Comments on: The Demons of Experimentation: Feature Gremlins http://www.ludomancy.com/blog/2007/04/06/the-demons-of-experimentation-feature-gremlins/ by Daniel Benmergui Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:51:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Daniel Benmergui http://www.ludomancy.com/blog/2007/04/06/the-demons-of-experimentation-feature-gremlins/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Daniel Benmergui Tue, 10 Apr 2007 22:38:18 +0000 http://www.ludomancy.com/blog/2007/04/06/the-demons-of-experimentation-feature-gremlins/#comment-39 In fact, you can create a commercial product made up of a bunch of loosely connected features, without any core gameplay at all. But that is "guessful" design. I am focusing only on experimental cores. The danger of piling features lie in that they can steal the core-ness of the gameplay, and experimental gameplay is about exploring new cores, not about putting twists on known ones. That's what conventional game design is for. And remember, getting a gremlin wet only makes him multiply (featuritis). The problem is that if they get themselves fed after midnight, they will overrun you ;) In fact, you can create a commercial product made up of a bunch of loosely connected features, without any core gameplay at all. But that is “guessful” design.

I am focusing only on experimental cores. The danger of piling features lie in that they can steal the core-ness of the gameplay, and experimental gameplay is about exploring new cores, not about putting twists on known ones. That’s what conventional game design is for.

And remember, getting a gremlin wet only makes him multiply (featuritis). The problem is that if they get themselves fed after midnight, they will overrun you ;)

]]> By: Patrick http://www.ludomancy.com/blog/2007/04/06/the-demons-of-experimentation-feature-gremlins/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Patrick Mon, 09 Apr 2007 06:37:46 +0000 http://www.ludomancy.com/blog/2007/04/06/the-demons-of-experimentation-feature-gremlins/#comment-38 On the other hand, you can create a commercial product quite succesfully by getting at some core gameplay, and then including some core gremlins. Its like the movie of the same name, there's a cute, cuddly gremlin that'll be your friend and give you the dynamic you need, but you if get that cute gremlin wet it spawns all these nasty bastards who convolute the core. So, what is water, by this analogy? I have no idea, its very late. Maybe experience will teach me to recognize moisture intuitively. On the other hand, you can create a commercial product quite succesfully by getting at some core gameplay, and then including some core gremlins. Its like the movie of the same name, there’s a cute, cuddly gremlin that’ll be your friend and give you the dynamic you need, but you if get that cute gremlin wet it spawns all these nasty bastards who convolute the core. So, what is water, by this analogy? I have no idea, its very late. Maybe experience will teach me to recognize moisture intuitively.

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