Session Name: | Exploring SimCity: A Conscious Process of Discovery |
Speaker(s): | Dan Moskowitz |
Company Name(s): | Maxis / Electronic Arts |
Track / Format: | Programming |
Overview: | At their core, Maxis games are tools that let players delight in their own discoveries of how a system works. As developers of sandbox-style games, we have the unique challenge of simultaneously creating an underlying system and then discovering the fun hidden inside, before we can package it up and present it to players. In this session, Dan will outline a methodology for building sandbox games, giving specific examples from SimCity's simulation, player tools, and feedback mechanisms. He'll also outline advantages and drawbacks to this type of "discovery-based" methodology. |