Bookmark and Share       Gama Network Presents:  Bad Game
Designer, No Twinkie! III By Ernest Adams February 8, 2002
Well, it has been close to two years since the last "Bad Game
Designer, No Twinkie!" column, so I think it's time for another
one. I keep a collection of computer game misfeatures, design
errors, and personal annoyances as I play, and it's now long
enough to publish. Some of these are level -design errors or
even programming weaknesses, but they're all things that a game
designer has at least some influence on.  Adolescent Armageddon
"Conquer the world!" "The fate of humanity is at stake!" "Save
the galaxy!" scream the boxes on the shelves down at the game
software store. "No!" I'm tempted to scream back. "I don't want
to! The galaxy can go stuff itself!"  Too many computer games
are fulfillments of adolescent power-fantasies, and a
meaningless apocalyptic scenario is a classic symptom. It's been
quite a while since I was an adolescent, and I just don't
believe them any more. Maybe that means