People argue about whether video games can constitute art, and I definitely fall in the yes camp on that one. Having played and observed play of high-concept games such as the Silent Hill series, Myst, Rhem, and various indie titles, I'm struck by how far the medium has come as an interpretive tool in such a short time. There are a handful of games that also speak to the crafter in me, and I want to talk about one here in particular, that I've been with since it was in beta testing and that I just don't seem to tire of. For many of you, the explanation of the game will be old news, but just some general description:
The game I'll focus on is Minecraft, and for years I had only used it on it's default settings, which make it a survival "sandbox" game experience. Tons of fun, but not quite appropriate for a crafting blog, despite the creative capabilities of the player within survival gameplay. The survival-style game includes weather, vegetation and building resources, day/night cycles, and a slue of other challenging and engaging mechanics. For an idea of the gameplay for those of you who have managed to miss it, go to minecraft.gamepedia.com.
Survival, however, is not the only mode in which it is possible to play the game. Creative mode is what I use most right now, which eliminates the survival mechanics (i.e. you don't get hungry, you can fly, and you can turn off monster spawns) and provides you with infinite resources. Begin a "superflat" world, and you also turn off the game's biome generator, providing you an infinite field of build space.
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| Ice castle surrounded by superflat world. |
For someone with very limited space and resources, it's a dream come true where I can quickly model in 3-D digital space, either just for the sake of the digital structure or for thinking about things I'd like to make in real space. The world of Minecraft is all based on square blocks, which in some ways limits design potential. Constraint, however, breeds creativity and it's amazing what people have come up with. That's the other thing, you can open up your worlds to other users online, allowing them to explore structures and models you have made, or play/create/survive with you.
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| Ship model with treasure holds and Captain's quarters. |
Now, why use a game with limiting rules and structure instead of a 3-D modeling program if digital building space is what you want? For one, I'm a gamer, and it's another really creative game that is great for downtime, but there are a few general reasons I decided to post about this instead of a digital art program. Logging into a game gives me more of a sense of play and takes away the
pressure of making something "good", but still allows me to explore
complex ideas like proportions and even some aspects of perspective, color, and
framing. That internal editor is a massive stumbling block for so many artists and crafters about which Seckmea already provided an eloquent post, and games can help silence it. For artists and crafters who haven't done digital work, a game with accessible rules and mechanics may be far less intimidating and may also involve shelling out less money for a fully functioning product. You can pick up a game like Minecraft or even the much more violent Rust as an online download for cheaps on Steam or another online resource and learn as you go, with the game to guide you instead of a manual.
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| Floating objects and lights. |
There is also this unexpected storytelling capability I have found in creative mode, which I have used to make short interactive stories for my partner. I have constructed haunted houses, gardens, and even whole progressions of locations with signs and messages to guide him that tell something of a linear story, and while I'm not great at it, I've gotten better over time. Minecraft certainly is not a game design program, and there are accessible programs available for that purpose (see RPG Creator downloadable software), but for someone not interested in the full game creation package, it's surprisingly effective for executing a simple form of story-driven game design.
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| Exterior and interior haunted house. |
I've posted throughout this entry some screenshots of my latest buildings and models, though these are nothing compared to what the online community of Minecrafters has produced. Tutorials for building incredibly complex structures (like spheres...yikes!) are available on forums, and people are constantly exchanging tips and tricks for any play mode. To see what some of the really talented among these gamers are producing, including time-lapse construction videos, check out this link: http://www.minecraftforum.net/forum/136-creative-mode/
