefs about what works and what doesn't work in a computer game that I tend to cling to hard, although sometimes not intractably so, and so I don't even always agree with Josh (I think the multiple firearm skills in a game such as Fallout can work fine for example).

 

But one thing I always know about Josh is that when he makes a statement about something he has spent some time thinking about it and has a solid foundation to base his thoughts on. And that's worth something.

 

 

Plus he also appears to genuinely like to talk and discuss his ideas with gamers rather than considering them an annoyance that he would rather have just go away so he can work on his game in peace (however solipsitic such a peace might actually be lol).

Plus he also appears to genuinely like to talk and discuss his ideas with gamers rather than considering them an annoyance that he would rather have just go away so he can work on his game in peace (however solipsitic such a peace might actually be lol).

 

Very true. Which I think is the mark of a truly great worker in any field.