Enlightment / Level Up?

[Gilzu]

since becoming a full-time indie, I started to look at my skills in a RPG-style way.

I made a mental image of myself in a Character building screen, much like cliffski's Kudos (http://forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php?t=6780&highlight=kudos). The skills were Programming, Graphics, Sound, Design and Publishing.

Anyway, I started investing XP's in every one of these skills, and most surprising was the "level-up effect", where I was so proud of my accomplishment that: 1. I knew my work has gotten better significantly 2. It was so much better that i didn't needed even someone's verfication ("Is this better?").

I tend to find the satisfaction in "leveling-up" rather than accomplishing goals. does that make sense?

[Sharpfish]

I understand what you are saying. I try to leave a bit of time free at the weekends to brush up on the areas that I need "XP's" in. So far though, my adventure has taken place in a single room, I would like to "travel to a different town" to level up on different skills, though I don't want any random fights with 3 headed dragons on the way ;)

[Christian]

Yessss, it happens to everyone i think, if they level up, because they spend theyr xp points to that objective, to leveling up is theyr objective, to be better at anything it he objective. Reaching goals is nice to me, but leveling up makes you better for life :D

[luggage]

Now that's nerdy! :D

[Gilzu]

Now that's nerdy! :D

Hey, when thinking 200% of the time about game concepts and design, its hard not to portrait your life with the exact same colors.

Sometimes i can swear i hear that KQ6 sound of points each "Level Up".

[whisperstorm]

Just wait till you Limit Break (http://www.ffshrine.org/ff7/ff7_limits.php). I've had experiences where I've gotten so fed up with some situation that I took great strides toward fixing it - but only after being "hit" with it enough times... :)

" I've had all I can stand, I can't stands no more!" - Popeye (?)

[Artinum]

... though I don't want any random fights with 3 headed dragons on the way ;)

Ah, but those are what give you the EXP in the first place. You aren't fighting dragons so much as coding/drawing them (or creating dragon roars on your sound editing software).

And I love the limit break idea. Some people do seem to come alive under pressure.

[Gilzu]

And I love the limit break idea. Some people do seem to come alive under pressure.

Yeah, people forget to include faliure as an experience. So you've missed your shot - but next time you'll use your past failiure(s) as an example of what not to do, or how to aim better.

[ggambett]

I tend to find the satisfaction in "leveling-up" rather than accomplishing goals. does that make sense?
Cool. I think you've just invented a new self-help paradigm :)

FROM NPC TO PC : Gilzu's Guide to Life
Over 100 metagaming tips!

[Coyote]

Heh - I just went through a very similar kind of self-evaluation:

http://www.rampantgames.com/blog/2006/04/playing-to-crush-with-life.html

Still goal-directed. I was facing a tough choice of whether I wanted to go for the 'security, nice pay, and boredom,' route, or the risky, 'I'm gonna make things happen' route.

I took the risky path (http://www.rampantgames.com/blog/2006/04/jay-sells-out-or-maybe-opposite.html).

[Gilzu]

Cool. I think you've just invented a new self-help paradigm :)

FROM NPC TO PC : Gilzu's Guide to Life
Over 100 metagaming tips!



ROFL...

But then again, if youre looking at it that way:

Being an NPC IS a paradigm that most people live by: finish school, go to uni, find a job, get married, have 2.4 children and a dog (i'm a dog person). I found this description both quite true and quite insulting as being characterized as "on of those (computer generated NPC's)"

PC are proactive characters that make their own choices out of awareness rather then being caught in a paradigm. I can either let life inscribe a predeteremined path, or do my own way through the skill tree opening up new ways, quests, meet new characters, obtain equiptment - Everything that an NPC cant.

You know what? I think i'll open a blog with the exact same title.

Gabriel, congrats. You have just created a monster :D

[Gilzu]

Cool. I think you've just invented a new self-help paradigm :)

FROM NPC TO PC : Gilzu's Guide to Life
Over 100 metagaming tips!



Done and Done (http://www.gilzu.com)

[d000hg]

Heh - I just went through a very similar kind of self-evaluation:

http://www.rampantgames.com/blog/2006/04/playing-to-crush-with-life.html

Still goal-directed. I was facing a tough choice of whether I wanted to go for the 'security, nice pay, and boredom,' route, or the risky, 'I'm gonna make things happen' route.

I took the risky path (http://www.rampantgames.com/blog/2006/04/jay-sells-out-or-maybe-opposite.html).Is an indie that can employ full-time staff still what most of us would term an 'indie'? If they get big and successful then that's jsut the same as a game studio not tied to a publisher - like ID!

