Solarpunk Game Design Sketch by Scan101 I've always been interested in game design and how subtly it can teach and influence us. It's not only how a given game is constructed on the surface, but also what emergent behaviours it can induce in us - and make us internalize, more or less consciously. I find Solarpunk fascinating as a genre which is connected to - but distinct from - other kinds of climate and science fiction. Its many perspectives are an attempt to balance a big, global narrative of saving the planet and creating a sustainable civilization with a very humane and communal perspective of our way there. I've been working on this blogpost for a year and I see that it's never going to be as comprehensive as I would like to. In the spirit of "done is better than perfect", let me then present you with my Notes Towards - and hope that you find them useful! Game Type Legend V - Video Game B - Board Game / Card Game R - Role Playing Game / Storytelling Game What makes a …
  • ex_06@slrpnk.netMEnglish
    5·
    2 days ago

    idk if ‘‘should’’ but if they do would be nice

    hardware shouldn’t become ‘‘old’’ in the first place, putting the heavy weight on the game devs solely seems unlikely to bring change

    software libraries, frameworks, game engines, operating systems, recycling hardware… It’s a lot before arriving to the people that wanna focus on the game

    • alxd ✏️ solarpunk prompts@writing.exchange
      3·
      2 days ago

      @ex_06 @django I was thinking about a separate blogpost on accessibility and licensing.

      Some games, like Daybreak, proclaim to use open source manufacturing methods to be more sustainable and not pollute, but at the same time the game itself is licensed and copyrighted with no (known to me) invitation to hack or fan-translate, which vastly decreases its educational potential.

      On the other hand, making an ambitious game takes money and markets rarely pay for fully open projects.

      • ex_06@slrpnk.netMEnglish
        2·
        2 days ago

        Open source (nor foss) doesn’t really assure protection from the capital and/or consumerism…

        On the other hand, making an ambitious game takes money and markets rarely pay for fully open projects

        yep, hence why imo is better to not be fully open from day 0. The free software movement reached his peak, now it’s time to evolve into something better. A software made by squeezing the open libraries and then the devs and then the consumers to then have most of the earnings kept in the company bank to get numbers going up for the capital is totally doable even while having the most free license.

        As you say tho, it can help with accessibility and longevity.

        I just would like to not see ‘‘solarpunk99’’ in some years made in the worst possible way. I’d rather have toxic games but made in a solarpunk way than ‘‘solarpunk’’ games made by the capital to sell us another commodified idea