next »

[Vitta]

Hello, guys, love games and everything that they represent but I really hate rules and the last thing that I want to do is to create them, I kinda don't have that passion for restrictions and mechanics ... I am lost in a sense of game design, right?

Maybe there is something else hidden behind my love for games ...

[dxman]

Not sure I follow what you’re asking.

Are you saying that you dislike "rules of game design" in order to come up with ideas for your game? If so, it might be easier to think of them as starting points rather than absolute laws. They're not meant to restrict you so much as they exist to help you recognize patterns of common problems. Then, when you decide to break those rules, you know why. The design process becomes a series of conscious decisions, rather than just randomly trying things and hoping to get lucky.

Or are you saying that you don't like when games have rules in place that restrict the player’s actions? Regardless of the type of game, you'll need to create a set of actions that the player can perform and define how the game world reacts to those actions. By definition, the actions and reactions you choose will enforce some form of "rules" on the player. There will be something they think of that they can't do. It's just up to you what they are.

[doghouse]

Yeah, I agree with dxman, you're not being quite clear enough for us to answer.

I'll assume you speak from a player's perspective: how mechanics create limits.  Much like what dxman had said.

But to add, if you can understand those mechanics/rules of a game environment, then why not try and innovate and create something different, or expand on current mechanic ideas for game design.

But then again, it wouldn't hurt to learn how things are done now (after all, they are years worth of game development and are in games for a reason) before taking the leap to improve them to fulfil your wishes.

So I wouldn't' say your lost, perhaps just lacking in understanding?!

[bittwyst]

Just make a game where you can do literally anything, problem solved. Shouldn't take long to make...

[s0]

i think OP is just saying they don't like designing game mechanics.

my advice is to find a way to develop games where mechanics are secondary. there are plenty of tools, from twine to rpg maker to whatever that visual novel software is called. there is also the option of just not paying much attention to mechanics and focusing on what DOES interest you about game development, no matter the tool you're using.

[dao cowboy]

Mechanics and reward structures are basically what a game is.

A good way to think about rules isn't limiting behavior but allowing behavior, allowing ways to solve problems.  Think about what you want a player's experience to be playing your game and create rules to encourage that.  The ideal for me is allowing multiple playstyles to solve problems--you might want to encourage a single answer.

I agree with above poster that if you aren't interested in mechanics, use an engine that takes care of that for you, or use a genre where the mechanics are pretty standard.  You don't necessarily have to innovate in mechanics to make a game. 

[Taky]

I'd say try and make a game. Some of the coolest ideas come from people with extreme aversions to certain genres (in your case, that genre might be "rules" . Who knows what comes from it.

[Dylan Moon]

Try to look at other aspects of game development and game design that may interest you - maybe level design, art or other aspects may be more to your liking. I agree with the checking out some engines that handle that for you such as RPG Maker - allowing you to focus more on the other aspects of developing a game.

Something else you could try is to make a play on the some assumed rules of certain genres. Or instead try to expand on those rules in your own way - for example an RPG where you can try to talk to goblins and the like instead of fighting them. I'd say take a look at some old rogue-likes that try to let you do as much as possible for some inspiration!

[TitoOliveira]

Playing games and making games are two very distinct things. Maybe you just found out that you like to play, not to make.