Author Archives: lankoski

I came across an essay Dice rolling mechanisms in RPGs (pdf, html) by Torben Mogensen at John Kim’s RPG System Design Page. The essay discuss about calculating probabilities and qualities of some method. There are also some discussion about other randomizing methods like cards and an example of how to use probability formulas in gameContinue reading ““Dice-rolling mechanisms in RPGs” by Mogensen”

I will be speaking about role-playing theory (with Satu Heliö) and character driven role-plying game design at Tracon II, 28th October, Tampere (Tracon is table-top and live-action role-playing game con). Character driven role-playing game design presentation draws heavily on PhD research. The goal is to present some design aspects in very practical and understandable form.

I got some new books. Game Writing Narrative Skills for Videogames is one of them. I have just browsed it throught, but I desided to comment one thing that I noticed. In Chapter 1: Introduction to game narrative Richard Dansky writes: Immersion is arguably the ultimate goal of videogames. Immersion is making players forget thatContinue reading ““Game Writing: Narrative Skills for Videogames” by Bateman (ed.)”

Some notes on Play and Its Role in the Mental Development of the Child by Vygotsky: Defining (child’s) play through pleasure is not correct for two reasons. 1) there are activities that gives much direct experience of pleasure than play, and 2) there are games that do not afford pleasure or that are often accompaniedContinue reading “Play and Its Role in the Mental Development of the Child (Vygotsky)”

Some Vygotsky to read: Play and its role in the Mental Development of the Child About games, play, pleasure, rules. The Psychology of Art At least Chapter 8 – The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark seems interesting in relation to character playing in RPGs.

I stumbled across Tobias Wrigstad’s blog, where he discusses freeforming, railroading and the players’ freedom. He makes good points about the nature of railroading, freeforming and the role of limitations. However, I find following claim rather curious: “In a generic, ‘tabula rasa’ freeform adventure there are no limitations”. Even without predefined structures like characters thereContinue reading “Freeform, Jeepform, and Limitations”

I managed, at last, to take time to read Wittgenstein’s Philosophical investigations. Wittgenstein argues: For a large class of cases — though not for all-in which we employ the word “meaning” it can be defined thus: the meaning of a word is its use in the language. And meaning of a name is sometimes explainedContinue reading “Games and Philosophical Investigations”

Jane McGonigal is posting her PhD thesis This Might Be a Game: Ubiquitous Play and Performance at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century chapters in her web site.

Nokia Games Day 2006 presentations yesterday got me thinking about pervasive games, the subject of my research in previous job. Markus Montola (2005) has presented that pervasive games can be distinguished from traditional games by using notions of spatial, temporal, and social expansions. Idea is that “regular game is played in certain place at certainContinue reading “Magic circle and pervasive games”

Anima Mundi: Dark Alchemist (Hirameki International Group Inc. 2006) is a Japanese gothic horror game targeted to girls, or to be more exact, interactive visual novel giving a player change to influence how the events progress. It is very similar to Fighting Fantasy game books published in 80’s. In the beginning choices offered to aContinue reading “Anima Mundi: Dark Alchemist”