The new hotness

There's been a lot going on since my last blog post. The main has been Kickstarter. Over the last couple months, before I noticed it was going on, a few game designers have adopted Kickstarter as a method of raising funds and gauging interest in their upcoming games.

The first I noticed, which was a while ago (though I didn't see the explosion then), was Daniel Solis's game Happy Birthday, Robot!. I thought the game had merit and I really liked the focus he had for it, that of being something to get children into playing story games at a young age. The tie to teachers and classrooms hooked me. So, I pledged as a backer. Then I went about my life.

Recently I saw he had another game up on Kickstarter, Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple. It's one of those games I had been tracking for a log while all though his design process. I was fascinated and knew I would have to get a copy when it finally came out. And, here was my chance. The announcement on Twitter that he was seeking funding grabbed me. I wasn't going to let it not get published.

Then it happened.

Kickstarter exploded! Over the last month I have been able to help Daniel with his game in addition to Brennan Taylor (Bulldogs!), Eloy Lasanta (Part-Time Gods), and Jeremy Keller (Technoir). All of these guys have a track history of coming up with really cool games that hit me the right way.

Since these guys started using Kickstarter there has been discussion on blogs and on Twitter about the merits of the site. Why does it work the way it does? How does one build a campaign for their project and make it successful? And, what exactly makes people want to back a game designer?

I've been thinking about this. Sure I've seen what everyone else says about the tool. Some I believe and some I don't. All I can give you here is why I chose to back the projects that I have.

To me, games are important. They are a way to learn, a way to spend your time and most importantly something to do with a bunch of friends. Because of this I follow a bunch of game designers. Their next design could be just that thing that scratches my gamer itch.

So, why these particular games? Why these game designers? Because they are ones who have a track history of well thought out games. They design things and share them. Not only that. They don't design in the dark. They design games with their friends just as if the process of designing were a game itself. Their process is transparent. I get to see all the passion and inspiration that go into one of their projects. This passion transfers into the final result to give me (just an everyday gamer) something to socialize with in a gaming group.

They give me the awesome I crave!

That's why I took the opportunity to back each one of them.

If you want to find more out about them visit their blogs or catch them on Twitter:

Daniel Solis: http://danielsolisblog.blogspot.com/ or @danielsolis
Brennan Taylor: http://galileogames.com/ or @brennanrtaylor
Eloy Lasanta: http://eloythesaint.com/ or @thirdeyegames
Jeremy Keller: http://jeremykeller.com/ or @jeremyjkeller

Driving the conflict [The Island]

I was out mowing the yard. It was dry enough, finally, to allow me to get to the back corner of the lot.

Mowing is one of those activities I am able to do and ponder other topics. Today's topic was conflict. In The Island I want a conflict resolution that pits the characters against one another in two-sided situations where the island itself applies leverage to one or the other side. I don't really want GM versus player conflicts but I want the players to feel as though the GM is unbalancing things one way or the other.

These are the points I was mulling over.

1. A scene is defined by the GM. The players can suggest things but the GM has final say in framing the situation.
2. A conflict is a two-sided end to a scene. The players pick sides roll against one another.
3. The GM has a pool of dice to push the conflict one way or the other.
4. The longer a conflict goes on the more out of control it needs to feel for the players.
   

At least those are my initial thoughts. I'm sure they will develop in time.

Thematic similarities [The Island]

As I think about my game idea The Island I keep coming across similarities in other media. First the game idea was spawned from the show Lost but I keep coming across instances of other stories following the same themes.

First After thinking of Lost was a short leap to Gilligan's Island and then it was on to The Island of Dr. Moreau. Those were simple jumps. In each case some travelers end up on an island that is host to some strange mystery, more in some and less in others. ... Why, exactly, could the castaways never leave the island. After all, it was only a three hour tour and a tiny, little bout of bad weather.

The next just hit me the other day. I was listening to The Dead Robots' Society and in a recent episode Justin announces his pick for the next book they will read and discuss. At first Under the Dome by Stephen King didn't click but once I downloaded a copy and started reading it dawned on me. The characters are stranded under a dome that won't let them out for whatever reason. The are trapped there with all their foibles and cruel secrets.

