Adam Millard - The Architect of Games posts
Posts: 164
Files: 297
Why Videogames Want You To Fail
check out eli_handle_b.wav!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUdZY_KRQndvMIPD-8_uXRwWhether we want to admit it or not - sometimes, we lose at videogames,it's an inevitable part of doing something challenging and naturally, gamers everywhere want to avoid this happening as much as possible. Why? Because failure and defeat aren't much fun... or are they? Contrary to popular belief, The Architect is genuinely awful at videogames and has seen...
EARLY ACCESS - Why Classes Are D&D's Best Idea
Dungeons and Dragons has been around for years, and in its many years of influence, D&D has inspired a countless number of videogames. Experience points, a bunch of classic monsters, dungeons, and yes, even dragons as videogame staples can ultimately be traced back to the venerable king of roleplaying games - but there's one idea D&D popularized that doesn't get anywhere near enough credit. And that, is classes. Yep, everything from warlo...
Architect Address September 2022
Well Well Well, look who we’ve got here, it’s a patron stumbling unawares into this, the architect address oh how foolish you must feel. - you’ve been trapped, you’ve been tricked! Now you’re going to have to listen to a few minutes of me talking about the videos that have come out recently and maybe whatever other stuff I can think of.First of all, one thing I’ve seen people ask about is my selection criteria when it comes to picking...
EARLY ACCESS - Why The Hell Are There So Many Fishing Minigames?
Check out Pixel A Day!: https://www.youtube.com/c/pixeladayNo matter which genre of game you play, no matter which era of the medium is your favorite, one thing is inescapable - inevitable, and that is... fishing minigames. From RPGs to Rogelikes to MMOs, fishing minigames are in just about everything, and as much as we enjoy them, no-one really seems to know... why? Well, that's where The Architect comes in. After conspiring with outer gods,...
EARLY ACCESS- Why Do We Love Hostile Worlds?
Check out Buried Treasure: https://buried-treasure.org/There are few better feelings in games than being able to immerse ourselves in unfamiliar and hostile videogaming worlds, but quite often - they fail to deliver on their promise of presenting us with environments that challenge and surprise us at every turn... why? Well, it's hard to feel like a videogame environment is indifferent to your presence and filled with unknown mysteries when w...
A NEW PATREON TIER APPROACHES!?
Hi! just a quick update ahead of the new video which is currently uploading that I'm adding a new patreon tier at $8! (Several people have told me to charge more than 10 but I want to do right by you lot so screw 'em). It's basically a middle ground between $5 and $10, whilst also serving as an overflow for the latter. You still get all the bonuses of the $5 tier, just with a bit extra if you want to pay a bit more (thx btw xxx)Basica...
Architect Address July 2022
Well hi there! Welcome to the architect address, a special series of videos just for you patrons where I natter on for a few minutes about the latest video to grace your youtube sub feeds, as well as whatever other topics I feel like talking about. On that topic, I was wondering about introducing a new patreon tier sort of in addition to the $10 one or between five and ten because the ten dollar tier has been, amazingly filled up and I want to do...
EARLY ACCESS: How Bad Balance Can Be A Good Thing
Check out classics of game! https://www.youtube.com/user/ClassicsOfGameBalance in videogames is a tricky thing, no-one can ever seem to get itquite right. From AAA studios to tiny indie games, you'll always findsomeone complaining about a game's balance, and in particular, about howsomething is probably overpowered. It's a tale as old as time! But are overpowered strategies really as bad as we've been led to believe? The Architect...
EARLY ACCESS How To Design An Unsolvable Problem
Check out SokPop! https://sokpop.co/ Sim City is one of the most important videogames ever made, but Will Wright's magnum opus isn't revolutionary because it made architecture fun, but in how it created an entirely new kind of videogame: the problem solver. Problem Solving videogames are a unique collection of titles that rely not on the developer to author specific obstacles, but on the player to interact with a set of meticulously-balan...
Architect Address June 2022
Wait, who let you in here, I was supposed to be doing the Architect Address! Eugh! Typical. Well, seeing as you’re here, you may as well listen to me ramble on for a few minutes about the latest videos I’ve put out and what’s going on with the channel lately. It’s the least you can do.One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is the idea of several weird traditions that I do on the channel where I don’t really know why I do them or wh...
