In my character articles Sandora the Shieldmaiden – part 1: Inspiration, and Sandora the Shieldmaiden – part 2: Practice, I experimented with the shield and the effectiveness of the block skill in combat. In today’s article I will be talking about how her playstyle has changed and what it looks like now. (Sandora (left) and Uthgerd (right)) Taking…
Month: November 2016
Analyzing games: studying vs consuming
*Not actual gameplay footage (A detailed aircraft model featured in a Mobile Strike ad but not in the game itself) When I reviewed Mobile Strike a few months ago in my article Mobile Strike: complexity vs depth, I was incredibly let down by the gameplay experience. The experience shown in Mobile Strike‘s over-the-top, budget-busting ad campaigns, showcasing high-octane…
Sandora the Shieldmaiden – part 2: Practice
I wrote about my inspiration for a character based off of being Uthgerd’s follower in my character article Sandora the Shieldmaiden – part 1: Inspiration. In today’s article I expand upon the development of my character Sandora, and the process I went through in defining her playstyle. Sword and board? I had originally planned on committing to Sandora…
Tutorialize the conversation: speaking to non-gamers about games
I love talking about video games and games in general with my fellow gamers. We have shared experience that make it easy for us to connect and discuss the structure, strengths, and weaknesses of the games we play. However, I find it equally enjoyable to explain games and gaming culture to the uninitiated; people who…
Sandora the Shieldmaiden – part 1: Inspiration
This is the third of many character articles I will be producing about my own personal character builds in Skyrim; today I’m introducing Sandora the Shieldmaiden. Uthgerd’s best friend I have played through the beginning levels of Skyrim countless times, I acquire followers in a fairly regular pattern starting with Faendal or Sven in Riverwood and then switching to…
Going with what works: why designing a game requires a surrender to change
When a developer decides to create a game they often begin with wanting to create an experience they themselves find interesting. The truth of the matter is, as I discussed in my article Children are Game Designer: how child’s play mirrors professional game development; developers are children at heart, seeking ways to express play, with the…
Puck the Prospector – part 3: a fool for gold
I began my character series with the development of my prospector character in Skyrim, in my character articles Puck the Prospector – part 1: Inspiration, and Puck the Prospector – part 2: Practice. In today’s article I expand upon the development of my character Puck, and the process I went through in defining his playstyle after having put my theories to test against gameplay. (As…
Off the top ropes: always playing the underdog and only winning by an upset
I have always loved playing video games, and I’ve never felt that they were impossible for me to beat. However, when it came time to play against my friends it became clear that some of them were way better than me at the games we played. Thus I figured out early on that if I…
Smashy Road: essence of GTA
The Grand Theft Auto franchise has set the standard for open world games; with extreme attention paid to delivering compelling driving systems and exciting chase sequences. The persistent police AI units provide the player with a foil for their most impressive police chases and escapes. After the success of GTA 1 & 2, the franchise…
Puck the Prospector – part 2: practice
I wrote about my inspiration for a character based off of the pickaxe in my character article Puck the Prospector -part 1: Inspiration. In today’s article I expand upon the development of my character Puck, and the process I went through in defining his playstyle. I began with Puck’s playthrough, feeling liberated after playing with my pacifist character Pom…
Cause and effect: the Mass Effect trilogy in 17 days
Just a few…more…games… As the last console generation drew to a close, I lamented the transition into the next generation, the cost of a new console, the lack of backwards compatibility, meaning I would need to start an entirely new library with games and franchises not yet proven to have what I so loved about…
Puck the Prospector – part 1: inspiration
As I was wandering through the caves of Skyrim I came across a pickaxe, a common tool used for mining ore. It can be equipped as a weapon in the game, however, it isn’t seriously considered as a viable weapon. This along with having very little interest in mining or blacksmithing, I never got into…
Play Professor 