Higher-Order Fun

Game Design & Game Programming

Category: game design

The guide to implementing 2D platformers

Having previously been disappointed by the information available on the topic, this is my attempt at categorizing different ways to implement 2D platform games, list their strengths and weaknesses, and discuss some implementation details. The long-term goal is to make this an exhaustive and comprehensible guide to the implementation of 2D platform games. If you […]

On how Diablo III fails to live up to the Diablo legacy

[Edit: I’m now halfway through Act II, and everything I say stands – and, in fact, the problems have become even more obvious] Diablo III just got released this week, to a spectacularly catastrophic launch day in which almost nobody could play. But once the server loads normalized and the initial hype died out, a surge of […]

“Fourteen years were not enough” / “14 anos não foram o suficiente”

A while ago, there was a discussion in a mail group composed of members of the Brazilian videogame industry, regarding its perceived lack of progress when compared to many other countries – the case in point was that even Iran was showing more impressive results than us. I sent the following email, and since people […]

Best of Game Development Videos and Presentations

Here’s a list of my favourite videos and presentations on several subjects related to game development. I strongly recommend every single video listed below, at least those that match your area of expertise. If you can think of any good videos that I missed, please leave a link on the comments. I will update the […]

Religion in MMOs: Proposal of an Experiment

Here’s an experiment idea: It’s common in RPGs to have some sort of religion system, generally with a multitude of deities which are more-or-less at peace with one another, and whose followers typically do not try to murder each other at the first opportunity. Sometimes, you can offer donations to churches to get some bonuses, […]