EARLY ACCESS - What's So Difficult About Alternate Endings?
Sorry this one's up so late, friends! I'll go into it more in the Architect Address in a few days!Videogames are unique for a lot of reasons, but what makes them stand out amongst every other form of media is the simple fact that they can end in a variety of ways. From choosing who lives and who dies, the fate of the world, to simply what colour a big pretty ending explosion is - alternate endings are one of the great videogaming ideas......
EARLY ACCESS - How Nostalgia Can Hold Games Back
Go check out Yames! https://pantagruel.itch.io/Everyone loves engaging in a bit of nostalgia - it's a way to enjoy the things we love from an entirely new perspective, adding some extra layers to our existing cherished childhood memories - from Mario to Pokemon to Dark Souls, everyone has something they're nostalgic about... but is that a good thing?After a lot of soul searching, and a few trips into alternate pasts and futures - The Arch...
Architect Address April 2022
Hello everyone and welcome to the Architect Address, that extra special patrons only thing where I talk about some of the recent videos that have come out and what’s going on with the channel lately.Before we get to the videos, I want to chat about length - and no, not that length you perv, video length! I’ve put out *exclusively* long videos so far this year and I think that’s why there’s not been as many of them. It’s weird - I almost...
EARLY ACCESS - Why Tunic Hides Its Tutorial From You
Over the last decade, videogames have gotten much better at communication. After so many years, we've finally got comprehensive tutorials, clear user interfaces and well-paced difficulty curves that never leave you overwhelmed or confused - but have videogames lost something in this transition to easy-to-play accessibility? The Architect thinks so.After stumbling their way through forests, caverns and ancient ruins, The Architect has uncovere...
Why The Best Open World Is A (slightly) Closed World
Check out Codex Entry: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCseUB-78sF7MGcbl4mHhEngOpen World games have been in a bit of a rut for years now, ever since Far Cry 3 set the tone for the genre more than a decade ago, every single open world game has been held prisoner by a single feature: Towers. The bane of exploration-lovers everywhere. Or are they? The Architect has seen a fair share of towers, and they're starting to doubt whether towers really...
Architect Address March 2022
Hi everyone! It’s me, back with another Architect Address, that thingamabob where I talk about some of the videos that have been released recently, what’s going on with the channel and all that good stuff. After the bumper extra special architect address last time I’ll try and make this one a bit quicker but we do have two interesting videos to discuss so who knows.First up is THE BIG DISCO ELYSIUM VIDEO ooooooh sweet mama this video is a l...
EARLY ACCESS - Is It Possible To Make Feeling Weak Fun?
Power fantasies are almost ubiquitous in games, from the absolute most casual experiences out there to the hardest of the hardcore - videogames LOVE making us feel strong and powerful, and why wouldn't they? Feeling powerful is loads of fun!However, a feeling of strength and control isn't all games have to offer, and in our obsession with power fantasies, some equally good kinds of games can sometimes get swept under the rug. After a life...
EARLY ACCESS - What Was Disco Elysium Actually About?
Check out ShayMay https://www.youtube.com/user/heyshaymay Disco Elysium is a weird game - that much is obvious. It's got high minded philosophical commentary sharing space with childish jokes, it mocks just about every political worldview ruthlessly, and it veers drunkenly between bleak musings on the state of post-capitalist reality and joyous moments of pure fun. It's no wonder that many people, The Architect included, have tried and fa...
Big Video Update!
Hello Patrons! This is just a small update to say that the next video I release might not be out when you'd expect (which would normally be about now), I'm finally getting off my backside and writing up another huge narrative breakdown video in the vein of the Undertale and Nier Automata ones - this time about the fantastic game Disco Elysium. That means that whilst you might have to wait a little while longer, you're going to get wha...
Architect Address: 2021 In Review
Hello one and all and welcome to a very special 2021 wrapup Architect address, it’s time for me to go over the massive glut of videos I hammered out towards the end of the year as well as discuss the last twelve months in general to organize my thoughts about them and where I want the channel to go in future.First up is How VideoGames Make the Ultimate Sacrifice - now, this video is entirely the product of Inscryption coming out and me wanting ...
