Splinter Cell finally arrived

February 28, 2003 by Adam in Adam's Games

Splinter Cell finally arrived. It's pretty good - the shadow effects are pretty amazing. It's a fairly traditional sneaker-style game, hiding in the shadows is a big part of the game.

I'm also approaching the release of my latest Neverwinter Nights module. The testing has gone really well, with some good suggestions voiced by people. There's a few more things I'd like to fiddle with, but I think it's to the point where I could release it soon.

I had another piece of fan mail today that go...

February 20, 2003 by Adam in Adam's Games

I had another piece of fan mail today that got to me. It was from a woman who had contracted leukemia and my impression is that things had not been going well. She played through my modules with her husband and loved the way he laughed out loud during the funny parts of the game. Evidently those moments were rare in her life, and she wanted to let me know she appreciated my role in making it happen.

I'm still working hard on the campaign. It's amazing how much work these things take. I think I'm approaching the final stages of the game, getting to all the details I leave until the last minute.

I've been getting a lot of fan mail about my ...

February 16, 2003 by Adam in Adam's Games

I've been getting a lot of fan mail about my game - usually three or four each day. This one was particularly touching, from a young couple in Israel, so I thought I'd reprint it:

This is just a short note to let you know how much we both appreciate all of the hard work and craftsmanship you have clearly put into your Neverwinter modules. We played as much of the Dreamcatcher series as is currently available and were so impressed that we went back and are currently playing the Shadowlords series. We have found not only the 'action' elements, but also the plotlines and characters to be topnotch, in many cases better than that in the original game itself. It comes as no surprise to us that Bioware offered you a job based on the quality of the modules we have played.

Unlike the majority of players and designers out there (which we can assume by the fact that there are so many "Nude Aribeth" hacks), we are a thirty-something married couple who enjoy playing NWN together as a way to relax after finally getting our 3 1/2 year old son to sleep. When we started playing the Dreamcatcher series, we found that we were spending a great deal of time arguing about whose turn it was at the keyboard, which tells you how avidly we both followed the plot. The romantic elements especially were handled so maturely and smoothly that they perfectly complemented the main adventure plot. Since we are both writers, we know how difficult that can be in any medium, let alone a role-playing module.

As our small corner of the world becomes tenser and tenser, your modules have provided us with a welcome distraction and a great deal of pleasure over the last few weeks. Since our PC is going to be in our sealed security room with us, your modules may have the dubious distinction of being played with gasmasks on. If the current situation comes to that (hopefully not, god willing) I am sure they will help pass even such trying times.

Thank you again for your work, and best wishes to you and your family.

I got my third and best job offer today

February 07, 2003 by Adam in Adam's Games

I got my third and best job offer today. This time from Bioware, the people that made the Neverwinter Nights game. Fortunately my will is strong and I turned them down. Though quitting my high-paying corporate job and moving to the cold reaches of Canada to do the work I love makes a good plot for a movie, I decided it wouldn't suit reality all that much.

I also got an e-mail from GameStar, a German gaming magazine, wanting to include two of my modules on their cover CD. I'm currently working on sending them my approval. Ah, the joys of fame.

I got another job offer based on my work on N...

February 05, 2003 by Adam in Adam's Games

I got another job offer based on my work on Neverwinter Nights. These were some ex-Blizzard employees in Seattle. I politely declined.

It is flattering to know that I'm probably good enough to work "with the pros". Maybe after I retire I'll make games in a more dedicated fashion. Right now it's nice to have it be a part-time hobby. I can walk away any time, ignore bug reports, or ship something that isn't quite finished. Well, maybe I'm describing half the computer game companies out there, but I certainly don't want to have that be my life.

My modules are coming along nicely. Dreamcatcher 2 is currently the highest rated module out there, sporting a perfect 10 rating. The second highest module is Dreamcatcher 1. It's fun to put something together that people appreciate.

Work on my game continues

February 01, 2003 by Adam in Adam's Games

Work on my game continues. I'm having a good time making new items for my latest module. So far I have an assortment of traps, a raven, a ghost, a magical hand, and assorted new creatures. It's still looking like I'll get this whole thing done by the time Emma is born.

Unreal 2 comes out next week, though I've heard mixed reviews. Sam and I will probably have a good time playing it while Jamie's at the coast. Also, Splinter Cell should come out a week or two after that. Great fun.