Why Certain Games Appeal To Me Part One

Mass Effect Trilogy:

Why did I love this game?

One of the things that drew me in almost immediately were the character interactions. The conversations between the characters were not only well-defined but also whimsical and in depth. They didn’t just talk or interact to move the game from scene to scene, they interacted in order to grow the character, to grow the relationships, to increase emotional investment. As the game moves on, the characters grow within each altercation and with each NPCs they come in contact with. By the end of the game, who Shepard started out is no longer the same person, improved, but very much a different person. That made the game more real. I was very emotionally invested in Shepard and every decision she made.

The romance options also takes the love interest personality into play. For instance, who Shepard is with Liara is very different than who Shepard is with Tali, Miranda, or Jack. Tali is shy and timid, yet when put to the fires to defend her honor or the honor of her flotilla, she becomes a warrior. Miranda is fierce and loyal, determined to achieve every goal she sets for herself to define herself as a separate person designed not by her father but by whom she decides. Jack is a hard nut to crack. Every person who came into her life as a child caused her unimaginable torture and pain. She doesn’t trust anyone, let alone allow anyone close enough to love. When that wall finally drops enough to allow Shepard in, Jack becomes a different person, closer to human in her own eyes.

The friendships that develop also develop in a real time frame. People will not generally just jump into a friendship, just like everything else, it takes time. Shepard helps people, that is the whole point to the character. Whether male or female Shepard, that character helps people. Because of that quality, people are drawn to Shepard. And when Shepard helps others, those friendships develop, and strengthen, and solidify.

Now, let’s talk technical aspects. I play on Xbox 360. After having played on a PC and a Mac, I much prefer to play on a console. The ease of the controls made the game seamless for me. Of course, it takes a while to master moving the character with the left and right thumbs and using weapons with the left and right index fingers. But once I got used to that part of playing on a console, everything was gravy. Now when I play on my Mac, I am rubbish.

Graphics are important for me, it helps draw me in and I experience more immersion, but with that said, graphics are not what makes or breaks a game for me. One of my favorite games is Get Medieval. The graphics were 2d, could only be played on older versions Windows, 95/98, and moving was done with “wsad” and shooting was the space bar. I thought that game was genius! I played through eight or nine times. It had 44 levels, one bad bad guy, the “burglar,” and other nameless monsters. There are four character choices: The Archer (Eryc), The Barbarian (Zared), The Sorceress (Levina), and The Avenger (Kellina) differ only in speed and strength. The slowest character (Zared) is the strongest, the fastest (Eryc) the weakest. But what made this game remarkable for me was this: it was the first RPG type game I ever played. Before I played Get Medieval, I had only played board games and games on Pogo (yeah I know, don’t judge! I was a casual player for a long time), but they never stimulated me the way RPGs do. When I discovered this game, my idea behind games and why people love video games changed.

Why create a gaming company?

Recently, a friend of mine asked me why I wanted to create and run a gaming company. I knew it wasn't for the money. Most indie gaming companies rarely get that "big hit," and most really aren't in it to become millionaires. Brent Knowles mentioned in his Lazy Game Designer series, (I'm paraphrasing here) if you aren't in it for the art of the gaming industry, and only interested in the money, stop now. And I have to agree with him. I love computers! I love what they can do, I love what we can create with them. Technology will save the world. I truly believe that. I love games! I never used to. But after my breakdown, and throughout my struggle to just find solid ground again, I discovered games help me do that. The types of games I play require some strategy, figuring out where to go next, how to keep from dying, etc. So, I really wanted to pay homage to the industry. That was one reason. The second, I am agoraphobic and leaving my house to go to work is draining, emotionally and eventually physically. I try and I have to take three days out of my life just to recover from that one day out.

