DGC Ep 420: Outcast (part three)

DGC Ep 420: Outcast (part three)

Author: Brett Douville and Tim Longo February 19, 2025 Duration: 1:01:34

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on 1999's Outcast. We talk about world structure, world building, concrete vs abstract implementations of mechanics, and other topics. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary.

Sections played:
Up to/through Talanzaar

Issues covered: sad news, a digression on Edgar Rice Burroughs and Project Gutenberg, finally "getting" the game, depth of story and environment at the time, the "second" world, moderating your own difficulty, supporting narrative goals, a dynamic "find this person" system, concrete interactions to increase believability of the world, the big impact of the world state change, organic architecture, cheesing the terrain collision, world-building in conversations, Mogi and his history, the crane puzzle, auto-targeting the swinging cube, the brothers competing for the business, the flautist and singer, the adventurous music, world state music, reputation as a concept, enemy states.

Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Belmont/Jesse Lane Nelson, Defeating Games for Charity, Jedi Starfighter, BioStats, LostLake, Edgar Rice Burroughs, John Carter/A Princess of Mars, Project Gutenberg, Computer Gaming World, Tomb Raider, Anachronox, LoZ: Ocarina of Time, Total Recall, Grim Fandango, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Star Wars, Castlevania X: Rondo of Blood, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia.

Next time:
Finish (?) Outcast

Links:

Belmont hosts Tim & Brett on JSF

Twitch: timlongojr
Discord
DevGameClub@gmail.com


Dev Game Club is a conversation between two working game developers who have been there. Each week, hosts Brett Douville and Tim Longo pick a classic video game from the past-often a title that shaped design thinking or introduced a new technical standard-and break it down from their professional perspective. Their discussions go beyond nostalgia, examining how these older titles functioned, why certain creative decisions were made, and what lasting impact they left on the industry. You’ll hear specific analysis of game mechanics, narrative structure, and technical achievements, all filtered through decades of hands-on development experience. The goal isn’t just to reminisce but to extract tangible lessons that are still relevant for creators and deeply interesting for passionate players today. They invite you to play the game in question alongside them, then settle in for a detailed, insider’s post-mortem. This podcast offers a unique blend of critical appreciation and practical insight, treating video game history as a living textbook. It’s for anyone who loves games and wants to understand the craft behind them on a deeper level. New episodes release regularly, diving into a different influential game from the archives.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Dev Game Club
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