Game Building
Interests
I'm not that big on board games. Being an only child, I was unable to play two-player games, so I never developed an enjoyment of them. However, I discovered Carcassone a few years ago and have really enjoyed playing it with my sons.
I also discovered solo wargames like Avalon Hill's Ambush. Here was something I could play by myself!
More recently, I have developed an interest in "print and play" games. I enjoy taking an existing game, downloaded from a site like Boardgamegeek.com, then modifying the game. I usually make new graphics and rewrite the rules. It may be a simple matter of re-formatting them, or I may make changes. I also enjoy programming a special "game aid" that will help keep track of the statistics in the game and make choices that would otherwise require dice rolls or card draws.
Systems used to create modern games are constantly being developed. Many of them come from Japan, where a dedicated fan base has embraced software with a Manga comic feel. I have recently become interested in the RPG Maker series of software applications. RPG Maker provides almost unlimited potential to make role playing games and a Java based programming language interpreter is included to allow custom plugins and extensions. You will find a sample game I created with RPG Maker MV in the downloads section of this website.
From the same company, a program called Visual Novel Maker has been released. It allows the creation of text and graphic based stories with the ability to create branching plotlines based on user choices during the game. It's unique (at least to me) and I am experimenting with it as an alternative to writing short stories.
My Night Shift project. Board, counters and app to aid in playing the game
I make my own Meeples by casting them in resin
Screen shot of game programming. I use Delphi, a visual Pascal programming language
One of the build screens in RPG Maker MV. This one shows one of my "Shipwrecked on Plunder Island" maps.