As I mentioned previously, I ran a playtest this past weekend of the core mechanic. Nothing too complex, just a few sample characters with very little variations between them. The scenario was simple; determine initiative, attack and/or defend, determine the outcome. The players were briefed how the core mechanic worked (I handed out a one page reference guide), and we were ready to go.
I lost count of the number of questions after the second round.
This was not a failure by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact, it was quite encouraging to see so much enthusiasm. The testers had very good observations, which forced me to further define certain mechanics that I had thought were explained previously. There was a potential issue that's now been resolved, a few interesting recommendations, and I've had to reassess character creation parameters. This may seem like a lot, but it's not as extensive as you may think.
I've already made the necessary changes, as well as incorporate a few new mechanics here and there. I was so focused on opposed rolls, that I failed to address non-opposed ones. As a result, I created a simple mechanic that should address those instances when a character needs to accomplish such tasks. Pretty rudimentary when you think about it, but I guess I had the blinders on and totally missed the obvious. Doi!
All in all, I would say that it was a successful first outing. I was able to put the core mechanic thought some test runs, and although there's some fine-tuning to do, it worked very well. The players picked up the mechanic very quick, and play was at a good pace. I'm still very excited about the system, and I'm looking forward to further development. We'll see if I feel the same a month or two from now. ;)
Update #3
- Further development of core mechanic
- Opposed rolls vs. non-opposed rolls defined
- Resolution of multiple actions, movement, and defense
- Attacking actions vs. Defensive actions
- Non-combat mechanic better defined
- Added limits to character creation
- Added penalties to non-trained skill usage
Still haven't broached the topic of creating an LLC, which I REALLY need to do. I also need to start looking at reserving a domain name for down the road, and a few other items on the business side of things. Boring and mind-numbing, but very necessary, I'm open to any and all recommendations and advice of others that have blazed the trail before me.
Until then...
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