So, why? Why create a gaming company if I know I will not become rich? I thought very long and very hard about that question because I didn't want to just do this for me. I wanted clear purpose. I wanted a true path to MY idea of success. My true reason, is to help other people like me. Yes, plain and simple, to help people. I have had a YouTube channel for six and a half years and each week, or at least I try each week, to dish out advice I hope helps people. I don't have a lot of subscribers, but that isn't my purpose, my purpose is to help people. How will a gaming company help people? Right now, I can't hire people, I don't have any money. It will be a LONG time until i can hire people, but the people I want to hire are those people who want nothing more than to go back to work BUT have trouble leaving their house. Agoraphobics, social phobics, people living with debilitating anxiety, depression, etc. will find a job with me. This is a company that will be able to function from home. The internet, Skype, Twitter, YouTube, all of those will help people work from home. The server will sit in my house and those people will be able to access the server and upload their parts of the games. Those people will NOT have to apply for disability just to pay the bills. They will not have to count on the government to feed them or give them health insurance. I can help them. I WILL help them!

Every venture should have a true, solid purpose. THIS is my purpose.

Plot, story, plot, story and then coding

I have discovered no amount of technical skill will adequately supplement a video game. The true power behind any video game is the story. If the story is strong, everything else will fall gently and beautifully into place.

I started out learning the technical aspect; I started to learn C++, Poser, UDK, and Android SDK development. Yes, those things will help me and assist me when that part of the project gets underway. But first, the story, the plot.

So, I have been studying different games with strong story lines and amazing back stories. Such as, Dragon Age Origins, Awakening, and Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect Trilogy, Skyrim, Fable I and II, Assassins Creed, Dishonored, and Borderlands. These games have amazing stories. Not just that but they have very different skill levels and level up options.  Several have the ability to change the set character to better fit the personality of the player. When putting those aspects together, character development, ability to change the characters appearance, better level up and skill benefits, along with a strong back story, add to a full immersion into the game.

With those things taken into consideration, I have started to develop the story of a game that will put the player into four possible story lines, or four possible character plots. It will have a strong back story, fully formed story line, and fulfill the much needed desire to be an immortal being. But more on that later... ;)

How do I develop the story? So far I have discovered it's a lot like writing a short story and extending that into a novel. Then taking the novel, breaking it down to just the dialogue and action scenes. Then putting those dialogues and action scenes into set acts and cut-scenes. In that, we mix combat and areas where we can earn points and level up. Easy Peasy! None of these things will work unless the entire story is developed first and then best way to do that is to write the ending first. Write the ending, make it strong (but remember, no matter how you have the ending, it can be edited all the way up to the completion of the story, so don't get bogged down with "the ending has to be perfect and then I can write the perfect story," that is the fastest way to overwhelm the story), and then outline from there. I outline from the ending to the beginning, the plot stays solid and the character development stays strong.

Basically what I am saying is this: through trial and error I have discovered a good game starts and ends with a good story line that stays true to the characters. Let me say that again... stays TRUE to the CHARACTERS. A lot of people hated the Mass Effect 3 ending because it seemed the decisions throughout the first and second one didn't matter. But let's think about how the ending options matched the character Shepard. I chose FemShep, so we will use the female pronouns. Using the Destruction option, Shepard loved, and when she loved, she was truly devoted to those she cared for. This is the option I chose because, and this is just my opinion on how I felt throughout the game, it seemed more suited to the Shepard I saw, plus, I couldn't bear the idea of Shepard being gone forever after everything she and Liara went through to be together. Bioware stayed true to the character. I am sure none of the options were easy for the developers or writers because when you get that involved in a character you want to protect them, they are suddenly real, live, breathing people. The characters trust you to do what's right by them; even if that means killing them. If it best fits the story, the character will understand the decision that needs to be made. Not the easiest decision, but the right decision. Stay true to the character, no matter where the story will lead.

So, what does any of this have to do with game development? Everything! A good game starts with a good story that starts at the end of the story. Start from there and everything else will fall into place.

