[arg_discuss] IF is not dead

[adam]

John Evans wrote:
> Yep, that's good stuff. Basic stuff, the kind of thing I suspect a lot of game
> designers know instinctively, but definitely good. I remember hearing
> someone talk about this...I don't know who, but the basic idea of game
> design is focusing on *what the player does*. It's kind of a good thing to
> keep in mind at E3 and such places.
> 

Yep, its the core of most Game Concept docs - e.g. 
http://www.gamasutra.com/features/19991019/ryan_02.htm

"Description: In a few paragraphs or a page, describe the game to the 
readers as if they are the players. Use the second-person perspective -- 
"you." Try to make this section an exciting narrative of the player's 
experience. Encompass all the key elements that define the core game 
play by describing exactly what the player does and sees. Avoid 
specifics such as mouse-clicks and keystrokes, but don't be too vague. 
You want the readers to become the player's character. Hover your detail 
level right above the GUI interaction. You would say something such as, 
"You scan your tactical radar and pick up two more bogies coming up the 
rear," instead of "You click on your tactical radar button and the 
window pops up revealing two bogies coming up the rear." The description 
section should make the content and entertainment value of the game 
obvious and convincing."

(I'm sure that *used* to not require a login :(. Registration is free 
and IIRC you dont need to supply a real email address, so...)

Adam