Rxanadu

Hello, all: I've realized how much time I've invested solely in podcasts with hosts discussing what games are hot and what games they've played during the last week. It's great and all, but it feels like I'm missing out on a lot of different topics going on outside of gaming. I already listen to some non-game-related podcasts: RadioLab: their stories are absolutely eye-opening, but they're few and far between Planet Money: learning about how economics effect our daily lives and the world around us is great, but the amount of content has been receding recently (at least it feels that way) Laser Time: is a pretty great look into different aspects of pop culture This is Only a Test: a decent show discussing numerous consumer electronics and other weird things they tinker around with in their spare time Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project: a show where members of This is Only a Test talk with Mythbusters' Adam Savage about topics that interest him Aside from that, I have nothing else in the non-game spectrum of non-gaming podcasts. What I'm looking for are podcasts that cover the following topics: current events in the government (mostly to keep up to date about worldly matters) movies (used to listen to the Screened podcast back when Alex Navarro and Matt Rorie ran the site) improvements in robotics, online security, etc. (basically anything covered in Ars Technica) discussions about jobs within computer science discussions about developing, programming games I know that last one is a bit of a cop out on the "non-gaming" spectrum, but I truly want to learn how it is to make a game directly from the people who make them; not filtered through a feature on Polygon; not a one-on-one interview on the Sup, Holmes stream or on an article on Gamasutra; maybe not even the new podcast hosted by Steve Gayner via Idle Thumbs. I want a podcast featuring game developers just "shooting the shit" about what games they've made in the past or are making currently and how they went about designing or coding for them. The podcast I envisioned above may be a stretch, but I would appreciate it if anyone could refer me to some podcasts held up to the aforementioned criteria.

**Disclaimer: This post contains spoilers from the later sections of Dead Space 2. The Kinect in general has received a lot of flak for its slow responsiveness when inputting commands and its overall inability to function. However, I have yet to hear what people want to do with the device within games. Hypothetically, if all parts of the Kinect Two fixed all of the issues of the Kinect One, what would you want game developers to create with it? One idea I came up with when the Kinect Two was announced was to force people to watch certain horror-specific events in order to progress. The example I used was for Dead Space 2, during the Space Needle part of the game where you have to place a needle into Issac's eye in order to obtain access to use of the Marker. Hypothetically, if the Kinect detected the player was not looking at the screen during this sequence, Issac would turn his head to the side to where the needle is now pointing towards his temple. If the player continues to move the needle toward Issac while not looking at the screen, the needle would penetrate into Issac's head. This would kill Issac instantly and, in turn, initiate a lose condition. In order to prevent the needle from penetrating Issac's temple, the player would have to look at the screen throughout the entire sequence, elevating the impact of the moment significantly. I would like to know (given the hypothetical conditions stated above) what ideas you have about how to uniquely utilize the Kinect for games.

Hello, everyone: I'm preparing for a mock interview for a game programmer job I've been looking into, and I need some basic advice on how to prepare for it. I have a list of questions I want to ask: What should I wear to the interview? Is there a generally accepted dress code for game programmers to wear to interviews? What type of programming questions do interviewers ask during the interview? I work with Unity3D and C# when making games; I have little to no experience in C++ in the realm of game programming. How do I use my Unity3D experience to my advantage if the interviewer asks specific programming questions? Should I even apply for a game programming job based on the aforementioned programming experience? These are the primary questions I need answered before the interview, but I'll update the list if anything comes to mind. Thanks in advance for reading this.

Hello, everyone: I'm looking for a good laptop for making 3D games on. I primarily work with Unity3D (like the rest of the world) as my main middleware game development program and Blender for my 3D model art, which is usually very low-poly due to my modelling skills (or lack thereof). My current laptop is having some very intersting issues. For example, it sometimes takes about 30 minutes to change to a different tab on Chrome. Here are the general properties for the computer I'm looking for: between $400 - $500 in price around 13"-15" wide (my back's been killing me with carrying around my current laptop) uses either Nvidia or AMD graphics (I've heard Intel is not good for games) has a HDMI port can run Saints Row the Third at low or medium settings at around 60 fps (I heard that game's pretty great) NOT an HP computer (not a fan of these computers, thanks to my experience with my current laptop) I'm not so concerned about HD space or memory, as most laptops come with a minimum of 500 GB of HD space and 4GB of memory these days. If anyone can help me out with this, I would much appreciate it.

