David Nash

Retired professional video game designer, aspiring author. Christian, Husband, Father and Granddad. Deadhead, astronomy nerd, car guy & very rusty guitarist.

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

Retired from 30 years of designing AAA video games. Spent that career building worlds that don’t exist. Now writing about one that… might?

Married 28 years, two grown kids, and as of last month, a grandson who has yet to form an opinion about any of this.

Following Christ the whole way through, some days better than others.

I post here on marriage, parenting, investing, and faith—all things that take both work and time if you want them to go well.

Also will have occasional updates on my debut novel, Open Doors, which I am hoping to publish later this year.

If any of that’s useful to you, come hang out a bit!

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

Has anyone ever been playing call of duty and gotten knocked out / fade to black for the hundredth time and wondered if there is really no other way to hide a level load?

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

I spent years designing spaces that taught players things without a word of dialogue. Writing my novel Open Doors, I had to learn the opposite skill — trusting words to do what a hallway, a light source, a locked door and a sound effect used to do for me instantly. Harder than it sounds.

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@PaulAnleitner I hope you’re right. Protestant churches all seem to be in warehouses or buildings that look like gyms.

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

Three things that make a tutorial level actually work, from decades of watching people fail mine:
1.Teach one mechanic at a time, never two in the same breath.
2.Let players fail safely before the stakes matter — a consequence-free mistake teaches faster than any prompt.
3.Never explain what the environment can show. If you need a text box for it, the space isn’t designed yet.

Whenever possible, integrate your story into the tutorial so it feels like a level from the game that teaches rather than a tutorial level.

Most bad tutorials break rule three.

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@Hjhgffhbcthvhjk @sargsyanedgar @AndrewZywiecMD Calling strangers duck sounds proves you have not yet discovered optimality in human relations.

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

Right before we shipped the first Gears of War, there was concern that the final boss fight was too difficult when playing in Insane mode. The testers couldn't beat the thing, and management was worried.

I had them stand behind one of my level designers and watch him beat it, and thankfully that was enough to convince them it was ready to ship.

My view was 'as long as someone' can beat it, it's not too hard.

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@Canes @TrippTracy @mikemaniscalco is there a better license plate?

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@Canes tickets landed in STH accounts today. Crazy to think that hockey is already back next month. I bet the boys are gonna come out the gate a bit slow after this wild summer.

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@jux_jacy @NHLMedia Fair enough. Guess he needed more help. All I remember about him was big time frustrating body language culminating in him trying to bust his stick when they got swept.

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

Natural selection is about things dying so the rest can move on, not genetically adding new information.

Irreducible complexity is about complex systems not working if even the smallest piece is removed.

It’s funny when people hand wave and say ‘studies show’ and ‘experts claim’ but never bring the goods.

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

Designing to the lowest common denominator is impossible. Sometimes you just have to go with your gut.

I remember during one of our Gears of War “Kleenex tests” - this is when we bring in gamers to play some of the game - a guy simply could not figure out how to push this bright glowing button at the end of a bridge before it was too late.

I wanted to keep it, but this player failure example was so bad my gut eventually became “delete the button”.

Why is it called Kleenex test? Checking for boogers, I guess…

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@logasmi Sure. Putting your faith into action is always a good thing.

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

You can contribute $8,750 per year to your HSA to fund your HDHP, but your maximum deductible can be up to $17,000. Why aren’t these numbers the same?

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@famousamosquito @logasmi Just saying there’s no downside to regularly meeting with believers and talking about the bible

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

The stages of doing a jigsaw puzzle:
- what a cool looking puzzle!
- this won’t be so bad
- are there missing pieces?
- man I need help
- thanks for helping out
- why is this person still helping, I want to finish it!
- finally done, never taking this apart
- back to the box

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@TheSurgeCast Jarvi ofc

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@bangenergyceo2 @channel_bills @AndrewZywiecMD I do not know how to try that

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@Hjhgffhbcthvhjk @sargsyanedgar @AndrewZywiecMD Links or it didn’t happen

[David Nash @DavidNash28]

@famousamosquito @logasmi It doesn’t have to be an official thing. Just get to know folks from your church. Go to lunch with them. Then ask if they want to do a bible study. Boom - small group.