All Down the Line

Here are several descriptive phrases of the setting I'm currently working on:

Science-fantasy

Exploration and (re)discovery

Magic, technology, and science

Post-cataclysm era

Fantasy themes using different mythologies

Multiple planetary system (not Sol)

I have some vacation time coming up, and I'm hoping to get some work done during that time.  

Although I'm not a Project Coordinator, I do see the need for a project plan to keep things on track.  It helps to establish project milestones, and track what you've accomplished, as well as slippage and what needs attention.  I used to be a bit of a procrastinator, and it still rears its head once in a while, so anything that keeps me focused is a welcome addition.  

I'd like to accomplish a few things before the end of the year, so I can have a smooth transition and keep moving forward.  I continue to write as much as time allows, even if it's just a sentence to two.  I've also started collecting various images for inspiration, and examples of art I'd like to incorporate in the book.  I'm a visual person, so this helps me in many ways. 

So, short an sweet for an update.  Hopefully you're enjoying the peak behind the curtain thus far.  Feel free to post below, and share your thoughts!  :)

No Use in Crying

I had my laptop stolen this past weekend.  The same laptop that has all of my notes and development for the RPG I'm currently developing.  Yeah, that laptop.
I'm just thankful that I did a backup a couple of days before, so it wasn't a total loss.  Still, it's a bit of a blow, and I've been a bit "out of sorts" lately.

I'm also at the point in playtesting where I need to do so more consistently.  Unfortunately for me, I have to wait until the new year before I can get a group together; it's a busy time of year for everyone, and just not feasible.

It's still way too early to begin actual writing, because the rules are still in flux.  The mechanic is solid, but the rules are still being tweaked.  As a result, I'm in a weird holding state, where I'm waiting for interaction.

Before you ask, no, I'm not ready for open playtesting.  Believe me, I badly want to get this out to everyone that's interested, but it's just not there yet.  I guarantee that I will let you know as soon as it's ready to go.

So in the meantime, I think I will use my time wisely and begin setting development.  Even though the system will be universal, I want to create the first setting for the system as well.  Who knows, if things go very well, maybe it's the first of many.

Goin' Home

No real updates this week, just wanted to wish all of my U.S. folks a Happy Thanksgiving.  :)

On with the Show

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program!

Sorry about the delay, but Life kinda distracted me.  Nothing horrible or tragic, just...Life.  Work, family, friends all swirling about, and before you know it, a couple of weeks have passed.

Enough of my lame excuses, you're not interested in that!  Let's talk about what I've been up to, and how far along I am with my Mystery Mechanic (maybe I should TM that?).

Update #5

• Mechanic update - Tested alternate mechanic and found that it over complicated the process.  However, I do need to implement additional resolution parameters to make the numbers work.  The percentages are even for certain results except for these two; it's mainly because they're set as a pair instead of being separate values.  I've been thinking about implementing these two values as story effects (Positive and Negative), which could then be used to interpret the dice.  Haven't had the chance to playtest this yet, but it's on my To Do List.
• Speaking of my To Do List, it's starting to really fill up.  I've been so focused on development, I've let other points slip; setting up an LLC, TM a couple of items, registering domain name for the future, etc.  Most of these items are for the future, so I've been ignoring them as a result.  I'm kinda bad about that.  :(
• Setting(s) - I've been jotting down notes here and there, collecting art for inspiration, and doing a bit of research.  I have a firm idea of what the first setting will be, but I don't want to give it away just yet.  I hate to tease, but I want to make sure that it's solid before I present it to a larger audience.  Expect an elevator pitch soon!
• Playtest - I'm starting to think I should create a page just for playtests!  Data was collected, and the players were very informative.  Simple character creation was conducted, which was completed in a short amount of time.  Next step will be to include more character creation options, and see how they effect game play.
• Preliminary writing - Typed out the Contents page, which will change over the course of writing.  Still, it was nice to see what it could look like in the future.  Also started outlines for several chapters, and some initial writing for those as well.
• Art - Not even on my radar yet, but I have high hopes!

