{"id":160,"date":"2014-08-14T16:29:11","date_gmt":"2014-08-14T20:29:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/?p=160"},"modified":"2014-09-13T16:30:00","modified_gmt":"2014-09-13T20:30:00","slug":"inspirationanddragonlance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/index.php\/inspirationanddragonlance\/","title":{"rendered":"Archmage Origins: Inspiration and DragonLance"},"content":{"rendered":"

.\"\"
\nHow to Have a Good Idea<\/strong><\/p>\n

I am very interested in what drives creative inspiration.\u00a0 How to spark it, then harness it.\u00a0 I\u2019ve read books on it. I\u2019ve looked into what the artistic masters like Da Vinci, Michelangelo or Bach did.\u00a0 I\u2019ll share the best advice I have assimilated on the topic:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. To have a good idea, always be thinking.<\/em><\/p>\n

All the time.\u00a0 Never turn it off.\u00a0 Just keep coming up with stuff.\u00a0 If good ideas are only 1 in 100, that means you need to get through the 99 bad ones to hit your second great one.<\/p>\n

2. Be well rounded; have interests outside of your field.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Truly unique great ideas come not from within but\u00a0outside<\/em>\u00a0of your field.\u00a0 For instance, I built an AI to help manage a medical clinic\u2019s patient flow (I used an algorithm based on a trucking scheduling problem I had previously written). The solution was revolutionary because I brought concepts from\u00a0outside<\/em>\u00a0to the medical field.\u00a0 Later, I brought a similar approach from the medical field to a pizza company. Most great ideas are really a synthesis of others in a new place or new way.<\/p>\n

Another example involves design patterns in software. A design pattern is a common solution to common problems. Where\u2019d it come from?\u00a0 A software developer who was into architecture and thought, \u2018What if there were design patterns in software the way there are in architecture?\u2019 See, there are really only a handful of ways you can lay out a bathroom, hallway, or bedroom. Architects know these patterns. Suddenly, a whole segment of software development theory was born.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Pikmin<\/em>\u00a0was created because of the designer\u2019s interest in insects in his backyard.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s hot in business management right now?\u00a0 Gamification.\u00a0 Bringing game design patterns (outside concepts) to everyday work environment (inside).<\/p>\n

3. Everything can be a game.<\/em><\/p>\n

This is easily proven: At some point, every parent invents the \u201cquiet game\u201d to see which child can be quiet the longest.<\/p>\n

Lucas Pope\u2019s\u00a0Papers, Please<\/a><\/em>\u00a0is a fantastic example of this and I benefited greatly from playing it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I have the kind of mind that wants to turn everything into a game.\u00a0 Conversely, I experience the world best through a game.\u00a0 For example, I was in Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower in Florence, Italy.\u00a0 But I didn\u2019t truly appreciate the intricacy of the statues, the incredible architecture, until I had to climb all over it in\u00a0Assassin\u2019s Creed II.<\/em><\/p>\n

I remember when I was binge-watching\u00a0Deadliest Catch<\/em>. I was so inspired by these crab fishermen racing to make as much money as they could in a short time window, I just had to sit down and design a crab fishing derby game.<\/p>\n

4. Use mind mapping<\/em><\/p>\n

Mind mapping is a revolutionary and powerful way to document thought. It conforms to the pattern of our brains and thought more naturally than a notepad or Word.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Anyone who has been in a brainstorming session knows that ideas spawn more ideas which spawn even more ideas.\u00a0 Terrible, bad, awful ideas can spawn great ideas.\u00a0 Mind mapping is a way to effectively brainstorm by yourself.<\/p>\n

XMInd.net<\/a>\u00a0is a free tool for mind mapping.\u00a0 Mind mapping is on my phone, iPad, and laptop. I won\u2019t leave home without it (because of Point #1).<\/p>\n

So if that is generally how to be inspired creatively, what initiated\u00a0Archmage Rises<\/em>?<\/p>\n