Tools of the Trade... cheaply as possible

For every venture, there are tools for the trade as well as research for he cheapest possible products to help those just starting out. I spent 4 months researching every possible product, software, hardware, computers, books, and anything else I could think of after visiting gaming sites, researching games, and the list below is what I compiled for the fresh to the gaming developing world. If you can think of anything I may have missed that should be in this list, please let me know. 

Some of the tools of my new trade are listed below: 

1. Books: I am using C++ Programming in Easy Steps by Mike McGrath. So far I am incredibly pleased by the ease of learning this challenging language. I am on Chapter 3: Making Statements and I love the way this book is laid out. For more advanced C++ programmers, I would not recommend this book because it really is setup for the beginner, for people who have never coded before. I am also using Android Apps for Absolute Beginners by Wallace Jackson and Beginning Android Games by Mario Zechner. Both are wonderful books. They are a bit more advanced than I was anticipating, especially for a beginners book, but overall, when you read one, the other will feed into it. I have found that makes for better retention of the information. 
   
2. Software: There is a lot of free software out there. What I am using to develop both my Android Apps and Android games is; Java SE (http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html), Eclipse (http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/release/galileo/sr2), Android SDK (http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html). The setup can be a bit challenging but there is an ease of use after the initial setup. I have never coded in my life, as I mentioned in the first post and I successfully created the “Hello World!” message that all beginners do. The software is designed for easy use and easy understanding for all developer skill levels. For developing strictly for iPad or iPhones, and if you are using a Mac, I would recommend Xcode, its free, and it does most of the work for you. Get it at your Appstore.
3. Inspiration 9: (http://www.inspiration.com/Inspiration) This software is GREAT for outlining and creating flowcharts. It is $39.00 and you do have to pay for upgrades but the way the software is setup, anyone can use it with no difficulty. There is a free trial for anyone who is considering using this software for flowcharts and keeping ideas straight.
4. Legal Pads: I use Inspiration for flowcharts but for ALL of my story notes I use legal pads. Why? Well, I have discovered when I am forced to write long hand I slow down and focus on the details. I can think better when I slow down and I can better articulate my ideas. Legal pads are not expensive and usually come in packs. 
   
5. Google Drive: Once I get the notes in the way I want them, I put them on my Google Drive, because let’s face it, Google is our future overlords and it’s bets to appease them by using their products. But all kidding aside, I found that Google Drive is amazing and I use no hard drive space for my projects. My notes and ideas are secure in the Cloud and I can access them no matter where I am as long as I have an internet connection, or not have an internet connection as I discovered on a recent trip. I have a Chromebook, which I adore, and I didn’t have an internet connection when I was on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I could still write my notes and once I had internet again my information synced. It’s a total win/win. Also my Chromebook is faster than any PC I have ever used. It boots in 5 to 10 seconds... SECONDS! Because there are few drivers and no hardware, it boots so fast and within seconds you are up and working. 
6. GIMP vs Photoshop: Geez, I don’t know. Photoshop is a foreign land to me but a lot of developers suggest using that along side Poser in order to create characters and back drops for game scenes. I have both, Photoshop (trial version) and Poser 8 (to see if it is something that I will benefit from). Both bits of software are amazing and I recommend Poser to anyone going into gaming design. I got Poser 8 for about 30 bucks, the newest version, Poser 10 (http://poser.smithmicro.com/poser10-poserpro2014/) is only $129.99. That may sound like a lot but considering most Adobe software that could do the same thing is roughly $500 to $1,000. So, Poser would be the best option financially. And Photoshop can be had for $19.00 a month with Creative Cloud (http://www.adobe.com/products/catalog.html?promoid=KAWQI).
7. Registering your company: I would highly recommend registering your company with the IRS (www.irs.gov) and obtain an EIN for taxes purposes. All purchases you make with your company can be deducted, well, some of it, and that includes if you use a home office. You can deduct the room you use as your office, you can deduct a certain percentage. You can deduct a certain percentage of the electric bill. Also, you can deduct a certain percentage of gas used if you drive a lot for your business. KEEP YOUR RECEIPTS and make sure that whatever you deduct for your company has been used for your company! You can deduct the depreciation of office equipment. There is a lot you can deduct but make sure you do this with the help of a tax professional, like Turbotax or CPA. And then register your company with the SBA (Small Business Administration, www.sba.gov). For $20.00 you can register your company as a general partnership (general partnerships are used when it involves just you or you and a couple of friends and each person is legally responsible for their own legal stuff). I registered Dusa Dog Games as a General Partnership with me, my wife, and my friend Amanda. The registration is good for 4 years and then I will have to either re-register as a general partnership or if the business is successful, and I have employees, then I can register as a company. 