I got my new computer last Thursday, and it's working well. It can even run Brutal Legend at High settings! I'm finally able to work with Unity and Blender again, which is a great thing for me. As for my old computer, it's still having problems with loading relatively small programs fast. This is even after re-imaging it to give to my mother. I still don't know what's causing all of these issues with it, but at least it's fast enough for my mom to use. Thanks, everyone, for helping me with choosing a new computer to use. If I need any help with buying computers, I'll be sure to post here first.

That's good to hear about, especially for Blender. I'd ask you about tips in Blender right now, but that's question for another topic. Do you happen to use any apps, or are they as irrelevant as I've heard?

I just bought my laptop. I'll speak again once I receive it and have some time to futz around with it. From what I hear, Windows 8's new interface is somewhat hard to use for beginners, despite being specifically design for touch-capable devices. I don't think my computer has touch capabilities, which is a bummer. Hopefully, that doesn't hinder my experience with it.

I've decided to go with @JonCole's suggested computer for the time being. Before I go ahead and purchase it, however, I wanted to have one last check as a precaution. I compiled a list of programs I intend to download for my computer after it arrives. I wanted to be sure if they could actually run on the desktop emulation (?) on Windows 8. I wanted to crowdsource this information for personal (and potentially future) use, so I've made the list available via Google Drive to all who use this link. I intended it to allow for editing in certain areas, so please let me know if you have any issues with editing the 2nd and 3rd columns.

What kind of games could she potentially play on this machine? I'm not that informed in the type of games that can be played on certain PC machines. I just started playing more PC games during the summer, so any help for what these type of machines can play will help with my expectations. Whenever I ask for advice on buying new computers, I tend to ask for a (unintentionally) high-power game to use as a benchmark. This was previously used when trying to decide which type of middleware to use when I started out in game development. Also, as a brand, is Dell generally regarded as reliable? The last two computers I've had were HP laptops, and both experienced crippling performance issues by the time of their "retirement".

Disclaimer: I'm a bit tired as of the time I'm writing this, so some of the things I said in this may make little to no sense Hello, everyone: I need help figuring out what to do with a recent prototype I created in Unity. Basically, it revolves around a gun which allows players to 'blink' from one place to another, much like in Dishonored (pronounced "dis-hoe-nored"). Much like Dishonored, it takes place in the first-person perspective. However, players have the ability to launch projectiles in space and travel to their latest location. Players can use this to travel great distances with ease. By holding down and releasing the projectile-launching button (currently the left mouse button) after a set amount of time, the projectile will travel faster and farther than normally, allowing for faster travel between across environments. It currently seems interesting enough to me to tinker around with a bit more, but I'm not sure what else to do with the project or which direction to take it in the future. The main thing I don't want this to be is another Portal knock-off puzzle game: no sterile laboratories, no snarky invisible voice talking the player down while doing puzzles, little to no traditional puzzles. This could apply to games like Quantum Conundrum, Magrunner, and (arguably) Stealth Bastard Deluxe. The environments and gameplay situations in these games just don't strike me as very creative in my opinion. Anyway, I ultimately just want feedback on what I have available to show right now. This, in turn, will aid me later in seeing where I can or need to take this game in order to become a game. Speaking of which, I may just make this a free game by the end of all of this. You can play it online following this link. The main objective as of right now is to get to a floating platform with sparkles flowing out of it. The controls are as follows: WASD - move character Space - jump Left mouse button (press) - launch projectile Left mouse button (hold) - charge projectile Right mouse button - travel to projectile Again, let me know what you think of the prototype as of now. Also, inform me whether it works properly or not.