Then, today I was catching up on episodes of Pulp Gamer and one of the episode is on Frank Baum's OZ stories. There it is again. A character gets swept away to a place that has it's only mysteries and to get away she has to travel through strange lands with odd people in order to get home. There have been so many adaptations of Baum's tales but each one has had some mystery the characters have had to deal with.

There you go. The theme I am going for in The Island is something that shows up again and again.

Games du jour

Here are the semi-thought out game ideas I've had recently that have held up to the 24 hour test. I figure if an idea sticks with me for more than a day it might have something of use in it.

White Collar Robots - The game of robots standing in for their white collar, office counterparts.

Planet Crash - A Game Chef attempt using the keywords city, edge and desert. After crashing in a deserted city floating at the edge of known space the character experience what happened to the original citizens.

The Island - (Yeah, I know. It's not an original title once you read the theme.) The characters get stranded on an island. They can't get off until they solve the mystery of the island in spite of the secrets they keep from another. The idea was inspired by Lost but after thinking about mechanics I think it could be played zany like Gilligan's Island.

Those are the biggest three game ideas I've had that seem to keep haunting me.

What are robots made of?

Over the last couple days I have been pondering on what robots are made of for the game idea I mentioned in the previous post White Collar Robots. What shaped the aspects of a robot are the mechanics ideas that I think can push the flavor of the game to the players. I'll do a post on those as I iron them out, however, this is that a robot is.

Robot Name - This is what other robots call your robot.

Model Number - This is what humans call your robot.

Superstructure - This is your robot's frame, containing power and four modules.

Power Grid - This is the power cable that runs from your robot to the wall.

Internal Battery - This is the power your robot uses when not plugged into the wall.

Modules (0001 through 0100) - These are the four modules for your robot's parts from the following list.

Emergency Control - Allows a robot to react to emergency situations.
Environmental Regulator - Allows a robot to operate in extreme environments.
Human Interface - Allows a robot to directly communicate with humans.
Manipulator - Allows a robot to manipulate objects and its environment.
Mobility Unit - Allows a robot to move around in its environment.
Programmable Memory - Allows a robot to handle large volumes of complex data.
Supply Feeder - Allows a robot to bring in supplies for manipulation.

Quirks (0001 through 0101) - These are alterations to your robot due to repairs during play.

Job History - Your robot has both a past job (what it was built to do) and a current job (what it was not built to do).

Insight - This is your robot's understanding of humans.

Confusion Effect - This is what happens when your robot gets confused by human behavior.

White Collar Robots

This is a roleplaying game design idea that came to me the other day when I saw a billboard that read, "We do not hire robots."

You are a robot.

You are very good at what you were designed to do.

You work for a large corporation in a shop/maintenance capacity.

Due to the economic downturn the corporation was forced to let large numbers humans go. They 'promoted' you to fill their place in the white collar environment of the back office. There you must attempt to get your job done, lacking any skill in that particular field, while you deal with the emotions of your remaining human coworkers.

Will you get the job done?

Will you get along with humans who hate their new robot coworkers?

Or, will you get fired?

Islands of the Sun

Okay, I just took some time at lunch to come up with a title for my game that I like better. It seems to suit the feel I'm going for. The flavor of the game is intended to be a fusion of the Inca, Aztec and South Pacific cultures. Structure, beauty and brutality are a major part of the game and honor is it's core. It's a place where people struggle amongst each other just as they struggle against an environment that actively pushes back. All the people know are the powers of the wind, waves and sun while struggling to live on the islands they call home.

Having that decided I then asked what exactly my game is about. With the people living in such a struggling world they impose order where they can. They live by an honor code that governs every aspect of their lives. So, honor is the core of the game. It's what will be used to measure how the characters are doing as they use honor to measure the status of others around them.

The following is my power 19 for Islands of the Sun. It's not intended for anything other than a guide to keep me organized and heading in the right direction.

1.) What is your game about?
It is about honor in the face of adversity, which comes not only from other characters but also from the world itself.

