Damion Schubert: Sweet Vindication

We’re big fans of Damion Schubert.

He is of course the Princple Lead Systems Designer on Star Wars: The Old Republic, and happens to have more than a decade of game design and development experience under his belt. Given all of that, he pens a great regular column in Game Developer Magazine entitled Design Of The Times that we like to cover, even though it’s not directly related to TOR.

In this issue, his column subject is “Sweet Vindication.” Damion talks about the various ways that designers can provide player engagement by awarding them little moments of vindication during the play experience:

Few moments in gaming are more powerful than that moment in which you completely own something that previously flummoxed you. Fortunately for us designers, there is a feeling that we can manipulate and inspire.

Schubert goes on to explain that these moments can happen naturally by development of player skill, or can be created through the awarding of gear or abilities, or even simply the pace of gameplay:

This feeling can be manufactured. Progression in action games like Dante’s Inferno or God Of War is more based on stats that skill, as the player’s capabilities are increased by the unlocking of more powerful oves and weapons that make them feel more godlike.

If you’re interested in taking a peek behind the curtain of the creation of video games, Game Developer Magazine is a good place to do it. You can subscribe or buy each monthly issue digitally here, or check your local newsstand or bookstore for a copy.