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Discarded (Alone)
Torben Niels Mietzner
The demo for the game DISCARDED (ALONE) is Torben Mietzners work to let players encounter dangerous enemies in a story-driven world that is much bigger than themselves.
"Game Designers don't simply tell stories; they design worlds."
Henry Jenkins
Inspired by the way that games like Dark Souls and NieR tell their stories and have the player interact with them, DISCARDED (ALONE) aims to utilise a similar storytelling method in the setting of a futuristic 2D twin-stick shooter game.
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Torben Niels Mietzner
A german Game Designer with a focus on Programming and strictly limited skills in any visual aspect of game development. Has recently taking a liking to storytelling and narrative design, and is therefore taking on the field with little experience. Prefers english despite being in a german course.
Where do you see yourself in 20 years?
On earth, that's all I can really say. It's a wild place, who knows what even happens by this time next year. But the goal is probably to just chill with good pay in a larger company without the burden of any major responsibilities on me.
What is a good design for you?
Something that is engaging in one way or another. Which is a difficult thing to measure, but for games that can be something like enabling skill expression or meaningful choices during gameplay.
What was the most challenging experience during your studies?
Surviving the illustration course I picked. I regret choosing that one.
Who or what inspires you?
Yoko Taro, the GOAT. Also Hidetaka Miyazaki. They're really good at directing interesting games, which i highly suggest people experience for themselves (NieR / Dark Souls, Bloodborne).
How do you approach a new project?
I think about it real hard for a while, then I either lose interest before starting, or i abandon it shortly after achieving something interesting because there is no justifiable reason for me to actually keep going with a project that will never be seen by anyone that isnt me or my friends.
What advice would you give to students who just started studying in your programme?
If in doubt, try different things. Or just in general try more things. There's so much to learn, don't go full on into one part of it all, if you haven't checked out everything else there is.
Have you changed during your studies? How?
I hope that I managed to become smarter than I was before.
Why did you choose to study in your programme?
Got into Game Development before, but wanted to approach it from a different perspective.
What are you not going to miss in your studies?
The monthly payments lol.
How are you going to celebrate your graduation?
By just not thinking for a while.
