View Full Version : Talks at rAge 2008
dislekcia
20-09-2008, 12:23 AM
Ok, lets hear what sort of things you guys want to hear about at rAge this year? (I know I've left it horribly late, but we weren't confirmed to be at the show until now - still ironing out the details AND pumping a game out the door - I don't sleep anymore)
I want to have 2 talks a day and at least one "workshop" style session.
...
Aeq and I will be talking about what we've been doing with SpaceHack, specifically:
Aeq is going to give an introduction about shaders and then explore what he did with them on the 360 to make our GPU particle system of extreme hax as well as covering geometry instancing.
I will be talking about procedural generation in games and how we made use of it to practically build everything from little chunks of designed stuff that gets put together in interesting ways.
I can also do a general talk on getting into the industry, what to study for which results and what your opportunities in SA are.
I want Chippit and Azi to talk about UQ2. I'm going to bother Coolhand and Dale into talking about Luma's current utter crazyness. Jaques from Avonstorm should be talking about what they've been doing commercially too.
...
This year I want to focus more on how the industry is growing locally and spend a lot of time demoing local games and letting people just play them. That's pretty much our angle this year: Play local games. So competition winning games will be around to be played, I'd love the winners themselves to talk about their games and how they made them when asked ;)
The customary code-off might not happen this year, depends where we are - I want the code-off to be a bit more spectacular.
I'm toying with the idea of a boardgame design workshop: Basically giving people a chance to build their own boardgame and then get random show-goers to come and play them and provide feedback. I think that would be a fun session to run.
-edit-
Oh, most important thing: I want to let people play your games in the stand. So if you can bring your PC and set it up to just play what you've made, volunteer here. I'm also going to have at least 2 360s in the stand, connected to the 'tronz to let us show off our XNA games. Wired controllers for them would be awesome, seeing as I don't want people walking off with our wireless ones...
Ideas?
FuzzYspo0N
20-09-2008, 01:18 AM
What sort of level are you aiming at in terms of workshops and what not? would a workshop on content pipelines and other weird things be beneficial or just boring for beginners? Like the XNA content and also tool pipelines,making things that make making games easier. Coming up with formats that speed up game time and development cycles. Perhaps this is out of scope? Technical artist stuff.
Also,what about art based sessions? Where focus is put on art assets and the like?
Though, that would be aimed at artists.
If i was to choose a topic id rather it be something beneficial, ideas iv got, but i dont wanna spam for now.
i think a talk on timing would be cool. Just to explain that one aspect that trips up so many game developers... Where timing came up i was clueless for a long time. Delaying things in game, timing the drawing and movement, timing the actions, countdown timers. Perhaps again this is outside of what game maker already offers so i dont know.
Any other ideas to choose from other then above mentioned?
i cant think of any at the moment.
ps. security is tight at rage.lugging pc's in and out is weird when its random people (non-tag carrying people).. they were savage strict on lan side and competition side when running with a77
The customary code-off might not happen this year, depends where we are - I want the code-off to be a bit more spectacular.
Oh, most important thing: I want to let people play your games in the stand. So if you can bring your PC and set it up to just play what you've made, volunteer here. I'm also going to have at least 2 360s in the stand, connected to the 'tronz to let us show off our XNA games. Wired controllers for them would be awesome, seeing as I don't want people walking off with our wireless ones...
Ideas?
No code off? Aww... Last year I sat and watched, this year I would like to take part ;)
As I stated before (just incase you forgot ;) ), I can volunteer the following:
1xFull PC (incl. screen)
1xFull Xbox 360 (incl. Screen aswell)
Fully set up for XNA use and such, and has tons more besides (XBLA games on my 360 woohoo).
Also,what about art based sessions? Where focus is put on art assets and the like?
Though, that would be aimed at artists.
If i was to choose a topic id rather it be something beneficial, ideas iv got, but i dont wanna spam for now.
I think having live tutorials on some techniques, like a glass effect for example, would be really good for killing screen time, I can bug a friend of mine and try get her to lend us a few uncoloured drawings and we can then do something on colouring aswell.
