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One thing always has and I suppose always will puzzle me about games. It isn't the prospect of being able to create a seemingly real universe, as in GTA, and stick it onto a circular piece of plastic, even though at times this is also a bit of a mystery. It isn't even the fact that consoles can fail miserably for no apparent reason, leaving hundreds of owners without new games, as in the Dreamcast. And it isn't even why anticipated games tend to disappoint beyond belief, this example being Metal Gear Solid 2. The real thing that has always amazed me is something much simpler than these three examples...
What I am about to say might appear silly to some, and less so to others, but it is without a doubt a question that I don't think anyone can answer correctly,
"How do developers manage to come up with names for the different areas and environments that occupy their games?"
The real thing that prompted me to ask this question was when I was using the Neverwiner Nights toolset. Actually using the toolset and creating your own conversations, journals and areas complete with all the elements of an involving game is the easy bit. The real thing that is going to be a tough challenge is coming up with a name for your newly manufactured module or area that doesn't sound totally stupid or naff. I finished my module about 3 days ago and I still haven't thought up a decent name.
So how do developers manage to come up with such amazing names?
Do they write random things down on little pieces of paper like "Fern", "Sunrise" or other simple words such as these, pull two of them out of a hat and piece them together? This method has been repeatedly suggested by gaming magazines, but surely this is a stupid way of doing it? I mean, you could end up with a city being called "Tree Moon" or some other ridiculous attempt at a title.
And what about character names? How do they think those up?
Surely in a fantasy RPG, or something like that, the creators would spend more time trying to think up names than creating the atual game itself?
This is a mystery that I fear can never be solved...but if you can, you are a genious.
What I am about to say might appear silly to some, and less so to others, but it is without a doubt a question that I don't think anyone can answer correctly,
"How do developers manage to come up with names for the different areas and environments that occupy their games?"
The real thing that prompted me to ask this question was when I was using the Neverwiner Nights toolset. Actually using the toolset and creating your own conversations, journals and areas complete with all the elements of an involving game is the easy bit. The real thing that is going to be a tough challenge is coming up with a name for your newly manufactured module or area that doesn't sound totally stupid or naff. I finished my module about 3 days ago and I still haven't thought up a decent name.
So how do developers manage to come up with such amazing names?
Do they write random things down on little pieces of paper like "Fern", "Sunrise" or other simple words such as these, pull two of them out of a hat and piece them together? This method has been repeatedly suggested by gaming magazines, but surely this is a stupid way of doing it? I mean, you could end up with a city being called "Tree Moon" or some other ridiculous attempt at a title.
And what about character names? How do they think those up?
Surely in a fantasy RPG, or something like that, the creators would spend more time trying to think up names than creating the atual game itself?
This is a mystery that I fear can never be solved...but if you can, you are a genious.
They have people specially trained to do this and creat more by cloning.
One thing always has and I suppose always will puzzle me about games. It isn't the prospect of being able to create a seemingly real universe, as in GTA, and stick it onto a circular piece of plastic, even though at times this is also a bit of a mystery. It isn't even the fact that consoles can fail miserably for no apparent reason, leaving hundreds of owners without new games, as in the Dreamcast. And it isn't even why anticipated games tend to disappoint beyond belief, this example being Metal Gear Solid 2. The real thing that has always amazed me is something much simpler than these three examples...
What I am about to say might appear silly to some, and less so to others, but it is without a doubt a question that I don't think anyone can answer correctly,
"How do developers manage to come up with names for the different areas and environments that occupy their games?"
The real thing that prompted me to ask this question was when I was using the Neverwiner Nights toolset. Actually using the toolset and creating your own conversations, journals and areas complete with all the elements of an involving game is the easy bit. The real thing that is going to be a tough challenge is coming up with a name for your newly manufactured module or area that doesn't sound totally stupid or naff. I finished my module about 3 days ago and I still haven't thought up a decent name.
So how do developers manage to come up with such amazing names?
Do they write random things down on little pieces of paper like "Fern", "Sunrise" or other simple words such as these, pull two of them out of a hat and piece them together? This method has been repeatedly suggested by gaming magazines, but surely this is a stupid way of doing it? I mean, you could end up with a city being called "Tree Moon" or some other ridiculous attempt at a title.
And what about character names? How do they think those up?
Surely in a fantasy RPG, or something like that, the creators would spend more time trying to think up names than creating the atual game itself?
This is a mystery that I fear can never be solved...but if you can, you are a genious.
What I am about to say might appear silly to some, and less so to others, but it is without a doubt a question that I don't think anyone can answer correctly,
"How do developers manage to come up with names for the different areas and environments that occupy their games?"
The real thing that prompted me to ask this question was when I was using the Neverwiner Nights toolset. Actually using the toolset and creating your own conversations, journals and areas complete with all the elements of an involving game is the easy bit. The real thing that is going to be a tough challenge is coming up with a name for your newly manufactured module or area that doesn't sound totally stupid or naff. I finished my module about 3 days ago and I still haven't thought up a decent name.
So how do developers manage to come up with such amazing names?
Do they write random things down on little pieces of paper like "Fern", "Sunrise" or other simple words such as these, pull two of them out of a hat and piece them together? This method has been repeatedly suggested by gaming magazines, but surely this is a stupid way of doing it? I mean, you could end up with a city being called "Tree Moon" or some other ridiculous attempt at a title.
And what about character names? How do they think those up?
Surely in a fantasy RPG, or something like that, the creators would spend more time trying to think up names than creating the atual game itself?
This is a mystery that I fear can never be solved...but if you can, you are a genious.