2.) What do the characters do?
The characters are tasked with maintaining and improving their honor while accomplishing things for the beliefs they hold dear. These beliefs come from their pasts.

3.) What do the players (including the GM if there is one) do?
There are both players and a GM who play the game. The players each have a character. They push their characters through challenges to better them. The GM is the adversity the players put their characters against. He is not supposed to play against the players but he is supposed to challenge the characters for the fun of everyone playing.

4.) How does your setting (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
The setting is an idyllic set of thousands of islands. With the beauty of the islands as they are the environment is just as brutal to those living there. In addition to the environment being challenging there have been a few settlements that have gained dominance and hold sway over the places around them.

5.) How does the Character Creation of your game reinforce what your game is about?
One thing I want to include in character creation is a structure to build some past into them. This lifepath system will build the beliefs the characters rely on for their honor. Characters also have aspects that mimic the environment around them for their strengths and weaknesses.

6.) What types of behaviors/styles of play does your game reward (and punish if necessary)?
I want to encourage play between the players. If they feel a need to play antagonistic to one another that needs to be a decision they made to increase the fun of the game for all playing. Whether the players choose to cooperate or be antagonistic they should be playing to their beliefs and aspects. Everything should work toward the honor their characters need to improve.

7.) How are behaviors and styles of play rewarded or punished in your game?
As long as players are using their beliefs they are able to increase their honor. When their honor goes up it allows them to better their aspects and talents. When they let their honor bottom out or they are defeated in a contest they take scars of shame. When they gain too many scars the characters leave play in disgrace.

8.) How are the responsibilities of narration and credibility divided in your game?
The GM is responsible for the stability of the world. He is there to run the opposition to the characters and describe a consistent setting. The players are responsible for their characters. They get to narrate the outcomes of contests they go through with moderation of the GM.

9.) What does your game do to command the players' attention, engagement, and participation? (i.e. What does the game do to make them care?)
By using the honor scale to regulate character improvement the players are encouraged to work toward their character's beliefs. By allowing the players to narrate the outcome of contests they will be able to flavor the action/intensity of those contests.

10.) What are the resolution mechanics of your game like?
Contests are resolved with opposed rolls. To win a contest the victor pushes the loser's aspects further than their thresholds allow. Also, the players are encouraged to use differing aspects in their contests to think outside the box. For example, an NPC could be pushing with strength but the PC could push back with intelligence or with their social acuity to defeat the NPC. They do not have to go strength against strength.

11.) How do the resolution mechanics reinforce what your game is about?
They are intended to push the player to use their character's beliefs to increase honor and better them.

12.) Do characters in your game advance? If so, how?
The advance through pushing their honor to the top of it's scale. That will allow die increases on their talents and attributes. When players use their character's beliefs they can, through those contests, improve them. Through play they can even add new beliefs.

13.) How does the character advancement (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
Advancement is intended to increase the stakes for the characters. When they advance they do better and thus they can take a bigger bite off the challenges they go for.

14.) What sort of product or effect do you want your game to produce in or for the players?
I want the game to push the players to try something new. I want the players to take an active role in the flavor of their play sessions when they describe outcomes of contests.

15.) What areas of your game receive extra attention and color? Why?
The conflict between the character and everything around them is what I want to be the focus of the game's color. I want them to feel like small fish in the ocean. I also want them to feel they have something they have control over, their honor.

16.) Which part of your game are you most excited about or interested in? Why?
The thing I am most excited about is putting the flavor in the hands of the players. I feel giving them that opportunity increases the excitement of game play. When they can take that extra control of their characters they should feel just as excited describing failures as it is to describe successes. Beliefs are also things I like to see in a game. They help lead the motivations of the characters for their players.

17.) Where does your game take the players that other games can’t, don’t, or won’t?
This one I'm not too sure about. Other than the setting having a different cultural twist I hope the honor system gives the game some more tension during play.

18.) What are your publishing goals for your game?
I don't intend on anything that will blow off the shelves but I do want to have a game that is very professional looking and solid in rules.