Now, I had an idea thats been bugging for a while lately that could be interesting, and it might just be decent. I have many friends who are interested in game development, but lack the balls to just give it a try, so even if we dont have a code off, we could do an hour session on game maker covering the basics of it, and then giving tips and tricks and perhaps methods (as well as explaining that they shouldnt just jump into recursion like I did on my first Game.Dev entry) then have a break where a few random crowd people that we pick at the end of the session can familiarise themselves with GM, and then a pseudo competition, where we give them a topic and let them go wild, which will be really nice for showing people how fast they can get acquainted to GM, and how anyone can get into it.
Also, Im not spectacular at public speaking, so dont expect me to talk too much.
Squid
20-09-2008, 10:37 AM
If we really need another one, I could do an inspirational speech about Mathstermind and how pretty much anyone can start making money from game development.
I'm also up for doing workshops and stuff (I have a PC to lend).
dINGLE
20-09-2008, 11:46 AM
If I happen to make it to rage (really hoping to) I could bring my pc and talk about Garden of Completion
Although what I would say I do not know...
Jackpot! I found the notes I made last year during the discussion about Game.Dev's focus (I think focus is the correct word).
DISCUSSION
1 Get more steam in the comps
2 Try get more artists
3 Emphasise the need topolish games
4 Aim casual and indie
Make games depending on your feel
5 Examples and publicity
6 Shift in content in dev.mag to include things about making money/selling/distributing.
7 Spread the word
8 Get sponsors for competitions
9 South african paypal
10 Game.dev and programming links
While some of these things I jotted down while listening have been completed quite nicely there are still some that are floating out there, and perhaps a Game.Dev year's summary (post mortem?), showing progress is important. By showing growth we can possibly get more interest and knowledge of the whole plan circulated.
dislekcia
20-09-2008, 06:43 PM
Edg3, you rule :)
xyber
22-09-2008, 11:06 AM
Can you put down some times these talks will happen, soon as you panned it out, so I don't arrive too late at rAge and miss 'em or can visit on the day I want to hear bout something (not really worth visiting rAge on each day).
Nandrew
22-09-2008, 11:17 AM
I was quite keen on contributing a home-brewed sound demonstration at rAge, since I thought that with the simple equipment requirements it would be reasonably practical.
I would plan on doing an adaptation / extension of the sound article in Dev.Mag 24 -- the idea of making sounds with your mouth or other common equipment. The demonstration would include making some noises into the mike (either raw mouth noises or by making use of everyday items), taking users through Audacity to show them some of the most useful filters and effects to apply to the sound, and giving some solid tips about avoiding mike popping and garblaragafarg and other things. To relate this all directly to game development, I would also show them my current model of Zticky Zlime -- a game built via this method of sound generation.
However, I really really need to know what people think about this as I perceive the idea to be pretty shaky in some respects. I'd also need to know if we'd have sufficient volume power to avoid drown-out by the Dome speakers!
It's fun, it's silly and it produces results. So what do you guys think? I'd really, really like to see people getting taught about sound in games. Graphics, design and programming get all the fun while this rather important area always seems to be left in the dark, and it shows when people bring out their games.
If this submission isn't deemed appropriate, I'd still encourage just one sound tutorial of some kind over the course of rAge. I believe that it would genuinely inform and entertain people visiting the stand.
FuzzYspo0N
22-09-2008, 12:57 PM
I agree with the sound nandrew. Perhaps scoping over more then just mouth noises (perhaps production applications such as Fruity Loops and what not) where the applications span out into programs that generate sounds, and you can apply effects to them post creation. There are hordes of tools for sound generation, free and not free. There is also trials of all the major apps, that can be used to demonstrate making game music loops (as it is really really easy) and making good sound effects using free tools as well :)
Though yours is a great method, i will never find myself making the sounds without a production tool... Its not anything to do with method its just how i learnt to make sound, and for the most part i love it :)
Plus , there is the aspect of free sounds -> modify the hell out of them with filters = different sounds.
Gazza_N
22-09-2008, 01:16 PM
That's a sound idea!
*dodges flying bricks*
I agree that it's a generally ignored aspect of development round these parts, so even a simple practical intro would be good. If nothing else, it'll get people thinking about sound design, or help uncover people who know what they're doing.
I can't offer my PC, I'm afraid, but I can offer my big mouth for the unlikely occasions that you think I have something meaningful to contribute.
