Troll Doll Source Control

Posted by Rampant Coyote on June 22, 2011

For those unfamiliar with it, source control is – at its most basic level – a system for archiving and managing updates to the source code for software. It’s particularly useful when you have multiple people working on the software, and you’d like to make sure that they don’t accidentally and irrevocably step on each […]

Filed Under: Biz, Production - Comments: 11 Comments to Read

Why Dungeons?

Posted by Rampant Coyote on June 17, 2011

“Dungeons” – underground or otherwise deeply confined environments – are a staple of fantasy CRPGs. Of course, the dungeons we explore in fantasy RPGs bear little resemblance to real-world dungeons, but we’ve managed to broaden the term quite a bit. But why do we keep going back? We’ve been exploring dungeons for something like forty […]

Filed Under: Design - Comments: 15 Comments to Read

Action RPG? Big Whoop.

Posted by Rampant Coyote on June 14, 2011

Craig Stern of Sinister Design (Telepath RPG) has now weighed in on the interview that pissed off so many of us with Matt Findley of InXile Entertainment. Craig Stern: “So You Created an Action RPG. Stop Congratulating Yourself.” I’ve said my piece, but I’ll just add my agreement to what Craig’s saying here. Look – […]

Filed Under: Biz, Design - Comments: 6 Comments to Read

An Indie Handheld Console?

Posted by Rampant Coyote on June 10, 2011

This may be just a pipe dream. Many folks are slowly becoming convinced it’s not just a joke, certain comments in the advertising and “Bob’s Game” ARG funkiness notwithstanding, but I guess that’s always a possibility. It may never be anything more than vaporware.  But they claim they have prototypes. What it is, at least […]

Filed Under: Game Development, Indie Evangelism - Comments: 14 Comments to Read

Ultima VI Technical Documents Online

Posted by Rampant Coyote on

Here is some of the internal documentation used for the development of Ultima VI… Ultima VI Technical Documents at Ultima Aiera These pages include details on the conversation scripting and the data format for the world editor. If you are the kind of person who likes to get “under the hood” of favorite games, these […]

Filed Under: Programming, Retro - Comments: 3 Comments to Read

Inaria Post-Mortem

Posted by Rampant Coyote on June 7, 2011

We joked at SingleTrac that Post-Mortems should actually be called “Postpartums,” as you’ve just given birth to something pretty major. Anthony Salter of Viridian Games has posted a post-mortem for his recently-released RPG, Inaria. I disagree with his first point, but then it’s something he’d know more about that me.  I don’t know that the […]

Filed Under: Game Development, Indie Evangelism - Comments: 2 Comments to Read

Game Art: Wow, it’s a… dead bird.

Posted by Rampant Coyote on May 30, 2011

This isn’t really a Frayed Knights update so much as a sharing of what I’ve been doing, because what I’m doing tends to be so all-consuming it’s hard to come up with other ideas for posts. BTW, do you have a guest post you wanna write? Please feel free! Anyway, the stage of development right […]

Filed Under: Art - Comments: 12 Comments to Read

Tips For Part-Time Indies

Posted by Rampant Coyote on May 17, 2011

So here’s an article for those who want to make games as indies, but are somewhat addicted to things like eating and can’t yet quit the day job: “Indie and a Day Job: Making It Work” at Gamasutra He’s got some great suggestions here, to which I’d like to add a few of my own: […]

Filed Under: Game Development, Programming - Comments: 12 Comments to Read

Attrition and Resource Management in RPGs

Posted by Rampant Coyote on May 12, 2011

Okay, this is a topic that will probably make a lot of action gamers and casual gamers immediately start snoring. Actually, it may make a lot of people start snoring. But here I go throwing caution to the wind and talk about it anyway. It’s something I’ve touched on before, but I thought I’d elaborate […]

Filed Under: Design - Comments: 15 Comments to Read

Because Sometimes Convention Just Works

Posted by Rampant Coyote on May 10, 2011

A friend sent me a link to this article by a writer on the indie turn-based strategy game Battle for Wesnoth about – well, about why originality in story is often overrated: The Uses of Cliché The author states: “One of the most important lessons I’ve learned, and now teach others, is this: genre cliches […]

Filed Under: Design, Strategy Games - Comments: 7 Comments to Read

Guest Post: In Search of Sub-Creation

Posted by Rampant Coyote on May 9, 2011

And now time for a guest post – this time from Anthony Salter, AKA GameDevDad, of Viridian Games. He’s currently finishing up work on the upcoming indie RPG Inaria, which will hopefully see release very soon now. I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did. It speaks to the kind of detail […]

Filed Under: Design, Guest Posts - Comments: 18 Comments to Read

Design: Game Balance is Overrated

Posted by Rampant Coyote on May 5, 2011

I swear I’m not writing this article to justify any laziness on my part in balancing Frayed Knights. Honest! But I sometimes think that of the failings of modern RPGs to capture some of the magic of older games (and face it: as a jaded gamer who’s been playing CRPGs for decades now, it’s always […]

Filed Under: Design - Comments: 21 Comments to Read

The Story Behind “The Rainstorm”

Posted by Rampant Coyote on April 28, 2011

Today’s guest post comes from fellow Utah indie J. Alan Atherton. I’m fond of this particular story as it involves one indie’s crusade to actually ship a title. And he did. Plus, this post comes with a new game you can play! What’s not to like? So here’s Alan: The story behind how a game […]

Filed Under: Game Development, Guest Posts, Indie Evangelism - Comments: 8 Comments to Read

Guest Post: Lessons I Learned While Working at Bioware

Posted by Rampant Coyote on April 26, 2011

The Rampant One is off running rampant in New Orleans, and while I’m away, the community gets to play. Actually, they can play any time they want – I love to add extra voices here to Tales of the Rampant Coyote. Today’s post is a wonderful bit of insight from a man who’s been in […]

Filed Under: Biz, Game Development, Guest Posts - Comments: 25 Comments to Read

Scars of War Development On Hiatus

Posted by Rampant Coyote on April 22, 2011

Gareth hinted that this might be coming for some time, but now it’s official… Gareth Fouche Going Full-Time Indie, Pausing Development of Scars of War It’s disappointing that Scars of War is going to be further delayed. And, let’s be honest here, there’s a very definite chance we won’t see it at all.  But, by […]

Filed Under: Game Development - Comments: 6 Comments to Read

How to Start an Adventure

Posted by Rampant Coyote on April 19, 2011

Back in the heyday of dice-and-paper Dungeons & Dragons, it became somewhat cliché for adventuring parties to begin their big adventure together in a tavern.  It was easy for the Dungeon Master to set up – some bold adventuresome sorts are lifting a pint and being more sociable with strangers than one would expect in […]

Filed Under: Design - Comments: 25 Comments to Read



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