As you can see, I did months of research to find the absolute cheapest way to start a gaming company because, well, I don’t have money and my wife doesn’t make a lot of money so we needed this to be a cheap-ish venture. So far so good. 

In the beginning, there was a breakdown... And then it got interesting

Hello! I am glad you are here, reading this and wondering why the hell you should give a shit about what I have to say. There is a consolidation of information here that will either impress you or make you laugh at me, either way, I have thick enough skin to tolerate both.

In 2010  I had a massive breakdown, both emotionally and physically. I just fell apart to point where I couldn't get back up for a few months. I lay, withering in doubt and despair and all I could think was... this is it? After everything I had been through, this was the fucking moment I would finally stop getting back up? And three months after that initial breakdown, I got back up, on wobbling legs and tired spine. But I did get back up. Healing takes a lot out of person, man, it's exhausting, don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Humans, though, are built to survive. We endure and can endure a great deal and yes, it will change us mentally, but it can also reward us.

Fast forward to 2011 and I still was not getting better, at least not at the pace I wanted. A friend of mine suggested I play a video game, just to distract me from things until I could focus. I played Dragon Age: Origins and I was instantly hooked. I then played Portal 2 and then Dragon Age 2, then Mass Effect Trilogy, and then Skyrim and Assassin's Creed, and then Borderlands, and I got better. I discovered by playing for two hours a day, some days I would play for 4 - 6 hours, I could think clearer, I could focus and I got better.

Before my breakdown I worked on a help desk and I hated that fucking job so much. I was suppose to help stupid people fix their stupid mistake because they rushed through a step or two and messed things up. It was one of the worst jobs of my life and I hated every bit of it but I had to feed my family, so I endured it. The stress of working on a help desk is indescribable. As I got better I knew I could never return to a help desk job and after I took one to try to return to work, I discovered I was very right.

So, where did that leave me? I had to work, but I couldn't. I suffer from major depression and agoraphobia. Don't know what agoraphobia is? It's the fear of being outside, in general terms. I go into panic attacks if I think about leaving the house or actually do leave the house. I had to figure out a way to A. work, and B. work from home. If anyone has every tried to find work from home jobs, they know that most are shams or pyramid schemes. But luckily, we live in a technological revolution and anything is possible.

Something I noticed as I was looking through blogs and YouTube channels and gaming sites and etc. There were no blogs etc by people who were my age and just starting with gaming and coding. There were people who started young and then kept learning coding and remained gamers into their later adulthood, but nothing for people who were 44 and just staring.

That is where Dusa Dog Games comes in! My baby, my idea, my new job, MY BUSINESS! I am starting an indie gaming company and I welcome you on this journey. I began with a small handicap, I have no coding experience, no art experience, no real gaming experience. But what I do have is intense ambition, dedication to a goal, and an insatiable appetite for learning. Those combined I will... let me repeat that... I WILL make this company successful and I will create my first game.

I am starting small, I am learning to create Android Apps and Android Games, C++, Javascript, and HTML. I am also learning Poser (a 3-D Character Art and Animation software) and Photoshop. Here I will share my journey and experience and along the way perhaps meet some kinder spirits also on the same journey.

Welcome to Dusa Dog Games!