[ggambett]

Done and Done (http://www.gilzu.com)
Amazing! I can't believe you actually did it :)

[arcadetown]

nerdLevel += *iHaveNoLife; // get the picture?

[berserker]

nerdLevel += *iHaveNoLife; // get the picture?

Can I have full source code please? :D

[Grey Alien]

lol @ this thread. I'm not an NPC for sure. Anyway, I'm currently gaining XP in Gimp, just leveled up recently too which has increased my productivity.

[Coyote]

Is an indie that can employ full-time staff still what most of us would term an 'indie'? If they get big and successful then that's jsut the same as a game studio not tied to a publisher - like ID!

I refuse to accept the proposition that if you are successful, you are no longer an indie. :)

I'd say Reflexive is an outstanding example of what it means to be a successful indie COMPANY that employs full-time staff.

I don't know about id Software these days --- I think they get publishing deals lined up while they are still in the midst of development (though I don't know if they get any advances). They do rely on publishers these days, which makes them less "indie" (though they are still independent).

Wahoo Studios is kind of a hybrid. They are now diversified across contract-work and self-funded (or independently funded) projects. And they have a REAL emphasis on making the indie game side of things work.

But the important part for ME was that they were fully supporting my "side business," which is fully indie. I had to take a pay cut from continuing to do business-apps, but in return they are taking an active role in helping Rampant Games out. So that was cool.

[Artinum]

What defines indie is a question found repeatedly all over these message boards. There is no answer because, I suspect, it is the wrong question. Being indie self-evidently means being independent. The question we should be asking is - independent from what?

[Coyote]

Yup, part of what comes with being an indie is that you aren't even tied to definitions anymore :)


Just be excellent to each other, and party on.

[d000hg]

I guess most people think of indies as smaller than the big companies. Main differenece is that starting an indie you're in charge not a cog in a someone else's plan. If your indie gets big and you can hire other people full-time, it might act less 'indie', but you're still in charge, making the games YOU want!

Accepting a job for an indie seems a bit odd though - you still are making their game not your own!

[Coyote]

Actually, I get to do both :) I just don't get paid for the latter. But the hinge of the deal was that I not only get to keep working on Rampant Games "on the side" (as I have been the last couple of years), but I do get some support from them to help me (in leiu of the better pay I could get going back to doing ASP.NET stuff).

[PoV]

Wacom Tablet: Art Speed +3, Artist Cred +1
2nd Monitor: Productivity +2, Geek Cred +2
3rd Monitor: Geek Cred +5
Linux Box: Market +1, Skillz +1, Geek Cred +2
Mac: Market +3
Development Laptop: Productivity +1, Geek Cred +1

Local Newspaper Article: Success +1, Publicity +1
Gaming Press Article: Success +2, Publicity +4
Retail Publishing Deal: Success +7

Drawing Practise: Ark Skill +1
Drawing Practise with Various Reference: Art Skill +1D6
Piano Practise: Music Skill +1

;)

This is the sort of thing I was expecting when I read this thread. :D

[Gilzu]

Wacom Tablet: Art Speed +3, Artist Cred +1
2nd Monitor: Productivity +2, Geek Cred +2
3rd Monitor: Geek Cred +5
Linux Box: Market +1, Skillz +1, Geek Cred +2
Mac: Market +3
Development Laptop: Productivity +1, Geek Cred +1

Local Newspaper Article: Success +1, Publicity +1
Gaming Press Article: Success +2, Publicity +4
Retail Publishing Deal: Success +7

Drawing Practise: Ark Skill +1
Drawing Practise with Various Reference: Art Skill +1D6
Piano Practise: Music Skill +1

;)

This is the sort of thing I was expecting when I read this thread. :D

This is the stuff that's running around my head :o

[berserker]

3rd Monitor: Geek Cred +5


How can I install 3rd monitor? I want to pimp that Geek Cred stat up :D

[Artinum]

How can I install 3rd monitor? I want to pimp that Geek Cred stat up :D

Do you get further bonuses for a fourth?

[PoV]

How can I install 3rd monitor? I want to pimp that Geek Cred stat up :D
:D. Either with a 2nd PCI Express video card (i.e. you're running a mobo that does SLI), or with a plain old PCI video card (yes, they can still be bought). If you can avoid mixing manufacturers (ATI/NVidia) it makes things easier.

A variant of this is with a program like Synergy (http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/) or Win2VNC (http://fredrik.hubbe.net/win2vnc.html). There's cred bonuses for having different OS and CPU architectures all running of a singe mouse/keyboard pair. ;)

Do you get further bonuses for a fourth?
Yes, but it's only +2 per additional monitor over 3, since if you have 3, you're already crazy (hidden stat, Crazy +5). 4 or more is only a fraction more geeky, but high crazy (+6). :D