Comments on: Game Developer Column 5: Sid’s Rules

By: jkp

jkp — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:15:51 +0000

@DW: The quote is correct as written. Sid was making the point that in Covert Action, there are two great games (solving the mystery, and various action sequences,) but they don’t integrate well and kind of compete with each other for the player’s attention. As a result, the game as a whole suffers serious drawbacks.

By: Bilgem

Bilgem — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:57:54 +0000

Hi Soren, I found your blog today. Being a huge Sid Meier fan from the days of Commodore 64 version of the Pirates!, this post was very interesting for me. I especially found the “half or double” and “one good game is better than two great games” very interesting and new. As an aspiring indie game developer, I find the points made here very educational. I will be following your blog and thank you for this insightful article.

By: Industry Broadcast - Bringing the Greatest Articles from the Video Game Industry on Game Design, Game Programming, Team Management, and much more to your ears

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 06:52:29 +0000

[...] “Sid’s Rules” – Original [...]

By: Innovation [2009-05-18] « PEG

Innovation [2009-05-18] « PEG — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:29:30 +0000

[...] Sid’s Rules [Designer Notes] Sid Meier has made some of the most successful computer games ever. Here are some of the priciples he works by. [...]

By: Design Corner #12 – The Blogs at HowStuffWorks

Design Corner #12 – The Blogs at HowStuffWorks — Mon, 11 May 2009 20:02:25 +0000

[...] Game Developer Column 5: Sid’s Rules and 10 Game Design Process [...]

By: Sunday Supplement: “Videogames are wish fulfillment power fantasies” | Kotaku Australia

Sat, 09 May 2009 22:01:10 +0000

[...] Notes: Game Developer Column 5: Sid’s Rules Maxis designer Soren Johnson discusses the five rules he’s learned from working with another [...]

By: Jacques Chester

Jacques Chester — Sat, 09 May 2009 07:40:35 +0000

“Double it or cut it by half”.

Or as it’s otherwise known, binary search.

By: guile

guile — Sat, 09 May 2009 01:13:09 +0000

I disagree. Though there is more detail now, greater elaboration of certain aspects of the game, and more variation in maximizing certain factors as a route to victory, the city selection, build order, tech tree climb, warfighting, end game, whole game experience are only incrementally different from I to IV. Madden was hyperbole, but to stay with it, it would more like if in different versions a field goal became worth 4 points, a 2 point conversion was added, pass interference became a 10 yard penalty, and getting a 28 point lead gave you an automatic win.

By: kras

kras — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:50:52 +0000

@guile : The Madden games typically tweak stats and textures every year, which has no real impact on gameplay. The changes in the Civ series, however, have huge impacts on gameplay. They fundamentally alter the game so that it can not be played in the same way. Civ is constrained to being a turn-based strategy game about world history, so sequels must have some similarities. Even so, the changes in combat and maintenance over the years would be equivalent to a Madden game allowing two footballs to be in play at the same time. It’s a big change.

By: guile

guile — Fri, 08 May 2009 14:15:55 +0000

“Double or cut by half” This is ironic since on a macro level he’s up there with Madden for making the same game over and over again. I know Sid doesn’t personally = Civ, but over the course of almost 20 years, 4 iterations, and multiple add-ons, Civ has added, let’s see, culture, civics, religion, and moved espionage from a unit to a menu activity. Civics are just an elaboration of the government type option, culture and religion are really external proxies for your internal development that happens anyway (temples, libraries etc). These are all good and worthwhile additions, but comparing the 2009 version to the original early 1990’s game I don’t think you could call the iteration anything but incremental.