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Return from GDC
It’s been a while since I’ve done an update and I just returned from GDC, so this is a good time. First, in my silence I’m programming a lot, sometimes 12hrs a day, and the game is really coming together. As an artist I spend so much time trying to make the work of my…
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Inside the Indie Art Process of Archmage Rises
I’m relatively new to art appreciation. A big turning point for me was a few years back when I read John Milton’s Paradise Lost. Since then, my appreciation for art and the artists behind the work has continued to grow. I even have some Peter Max limited edition prints hanging on my walls. I’m a huge…
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Looting Game Design Gold from Sid Meier’s Pirates!
“Good artists copy, great artists steal.” – Pablo Picasso Sid Meier’s Pirates! is arguably the most important game ever made . . . and it also ruined my week. You see, I’m working on Archmage Rises—and part of my elevator pitch is, “It’s like Pirates! but with mages and permadeath.” “Live the Life” is exactly what this Pirate simulator…
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Archmage Rises Dev Blog #7: User Interface Magic
This past week, I focused my development efforts on the user interface (UI) of Archmage Rises. Proper software development methodology mandates that we should take on the highest priority, highest risk items first. We should do this to save enough time and energy to deal with the truly dangerous issues: the unknowns. Archmage Rises is a UI-heavy game, and…
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Archmage Rises: The Team
If you’ve been following these dev blogs, you’ll know that I have been living at my cottage for the last three and a half months. No, I wasn’t kicked out due to some indiscretion or ill-advised car purchase. I was living in the cottage so I could manage the little store I mentioned a couple…
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This Week in Archmage Rises: Managing your Muse
I had a bizarre personal/family situation that totally consumed me from May to the end of July. Nothing much happened with Archmage during that time, which was like Chinese water torture for an indie dev. It turns out that I had to take over a little store – from personnel to IT. I couldn’t choose not to…
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What ‘90s SSI Goldbox RPGs Can Teach Us about the Modern RPG (Archmage Origins Part 2 of 2)
Sometimes a new solution is just an old idea in a new package. Last time, I covered how re-reading the Dragonlance novels got me thinking about a new kind of RPG. One that is a realistic open world, procedurally-generated, and full of meaningful choices. The question is: How can I build it? Is it even possible? Shark…
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Archmage Origins: Inspiration and DragonLance
. How to Have a Good Idea I am very interested in what drives creative inspiration. How to spark it, then harness it. I’ve read books on it. I’ve looked into what the artistic masters like Da Vinci, Michelangelo or Bach did. I’ll share the best advice I have assimilated on the topic: