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[Alex Vostrov]

I have reviewed veteran game designer Chris Crawford's "Balance of Power: 21st Century".

READ FULL REVIEW HERE



Here's an excerpt:

Today, I have invaded Pakistan and installed a puppet regeme.  After applying intense diplomatic pressure, the new government agreed to catch Osama bin Laden, who has been hiding out in the mountains.  Success!  Shortly thereafter, China invaded the Scarborough Shoal and Congress passed a resolution to reprimand me for my neglect.  Things got so bad that I had to resign; I was later replaced by a new charsmatic leader, promising change.  I guess the people were still a bit mad about the UN censuring me at the request of North Korea.  In my defence, I didn’t think that anyone would mind when I bombed Afganistan.  Hrmph.

All of the above happened during one playthrough of “Balance of Power: 21st Century” - Chris Crawford’s new interactive creation.  “Who the heck is Chris Crawford?”, I hear you ask.  Crawford is the most important game designer who you’ve never heard of.  He made several hit games during the Atari years and then went into self-imposed exile, disgusted with what the industry has become.  In general, picture him as an Old Testament prophet coming out of the desert to prophesize doom and you won’t be too far off.  All this time, he’s been working on the next big thing in interactivity - storyworlds.

Read the rest here

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

I felt that the original Balance of Power was better. The engine used to make this doesn't seem to fit the idea of geopolics very well -- funny that he wanted to create an engine that focuses on people games, and yet made a game that had little to do with people.

[Alex Vostrov]

I felt that the original Balance of Power was better. The engine used to make this doesn't seem to fit the idea of geopolics very well -- funny that he wanted to create an engine that focuses on people games, and yet made a game that had little to do with people.

Yes, this was one of my comments in the review.  I'm hoping that Laura Mixon's storyworld will be more relevant.

Speaking of which, did Crawford ever comment on Immortal Defense?

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

I don't know that he even knows it exists actually. I did post on his forums a while back, and have emailed him back and forth and such, but I don't think I've ever directly linked him to it or asked him about it.

I imagine he wouldn't like it much though, since the gameplay is just tower defense, and anything special about it is in the realm outside of gameplay (visuals, story, etc.).

[Alex Vostrov]

I've sometimes wondered why he wrote "Chris Crawford On Game Design."  Very good book, but he's clearly hostile to the game industry and anything that's related to it, indies included.  He said that Jason Rohrer's work was "Rather like somebody trying to write a tragedy with crayons of many colors."  The part that pisses me off is that he's more or less right.  It's bizzare; we've skipped straight to communicating meaning through system-as-metaphor (The Marriage, etc) without just making a game about the thing we mean.

Any other world, Humble's game would be avant-garde, like those weird metal sculptures you see in parks.  Our world, it's the way we try to do the basic meaningful work.  We've stood the world on its head and nobody notices.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

Probably for the money -- if I were a famous ex-game designer looking to start a storytron revolution that'd be a good way to get funds. It's a good book anyway, I used to run a yearly contest where that book was the prize.

[mirosurabu]

I want to see more storyworlds.

BoP is certainly not the best thing one can make with SWAT.

[mirosurabu]

He said that Jason Rohrer's work was "Rather like somebody trying to write a tragedy with crayons of many colors."

But he does say he's truly fresh thinker, doesn't he?

From Storytron forums:

What Jason is doing that is so interesting is the development of a system of spatial metaphor for communicating deeper concepts. In all honesty, I do not believe that this line of development will go much further, but I didn't think he could have taken it as far as he has already taken it, so I'd like to see him push further; he might surprise us all.[/qoute]

More here

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

Thanks for linking to that thread, I can just imagine Jason and Chris talking for 8 hours. I think listening in on that conversation would have been worth more than all the talks in the rest of the GDC combined.

[Alex Vostrov]

Indeed.  Quick, let's bug all the notable industry visionaries in hopes that they bump into each other.

I wonder if he ever met Jonathan Blow.  That'd be interesting.

[george]

Thanks for linking to that thread, I can just imagine Jason and Chris talking for 8 hours. I think listening in on that conversation would have been worth more than all the talks in the rest of the GDC combined.

From the Storytron thread it seems like they taped that interview, or part of it, for someone in Germany? Maybe that will get out somehow.

[Alex Vostrov]

From the Storytron thread it seems like they taped that interview, or part of it, for someone in Germany? Maybe that will get out somehow.

My impression was that the interview was unrelated.  It'd be kind of neat if it was taped though.

Edit:  Hey! Looks like there WAS video taped.  I hope it's released sometime.