The Birth of\u00a0Archmage Rises<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I was 11 when I read my first\u00a0Dragonlance<\/a><\/em>\u00a0novel:\u00a0Dragons of Autumn Twilight<\/em>.\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t even familiar with the book\u2019s genre (Fantasy Fiction), but I was hooked.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Raistlin is the guy with the staff front left.<\/p>\n

Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman worked for TSR, the publisher of\u00a0Dungeons & Dragons\u00a0<\/em>(originally created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson). From 1984 to 1986, Weis and Hickman wrote their game modules into two novel trilogies set in the\u00a0Dragonlance<\/em>\u00a0campaign world to expand the audience.\u00a0 They are not quite at the level of\u00a0The Lord of the Rings<\/em>, but they are very good, they move quickly, and I love them.<\/p>\n

Since that time, I have probably read 40+ novels set in the\u00a0Dragonlance<\/em>\u00a0world.\u00a0 None of them are as good as the first six, but TSR figured people would like revisiting a familiar place with familiar characters and so just kept pumping out more novels. Wikipedia tells me there are now 190\u00a0Dragonlance<\/em>\u00a0novels!<\/p>\n

Now before I continue, I have to warn you that the rest of this article will contain plot spoilers. I don\u2019t feel bad doing this; the books have been out for almost 30 years, so I think you\u2019ve had enough time to read them.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Dragonlance<\/em>, there is a main character called Raistlin Majere.\u00a0 He is born as a twin into a poor home.\u00a0 His twin brother is brawny and handsome, while Raistlin is sickly and scrawny.\u00a0 But Raistlin is highly intelligent and has a gift for magic. Maybe the greatest natural talent the world has ever seen.\u00a0 Raistlin studies hard to become a magic user (mage) and is the youngest to ever pass the dreaded test where failure means death.\u00a0 During the test, the Conclave of Wizards recognizes Raistlin\u2019s potential.\u00a0 He will be a great force for good or evil in the world.\u00a0 Members of the conclave don\u2019t want him to be evil, so they afflict him with golden eyes that see only death and decay to teach him compassion and humility.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Over the course of the books, Raistlin walks this line between good and evil forces in the world.\u00a0 The tension comes from never knowing which way he will ultimately commit.\u00a0 His twin brother loves him and believes in the good inside him, but he doesn\u2019t know all the evil things Raistlin has done to accumulate power.<\/p>\n

Raistlin eventually becomes\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0most powerful mage living in Krynn. But that isn\u2019t enough for him: His ego and thirst for power cause him to go back in time to study under\u00a0the<\/em>\u00a0most powerful mage who has ever lived.\u00a0 He ultimately kills this mage\u2014stealing his books and spells and proving he is the most powerful mage of all time. But it doesn\u2019t end there. He has a new goal\u2014to become a god.\u00a0 To do so, he plans to battle the god of evil, Takhisis.\u00a0 The forces of good think this is a wonderful idea and ally with him.\u00a0 And you know what?\u00a0 He wins!\u00a0 He takes out the god of evil, then the god of neutrality, and finally the god of good.\u00a0 All that is left is Raistlin.\u00a0 And through all this, the world of Krynn ultimately gets destroyed.\u00a0 Because of some funky time travel stuff, Raistlin\u2019s brother learns this is how everything ends and therefore tries to stop his brother in the present to protect the future.\u00a0 Kinda\u00a0Terminator<\/em>-ish.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

So at the tail end of 2013, as I worked at my software dev day job, I re-read this epic story for probably the fifth time (still loving it!).\u00a0 Then one simple little question popped into my mind: What would it be like to actually\u00a0be<\/em>\u00a0Raistlin Majere?<\/p>\n

What would it be like to be born with the greatest natural talent the world has ever seen?\u00a0 But no one knows you have it.\u00a0 Would I use it for selfless or selfish ends?\u00a0 To care or to crush?<\/p>\n

