Ã…rhus-based game developer [Runestone](http://www.runestone.dk/index.php?page=2) is an interesting case of *our guys* using their resources and aiming for the sky. [Greg Costikyan](http://costik.com/)’s latest call to action in [Escapist](http://www.escapistmagazine.com/): [Death to the Games Industry, Long Live Games](http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/8/3) might have an answer in the courage of these Danish souls. A game on a smaller budget, with a different gameplay and a message of its own.
OK, let’s get the basic facts out of the way:
[Runestone](http://www.runestone.dk/) is a game developer in Århus, north Jutland, Denmark. 15 employees. Established in 2003 by Lars Kroll, Anne Ratzer, Alex Uth, Jan Roed, René Kragh Pedersen, Søren Maagaard and Nis Haller Baggesen. Game in development: **Seed**.
## Our guys #1: Role-players banding together
Role-players using their story-telling power/knowledge to reform CRPG design. By making a CRPG. From the ground up. They have a different perspective on RPGs and a different take on a CRPG product.
For instance:
* No battle in the game
## Our guys #2: Agile programming believers banding together
The CEO Lars Kroll is a firm Agile believer, and very active in implementing core XP practices in the company’s development process. There are parts of the whole “make a CRPG” activity that by their very nature preclude certain practices. For instance, code ownership needs to be non-collective, as the different problem domains are highly specialized. AI programming differs a lot from doing 3D graphics engine programming which differs a lot from network programming. The people are not interchangeable.
Runestone uses Bugzilla for a bug-tracking system, and Lars Kroll filed the first bug:
> “There is no game.”
“I had to do that. It was on principle.” A powerful message. Go fix what’s broken. Let’s get going.
The team is also using continuous integration: “We use CVS for version control and commit every day. We have a day-old release ready at all times.”