Might I also suggest some step-by-step Blender tutorials on the art side? Simplistic stuff to get people started with, not unlike the early tuts that were published in Dev.Mag.
dislekcia
22-09-2008, 04:16 PM
Ok, just got off the phone with Cairnswm (no, he's not dead) and his production company should be able to record the presentations and offer them on DVD an hour of so after each session finishes. Then we can also do a DVD set that you could order and pay for at the show and we'd send it through to you afterward.
We're finally going to have stuff recorded ;)
FuzzYspo0N
22-09-2008, 05:43 PM
Sounds cool, though with 0 actual replies about what is happening nobody knows whats going on yet :P
dislekcia
22-09-2008, 06:02 PM
Sounds cool, though with 0 actual replies about what is happening nobody knows whats going on yet :P
... That's because I haven't slept in 3 days. As soon as our entry is submitted to DBP, I'll start planning rAge.
Next time you're crunching on a deadline at Luma I'll be sure to get on your case about it too. As it stands I'm pretty damn sure I give Game.Dev more attention at the moment than you'd manage in the same situation... We didn't even have a confirmed presence at the show before last week.
FuzzYspo0N
22-09-2008, 06:08 PM
hmm, you seem to have taken that as an attack, when it was definately NOT aimed that way. A quick reply is a curse at times, i even edited it cos i thought it sounded weird. My apologies as im sure you know, i know, that you are running mad trying to make (as you know) one of the coolest games from the community, ever.
What my point was that as with you, and us we dont know exactly what to suggest or plan yet... Nothing negative! sorry though, rereading revealed some weird connotations.
Karuji
22-09-2008, 06:20 PM
Ill volunteer my computer if some one will help me carry it out the LAN and to the game.dev stand(if that is allowed)
otherwise, nothing more to add, all sounds good to me :D
Oh yes and i do volunteer myself for any other required purposes
Nandrew
22-09-2008, 07:12 PM
... That's because I haven't slept in 3 days. As soon as our entry is submitted to DBP, I'll start planning rAge.
Next time you're crunching on a deadline at Luma I'll be sure to get on your case about it too. As it stands I'm pretty damn sure I give Game.Dev more attention at the moment than you'd manage in the same situation... We didn't even have a confirmed presence at the show before last week.
Oi! Take some caffeine and make those sorta replies when your head clears up! Sleeplessness makes people cranky.
-----------------------------------
But yeah, I pulled the wakestate for 72 hours straight last week and even *then* Dis was keeping up with me, working on his comp entry. Which means he's actually been riding on the open eyes for at least a week now.
Kudos for dedication.
DBP finishes on Wednesday morning, I suggest until then that we discuss things amongst ourselves here so that there's some concrete ideas presented to D by the time he's able to look at this properly.
dINGLE
22-09-2008, 11:39 PM
Is there going to be a talk focusing on just game design?
Like what you should be thinking about when designing gameplay,
how to be inspired by another game without making a clone,
how to get different mechanics to mesh together well,
how to not just fall straight into making a genre game without knowing it...
or maybe that stuff can't really be learned by hearing a talk?
Thaumaturge
23-09-2008, 03:52 AM
I like your idea, Nandrew - I think that it sounds good. It's probably at least worth sounding out.
Are you a vocal supporter of your techniques? :P
In all seriousness, however, I do think that it could be a good idea. ^_^
I'm in two minds about art-based sessions; although I can see them being useful, I wonder whether game development sessions shouldn't focus more on gameplay, and perhaps the arguably too-oft-ignored field of sound. I do think that some might find them useful, however, especially in terms of teaching people the basic usage of a selection of tools - such as Blender (and perhaps especially Blender, given its interface).
As to further ideas for talks, let's see... What about a talk about user interface design - something along the lines of (And directly inspired by, I believe) the thread that I linked to in the Ultimate Quest thread (that thread should be found here, at least at time of writing, and the first part should be here). Included topics to touch on off the top of my head might be affordance (especially, I think), feedback to the user, streamlining the design and pitfalls to avoid, although I imagine that a larger list could be devised.
Dislekcia, I hope that you and Aequitas manage to finish up quickly, and get some rest. Good luck for the competition. ^_^
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