Don't mess with RPG's

Cross-posted on gamasutra.com

So, based on the great responses from the last article over at gamasutra, people care a lot about RPGs. I've always known this, but the response really drove it home for me. The most important lesson I learned is this:

We all have our own personal definition of what is and isn't an RPG.

Rebooting the RPG

Cross-posted on gamasutra.com

In the Beginning

Many indie game developers start with RPG’s, and thirteen years ago, I was no exception.  With hundreds of hours of classic RPG playing experience and RPG Toolkit 2.0 freshly installed on my Compaq Presario, I sat down to create my answer to Final Fantasy.

Months later, after I’d made a game that not even my mom pretended to like, I went online to ask experienced developers for advice. I'll never forget what they said:

"Forget RPG's and start with PONG."