Game Design, Programming and running a one-man games business…

Humour?

cliffski

I had no power for a while today (electrician doing much needed work on the 18th century museum we call a fuse box). As a result, I ended up trying to work with just a laptop on batteries and no web access. That meant time spent coming up with damage descriptions for modules as part of the campaign game.

I have decided to try and make them slightly silly sounding, a bit like the module descriptions or comms chatter. I have words that amuse me, by making me think of the Star Destroyers from Star Wars, but designed by wallace from Wallace and gromit. It’s not a huge leap. I can imagine wallace asking chewie to hand him the ‘hydrospanners’.

So the damage descriptions often mention the ‘primary flux sprockets’ or the ‘fusion inhibitor flaps’, and other things that blend trek-like technobabble with wallace and gromit style silly-tech.

I am aware that a lot of reviews quite like what I guess must be my sense of humour. I am not sure what the majority of actual gamers think. I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of GSB players are 14-18 year old boys who love space battles, and thats awesome, I was that boy. I have a cupboard full of action figures to prove it. I took star wars pretty seriously. It was totally the most awesome film ever and ewoks were not teddy bears and leias hair was just FINE and not at all silly.

To my mind, the best example OF ALL TIME of perfection in the balancing act of being funny to 30+ adults and cool and exciting to under 16 kids was the original Batman TV series. Watch it as an adult and its a hilarious parody of how kids view crime fighting. Watch it as a kid and Batman ROCKS and is AWESOME.

Holy Scriptwriting!

15 thoughts on Humour?

  1. I think I’m in the minority. Although I like your humour, I don’t like it in the context of GSB. If I could turn off the comms chatter – or serious it up – I’d be happier.

  2. I may be wrong, but I think your target audience is probably older than you think.

    I’d rather have the chatter and whatever other descriptions veer into ridiculous than pretend-realistic. I love Anachronox and Startopia. Both are sci-fi games that don’t take themselves too seriously. Same goes for GSB.

    OT: When can we expect some work done on module and hull balancing? Right now, there are a number of hulls and modules that are inferior to others.

  3. I think its just right :)

    While it would be nice to have the option to turn off the comms chatter, it is worth reading once an awhile because it gives some useful information (ie weapons on your ship are unable to penetrate the enemies armour.)

    As for the current description of the modules, IMO they suit the overall nature of GSB and they do make me laugh now and then.

  4. Happy with the technobabble so long as the balancing and ACTUAL game mechanics make ‘game sense’ and provide interesting challenges.

    That seems to be the mix you are trying to achieve, and i am happy with that.

  5. Well, I love that type humor suttle humor hidden in the words. Over, even if I practice english daily since 10 years, and feel very confortable with that language, I have noticed a few times that some play on words just pass high over my head… I need to be extra carefull, or I usually think “well, that’s just an other word that I don’t know yet. No need to bother”.
    And that’s a shame !

    But I still manage to get some however. That for my side, that’s worth the effort.

  6. I personally like the humour in the chatter, but maybe that’s because I’m also British.

    Perhaps species specific chatter would make difference?

  7. [quote]Perhaps species specific chatter would make difference?[/quote]

    I would love to see this implemented.

  8. No really…. I love a touch of mad humor with all the fun! To me that is one of the best parts of GSB! It is a great game and yet at the same time is allowed to “laugh” at itself as it were.
    As for your target audience…. I am almost 40 and I play this game on a regular basis. Though I have to confess I work nights in a locked psychiatric unit so I may not be typical in a lot of ways……
    Keep up the good work with GSB, it keeps me sane.

  9. The old Batman TV series had at least one movie offshot. Its beginning is the most amusing I ever saw. First Robin nearly drowns Batman who is hanging from an helicopter (Batcopter?) on a rope ladder. Then a shark attacks Batman so he asks Robin for the anti shark spray! LOL!!!

  11. I think the 14-18 year olds are all playing modern warfare 2… the reason I like GSB is because it fits into the ‘coffee-break’ style of game without being one of those annoying flash apps. I have 2 kids and a wife that likes when I spend time with “the 3 dimensional people,” so my gaming time is spent more with games that can take 5 minutes, rather than the sweeping epics and all-consuming shooters.

  12. Cliff keep up the good work. The humour fits the game.

    I just wish for more trekker style quotes – pity we can’t have Shatner delivering ‘Khan!!!!!’ type voice overs. :D

  14. Count me in with the people saying that you’re off in assuming that a significant portion of your audience is that young. Remember that the average age of the US gamer is 35, and I’m willing to bet that number is pretty consistent around the world (if not higher elsewhere). Only something like 25% of the people who play video games are actually under 18.

    I wish there was some better data on demographics of video game vs. computer game players, but I bet PC games are even more skewed towards an older demographic, with PC strategy games in particular attracting an even older audience. I don’t doubt that there are plenty of kids playing GSB, but I bet the majority of your players are in their 20s and 30s at the very least.

    Like it or not, GSB just doesn’t seem like the kind of game that would attract either the casual crowd or the Modern Warfare 2 crowd.

  15. Wow. I have never actually thought of Batman that way. I have been under the impression that it was just a horrible, hilarious show that I used to love as a kid for some reason (silly me right?). Now it actually makes sense and I have to go find some episodes to watch.

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