19.) Who is your target audience?
My audience is the RPG community in general, but I want to aim more for those gamers of the traditional RPGs who are looking for something where they, as players, can take more control of their characters. I want more story to come out of play. I want the game to sit in that snug middle ground between traditional RPGs and the indie games that have drastically different rules. Hopefully it can be a transition game between the two extremes.

So, that's about it for now. I'm not too sure if I hit the mark completely with those answers but it's my attempt at the moment.

By the way, I had to pick a different name for the game because I didn't want to use IE as an acronym for it like my earlier idea would have done. This title also, hopefully, has a better feel.

More to come later.

YouTube Game Design

It's been a while since I've posted but the other day I found this really great game design seminar by John Wick on YouTube. He's the guy behind a bunch of really cool indie press roleplaying games along with materials for 7th Sea and Legend of the Five Rings by AEG.

Last night I watched a string of his videos and was really impressed with the practical info he relates for game design. Though I haven't put much into my game so far I feel it's just spinning wheels, but John Wick's videos have really given me some inspirations. I think I'm going to take another stab at creating a solid foundation for my game starting with the theme. Sure I can come up with mechanics but starting with a cool mechanic seems to get in my way. Maybe starting with theme will get it going in the right direction.

Here's the first video John Wick posted on game design. You should also find practical game play advice in his set of play dirty videos. Have a watch. I hope your gaming grows because of it.



Hopefully I will have another post up here soon with better results on kicking off my game.

Island Empires

I needed to come up with a title to be able to reference my RPG as I work on it. So, even though it's a pretty weak title now I am going with Island Empires. The only reason I am using this at the moment is the genre that seems to stick in my head. It's an archipelago where there is an empire along with many island states that struggle for control and identity in their world. I'm not too sure if that's too stable a base to build on but it can change as the game comes together.

The next thing I wanted to do is answer three questions for a feel focus. The answers are something to keep me on track with where I want to go. These questions can be found in the RPG Design Handbook.

What is the game about?

It's about maintaining honor and posturing both socially and politically. This will be done at a personal level where they affect their local impact, not a world moving level where the characters might be the rulers.

What do the characters do?

The characters are the citizens of the island states trying to make their way in the world. They might have some impact on how larger things happen but their focus will be on family, friends and their beliefs about the world they live in. They could be the soldiers who go off to war for their island state but they could also be citizens who go off to the core of the empire to find help for their home that's in danger of dying from an emerging plague. In anything they do their focus is on how they present themselves to the world.

What do the players do?

As said in a previous post, I mostly like the GM/Player form of roleplaying games. Having said that, the players are responsible for their characters' actions. But that's not all. They are also in control of their backgrounds and how they fit in the world. They are not reliant on the GM to tell them how or why they fit into the world.

Players also build their characters through play. During character creation they will create a framework for this development to build on. The framework is more than just character stats; it's also a set of beliefs and outlooks on the world.

Well, those are the answers I have for the first set of three questions. I'm not too sure on that third question and answer but this is what I came up with for now. It seems a bit nebulous at the moment and will hopefully focus itself in my head now that I have it typed out.

Once I have my base mechanics nailed down I will describe what I am trying in order to give the impression I'm going for with the game.

Why Design?

The first thing I am going to start with for my game designing ideas is to look at why I want to design a roleplaying game. In doing so I should be able to get a focus on where I am with my own play style, my likes and dislikes, and just where I intend to take the players of what I'm building. This focus should give me an anchor that will keep me from straying too far from what I intend on doing. After coming up with this focus I want to commit to having something written and in at least ashcan format for GenCon 2009. I don't know if this is too ambitious of a deadline but I won't get anything done without attaching at least something for a deadline.

Okay...

What do I like in a roleplaying game?

1. I like the GM/Players structure because it seems to keep to a focused world yet keeps that world a bit of a mystery for the players.
2. Players should have a definite control over their characters and how they impact the world they inhabit.
3. The players should also be able to take control of their background and not have it controlled by the GM.
4. Player characters do not live in a bubble, but they are interrelated with the other characters, both PCs and NPCs.
   
