AGDC – High Level Take Aways
Posted by Jay | Filed under Game Industry
AGDC was great! I had the awesome opportunity to network with many great folks. On top of that, I had a great time walking around the expo area. I saw lots of juicy tools. Definitely there is a lot to learn, and I can’t wait to jump right in.
But you came here to read about the talks! I know you did! Here you go.
Damion Schuberts talk was informative. He broke down end game content on mmos on a systemic level. Good food for thought.
The EQ devs on working with legacy systems was a great trip down memory lane. I got to speak with Jonathan Caraker at length about working with an older game system and the challenges. It was nice to know, on both accounts I believe, that we weren’t alone in our struggles. It should be noted that the accomplishments of the original EQ devs should be commended, they layed the ground work for the great MMO community we love and enjoy to this day. *Hats off to you*
In addition, working with legacy systems is a touchy subject, especially when dealing with a large customer base. The EQ devs were able to paint an insightful picture about managing the players reaction to changes made to the game.
Stieg Hedlund presentation called Sticky from the Start was a great exploration into character development philosophy. He’s famous for that little known Diablo 2 game out there. If you’re unfamiliar with Diablo 2 and why its a really great game, go buy it.
Mike Goslin spoke on Pirates of the Carribean. He primarily focused on selling a movie license, something I’m familiar with and designing for a younger audience. Really great points.
Finally of note was a talk by Thomas Sitch, who implemented the quest system on Wizard 101. Best quote from an engineer ever: “If your designer is spending an hour figuring out how to (1) learn/use the system or (2) learn/use the tool, that’s an hour they aren’t spending being creative. Being creative is what a designer is payed to do.”
If you’re an engineer looking to get into the business, read the quote above. If you make my job easier, you’ll make me a happy camper.
Overall it was a great experience. Shout out to John, Drew, Ron, Dan D, Brandon, Will, John and the host of others I’ve missed. It was a great experience and I look forward to discussing game design with you again!
