Train2Game Game Designers will appreciate this, it’s advice from Blizzard on how to keep your stories and ideas fresh, and it’s to base concepts on your own life experience, even if it’s only loosely.

Train2Game students will know that Blizzard know a bit about successful game design, with 12 million still playing World of Warcraft.

“I’ve been in this racket about 17 years, and you tire out. How do you keep your ideas fresh? Well, the one thing that never stops is living.”  Blizzard Vice President of Creative Development Chris Metzen told PC Gamer.

“We have experiences. We grow as people. And really letting those experiences come forward – kind of being naked with them – that’s the kind of thing people can’t compete against. Everyone can come up with a new Trilithium Crystal Warp Drive, but what you can’t argue with is a person’s experience and the truth of it.”

And Metzen says Blizzard encourages their Game Designers to use their own experiences to create in-game content.

“So the trick from a leadership standpoint at Blizzard is to make it OK for these writers to really bring themselves out to affect these quests and characters. Ultimately, that’s what sings forward.”

“The clever shit will get trounced in no time. It’s like gameplay mechanics. You can put out an RTS with the best mission ever. Well, another company will put out something even better, because we’re all learning from each other.” he added.

So Train2Game, what are your thoughts on Metzen’s comments? Could you use your own experiences to create characters and scenarios?

Leave your comments here on the Train2Game blog, or on the Train2Game forum.

[Source: PC Gamer]