Well, that was fun! Thanks to all the folks who stopped by our booth at the 3G Expo yesterday.
For those of you who couldn’t make it, here are a couple of pictures of the booth, along with Danielle Forrester and my friend Dan Allen. I was there too, but I was the one taking the pictures, so, um, I’m not in them.
You’ll note stacks of TSoG flyers sitting on the table. You can nab yourself a copy of the flyer right here if you’re curious.
Hey folks! I’ve gotten official go-ahead to present Telepath RPG: Servants of God at the 3G Expo and Game Design Challenge going on in downtown Chicago in two weeks.
This free event invites the public to play gender inclusive games produced by women and girl game designers and other leading Chicago game companies. Participants will view the actual prototypes developed by five teams of fifty girls created during the workshops and have a chance to vote on prize-winning designs. One prototype will be chosen to be developed into an actual playable game by Seniors in the Department of Interactive Arts and Media at Columbia College.
I’ll be there on Sunday the 15th with a table and three computers, all of them loaded up with the latest version of TSoG. Come stop by and say hello if you’re in Chicago!
I just received an email last night from Hasbro–apparently, I’ve been approved for a generous corporate grant to continue designing games full-time! In exchange, I need to do a little re-tooling of the Telepath RPG series. From now on, these games are Nerf RPG.
Most of the changes will be purely cosmetic. For instance, instead of using Mind Blast, characters will now shoot each other with Nerf darts. Also, instead of Scanning, characters will now beat each other with Nerf swords until they reveal what they’re thinking.
I know this might seem a little weird, and possibly a little “lame,” but trust me: this is going to be just fine. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go take a dip in my new swimming pool filled with money.
As a game designer, sometimes you receive news, and you’re not sure whether it’s good news or bad news. For example, Telepath: Psy Arena 2 has just received its most positive review yet! But it’s posted on a site called HarryBalls.com. Um, yeah.
From the review:
The care Sinister has put into this game is very clear, from the surprisingly good soundtrack, to the hilarious dialog, and the slick graphics, you can see the love behind this. I have been a fan of the genre for years, and after being disappointed with almost every offering the mainstream publisher’s has thrown up at us, It’s good to see that someone out there actually gives a crap about quality.
I guess it’s hard for me to ignore praise like that, even if it is on a website called HarryBalls.com.
I thought you might like to know that GameDevHub.com has published an interview with me about game development and Telepath RPG: Servants of God in particular. Here’s an excerpt:
GDH: When you begin development of a game, what area do you start with? For example, with the Telepath games, had you created the Cera Bella setting or was it constructed around the mechanics of the game?
Craig: It honestly depends on the game. It’s just a matter of what ideas I have going into it, and what area those ideas happen to reside in. With the Telepath games, I went in with a rather limited idea of the setting, and sort of built as I went. I come from a creative writing background, and I believe that as an author, it’s important for your understanding of story elements to arise organically. It doesn’t do to start off a game with hard-and-fast preconceptions, then try to shoehorn game elements to fit those preconceptions. That’s the sort of approach that leads to unconvincing plotlines, wooden dialog and flat characters.
For example, take character development. I learn more about my characters as development proceeds by thinking through the sort of conversations they would have with each other. I let the characters’ voices come through, and so I learn about them during the process of writing their dialog. That’s not something I can effectively plan ahead of time: the process is key. Cera Bella has been a lot like that: I learn about the world as I create it.
You can read the full interview here.
Telepath Psy Arena 2 is basically done. I’ve stuck in the final battle and the ending, along with a New Game+ feature for those who feel like having a fresh crack at it with their experienced team. I just need a few days to playtest and make sure there are no bugs left. Maybe I’ll shore up a bit of the older AI if there isn’t too much to fix. I’ve improved the AI for several units, and I’m going to keep working right up until release.
My plan is to put up the demo and release the full game before the end of the day Thursday. Keep an eye open for it! I’m releasing the game, along with the demo, tomorrow! (That’s still Thursday, in case it wasn’t clear.)
I thought you all would be interested to know that Telepath Psy Arena 2 is very close to being completed. I’ve added in cut scenes between each of the leagues where you get to meet some of your team members and learn some snippets of plot.
Ravinale Myrmidons, Snipers, and Elite Spearmen, oh my!
As I mentioned before, this game is going to have a proper final battle with a unique final boss. I’m working on the battles for League 10 right now, and then I’m going to design, animate, and code his/her/its AI. (I know which it is, but of course, I’m not telling!)
The game should be finished within the next week or two, at which point I’ll release a proper downloadable demo so you can play on your computer without having to be online. I’m going to be selling the game in downloadable form for cheap: we’re talking $12.99 a copy. (That’s the cost of a movie ticket, and I guarantee you that you’ll get many more hours of enjoyment out of Telepath Psy Arena 2 than you will out of watching a movie once!)
Keep an eye out for more news–there’s more to come.
Well, this is exciting: RockPaperShotgun has just run a piece on the RPGDX 48-Hour Competition, and they give prominent mention to Ham Sandwich RPG!
I always like this kind of community experimental games compos. RPGDX have finished their 48 Hour RPG competition, where developers attempt to do everything on a small game in 48 hours. They’re voting on the results now. The theme this year is “side-scrolling”. I haven’t had a chance to play them all, but the pair which are leading the voting – Ham Sandwich RPG and Feyna’s School Project certainly are impressively completely envisioned. Also, one stars a Sandwich, which is making me peckish. Others look fun – the more unfinished Jade Figurine – pictured – is actually impressive in looks, and its Golden Axe/Barbarian approach one I think pursuing. Well done everyone. Find some videos of the games beneath the cut, or follow the links to see more.
