This is the second and last part of my PGA / ZTG 2012 coverage. First one you’ll find on this page.
ZTG Sunday
Sunday 10:00 “How much electricity games use” – practical information, very useful #VZTG twitpic.com/b8t1lc
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
Computer turned off – up to 8 watt; just windows – 100; game – 300; monitor – 45; monitor turned off – 4 #VZTGtwitpic.com/b8t2v4
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
Other notes I’ve taken:
- flash game takes about 130-150 watt
- Left for Dead takes 260-280 watt
- Battlefield 3 takes 300 watt
- Calculating PI – 170 watt one core, 220 on multi-core
- Graphics test – 310-325; along with PI calculation – 370
Spreadsheet also contains monthly cost (in PLN currency).
It appears there isn’t much difference for power consumption (20-30 watt) between playing on high and low details.
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
Speaker also said that outsourcing calculation (e.g. Folding@home) is outsourcing electric bills (computation can take 300 watt!). #VZTG
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
11:00 I went for the second half (started on 10:00) of the “Games of the future” panel. Again talking “what’s the next big thing”. #VZTG
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
12:00 “Great Design, Everywhere!” was presented by Olivier Jones @agent_oli from @zynga #VZTG twitpic.com/b8t76z
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
Notes: documentation, prototyping, conceptualization are a part of the designer’s job. List of related fields:
- narrative design (story)
- scenario design (scripting, objectives)
- level design
- feature design (mechanics)
- art direction (style guidelines)
- quality assurance
- system design (game economy, difficulty)
.@agent_oli said what game designer (he) does, that they are entertainers, should unite and provide exper for everyone, not just themselves.
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
“exper” stands for experience. I can’t exactly relate with that because I do my stuff for myself. I mean to express myself and not necessarily make it for other people.
13:00 “Game Maker Studio – common code, many platforms” was a list of features. I could have just read changelog.#VZTG
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
Other than that speaker had a mini curling game and he compiled it for Windows, browser and iPad.
14:00 “Plot in cRPG” – sharing advices and stories from crpg development. Useful, funny. Best talk of #VZTG twitpic.com/b8teo3
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
“writer should be a designer; standardize documentation; dialog should have goal, emotion, context; stage your dialogs; be open to critics”
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
Other notes:
- RPG is a type of game in which player has significant influence in the plot and he grows
- designer should also be a writer because cRPG is about scenario
- your first game shouldn’t be a cRPG but e.g. platform game (for the sake of gaining experience)
- two ways of worldbuilding: starting from detail to totality (universum) or vice versa
- questions regarding cRPG plan: how much freedom will player have? Dynamic or static world? How time flows in the game? How many characters centering around the plot?
- the point of standardizing documentation is to have a master plan – so that everybody sticks to one vision
- even coders should know the plot
- writers don’t know how much time it takes to implement a feature and may request things absorbing to make but ultimately useless
- make hard decisions about removing some stuff or members of team; otherwise project will go astray
15:00 “Not knowing rules as part of the gameplay”. That was incoherent plus display technical problems #VZTG
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
Speaker presented a couple of games considered weird (including his own Snakes of Avalon). I didn’t understood the point of the talk so that’s why I called it “incoherent”. As for technical problems: game he wanted to show worked in widescreen while projector was 4:3. I’m pretty sure that it was possible to test it before the talk.
16:00 “Survival horror” (started on 15:00). Seemed interesting but I got there little before the end. #VZTG
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
This one was supposed to last 1.5 hours but it was done quicker. Still, I made some notes:
- forcing player to do a sequence of actions under pressure – efficient solution
- player feels the pressure if he knows that something may jump in front of him
- pressure can be strengthen by a lack of resources (e.g. lamp oil in Amnesia)
- Amnesia, Penumbra – no combat, escaping instead
- Slender has no animation but he’s supposed to move – so he appears in front of player; he gives no sound and there’s penalty when coming into contact with him
PGA Sunday
#PoznanGameArena Sunday morning right after opening.twitpic.com/b8t092
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
#PoznanGameArena In total on Sunday there were less people because the same stuff was shown.
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
You actually had a chance to play something.
#PoznanGameArena Overclockers cooling with liquid nitrogen. twitpic.com/b8ti9m
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
Just before I left I checked out booth with guys using liquid nitrogen for cooling. One was operating computer displaying benchmark and the other one was pouring liquid onto hardware. I briefly talked with them and learned that there is a spike in performance as a result of cooling computer that way.
Conclusion
Summary: these big conventions were a new thing for me so it was worth checking out. #VZTG #PoznanGameArena
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
However, most of the #VZTG lectures were uninteresting. I doubt I’ll go there next year.
— Faguss (@FagussWebsite) October 30, 2012
Most of those I attended were uninteresting for me to be specific. Recordings of all talks were promised to be available on-line but I haven’t seen any so far.