does anyone else make up a lot of ideas for computer games?

[Zergling]

I do this all the time, any computer game I play, I think out stuff to add to it, and sometimes come up with ideas for new ones (not just balance changes, but things like entirely new resources, units, advances, etc.). I'm wondering if anyone else does this to, partially out of curiosity, and partially because it seems very few people like to talk about this sort of thing (Even on internet places associated with computer games.), so if people it may give some ideas to talk about.

[Rohsiph]

I'll admit a curious interest in game design to the extent that I find myself subconsciously (if not consciously) aware of the good and bad design decisions going on when playing anything.

Most recently, I've been critical of interface designs--a lot of games I want to love end up having terrible menu systems and unintuitive default controls, and I wonder how a team of 15-150 people getting paid to make an entertaining thing can all let such backwards designs slip through an 8 to 38 month design cycle (allowing a little more lenience for the 8-month designs . . . though I rarely end up playing those, usually movie cash-ins).

Is it just thinking about things to *add* that you think about? Because, moreso with computer games, I often find myself picking out things that should have been *removed* for a better gameplay experience.

Videogames--RPGs in particular--have, in a way, become my literature. Game design is the structure through which the story elements are presented. Of course I think about it

[Llenyd]

I do it constantly, both in terms of mechanics and storyline. It's a common theme in my daydreams.

I also enjoy deconstructing the mechanics of games. I often post long, math-induced descriptions of mechanics on game forums.

[Uberfuhrer]

When I play a computer game and whatnot, I tend to imagine what it would be like as a movie, since my mind thinks like a movie camera -- I imagine what's portrayed in the game from different camera angles in my head.

Same thing happens when I watch a movie. I mentally reconstruct a scene and think about what I would have done and how I would have shot the scene, or maybe mentally change the script.

An idea I had for the next Grand Theft Auto game was to insert children civilians that you can shoot up for more realism purposes. And I was reading an article in PC Gamer that I may get my wish. As tasteless as the games already are, adding children civilians would probably not make a difference. I just hope no puppies are in the game...I thoroughly detest cruelty toward man's best friend.

[BlackMita]

I think in terms of video games a lot when generating ideas. What's more is I often try to make the game I'm thinking of using this. After brainstorming though, I don't really get that far (or complete it) because of laziness. In order to finish a good game, it takes hours/days/months/years even on a simple program with the x hours of spare time I have per day. I spent over a year and a half on a fan-game before I dropped it.

But yeah, these days when I'm playing games, I'm almost sub-consciously admiring or critiquing their design. Investing thought into figuring out how things are working 'behind the screen' and how I can improve upon it is oodles of fun.

(Ew... oodles?)

[ladypinkington]

Originally Posted by Zergling

I do this all the time, any computer game I play, I think out stuff to add to it, and sometimes come up with ideas for new ones (not just balance changes, but things like entirely new resources, units, advances, etc.). I'm wondering if anyone else does this to, partially out of curiosity, and partially because it seems very few people like to talk about this sort of thing (Even on internet places associated with computer games.), so if people it may give some ideas to talk about.

I like to think of what type of action/puzzle game I would create like Escape From Monkey Island, Day of The Tentacle, and Psychonauts. I guess because it has so much great dialogue and comedy. There are not enough games like that in my opinion, where dialogue and the comedy of the game carry it and is the main attraction or driving force. I would love to be a part of the writing of the dialogue, comedy, and story more so than design. I would probably have it surrounding the life of a dog- dogs would be in there somewhere. Oooh, just imagine Little Bush meets Monkey Island- it writes itself!

Ico and Shadow of Colossus I think are absoultely magnificent. I also wish there were more games like that where you feel like you are in a moving painting. There is no dialogue but it is very emotional and profoundly beautiful and interesting and I don't know how to describe it. If I was an exceptional artist I would also want to make games like that.

[sdalek]

Originally Posted by Zergling

I do this all the time, any computer game I play, I think out stuff to add to it, and sometimes come up with ideas for new ones (not just balance changes, but things like entirely new resources, units, advances, etc.). I'm wondering if anyone else does this to, partially out of curiosity, and partially because it seems very few people like to talk about this sort of thing (Even on internet places associated with computer games.), so if people it may give some ideas to talk about.

Lately I've been thinking how much fun it would be if EAGames would join up Battlefield 2142, Battlefield 2, Battlefield Vietnam (lame but part of their genre), and Battlefield 1942 into one big game with all the maps and the capability to mix and match but keep balance. For instance, have a map in which you can pit Battlefield 1942 forces against Battlefield 2142 units but keep firepower balance. You could limit the Battlefield 2142 side to one squad of 6 and let the 1942 side have three or four squads (or equiv number of soldiers) to keep the firepower balance. The 1942 side would have to have good squad management so that they could concentrate firepower to take down a 2142 squad member; The 2142 units would have to learn guerrilla tactics in order to evade the 1942 units better.

This would be in the style of Chuck Yeager's Air Combat, if you can remember that DOS based games from ages ago. You could fly simulated missions from WWII, the Korean War, or the Vietnam war in those era's airplanes or mix and match your own missions so that you could take a Messerschmidt up against an F4 Phantom. Each plane had it's own strength and weaknesses, so you had to adapt tactics that would work best against the enemy. For instance, a prop plane could turn on a dime, which an F4 or MIG couldn't, so you'd evade while they were attacking then turn at the last minute and punch them from behind with heavy caliber guns to damage them. You'd have a chance of taking them out after a couple of passes. If you were taking an F4 up against a prop, you couldn't use heat-seeking missiles, you'd have to use radar and guns, and make full throttle pass attacks against them to avoid being hit by their guns as you throttled by.

Another favorite idea I've had would be to combine the Battlefield 2/2142,Chuck Yeager's Air Combat genres with MechWarrior 2 and 3. This would give you the ability to be a soldier among whose missions could be to sneak into a clan camp and steal a mech.

How much fun could you have then??? Imagine a row of Summoners taking out a Titan with PPCs while P47D Thunderbolts try to stop them... Something like a time-wars fest....

[Brad]

(I am posting this for my young son who has a fascination with computer games, animals, and a very vivid imagination - plus Autism - so please be nice or do not respond)
I think we should make a computer game that has power crystals in it and if you find the golden 'X' marks the spot that will be the last one you find and that will have the power crystals in it. Power crystals are powerful, they have colorful stripes - some of them are good and some of them are bad. And Digimon is going to be in this game. Dinosaur Canyon is also in the game. You get to pick cool things to put in it - you can build a track or drive a track. You can put Digimon things in it and you can put animals in it.

[Brad]

(I am posting this for my young son who has a fascination with computer games, animals, and a very vivid imagination - plus Autism - so please be nice or do not respond)
In level 1 you get to pop bubbles that are really low, in level 2 - there's bad guys in the bubbles - try to pop those bubbles before you pop all the bubbles. And you're going to be an M&M.

[Brad]

(I am posting this for my young son who has a fascination with computer games, animals, and a very vivid imagination - plus Autism - so please be nice or do not respond).
You get to be a detective for 1/2 the game and the other 1/2 you get to be a bad guy chasing the good guy.