newstalk

So, in other news, I’ve heard that some people are rather upset about the economy. There’s really nothing new about this, of course, but I understand how folks can get a little panicky when a bunch of their money goes up in smoke. Share this:Close Bookmark and Share This Page Save to Browser Favorites / BookmarksAskbackflipblinklistBlogBookmarkBloglinesBlogMarksBlogsvineBuddyMarksBUMPzee!CiteULikeco.mmentsConnoteadel.icio.usDiggdiigoDotNetKicksDropJackdzoneFacebookFarkFavesFeed Me LinksFriendsitefolkd.comFurlGoogleHuggJamespotJeqqKaboodlekirtsylinkaGoGoLinksMarkerMa.gnoliaMister WongMixxMySpaceMyWebNetvouzNewsvineoneviewOnlyWirePlugIMPropellerRedditRojoSegnaloShoutwireSimpySlashdotSphereSphinnSpurlSquidooStumbleUponTechnoratiThisNextTwitterWebrideWindows LiveWorlds [...]

On October 31st, 2008, this was the truth. | (Tags: bargain stores, boatload, clearance racks, coming storm, economic meltdown, economy, emergency fund, finance, finance index, financial storm, fire sale prices, foundational principles, gloom and doom, Google, interest student, lean operation, lowloans, money, new sun, personal finance, retirement plans, startup advice, time opportunity) | Comments Off

As you might notice, I’m experimenting with placing ads on newstalk. I have this hazy idea that it would be nice for my sites to pay for their own hosting (~$15 a month, currently), with the idea of eventually upgrading to a more featureful account and making some improvements in the way I currently run [...]

On October 30th, 2008, this was trivial. | (Tags: contextual ads, Google, guarantees, hazy idea, improvements, loyal readers, newstalk, pagerank, placing ads, unique visitors) | Comments Off

Perhaps it will help to describe the throughline of Free Sky, as experienced by the player. This is an attempt at a “user story”, describing a specific play-through.

On October 29th, 2008, this was a fantasy. | (Tags: accomplice, berth, bumblebee, cargo broker, cargo handler, cheater, delta vee, diplomacy, drug money, escrow, ferris, fifth moon, first job, free sky, lucky strike, orbit, reaction mass, ruckus, seed money, story, troublemakers) | Comments Off

The goal of Free Sky is to provide the player with the experience of a structured, dynamic, episodic narrative about the player character, his allies and his enemies, in the context of a gritty science fiction interplanetary trade simulation.

By a structured narrative, I mean a coherent plot with a central conflict and several secondary conflicts, producing the familiar pattern of [...]

On October 28th, 2008, this was the truth. | (Tags: allies, arcs, bathing in space, central conflict, characters, climax, coherent plot, conflict, conflict and resolution, conflicts, enemies, free sky, interaction, interplanetary trade, metal, narrative, npcs, people, player character, plot, science fiction, serial adventures, space ships, story, story arc, structure, trade simulation, wits) | Comments Off

The most important design principle that Free Sky must fulfill comes from the inestimable Chris Crawford:

People, not things.

On October 26th, 2008, this was the truth. | (Tags: characters, Chris Crawford, conflict, explosions, free sky, game, Keanu Reeves, people, plot, possibilities, story, storytelling, things) | Comments Off

The Economist writes an insightful summary of recent splits and reunions within the Church.

It may be useful to consider Jesus’ words:

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that [...]

On October 26th, 2008, this was speculation. | (Tags: church, diversity, orthodoxy, reunion, schism) | Comments Off

So, there’s this computer game I’ve been working on for the past three years. The working title is Free Sky, and the concept is very ambitious. Too ambitious, in fact. I have had several aims with this project, with varying amounts of success:

On October 25th, 2008, this was trivial. | (Tags: ambition, Chris Crawford, Firefly, free sky, game, game design, game industry, kitchen sink, Mike, patience, possibilities, setbacks, telling) | Comments Off

As I ponder the Free Sky project–what went wrong and how I might turn things around–I’d like to follow Chris Crawford’s advice and write out my ideas in long form, puzzling through the design problems one by one. The goal is to clarify my thinking before I invest more time chasing down rabbit trails and writing even more useless [...]

On October 24th, 2008, this was the truth. | (Tags: Chris Crawford, design documents, free sky) | Comments Off

Nearly three years ago, I wrote about focus. This is my update on all that, and my rationale for reviving a near-dead blog. If you don’t want to read this lengthy screed, I’ll sum it up here:

I have to start writing again. Regularly. Newstalk is my chosen venue. If I don’t write here several times a week, please harass [...]

On October 21st, 2008, this was trivial. | (Tags: Firefly, focus, free sky, future, game, novel, storytelling) | Comments Off