I'm looking to learn C++, and I thought the best way for me to do so was to use a game engine to make some games. I know of UDK and CryEngine 3, but I can't run those on my laptop (the only computer I have at the moment). Are there any less graphics-intense free game engines that use C++ out there? I'm specifically looking for something that can use 3D models, as I'm not that good with 2D art as with 3D.

I've looked into Panda3D, and it looks to be pretty good for C++ development. It's a bit dated, but I'll take anything that will take a minimal amount to get up and running.

I tend to use Unity for most of my games, so I have some familiarity with 3D game engines. What I'm looking for is a solid objective to have while learning C++, and I decided to try my hand at making games using C++. Is there an alternative objective you would recommend for beginners in C++ to try to achieve?

I'm trying to flesh out a game I submitted for the latest Mini Ludum Dare that [technically] ended last week (and is still going on until the end of this week). I have a basic concept going on at the moment: basically, you start in a bizarre environment reminiscent of a dream in which you can walk through and explore. By holding down a button, you can "wake up" from the dream, bringing you back to the character's bedroom. In the bedroom, all you can do at the moment it walk through the door on the other side of the room and exit the game. I've boiled down my main concerns to two major deviations: I could either make multiple dream sequences (i.e. multiple stages); or I could make one long dream (i.e. one stage). They both have their advantages and disadvantages, however. For example, the "multiple dreams" decision allows for more diverse scenarios within the game but will require me to make completely different assets for each level. Meanwhile, the "single dream" scenario will allow me to focus one one art style for all of the environments; however, I could run into the problem of having too little to entice the player to continue playing (i.e. more diverse objectives) due to the environmental restraints. However, a larger concern than both of those is my dilemma over creating a pause function within the game. I've thought about the it, and the ability to pause a dream doesn't seem natural. Whenever I dream, the scenario never stops or waits for me to catch up; it just kind of goes, with or without my consent. I also wanted to ensure that immersion wasn't broken by having something that would allow them to stop. This concern also feeds into my aforementioned problem with having too little to entice the player when they play the game. I'm still not sure what to do at the moment, so I wanted to bring it back to the people here to help me with what I would be more suited doing. My game is called "In a Dream"; you can play it online or download a stand-alone version on the Ludum Dare site. Check it out and tell me what you think of it in its current state.

I'm glad you liked the current state of it so far. I fixed the audio issue you were talking about; now the currently playing song will continue even when you cross the same trigger that caused it to play in the first place. If you were wondering about where the music came from, it's from an obscure anime called KAIBA. I just put the songs in there because they fit the vibe I wanted to convey at the moment. As for the door: it was more for getting people out of the stand-alone version of the game than for the web player version. Maybe I'll just make the screen fade to black when you open the door and reload the initial level. It's very interesting trying to make a game on the web player, where you can't exit the game the same way as in stand-alone games. As you could probably tell, the game was rushed out the door. This was due to me mistaking the deadline for entry as Sunday of last week, resulting in me cobbling together what little I had created within 48 hours. I hope to make a better game by the end of this week, though. I'll see if I can put some of your suggestions into practice.

This will sound silly, but where do I email to send questions for Idle Thumbs?

I just got Stranger's Wrath from an Amazon sale, and I was wondering if there is a way to get the HD update without using Steam or GOG. Currently, I am unable to run the game at all; I'm assuming this is due to the poor job Just Add Water did with the original port from Xbox to PC. However, with the constant talk about an HD update for the game, I wanted to give it another chance before talking to Amazon demanding a refund.

