What makes a Game Designer??

Something that @atminnn said on Twitter the other day has kind of resonated with me.  He grouped me up with a bunch of other people and identified us as game designers.  It feels really odd being called a "game designer" and I really don't think I earned that title.  I haven't done anything legendary.  I haven't produced anything that anyone has actually ever played.  I have never made a cent from any game that I've ever written (my own parents don't really want to buy my stuff and if my wife bought it, she'd be using my money, so that doesn't even count....).

But, in the end, does any of that really matter?

To date, I have put together a bunch of homebrew material for D&D 4e (still working on getting the GSL and WotC mark of approval up here... sorry I'm just really lazy.  It is all compliant though).  But, really, that is more content development than game design.  I would say that virtually every DM who has ever role played could pretty easily call him or herself a content developer.  The content you generate may not ever get used, or it may get used in only your game, but content is content.  You have made something real and concrete and if you put it on the internet (and make it free) chances are somebody is going to use what your wrote in their game for no other reason than that people are fundamentally lazy.  I procrastinate like a beast, so it is often much easier to just take somebody else's idea and use it as my own.  This is so much more the case now with 4e D&D than it was when I played 3e all the time.  Back then I was much more inclined to simply use things as they are and not do much reskinning or homebrewing of my own. Now, things have really changed.  I feel like the system is so easily homebrewed that I can do it easily on my own.  But, since the system is also so easy to brew for, I also feel like it is much easier to put confidence into the homebrew of others.  I can look at a statblock and within a few seconds figure out if the creature is going to be too easy or too hard to fight.  Content that is spot on gets used.  Hell, content that is off gets adjusted, then gets used.

I'd say that being a content developer is a lot easier than being a game developer and I feel much more comfortable accepting that mantle.  But really, is game developer any different?

To date, I have put out three different games, but none of these games were developed independantly.  I did my first game: Bloody Stuff, for the 2009 24 Hour RPG and based the game off of the theme "Teddy Bear Blood Sports".  I think I was on one of the lists for good looking games, but I didn't win anything. I never really thought I would.  I made a valiant effort, but it didn't really amount to much and the time constraint was punishingly hard.

In fall of 2010 I entered in the Game Chef competition with my RPG Edge of Annihilation: The Last City.  I tried to make a Post-Apocolyptic RPG/Board Game which mimicked sim city. It was simply too far reaching and I didn't really feal satisfied with my work.  Since then, I have been going back to the concept for this game, that of an RPG/Board Game based off of Sim City and have been revising and redefining what I want to get out of it.

Most recently, I developed Alone in the Woods, this time again for the 24 Hour RPG Contest.  I even tweeted the whole thing as well.  That was a lot of fun and I think I have gotten a lot better at designing, developing, and producing original stuff.  The people that have read this one have said they really liked it, which I think is awesome.

So, can you really call me a game designer?  I have put out 3 games, none of which was over 30 pages in real content, and to my knowledge, nobody has ever played any of them.  I certainly haven't gotten a chance to.  Nobody I know has the time to run any of these games.  Do i want to?  Sure!  I would love to eventually play one of the games that I made.  It might be a while, but eventually... I'll get somebody who will give me the time of day.

I was listening to Giant Fire Breathing Robot the other day on the train back from Tokyo.  They had somebody on who was talking about getting out there and doing.  I like that sentiment.  I don't think I could really quote him perfectly, but what he said was interesting.  If you want to be the next great podcaster, you need to get out there and podcast.  The same holds true for writing.  If you want to write the next hit novel, you need to get out there and write.  I think you could say the same holds true for Game Development.  If you want to be the world's next big game developer (something I'm not really aiming for, but it would sure be nice) you have to get out there and develop games.

So, I guess I would call myself a game developer.  I'm still a newb though.  I still have lots of people that I look to as mentors so I'm not really the person you want to be asking game development questions about.  There are more educated people out there who have done much more than I have.  But the point I'm trying to make is this: it doesn't take much to be a game designer.  All you need to do is have an idea, put that idea onto paper, and assemble those ideas in such a way so that the ideas you have can be experienced and played with some office supplies and oddly shaped dice.  It's that easy.  If you've got an idea, do something about it.  If you have problems, like I do, with working independantly on stuff, go enter into a contest.  The 24 Hour RPG Contest is, if nothing else, a great place to get motivated, get pressured, and get criticism.  If you enter the contest, you are guarenteed that at least a few people are going to download your game, read it, and tell you what they think of it.  The criticism might be painful (remember this is the internet), but it will also be good for you.  Learn to love it. 

