Difference between revisions of "Philosophy"

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(just starting a design philosophy page.)
 
(more stuff addded in messily)
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There are a lot of cool features that could be included in a 4X space strategy game.  However they can't all exist in the same game, and an attempt to cram everything into one game would end up producing something unplayable. The FreeOrion Project is an attempt to create ''one'' particular 4X game out of the myriad possible 4X games.  One of the tools we use to guide development in the right general direction is the design philosophy.  That doesn't mean we think all good 4X games can only be built with this philosophy, but simply that this philosophy can lead to a good game.
 
There are a lot of cool features that could be included in a 4X space strategy game.  However they can't all exist in the same game, and an attempt to cram everything into one game would end up producing something unplayable. The FreeOrion Project is an attempt to create ''one'' particular 4X game out of the myriad possible 4X games.  One of the tools we use to guide development in the right general direction is the design philosophy.  That doesn't mean we think all good 4X games can only be built with this philosophy, but simply that this philosophy can lead to a good game.
  
FreeOrion's design philosophy is made up of two main parts:  KISS, and an ambivalence to realism.
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You don't necessarily have to embrace this philosophy to contribute to FreeOrion, but you do need to understand it, and make proposals which are congruent with the philosophy, otherwise your time with will be frustrating and unproductive.  Every few months someone new will come to the forums and write long, elaborate posts in support of some new feature.  Sometimes the ideas are good in theory, but they simply don't work as part of ''this'' game.
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====Realism====
 
====Realism====
http://www.freeorion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9652#p9652
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Often new contributors will make the argument that FreeOrion should work a certain way because that's the way things ''really'' work.  That would be a valid point if we were trying to make a simulation, but we're not.  We're trying to make a relatively simple, yet deep strategy game.  Weather something violates the laws of the universe or not doesn't matter.
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We do want to make things as easy to figure out i.e. "intuitive", which means avoiding unnecessarily shattering the player's expectations.  But the decades of sci-fi games and media have left a significant divide between what is probably possible, and the way the average player expects things to work in a game like this.
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* [http://www.freeorion.org/forum/viewtopic.php?p=9652#p9652 A longer explanation of realism in FO]
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====K.I.S.S.====
 
====K.I.S.S.====
 
Is an acronym meaning "'''K'''eep '''I'''t '''S'''imple, '''S'''tupid"
 
Is an acronym meaning "'''K'''eep '''I'''t '''S'''imple, '''S'''tupid"
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=====Related ideas=====
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* you should be able to explain the basic rules to a reasonably clever child without difficulty
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* making something operate in a really complicated way and then hiding it from the player or letting an AI manage it != KISS
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* an idea that adds any complexity needs to be weighed against the increase in strategic depth, or fun gameplay
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* When in doubt, choose the simplest possible solution. More details and rules can be more easily added than they can be subtracted.
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* The real world could be used to explain an idea, but never to justify an idea
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====Avoiding Micromanagment====
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* micromanagement = evil
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* The player should spend his time making interesting and significant decisions: i.e. not making slight tweaks to a huge number of variables.

Revision as of 21:59, 29 January 2009

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

When this is all tidied up and approved, a link from the main page can be added. Until then i doubt anyone will stumble apon it by accident, but if you do, be forewarned that this is a work in progress.


Design Philosophy

There are a lot of cool features that could be included in a 4X space strategy game. However they can't all exist in the same game, and an attempt to cram everything into one game would end up producing something unplayable. The FreeOrion Project is an attempt to create one particular 4X game out of the myriad possible 4X games. One of the tools we use to guide development in the right general direction is the design philosophy. That doesn't mean we think all good 4X games can only be built with this philosophy, but simply that this philosophy can lead to a good game.

You don't necessarily have to embrace this philosophy to contribute to FreeOrion, but you do need to understand it, and make proposals which are congruent with the philosophy, otherwise your time with will be frustrating and unproductive. Every few months someone new will come to the forums and write long, elaborate posts in support of some new feature. Sometimes the ideas are good in theory, but they simply don't work as part of this game.


Realism

Often new contributors will make the argument that FreeOrion should work a certain way because that's the way things really work. That would be a valid point if we were trying to make a simulation, but we're not. We're trying to make a relatively simple, yet deep strategy game. Weather something violates the laws of the universe or not doesn't matter.

We do want to make things as easy to figure out i.e. "intuitive", which means avoiding unnecessarily shattering the player's expectations. But the decades of sci-fi games and media have left a significant divide between what is probably possible, and the way the average player expects things to work in a game like this.


K.I.S.S.

Is an acronym meaning "Keep It Simple, Stupid"

Related ideas
  • you should be able to explain the basic rules to a reasonably clever child without difficulty
  • making something operate in a really complicated way and then hiding it from the player or letting an AI manage it != KISS
  • an idea that adds any complexity needs to be weighed against the increase in strategic depth, or fun gameplay
  • When in doubt, choose the simplest possible solution. More details and rules can be more easily added than they can be subtracted.
  • The real world could be used to explain an idea, but never to justify an idea


Avoiding Micromanagment

  • micromanagement = evil
  • The player should spend his time making interesting and significant decisions: i.e. not making slight tweaks to a huge number of variables.