netmonkey

John Carmack is such an Airhead Nerd!

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John Carmack is a total Airhead. From the quotes I've read at the thumbs and other places, I hope that they were purposely posted to support my point, because basically he thinks games are totally superficial things that you can just make up any shit (doom 3) and nobody (nobody = nerds) would care. The again, he IS a total dork.

Anyone's got any comments on John Carmacks game design philosophies?

Here's teh quotes:

"The quintessential game that has influenced a lot of my game design is Sonic the Hedgehog on Sega Genesis. It's a really simple game: Go fast and be really cool. You don't need 20 little gadgets and gizmos."

"Story in a game is like story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important."

"I'm losing control of my faculties. Mmm."

If anyone wants to post more Carmack Quotes, feel free... but maybe the Thumbs masters would frown upon that... because then more Carmack quotes on the main page would not be any suprise!

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John Carmack is a total Airhead.
He is by all accounts a mathematical/technical genius, however.

A consummate nerd - advanced in practical intelligence, brilliant, innocuously amusing, yet inarticulate, clumsy, and ultimately boring. He has value, no doubt, but he would never make it to anyone's social list. I'd put him to work on a game but I've no interest in getting to know him beyond that, given that he doesn't seem to cultivate anything beyond that. Even Stephen Hawkings has personality and can speak eloquently on his own.

I even wonder why he deserves to be quoted..... ah, I know why. Sometimes we need to laugh.

:innocent:

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"Story in a game is like story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important."
If this is a genuine quote, then I'm sure he'll be suitably embarrassed by it at some point in the future. :)

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Do

Not

Ever

Badmouth

Carmack

Uh oh, his posse is everywhere folks. Steve, that is a genuine quote. :) You can learn everything (including all those quotes) in Masters of Doom, which I believe Marek reviewed for Thumbs. I just finished it - it was great. Though I have to say, it made me like Romero and Carmack much less, and likewise id Software. The last time I liked em was in the Doom days - that mod by Rogue Entertainment, called Strife, was the peak. Carmack hated that Romero was working on it, because it actually had story - it was an RPG-like shooter, you had quests.

The only point where I really liked either of them personally, was when Carmack finally got drunk and said "I'm losing control of my faculties. Mmm." I think the both of them are fools, and stuck in the past, where story didn't matter. Nowadays, there's little else to innovate.

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It's never really been clear whether Carmack's views are his own personal approach to games, or what he thinks ALL games should be. If the latter then he is, indeed, being left behind. However, we do need games of both types (for instance, I doubt many puzzle games would be improved by the addition of an in-depth story).

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Somewhat unrelated but it's pretty funny that before Doom was released, there was talk about features like leaving your bullet marks on the walls that would stay forever so if you got lost you could find your way back. Like Ariadne's thread. Somewhy that is one thing I remember very clearly as I read it many times on a local PC magazine of that time which didn't publish it's second issue until much later... : )

But even in todays FPSs, decals disappear over time or when they reach a number limit. Or do they in Half-Life 2? At least did seem to stay on bullet-proof glass when I kept pounding at it.

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john is programmer and not a designer and as long as he keeps on programming instead of designing everything is okay. so stop insulting mr carmack! :shifty:

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john is programmer and not a designer and as long as he keeps on programming instead of designing everything is okay. so stop insulting mr carmack! :shifty:

Amen!

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Dude, Strife kicked ass. I think I only played the demo, but that was pretty awesome stuff.

I wish I could find the full version of it. It was so incredible - and long too! The plot kicked ass! It's up there with The Neverhood in my book.

john is programmer and not a designer and as long as he keeps on programming instead of designing everything is okay. so stop insulting mr carmack!

I have a question for Mr. Carmack, if I can't insult him. Why is it that he thinks he can lead the industry as a programmer, and not even a gamer? He rarely actually plays any games. It's no wonder we're seeing fecal matter attached to the .plan files.

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It's never really been clear whether Carmack's views are his own personal approach to games, or what he thinks ALL games should be. If the latter then he is, indeed, being left behind. However, we do need games of both types (for instance, I doubt many puzzle games would be improved by the addition of an in-depth story).

Very good points. If he really thinks that all games should be dumb and simple like the ones he makes, then he maybe should just leave the gaming industry and divert all his genius to his spaceships. (Maybe not though, because I'm sure some great games will come of his new engine...plus I loved Doom 3 for the first few hours....) If he, on the other hand, thinks there should be variety in the industry, with the smart and the stupid (with him doing his part in providing the stupid), then I agree with him and think he should keep on trucking.

One quote I read somewhere was I think him saying that he thought there shouldn't have been a physics engine in Doom 3, because physics really are just a gimmick. If he said that, then that was a stupid thing to say, because I don't at all see how physics are any more of a gimmick the real-time lighting and normal mapping (in other words: not at all).

I think Id would be better off if Johnny had no creative say in their games, and they just stuck him in a room to do the programming. :grin:

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I have a question for Mr. Carmack, if I can't insult him. Why is it that he thinks he can lead the industry as a programmer, and not even a gamer? He rarely actually plays any games. It's no wonder we're seeing fecal matter attached to the .plan files.

because programming is way different from desig...oh...wait...i just found out that i'm not john, so i can't answer. sorry. :innocent:

he keeps track at the newest achievements in "his division" and works close with nvidia. (and worked close with 3dfx in the good old days :\ )

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I think Id would be better off if Johnny had no creative say in their games, and they just stuck him in a room to do the programming. :grin:

I think iD and the rest of the world as we know it would be better off if Johnny STFU and just stuck to programming. He'd still get the respect and fame that way, and that way alone.

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My policy is to diss the companies and not the staff itself... :sombrero:

I'd never say anything bad about a programmer/designer (OK, maybe Killcreek), but instead I take a stab at the company. (EA su><0rz!) :mock:

So... Carmack is OK in my book...

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