Well, that's all I have for now.  I don't have any more testing planned for the immediate future; upcoming holiday and family come first, after all!  I'll be more diligent in the future concerning updates, so stay tuned!

Try a Little Harder

Completed another round of early playtesting this past weekend, with interesting results.
I had a simple outline for the group that evening; give a brief rundown of the core rules, explain character creation rules and create characters, and end with running some combat simulations.  The group understood the rules easily enough, created some diverse characters to test the combat system, and we were off.

Combat flowed fairly well, with some good input from the players.  I was doing one-on-one combat with each player instead of group combat, mainly because I wasn't quite ready to test out that mechanic yet.  Players gave their input after a few turns of combat, and I jotted down notes during and after each combat.

The playtest was pretty much done, and there were some good conversations about the mechanic and how to implement it in this setting or that; I have to admit, I was feeling pretty stoked.

Then one of the players asked a question about the resolution mechanic.  It gave me pause, because I didn't have an immediate answer.  The group discussed the issue, and delved deeper into the root cause and potential fixes.  More testing started up to quantify the issue, and how to resolve it in the future.

This may seem like a failure, but I count it as a huge win.  Sometimes, you're so close to what you're working on, you fail to see what may be wrong; that whole, "Forest for the trees" thing.  I can't stress enough how important playtesting is when developing.  Even when you think you're done, do it some more.

I'm also very fortunate to have some very sharp individuals for playtesting.  They really dove in with little guidance, and put the mechanic through its paces.  That last part about testing and trying to resolve it?  That was all them.

I've run some simulations, using the mechanic as is, as well as a revised version.  Interesting results thus far, and there may not be as much of an issue as previously thought.  I'm hoping to do some extensive testing this weekend, using some scripting to get a large batch of results.  AnyDice is great, but I need something a little meatier.  Hopefully I won't have to reinvent the wheel; developing an RPG system is enough work as is, thank you very much.  :)

Dirty Work

Ugh, what a week (or two)!

Without too many boring details, work has been very hectic lately, and I haven't had the time to update this blog.  Not that there's a thousand voices clamoring for updates, but I'd still like to remain as consistent as possible.  This has the benefit of keep me as open and transparent as possible, as well as keeping me focused on the task at hand.  You get updates on what I've been doing, and I keep my nose to the grindstone.

So, what's been going on?  Not a whole lot, to tell the truth.  :(

I have a lot of potential updates, but these hinge on further playtesting.  No matter how good it looks on paper, it doesn't mean squat until you put it in action.  I'm not at the point where I can put together a playtest package for anyone interested; if I had to estimate, I'd say that I'm out of pre-Alpha and well into Alpha now.  I'm taking my time, ensuring that I end up with a quality system that everyone will enjoy (I hope!).  

On a different, but related note, I've started jotting down some notes on a couple of setting ideas.  I've thought about basic fantasy, space opera, and wuxia as potential settings, but haven't settled on any one just yet.  There's always the possibility that I go with something completely different.  I haven't been focusing my efforts on the fluff just yet, but when I do, I'll let you know.  ;)

I have some playtesting scheduled for this weekend, and I hope to make some headway in fine-tuning some of the mechanics.  I will be focusing on character creation and a new resource mechanic this go around, as well as testing improvements made on other elements of in-game mechanics.  Once I collect enough data, I should be able to implement more updates to the system, as well as adding new additions to be tested later on.  I can't say when I'll be ready for a more formalized playtesting packet, but I am getting closer.

Stay tuned!

Mixed Emotions

Another playtest in the books!

Although not as revealing as the previous playtest, it did point me towards an interesting option.  I've been busy with developing mechanics, and haven't really broached the subject of setting yet.  I do have some ideas, but I haven't spent any time exploring or fleshing them out.  "Mechanics First" has been my mantra, and one that I intend on sticking to.

This has led me down the path of Generic Systems, a la GURPS, Savage Worlds, and so on.  The mechanic lends itself to flexibility, as well as customization, which fits that niche very well.  It also opens up the possibility of multiple settings, and maybe getting different authors producing material.  Of course, it would help greatly if I published the rules first.  ;)

In the meantime, I will continue to develop, playtest, and post my thoughts here.