ABSTRACT - Part 1
In developing
the space-based RTS game AI War: Fleet Command, I encountered an
unexpected design challenge: namely, I hadn't anticipated the issues
that would be caused by setting the game in space. I've played many
great games set in space, but most have either been action-oriented
(Star Wars, etc), or very slowly paced (Homeworld). The first and
largest issue that arose was creating a sense of location in a
non-action-oriented game.
Designing Games In A Vacuum, Part 1: Terrain &
Positionality
ABSTRACT - Part 2
Continuing the
discussion from the first part of this article. Discusses the
challenges of making unique spaceships memorable, RTS-genre issues
caused by the lack of walls in space, and unit balance in a cooperative
game.
Designing Games In A Vacuum, Part 2: Units, Walls, and
Caps