It is a rare chance when hero of your story can describe both his past achievements and current mega-project in a matter of 5 minutes. So, let me introduce you to Lord Richard "British" Garriot, author and designer of mother of all Massive Online Role Play Games - ULTIMA. On the other note, in preparation to his new project "Shroud of the Avatar", he released a controversial statement that, I quote:
"I think most game designers really just suck, and I think there's a reason why. It's really hard to go to school to be a good designer. If you're not a good artist and not a good programmer, but you still like games, you become a designer, if you follow me. You get into Q&A and often design..."
Ironically I found his interview with PC Gamer just after I posted about job in InnoGames and got all philosophical about my career prospects. Thank you, Mr. Garriot, now I know that I suck, and I will dedicate the rest of my life to proving you wrong. However, man with his achievements can allow himself a bit of honest arrogance, especially if he's actually got quite a point there:
“And the most valuable part of creating a game is the design, which the programmers are technically executing. And they’d be happy to just execute some of them. But in my mind, most artists and programmers are just as much of gamers as the designers, and I usually find in my history that the artists and programmers are, in fact, as good of designers as the designers. They’re often better, because they understand the technology or the art.“So we’re leaning on a lot of designers who get that job because they’re not qualified for the other jobs, rather than that they are really strongly qualified as a designer. It’s really hard to go to school to be a good designer."
Really? Most of game designers have not got a schools of game design to attend! They learn from films, writing, programming, world creating, modding other games, stealing ideas and mad sleepless trips on LSD and alcohol just to get things done by the deadline. Do I even have mention the strain of mundane life, bills, children and social obligations?
"I really push my team on how to make a scenario map. How do you really think about the whole thing holistically, to go, ‘yeah, it’s fine to wander through and kill a few things and get a treasure at the end, but why? What’s your motivation for being into it? What are the side stories? If you have these characters in there, what were their lives before they showed up on this map? If you didn’t think of one, go back. Do it again. I want you to know it.’”
Frankly, it would a blessing to work under him. Lord Garriot is a visionary and demands others to have or share vision with him. But in most cases game designer is facing a unrecognizable mumble of subconsciousness describing how cool this game should be. Now we hire you to make something out this mumble and let us make loads of money. If you don't make it by next Friday it will be your fault and we would have to find someone cheaper to do the job.
Game designers, IMHO have two distinct categories: the Digger and THE Architect.
Digger does the dirty work: maps, individual quests, parts ans concepts. All those skills could be learned and practiced.
The Architect runs around with a majestic vision (as Mr. Garriot for example), he is GOD, he sees every detail, every strain of game DNA, he knows where player is going to do, how and why he will do it and what he will feel inside of his doomed soul. The Architect demands from the poor Digger to rise to his level o thinking, without the pay rise. Can those skills be learned? No. It's a talent. So I suck again. And if you read this so far, so do you.
In conclusion, check his video on Kickstarter, there the majestic Lord Garriot describes what he has done and what he is going to do with the newly acquired $1 million. In short, he will make a most brilliant MMORPG game ever. I wounder if he is going to space again? Just to make sure that we all, you know ...
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