Rants tag

Rants, ruminations, and rambling remarks from my mad, muddled, meandering mind.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Blog Spotlight: Casual Aggro


I thought I might start a new category of posts, in which I focus on a fellow blogger and maybe a recent post they have done that I particularly like. Heh, typing that makes me think of the QOTD posts, though for those I usually focus on a specific statement that may not be part of a blog. Any posts of this sort will be tagged "Spotlight."

A new friend, guildie, and fellow blogger I "met" through the New Blogger Initiative, @BigMikeyOcho of Casual Aggro, posts interesting thoughts on MMOs and players. That he has similar tastes and playstyle to my own helps a lot in my opinion of his opinions. ><

Yesterday, Ocho posted about the elements he feels make up a good Foundry Mission (player designed) in STO:
  • Story: Has to frame the actions of the Player Character well. Provide sufficient motivation (besides game rewards).
  • Balance Not too much talky, not too much action.
  • Believability The actions of the PC should not conflict with the Player's concept of the Character.
  • Detail The environment of the mission should fit the story. Also, proofread! Then proofread again! Then have someone else proofread!
  • Time The length of the mission should be commensurate with the reward. Not too long, nor too short.
I'm not sure what other games allow for the sort of player-designed quests the way STO does. However, professional game designers would do well to follow the advice Ocho provides for player/designers. Some do a better job at this than others.

Anyway, Ocho has a great natural voice as he writes. I enjoy reading his posts about the various aspects of games he is currently playing. Check out his stuff over at Casual Aggro.

2 comments:

  1. I'm only just now discovering the foundry missions. Some of them are truly amazing, and fill a terrific gap, especially in terms of allowing for dialogue and character development. STO is fantastic too in allowing for "tips" for the story creator, so that their time is rewarded as well. Was their one on CoX as well? I don't remember.

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    1. I have no idea. Ocho's last bit of advice in his post was to tip the designer. Having messed just a bit with the Foundry tools, I gotta give props to anyone who creates a coherent mission.

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