24 Hour RPG - Alone in the Woods - Complete, Twittercast below

Yesterday, around noon, I started work on my 24 Hour RPG – Alone in the Woods. Now, I’m all finished with it. I also made up my mind that I was going to tweet about the whole ordeal, while I was actually writing my little RPG. It turned out to be a pretty fun thing to do. Lots of people chimed in to have conversations about the game and to talk about the contest in general. I encourage you to do the same. Below, you’ll find the anthologized version of this tweetcast in which I begin and end my RPG in about 14 hours of non-stop, finger breaking work. But, it was a lot of fun and I’m glad that I have something complete to show for my efforts. You can download my RPG at this link.


now starting the first of my attempts on the #24HourRPGContest - this year I'm going to do two of these. Starting Alone in the Woods now.

The game will be based on #HomeAlone and #RobinHood - Maybe a Blend of the Anthripamorhpic and Robin Hood Men in TIghts version

got the basic idea for this game down, now i'm just going to have to figure out how to present all of it. Going to be a very long haul.

24 Hour RPG - Alone in the Woods - Work Begins NOW!!!: http://bit.ly/fe3XEv #RPG

@HyenaSpotz Thanks. Currently doing a little write-up about the world and the Major NPC's. Keeton is going to end up being the Sheriff

Currently writing up NPC descriptions. Good times. Robin Hood turned out to be a real lecher and I jokes abound with Friar Tuck.

I think I just finished up writing section 2 of the book. It is way easier being able to draw from two already well known sources.

Thank god the story of Robin Hood is public Domain... gotta love old, old stuff.

there are some great public domain images for Robin Hood on Wikimedia commons. That is going to make this easier.

now finally on to the Rules section of the game. I tore the d20 system apart and stripped it down to its most basic elements. #24HourRPGLive

This rules section is going to take time. I hope I didn't bite off more than I can chew trying to pump this out quickly... #24HourRPGLive

@HyenaSpotz yup. That is pretty much all I am using. Movement is going to be mostly secret and combat is going to be about traps.

@HyenaSpotz Same here. If that was the case than so much of the old stuff would be public domain and be full of awesome.

@HyenaSpotz Still, using wikimedia commons to find artwork is pretty much the best option for games like this. at least I think so.

Currently writing up the section on Phases, in which the Young Merry Men have a chance to gather resources for trap building #24HourRPGLive

#24HourRPGLive home now from work, stopped to pick up snacks and sustenance. Work continues now, renewed and restocked.

@HyenaSpotz god yea. Nikuman, Pocky, Cup Raman, lots of other goodies as well. Great stuff. Will get me through this.

breaking from writing to work on the Character Sheet part of the Game, then I'll get back into Character Creation chapter #24HourRPGLive

#24HourRPGLive Character sheet is all finished moving on to other things. Still trying to get teh Character Creation section done.

#24HourRPGLive decided I was going to need to better explain how the Trap process works before I move on with this game.

@HyenaSpotz LoL. I have like 8 hours until I burn out on this and have to hit the sack for work tomorrow... Going to be a long haul.

#24HourRPGLive Going back and editing the Trap section some more. It is the biggest part of the game so I have to get it right

@HyenaSpotz its going to be fun, it feels like your are playing a rather humorous version of Battleship in a forest #24HourRPGLive

@firestormink i'm going to write those pretty soon. Just got done figuring out what kind of traps you can set.

@HyenaSpotz lol maybe. Oh, did I mention the LoL points?

@HyenaSpotz Well, LoL points are in the game

getting very side tracked... must focus #24HourRPGLive

#24HourRPGLive the rules section takes so bloody long to write. After this only 2 other sections left to go, then formatting...

@dazedsaveends actually, I have a lot of time left, on the clock at least, I have until tomorrow at noon... but my tiredness level may kick

#24HourRPGLive update: Currently at 24 Pages, 7700 Words in. Fingers Bloody. Knowing that I'll get it done - Priceless

@dazedsaveends lol my rest schedule begins when I'm finished. I have work tomorrow... :P gotta get this done before that all starts

@Highmoon thanks for the good wishes! it's fun times.

#24HourRPGLive update: finished the rules section now moving onto finishing up the Character creation section.

@firestormink for serious! I finished that now, Character creation is also done. Characters in this game are more fluff than crunch.

#24HourRPGLive update: Character creation is all finished. Very simple process. I got rid of equipment, classes, and races... very quick

#24HourRPGLife update: now breaking for frozen pizza and those little strawberry koalas... delicious.

#24HourPRGLive update: talking with my wife has severely hurt my progress... not sure if this one is going to get finished on time now...

#24HourRPGLive update: finished writing the game. Now time to just put the finishing touches on this and I'm gonig to submit

#24HourRPGLive update: my live Tweetcast is now at an end. I'll press the submit button in about 15-30 minutes and then you can read it

@Shinobicow776 has submitted his entry for the 24hr RPG contest! That's two in quick off the mark!! http://www.1km1kt.net/?p=1244

#24HourRPGLife update: my entry, Aline in the Woods is up on the #1km1kt website. At school now. No....energy... need...redbull...