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Tower City - Video Log 1 - A Warm Welcome

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designerwatts

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Greetings! :)

Please visit http://www.designerwatts.com/

Just under 2 months in the making. I present the beginning of the Game Design Project: Tower City.

Before you is the first of many video logs. A full resolution, uncompressed version can be found here if you find the youtube compression not to your liking: http://www.designerwatts.com/Videos

So. Some Q&A about all this:

Q: What is this project all about?
A: It's a game design project that will grow and evolve over the next coming months. It’s an idea based on a game the author would love to play and it’ll materialise into a full wiki-style game design document by projects end.

Q: Who creates the animated presentations and trailers?
A: I do. While I make no claims that my artwork is up to standard in the game industry, because it's simply not. I use the skills I do possess to present to you these video logs and other treats to help illustrate the engine and soul behind Tower City. Consider it designer level artwork. :)

Q: What is your goal with this project?
A: I intend to make the move from Level Designer to Game Designer. And being passionate about the subject I seek to accomplish that objective in a unique way. By using monthly video logs to showcase that months focus on the game design it'll allow my peers and other viewers to get an abridged digest of the game design. If they want more detail they can delve into the game design document.

Q: Do you keep a record accounting for your work?
A: Indeed I do. Weekly updated work journals can be found here: http://www.designerwatts.com/Work+Journal

Q: What's the trailer at the end all about?
A: The next few months will be very focused on the game design and game mechanics for Tower City. Meaning I'll have very little time to create content for the game fiction. I wanted to give viewers a look into the heart and soul of tower city as well as the brains. While perhaps not important to the game design. It's important to the game as an evolving IP.

Q: Do you intend to make this a real game?
A: Not immediately. When this project comes to its conclusion in November. Who knows? In the meantime if people like the idea of Tower City and feel it's something they can get behind. I would like to create a prototype of the game concept using a pre-existing engine like Unity 2.5

Q: Does that mean you want to create an indie team?
A: Yes I do :) More details will be coming to Sumea in the next day or two outlining the prototype production plan.

Cheers!

Submitted by NickM on Tue, 24/03/09 - 9:35 PM Permalink

Looks good mate, and seems exciting. Loved the video blog - different and interesting way to convey your ideas.

Keep up the good work, I'm going to keep an eye on this ;)

Submitted by souri on Tue, 24/03/09 - 10:49 PM Permalink

Are presentation skills a requirement for many game designers? I can see how helpful it is to be able to visualise your ideas if you have some great presentation abilities. Top stuff, looking forward to more video logs :)

Submitted by designerwatts on Tue, 24/03/09 - 11:14 PM Permalink

Presentation skills are without a doubt one of the most important skills for a designer to have.

If you present effectively then you communicate clearly. Which in turn means that those who you are trying to ether pitch ideas or explain concepts to understands them with the smallest amount of doubt and uncertainty.

In the end poor presentation and communication can lead to people spending hours producing something that you didn't really want. Which makes everyone waste time and becomes frustrated.

I’m far from a perfect communicator. But I understand it's importance and this is why I spent the time to create the video log to the level of quality it's up to right now.

Submitted by Bittman on Wed, 25/03/09 - 9:31 AM Permalink

As a hopeful Game Designer myself, I take my hat off to your presentation on all this. It's pretty evident that you've spent a fair bit of time on it, and I'll most likely keep an eye on your GDD and video blog on your monthly updates.

As far as the indie game thing goes, you might want to wait a little since I assume that the majority of people who are interested in indie dev have already been taken by the sumea initiative, but I'd still like to see the prototype production plan nevertheless.

And the most important part to me: "I wanted to give viewers a look into the heart and soul of tower city as well as the brains."

And I wish had the time (and drawing skills) to do something as classy as this.

Submitted by Roger on Wed, 25/03/09 - 3:28 PM Permalink

Loved the trailer at the end. I can't wait to find out more about the game design and IP.