The Gaming Den

Koumei wrote:I can't speak for Robby (I'm not a ventriloquist, after all), but you can use python to make ASCii roguelikes pretty easily. As in, "You could probably make something that works at all in an afternoon" easy. And I think that's important. You need to be able to get some kind of visible success really early if you want people to stick around and use it.

With a lot more effort, actual sprites can be used as well.

The obvious recommendation for people who want to make a game is "If you're already familiar with a language, use that one". But if that's not the case, then for this type of game, python is pretty good.

I wrote it in VB and stuck with colored ASCII graphics because I knew I could bang out results relatively quickly. I found a really good library online that I have yet to try and implement. My next (much prettier) Rogue-like is way down on the priority list, behind (in order) renovating a house, making more D&D house-rules, and finishing my zombie survival Doom mod.

In the very beginning I was creating ramps out of construction paper and dropping marbles onto them.

Since then, I have done a whole lot of DMing, I have built a lot of rooms, NPCs, and spells for MUDs and MUSHes and the like, I have made some completely awful attempts at making games using IRC scripts, I have been on a handful of game creation projects that have fallen apart, and most recently I created a humble homebrew of my own in Ren'py modified with a fair bit of Python.

And I ah... happen to be surrounded by talent even people on these boards would respect.

Man I hate VB.

Probably because I cut my teeth on these new fangled web languages and their 'loose' typing.

Wow, this is awkward. Alright, here's the deal. I freely admit that I have frequently made reference to my pro-credits here, without ever explaining them.

I can't specifically point out the professional game design work I do here, because...

A) The Den REALLY hates many of the products with my name on them. I am thin skinned, and I cry when people are mean to me.
B) More importantly, my co-workers and bosses in RPGland would REALLY hate some of the things I've said on the Den.

I've only got one RPG credit to date: a little-known Star Hero setting published by Blackwyrm Games in 2011 called Terracide.

Link please. I'm a huge HERO fan. You say Blackwyrm Published it, so I assume you know Jason and Steve? How'd your dealings with them go?

Mike Mearls?

Yes, it is I, Mike Mearls. lolololol

Schwarzkopf wrote:Wow, this is awkward. Alright, here's the deal. I freely admit that I have frequently made reference to my pro-credits here, without ever explaining them.

I can't specifically point out the professional game design work I do here, because...

A) The Den REALLY hates many of the products with my name on them. I am thin skinned, and I cry when people are mean to me.
B) More importantly, my co-workers and bosses in RPGland would REALLY hate some of the things I've said on the Den.

I've only got one RPG credit to date: a little-known Star Hero setting published by Blackwyrm Games in 2011 called Terracide.

Link please. I'm a huge HERO fan. You say Blackwyrm Published it, so I assume you know Jason and Steve? How'd your dealings with them go?

Oh no, is it name-dropping time? Yep, awkward.

I completely understand you wanting to remain anonymous. Enuf sed.

Here's my book: http://www.blackwyrm.com/catalog/produc ... cts_id=108

And because I'm completely shameless, the Amazon listing: http://www.amazon.com/Terracide-Grady-E ... 1613186312

I don't know Steve very well because I was working with Blackwyrm rather than Hero Games, but we've met at several conventions. Jason is a partner in Blackwyrm as well as Hero, so he's one of my bosses. (He's also a partner in IPR, he's a very busy man!) I don't see much of him except at conventions because he lives in Nevada. IIRC, Jason had the final say on green-lighting Terracide for publication. My regular point of contact at Blackwyrm is Dave Mattingly, who lives just a couple of hours away from me. I'm currently working with him on the new version of Terracide for Savage Worlds.