pursuing elegance

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage – to move in the opposite direction.

E.F.Schumacher, 1973

Pursuing EleganceSimplicity, Complexity and the Creative Process

Joel BurgessBethesda Game Studios

simplicity.

simplicity.

“The poor architect succumbs to every temptation and the

good one resists it.”

Ludwig Wittgenstein

Developers are Problem-Solvers

●Long-term Appeal of Development●Solving Imaginary Problems●Pride in Hard Work and Cleverness●…both of which are largely irrelevant

(a somewhat large videogame)

●Full Scale Production: < 3 years●Team Size: 90+ Developers●Outsourcing: Limited●Level Design: 300+ Locations / 8 LDs●Hit Ship Date – No Delays

Studio Culture“We can do anything, but we

can’t do everything.”●Ambition●Compromise●Everyone Is Accountable

Be Of Two Minds

The Idealist

• Ambitious Ideas• The “Right

Way”• Fears Not Scope

The Realist

Time Conscious ŸPerspective Ÿ

Expedient Ÿ

in practice.

in practice.

Loopback Layouts

1-way drop

u“Boss”

Entrance/Exit

“Boss”u1-way drop

Exit

Entrance

Unexpected CircumstancesI go whereI please.

Asking “So What?”

●Usually the more Ideal Solution● Greater Player Expression

●Doing Nothing is Efficient● Easier than any alternative 100% of the time

Better Experience!

Less Work!

Radiant Story

●Broad Data Awareness●Semi-Procedural Experiences

The Radiant Assassin

●Successful Use of Story System●Appears If:

● Player Level >= 10● Player is not Dark Brotherhood Member

PossibilitySpace

An Assassin was sent to

kill me!

AuthoredStory

MistakenIdentity

Revenge

Political Romance

?

?

?

?

?

?

??

?

?

The JarlPurchased

The Contract

The Headless Horseman

Body Slot

Head Slot

Hair Slot

Ears Slot

Circlet Slot

15-Minute Proofs

●Explore Risky Ideas●Save Time in Long Run●Especially Useful w/Multiple Fixes

scripting.

scripting.

●Bug Report:● Player cannot mine ore w/unique pickaxe

bool function playerHasTools()if Game.GetPlayer().GetItemCount(pickaxe01) > 0

; player has a pickaxe. Return true. return TRUE

Else; player has no pickaxe. Return false.

return FALSEendIf

endFunction

if Game.GetPlayer().GetItemCount(pickaxe01) > 0

if Game.GetPlayer().GetItemCount(pickaxe01) > 0OR

Game.GetPlayer().GetItemCount(pickaxe02) > 0

if Game.GetPlayer().GetItemCount(pickaxe01) > 0OR

Game.GetPlayer().GetItemCount(pickaxe02) > 0OR

Game.GetPlayer().GetItemCount(pickaxe03) > 0

bool function playerHasTools()if Game.GetPlayer().GetItemCount(mineOreToolsList) > 0

; player has an item in tools list. Return true. return TRUE

Else; player has no items in tools list. Return false.

return FALSEendIf

endFunction

Barred Doors

Toggle bar

This door is barred from

the other side.

You must raise the

bar to open this door.

This door is barred from

the other side.

if barred == true && actor == game.getPlayer()if actor.getDistance(Door) < actor.getDistance(LockBar)

; I cannot be opened from this side! barredMSG.show()

else; player must be on the "right" sideUnlockMeMSG.show()

endif

Scripting Literacy

●60+ Years of Shared Knowledge●Readable Code is Good Code●Logical Design is Universal

●Designers & Coders – Unite!

complexity.

complexity.

Occam’s Razor

ComplexSimple

RobustSimple ComplexDirect

Critters

Critter Feature Set

●Limited Environmental Awareness●Procedural Movement●Interactive (Damage/Collection)

Considering The Alternative

Fully ScriptedVs

Canned Art

Justifying Critter Complexity

●Pioneer Test of Scripting System●Richer Player Experience●Repetition Of System

● Player Experience● Workflow

Programmer

Designer

Artist

Artist

Artist

Programmer

Designer

Artist

Artist

Artist

Designer

Designer

Designer

Designer

Artist

Artist

Artist

Artist

Artist

Artist

Artist

Artist

Designer

Designer

Designer

Designer

Artist

Artist

Artist

Artist

Artist

ArtistIm

ple

men

ters

Use

rs

process.

process.

Robust

Direct

Elegant

Elegance

●Merges Best of Both Worlds●Always Optimal

●In reality: Usually Unavailable

Pursuing Elegance

●No Direct Path Available●Disguised as Compromise●Revealed Through Process

“Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open.”

Stephen King, On Writing

15-Min Proof Implementation

Initial Layout Final Iteration

The Creative Cycle

●Begin Idealist, End Realist

Pre-Production Content Lock

●“You have to practice Improvisation, let no one kid

you about it!”

●Art Tatum

Thanks for Listening

Questions/feedback?joel@joelburgess.com