This is the inception point of\u00a0Archmage Rises<\/em>.<\/p>\n

I am making a game where I can play a mage born with incredible talent and potential.\u00a0 Like Peter Jackson did with\u00a0LotR<\/em>, I\u2019m trying to make it as realistic as possible at every point.\u00a0 Raistlin had to make his way in the world for quite a while before he really ramped up his power.\u00a0 He had to make money and make ends meet.\u00a0 He helped various factions, all to achieve his goals.\u00a0 He took risks where death was on the line, all in the pursuit of increasing power.\u00a0 Later in the novels, he is basically a super power\u2014a wild card in world diplomacy. World leaders come to his door trying to ally with him.\u00a0 He\u2019s come a long way from the runt who was picked on in school.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Archmage Rises<\/em>, it is very important that there is an open world\u2014one shaped by your choices. Just like how a good GM responds to the actions of his players, so too this computer-generated world must respond.\u00a0 Raistlin was thrust into a harsh world where survival was not guaranteed.\u00a0 No one guided Raistlin\u2019s hand (well you could argue the gods did a bit); he ultimately had to choose the path he would take.\u00a0 In\u00a0Archmage<\/em>, the choice to be a great good or evil mage is integral to the design of the game. And as you start going down one path, it snowballs.\u00a0 It is fully possible to play\u00a0Archmage<\/em>\u00a0and become the villain of the entire world\u2014where the whole world literally hates you and is trying to destroy you.\u00a0 Or you can be the world\u2019s savior, where everyone loves you.<\/p>\n

I haven\u2019t fully confirmed that this feature will be in the game yet, but I do plan to include\u00a0the ability to go back in time and kill the greatest mage that ever was, steal his stuff, and become even more \u00fcber powerful.<\/em><\/p>\n

It is my hope that anyone who enjoys\u00a0Dragonlance<\/em>\u00a0will also enjoy\u00a0Archmage Rises<\/em>. I hope to create a game worthy of the incredible story Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman have given us.<\/p>\n

I do not have the rights to\u00a0Dragonlance<\/em>.\u00a0 Wizards of the Coast wouldn\u2019t even license them to Margaret Weis after\u00a0D&D 4th<\/sup>\u00a0edition<\/em>\u00a0came out, so I can\u2019t see how they\u2019d let a solitary indie game developer license it.\u00a0 But if anyone out there has a contact at WotC, I will certainly try.\u00a0 My game is different enough from\u00a0Dragonlance<\/em>\u00a0that it won\u2019t matter, but if I could set it in Krynn\u2014boy, that would be a dream come true. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

This probably all sounds very pie in the sky, but how will the actual\u00a0game<\/em>\u00a0play?\u00a0 That I will have to save until next week, where I will describe exactly what I mean when I say this game is inspired by the SSI Gold Box RPGs. It was by analyzing those games that I saw how\u00a0Archmage<\/em>\u00a0could be made.<\/p>\n

SGD<\/p>\n

Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n

More on Dragonlance:\u00a0http:\/\/dnd.wizards.com\/articles\/features\/dragonlance<\/a><\/p>\n

Xmind Mind Mapping:\u00a0XMInd.net<\/a><\/p>\n

Archmage Rises Website:\u00a0archmagerises.com<\/a>\u00a0Facebook:\u00a0facebook.com\/archmagerises<\/a><\/p>\n

Twitter:\u00a0@LordYabo<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

. How to Have a Good Idea I am very interested in what drives creative inspiration.\u00a0 How to spark it, then harness it.\u00a0 I\u2019ve read books on it. I\u2019ve looked into what the artistic masters like Da Vinci, Michelangelo or Bach did.\u00a0 I\u2019ll share the best advice I have assimilated on the topic:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[14,19,50,4,8,49,22,48,37,47,16,51],"class_list":["post-160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-archmage","tag-archmage-rises","tag-brainstorming","tag-fantasy","tag-game","tag-game-design","tag-game-dev","tag-good-idea","tag-indie","tag-inspiration","tag-pc","tag-tools"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/defiancegamestudio.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}