20(21) Games You Should Have Played
(Hi pals! this video has been uploading since yesterday evening and it's only just finished because my internet sucks AND youtube is having issues. Given the time-sensitive nature of the video and the holiday sale deals within, I'm going to put this one up at the usual time today - don't worry though, I've got a bumper-sized Architect Address in the pipeline to make up for this shoddy upload!)It's the end of another year in vi...
EARLY ACCESS - How Videogames Keep You Playing
Check out FD Signifier! https://www.youtube.com/c/FDSignifireYou probably already know this, but video games are LONG - we pour hour after hour into not just our favorite videogames, but also ones we don't even like that much - and there is no better example of the sheer compulsive, time-sucking power of games than Roguelikes. Ever since their inception at the dawn of interactive entertainment, rogue and its spawn have demanded millions of ho...
Early Access: Why Can Master Chief Only Carry Two Guns?
Check out the Yogscast Jingle Jam: https://jinglejam.tiltify.com/How does Mario remain so infamously creative, without ever having to tell you how its new ideas work? Why do platinum games make your dodge move so powerful? And how does Halo create interesting strategic decisions by taking your guns away? the answer is a little-known and abstract concept called Toolsets. A videogame's toolset is the culmination of all of your abilities and all...
EARLY ACCESS - How Videogames Make The Ultimate Sacrifice
Check out GiantGrantGames: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdHKiETyuMbV6a86GRK-MWAI'm back from a teeny tiny break with a new video! Hopefully the next one will be out a little sooner!!Sacrifice as a concept has been a part of human culture since the very beginning - and as the concept has evolved and changed, it's taken on a variety of forms: Personal, emotional, financial... as well as a few rather more grizzly varieties. But through o...
Architect Address October 2021
Well howdy there, welcome to the architect Address, an occasional video where I tell you all about what’s happened recently, talk about stuff to do with the channel and generally shoot the breeze. Dunno why I’m using cowboy lingo there but I’m just going to roll with it.Anyway, the first thing I wanted to ramble on about before we get to discussing the videos is the idea of working for youtube, which I think is a side of the content creatio...
EARLY ACCESS - Finding True Freedom In Videogames
Check out Hotcyder! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_r8gFeezEBZVnazvbv75pQ Is there anything better in videogames than that feeling of total freedom? Where you can go wherever you like, do whatever you want and become whoever you want to be - probably not. However, as much as the gaming community loves to feel like they're finding their own fun, the reality is a little more complicated. See, when playing a game, we're never truly making...
EARLY ACCESS - How Storytelling Saved Psychonauts
Check out Transparency!: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwOConcPgxt3lIKIfBSNrTgThe history of Psychonauts is an interesting one, it went from promising project, to embarrassing failure, to fan-fave cult classic before having a glorious return fifteen years later. What caused Psychonauts to fail, and why did people fall in love with it anyway? The answer, as The Architect has just found out, is a little technique called Environmental Storytellin...
Architect Address - September 2021
Look what we have here, if it isn’t an Architect Address moseying on into town. Hello! In case you aren’t aware, the architect address is a thing I do every now and again to sum up the last couple of videos I’ve released, my retrospective thoughts on how they did and some unstructured rambling about the state of the channel and the patreon.On that note, hello new arrivals - there’s been quite a few of you lately and I’m not entirely sur...
EARLY ACCESS - Building Better Crafting Systems
NOTE: I've been having a little bit of trouble with my internet lately so I wasn't able to update my list of supporters, I'll have it fixed for the next video and I'll do a shoutout in the upcoming Architect Address but just to show I've not forgotten!:A special $5 thank you to:Ben PacePet PumpkinRiley PetersRyan McadamsCrafting systems are one of the most popular mechanics in all of videogaming, appearing in everything from o...
EARLY ACCESS - The Ugliest Game Ever Made
What does it mean for something to be ugly? Is it when something is repulsive, when it offends your senses, or is it when something is just plain bad? Beyond that, is there any situation where ugly games can actually be good? The Architect thinks so. They've torn and screamed their way through the fleshpunk dystopia and come out the other side with profane visions relating to the truth of ugly games. They aren't good - but they *are* inte...
