3 PART HOW VIDEO GAMES ARE MADE How video games are made How video games are part 3 FEATURE FEATURE y John the RomeroAUTHOR Goran Račić In this third, and final, part of our feature “How video games are made” we talk to John Romero, legendary developer with more than 30 years of experience and more than 130 games (including Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake and, yes, Daikatana) under his belt. A true inspiration for the youth! 46 reboot.hr DECEMBER 2012. 47 [2] PART 3 PART HOW ION STORM MADE If it is true that every gamer has a spark for STARCRAFT A BETTER game development then John Romero is a GAME y ION STORM? How video games are made How video games are forest fire on legs. Most famous for working on StarCraft? You mean, Blizzard!!! No, no, it Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake and being a half will all be clear in just a second, sit tight. Well, in 1996. StarCraft FEATURE FEATURE π of two Johns, two guys who transformed the was, according to SOMETIMES IN y Patrick Wyatt (former 1996 As Patrick Wyatt said: “Would you pay world of gaming, he has a lot more to his name. Blizzard’s Vice money for this?” President of Research and Development), Like in the movies he was a kid genius who, considered to be just y SUB a game that will fill With more than 130 games behind you - you were an in his early teens, ported a classified military STALKER a hole in Blizzard’s original bedroom programmer, worked for someone At Softdisk development cycle. But else's company, was king of the industry, founded your Romero at E3 that year Blizzard own development team, and now you are indie with Russian dogfight simulation from mainframe created their your latest endeavor, Loot Drop - is there some kind of first, but not set a booth close to Ion his, double- Storm’s; and there it design philosophy that is applicable to all of your games? to minicomputer - while his stepfather was resolution was, Dominion: Storm Designing Doom isn't the same as designing games for game Over Gift 3, an RTS social platforms. stationed at Royal Air Force in Alconbury, Writing the game Ion Storm bought John Romero : My design philosophy is pretty simple: from 7th Level. The Design something that's innovative in some form, learn tools for the game looked amazing, something with every project I make, and work everyday England, Romero was approached by an officer game you’re hundred times better designing than StarCraft. As to make life fun. in charge of a military project... is the best shaken guys from Many people forget you are a great programmer too - development Blizzard went back to you've made lots of tools at id Software that were used for the office, they had developing their titles - but is that a thing that helps you loop possible a lot to think about. be a better designer, to know better what is possible or is WHILE PROGRAMMING ON the Apple II, in 1984 he got his Amongst all that that just a thing that constricts you (you know some of your first game published by InCider magazine (his earlier games [1] John Romero thinking it was decided ideas would be very hard to implement so you just drop were published later) and that was the start of a streak that led that StarCraft will them)? to winning programming contests, getting his game featured BATMAN AND ROBIN become A-class title on magazine covers and all that before he made it big. and not just a filler. JR: Well, in addition to writing dozens of entire games, For most gamers “making it big” would be Romero's time at the tools are very important, yes. In Doom, I wrote lots of id Software but his rise started with a job at Origin Systems in StarCraft published a code such as the save/load functions. Most importantly, 1987 (legendary development team bought, and subsequently month before Dominion t HAPPY TOGETHER every interaction with the environment I coded: flash- destroyed, by EA) and continued with a gig at Softdisk in 1989 John Romero and Brenda and shook the world ing lights, switches, platforms, door, stairs rising, slime where he worked as a programmer for his Special Projects Brathwaite were recently of gaming; Dominion married by, you guessed hurting, lava hurting, etc. Writing the tools for the game division until he managed to form a PC Gaming division. While y ACCORDING TO was soon forgotten. it, Tom Hall you're designing is the best development loop possible there he befriended Tom Hall, extraordinary and possibly BOOK “Masters of The first reason for insane (depends who you ask) designer and programmer, and Doom”, John Romero that was, Ion Storm because you're making the game or level design easier met and hired John Carmack. The final piece of the puzzle was met Tom Hall at was deep in behind- through coding, and the tool becomes much easier for Adrian Carmack (no relation to John) who worked as an artist Softdisk and they the-scenes political other designers to use. Tom Hall, John Romero games led by business and Warren Spector - - those guys later left Sofdisk to form id Software, one of the became friends. In October 5th 1999 most important developers ever and a secret love of PC gamers almost every venture guys (Romero and around the world. Romero undertook, Hall Hall were the game In the old days you had to be a programmer - for example, It turns out, id Software was just a stopping point for Romero was involved to some guys) and that was Hideo Kojima, who didn't know how to program was who went to co-found Ion Storm (together with Tom Hall, and degree. “It’s because wracking havoc on looked upon as a third wheel in the company - to enter the You can come others), a company that made the beloved Deus Ex, fantastic he’s an awesome game development. videogame business, but today things are different. Do you Anachronox, and infamous Daikatana. John left before the game designer, a truly And the other reason think you can come from practically any walk of life or do from many company crumbled, founded more companies, worked for big honest, friendly person, was, that game at E3 you have to be a techno-geek at heart? disciplines names in the gaming business, made games for mobiles, and and he’s hilarious. It’s that Blizzard guys saw JR: You can come from many disciplines to work on to work on today works as CEO, coder and who knows what else at Loot awesome working with was a fake - all on games, but the most powerful developers are also cod- games, but Drop, a company making games for social networks. Tom. We call ourselves screen action was a But with all that success his life was riddled with low points, hetero-lifemates, lol.” pre-rendered movie. ers. Because coders can make a game by themselves, the most personal and professional, that took him to places where Romero said of Hall. But no matter what, otherwise, whatever your profession, a coder has to be people would just give up. It seems Romero doesn't have a powerful They have become like gamers all around involved to make your game. It's also much easier when beating heart in his chest but a sine function, which tells him developers Batman and Robin... n the world can thank the lead game designer can communicate to the lead pro- that everything is going to be all right if he just presses on. Ion Storm for giving are also He was down in the dumps, king of the world, programmer, grammer directly in code-speak. Blizzard a much needed coders designer, legendary developer, gamer extraordinaire, only true kick to make one of Game design isn't just making rules for games but there is rock-star of game development, and we thank him for taking the best RTS games we also Level Design. You exploded onto the scene by designing John Romero the time to share some of his thought with our readers. have ever seen.. n levels for most of the first episode of Doom, a big chunk 48 reboot.hr DECEMBER 2012. 49 PART 3 PART t THE REAL BOSS OF DOOM of Quake levels are your babies... in those days you were II Romero on a I still believe my practically an architect. What is your view on today's level stick - maybe a style of abstract design and mostly linear (FPS) games? I remember that you Ben & Jerry’s ice- level design is and Tom Hall had fun with that at GDC 2011 at the Doom cream one day more fun to post-mortem. play than any JR: Yes, I've developed levels for all my games. Lots of [4] linear, realistic Commander Keen levels, Wolfenstein 3D (and Spear of levels that I see Destiny) levels, the first episode of DOOM, several DOOM THE REAL nowadays II levels, and the majority of Quake's levels. I still believe BOss OF my style of abstract level design is more fun to play than How video games are made How video games are John Romero any linear, realistic levels that I see nowadays. DOOM II Today, at Loot Drop, you work, among others, with Tom y AS MANY, NOW Hall, Brenda Brathwaite (partner, veteran game developer OLDER, gamers know and since recently Mrs.