Hi there, I’m Ian J Travis and I’ve decided to start a game design blog, with a particular focus on combat design. Since I was child games have always been my medium of choice for art, entertainment, and exploring my personal self-expression. All of my favorite stories and music comes from video games, but what makes this medium special to me is that ludic aspect, the gameplay itself. Good game design can tell story and make a kind of music all on its own. When game design really sings, the play itself becomes the experience – it works in harmony with all the other art and technology that goes into videos games as the linchpin, to create a cohesive experience.
The goal of this site is to put my own ideas about game design and combat design out into the blogosphere, and maybe grow as a designer along the way. I want to make systems of interaction that are so instantly inviting that the players who engage with them want to get absolute best out of the experience. I’ll be looking at games I’ve played to try and discover what they do right, what they do wrong, and how it all fits into a greater game design context. I’ll be breaking down individual player actions, entire boss fights, and broader concepts – the works. I’ve wanted to formally put down my thoughts on game design like this for a long time. I hope you have some fun reading and learning with me.
Parry Everything 