Gamasutra Expert Blogs: From Probability To Tiles

In our weekly Best of Expert Blogs column, we showcase notable pieces of writing from members of the game development community who maintain Expert Blogs on Gamasutra. Member Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while the invitation-only Expert Blogs are written by development professionals with a wealth of experience to share. We hope that both sections can provide useful and interesting viewpoints on our industry. For more information about the blogs, check out the official posting guidelines. In this set of highlights, industry veterans write in depth about randomization in games, moral development, and the intricacies of tile-based art: This Week's Standout Expert Blogs Player Skill, Patterns, Randomization (James Hofmann) Patterns, skill, and randomization are indispensable parts of game design. In a lengthy post, programmer James Hofmann considers the relationships between the three, how they apply to different types of games, and how they are best used. Sexy Tiles: Sidescrollers (Adam Saltsman) Pixel art may be increasingly on the road to being a lost art, but there is still plenty of artistry and craft to explore, and that's exactly what Adam Saltsman does in this illuminating and entertaining piece. Kohlberg's Moral Development Comes to the Mushroom Kingdom (Nels Anderson) Most moral choices in games have little to do with the actual moral frameworks that define our lives. In this reflective post, Nels Anderson considers Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development, using them to frame a discussion about the potential of morality in games. Make Your Own Games (Tadhg Kelly) Which is better, large-scale triple-A development or smaller, independent groups? Each has its meritys, but Tadhg Kelly argues the latter is more rewarding and creatively fruitful. Although I take issue with his underlying metaphor (as I express in the comment section), his larger point is passionately argued. A Calm Sea Within A Storm (Philippe Ringuette-Angrignon) Many of the industry's troubles could be pegged on its pricing and and release models being completely out of whack, argues Philippe Ringuette-Angrignon, who examines the hardcore gaming market in this analytical piece.