Engines of Creation

About this series: Dave Rickey is an online game designer who has credits on EverQuest and Dark Age of Camelot. Engines of Creation studies the process, theory, and business of making online games.

Engines of Creation Column...

An Introduction to World Building – #24: Three approaches to the topic of world building.
The Root of All Evil – #23: The need for innovation in MMORPG design; and, how money and demos drive the dev process.
You Keep A'Knocking – #22: Dave predicts the future of online games.
Golden Ghetto – #21: Geek culture is mainstream. (Or: Why keeping MMORPGs in the Golden Ghetto of Fantasy & SF isn't a problem.)
The Rules – #20: From E3 to the rules of MMOG development.
Fun-damentals – #19: The sources of fun: sex, violence ... and other pre-civilization roots.
Sympathetic Fallacies – #18: The necessity of stories in our world, and the failure of the same in online games.
Pareto Optimism – #17: Is it just for 20% of the players to reap 80% of the reward? A discourse on fariness in online games.
What a Difference a Year Makes – #16: On the eve of another GDC, Dave considers neuropsychology and action-reward structures in online games.
Was That a Bubbling Burst I Heard? – #15: Irrational exuberance becomes irrational pessimism. Dave discusses the downswing in new MMORPGs.
What's So Great About Realism? – #14: How neuropsychology explains "fun" in games.
Plan Your Fight – #13: Explaining and defining beta releases for MMORPGs.
Nuts and Bolts – #12: Creating new games without reinventing the wheel.
Pursuit of Knowledge – #11: How the quest to make better games could set off an academic firestorm.
Render Unto Caesar – #10: How economics in virtual worlds already impact our reality.
Age of Discouragement? – #9: Has the MMORPG market flatlined, or is the best still ahead?
Upteenth Verse, Just Like the First – #8: The need for ideas in new MMORPGs.
Real Intelligence vs. Artificial Stupidity (8/26/2003) – #7: Dave makes a case for bringing AI to modern MMO games.
If you can't say anything nice... (8/12/2003) – #6: Dave reviews Dr. Bartle's latest book and challenges some of his conclusions.
Consent of the Governed (7/29/2003) – #5: Dave invokes the powers that be on governing game design.
Come the Revolution (7/15/2003) – #4: Dave peers into what may be the next revolution in gaming.
Separate but Equal? (7/1/2003) – #3: Dave explores his feminine side and gender roles in gaming.
Strange Business (6/17/2003) – #2: Dave looks at the business side of making online games.
Let the Gears Begin (6/3/2003) – #1: Dave introduces himself and his new column on making online games.

Recent Discussions on Engines of Creation: