To say a bit more about the 400 project: For years, this has been an idea stated on a web site plus a few rules in Game Developer Magazine, but with the March 16th update, the 400 project has turned into a valuable resource with the current rules master list.
112 so far, not 400 (which according to Noah Falstein is a random number anyway).
I think it is not as much a list of 112 things that you have to apply to every game in the world (give or take a few conditions for which rules trump which), as it is a list that can inspire any given game design. A few examples:
| 3 | Maintain Level of Abstraction | Immersion is easily disturbed — don’t make the player re-calibrate his “suspension of disbelief” and lose touch with your game | Psych | Hal Barwood |
| 108 | Provide Score Feedback | In a game where score is important, provide direct audio and visual feedback every time the score changes – like a sound and floating numbers. | Feedback | Steve Meretzky |
Of course, you knew perfectly well to maintain the level of abstraction and to provide score feedback. But did you really do this in your current game? I think the list is for that type of realization.
Not entirely on topic, but I thought I’d suggest adding Clint Hocking’s “Click Nothing” (of Ubisoft) blog to your extensive list on the right side of your site.
As for the 400 Project, I think it’s en extremely important endeavour… if only as a self-teaching or plain old teaching tool. Where I was taught anything about “Game Design” in my classes, this would’ve been a nice addition to the course material.
Of course, I had to find it myself during those classes… but it wasn’t nearly as big as it is now (number of entries).
I’ve always been a bit skeptical about the 400, but reading through, there’s definately lots of good advice. I love that there are meta-rules about not taking anything to extremes, and using common sense to apply the rules, as they address my main fear of the 400.
Good stuff!