I was listening to particularly cheerful music, when I thought of an image of a parade going through the streets. I've never been to a parade live, so the thought of going to one come to mind on occasion. Other than another addition to my bucket list, I was also thinking of how cool it would be to interact with a parade in a game somehow. From my recollection, I can't think of a game that allows you to do that. I can certainly think of games with parade balloons in them (e.g. SSBM, MvC3), but I can't remember the last time I saw a parade going through virtual streets in a game. Imagine how cool it would be to be driving through Liberty City only to be halted by a Macy's parade equivalent. It's not part of a mission or anything; you can go and steal one of the floats and take it to one of your houses, or just watch it pass and wonder if it'll occur again. If anyone can think of a game with a parade in it, I'd love to check it out.

Given the amount of games people have listed so far, I'll have to put a parade in one of my own games. Either that, or hope and pray Rockstar is reading this forum post and put a parade in GTA V. I doubt the probability of the latter scenario is very high, so I'll try to get parades into my game. That'll be a ways off, though.

I wanted to know if anyone has gone through a playtest of any games in the past or recently. I recently playtested a game (which I can't go into much detail due to a non-disclosure), and I was taken off the list for subsequent tests after expressing my honest opinion (i.e. without any of the Internet rhetoric you see on most forums) to the lead designer of the game. Has anyone who playtested a game been through an experience of that sort, where you were told your services were no longer necessary?

Funny you guys were talking about the "Infinite inventory" problem during your podcast: I made a forum topic discussing this exact problem last year. You can check it here. A game I've constantly cited for somewhat solving this problem is Beyond Good & Evil with its S-A-C inventory system, which is literally a fanny pack that digitized all the things you get in the game. I would love more futuristic games that would just say they turned your guns, beer, etc. into MBs.

So, what are you suggesting I do, at least in this situation? Everyone here (myself especially) has already come to the conclusion that I don't know what I'm talking about and I shouldn't be as critical about games during playtests. Should I talk to the designer again to get my "job" back? Should I forget about it and continue with making games on my own time (which I've been having trouble doing recently with Unity)? I don't want this discussion to just be bashing me for not being well-equipped for a playtest and me coming out of it feeling worse off. I want to learn something about how to do this. "Armchair development" is a stigma I don't want to be associated with, and my actions (which were based on my assumption that I didn't help the developers out as much during the actual playtest discussion) resulted in negative feelings all around. I don't talk that much (even in forums), as I'm terrible at expressing myself. However, every time I try to have a constructive discussion with others about anything, one of two initial results occur: My discussion doesn't get picked up and is forgotten The discussion receives joke responses Others see me as a jerk and respond accordingly In terms of the latter result, I either end up running away from it all or defending myself with flimsy arguments just to make sure I don't feel bad the rest of the day. You could tell me to just shrug it off, saying things like, "Welcome to the Internet" all you like, but I've been here for over a decade; I know the Internet is better than that. I know I'm better than that. I just don't know how to express it, is all. But I'm not giving up until I do.

What?

I recently had a discussion about characters who are leaders in anime and found there to be a lot more than I remember. The people involved listed characters from Lelouch from Code Geass to King Bradley from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to numerous characters in Naruto. It got me thinking about who had similar traits in video games. I was wondering if anyone knew of any characters who were leaders in video games. My criteria for a leader would be one who does at least one of the following: helps others out in times of need are able to command others to create a better future you would want to aspire to be I can think of Commander Shepherd from Mass Effect and (maybe) Lee Everett or Kenny from The Walking Dead but I can't think of anyone else after these games. Sly Cooper is another leader, but again, I can't think of many. I notice these may not be the best benchmarks for leaders, but I tend not to think of leaders in my life I aspire to be; I tend to look to myself to lead in my life. So, if anyone else has a better benchmark, please contribute to the conversation.

That's the worst part of it: I do have an interest in the game. I just wish there wasn't so much dishonesty with the developers with themselves. Even talking about the main character's motivations showed a baffling amount of ludonarrative dissonance with the character and what he/she does throughout the game mechanics. To be honest, it didn't seem as if they knew what they wanted to do with the character, so they gave him/her such an interesting backstory. Honestly, I wish I was playing the game that character belonged to, instead. Again, I wish I could go more into it, but the non-disclosure prevents me from doing so.