There is a great show on the History Channel that I have been watching a lot lately and that is Human Weapon. In the show, hosts Jason Chambers and Bill Duff will learn a new martial art each week and then have it tested in final combat at the end, usually against a master.
During the show, they show segments with 3d models where they explain the force of blows in scientific terms and things like leverage. Its a great eye opener. If you make a game that focuses heavily on combat, it is your responsability to make it as a great as you can. If your your game is about combat, combat is king.
Check it out [here]
I was just Perusing the vaguely videogame related Something Awful when I saw this recent article by Hassan “Acetone” Mikal. It is written in a Tongue and Cheek style. Strike that, its written in the Something Awful style, but it still raises some interesting questions about the way Physics are used in games. He goes as far as to differentiate Asshole physics from mere violence. Here’s a sample.
Because most people can’t read and comprehend at the same time, there is some confusion as to what Asshole Physics really is. The basic recipe is composed of the following ingredients.
* A realistic physics engine such as Havok
* A living, breathing interactive world that has some order
* Uppity NPCs who are performing some kind of menial task such as homemaking and react to your presence
* A bunch of objects you would find in an everyday setting, such as lamps, trash cans, and hookers
* A method to pick up and throw objects
I have seen some games such as Saints Row and Skate incorrectly identified as games with Asshole Physics. Both however, miss the mark. Saints Row may feature a physics engine, NPCs, and numerous objects, but the world is anything but orderly. Running over a guy and sending him into orbit is hilarious, but a little more than assholish. You can’t elicit an irritating reaction from a dead man. Believe me, I’ve tried.
I think its interesting that developers use physics all the time in order to crush, pulverise, sever and other wise maim NPCs, but not to merely annoy them. I see this as a whole other level that is worth exploring.
[Read Article]
I can’t believe this, but I just now discovered that Warren Spector has a blog. I was scanning through the various postings when one in particular caught my eye. “Am I a gaming hypocrite?” In the article Warren discusses both the shortage of games of a similar play style to his own, and also the virtues of not having to think to play a game. Heres a preview.
So it’s a fair question, why DON’T I make games like that? Why do I spend so much time playing and ranting about stuff that doesn’t give players much to think about or much control over their experience? Why do I love games with no story at all? Why do I spend hours and hours staring at a screen until my eyes bleed trying to figure out how to beat some boss monster in some dungeon in some fundamentally silly game that’s nothing more than a way to pass some time? And why oh why did I spend all that time fighting some dude named O’Chunks?
It’s an excellent read, check it out here.