5. The GM should be saying "yes" to the players as the world is as much theirs as it is his.
6. I like using many different dice.
7. Less crunch and a more cinematic feel is essential for more dramatic play.
8. Flexibility should be built into the rule system to allow for varying play styles.
9. I love action/hero/plot points!
10. I want to see player characters suffer the consequences of their actions.
    

What don't I like in a roleplaying game?

1. I can't stand constant fudging of rules that aren't broken.
2. I hate GM stonewalling when the players want to do something they feel would add to the fun of the game.
3. I also hate GM stonewalling when the players are not following the letter of his planned adventure.
4. I loathe a GM telling a story instead of opening the world for the players affect.
5. A rule that exists just to add fiddly bits when it does not add to the flavor of the game shouldn't exist.
6. Combat is never the only solution to a given situation and should also not be the only thing rewarding the players.
7. I don't like Monty Hall gaming.
8. I hate downtime between character actions.
9. Games that are all one thing annoy me whether they are all dungeon crawl, court intrigue or self-focused internal struggles.
10. I can't stand having to shut down a planned gaming session just because one person chould not show.
    

What are some things I do in my gaming?

1. My preference is to be a GM in my gaming but I have not been able to do that in a while for lack of a gaming group.
2. Now that I have a gaming group I am a player but hoping to get into the GMing role.
3. I am a voracious reader of new and different game books and game systems. I read them to see what makes them tick.
4. I am usually a quiet player at the gaming table but am stretching my wings into more control of my characters' surroundings.
5. I've been looking for ways to tie my characters' into their world whether it's finding a relative to help our party out in a large city or struggling with character emotions over an action they needed to take.
6. I tend to roll with the punches at the gaming table and have been keeping my eyes open for the fun of my fellow gamers. If I can help them have fun then I will try to do just that.

I'm sure this is just a starting point. As I learn more about my play I will refine these three sections. They aren't written in stone but they are a guide for my design and should not be disregarded.

These are a couple things that got me thinking about designing a game in the first place.

1. I have a dice mechanic that should hopefully encourage players to do more than just combat in a sticky situation. It will hopefully also allow for a more realistic feel when it comes to non-physical injury, such as mental, emotional and social.
2. I want a game with a genre of my own. I know that could be a setting book for someone else's game system but I am a believer in the rules needing to fit the feel of a genre. After all, how scary would a book be to characters in Call of Cthulhu if there were no sanity rules?
3. With all the amazing indie games out now there is so much inspiration to break the old hard-and-fast rules and reassemble them in some new bizarre fashion to see just what they could be pushed to do.
   

I think that's it for me today. I am off to play with my design notes.

Conceptualizing

I've recently started posting on The Forge about my game ideas and asking for advice on where to start. My first post was replied to by a few helpful and encouraging people. One mentioned a resource on the net that was all about RPG design, though it is still in a creation process of its own.

RPG Design Handbook

After reading the pages that are written I think I will try out it's advice. First, is asking myself what I like and don't like from play and then to see how that actually fits in the gaming sessions I play in. Once I am done with that I'm going to go through some questions on what I want to see in the game I'm thinking of creating.

As this process continues I'll post my thoughts here and see if I can't bore you all. haha

Step One

After listening to many podcasts and hearing about all these wonderful indie RPGs I checked a few of them out at Origins this year and took Burning Wheel (with Jihad due to Fred Hicks' description of it) and Don't Rest Your Head (because I love that Dark City/Neil Gaiman feel in a game) home with me. They are amazing! I love the uniqueness of the concepts that make the players (and GM) jump out and take a risk with their characters. Since then I have ordered a few more from IPR (Dogs in the Vineyard, Blossoms are Falling and Agon). I guess they won't ship until after GenCon due to when I placed my order but I am thrilled to watch for that box in the post.

Now, to the point. Over the years I have had inspirations to create settings for other games such as D&D. However, after reading all these other game systems I am itching to just make my own game. The unique concepts have me coming up with ways to steal them, twist them and come up with new ones that work toward a specific feel to fit a setting. Over the last couple weeks I have been scribbling notes for rules I like and how I want to play around the gaming table.

With all the indie games that are out there and how impressive they are, where does one start? I have few setting ideas at the moment but I have piles of mechanics ideas. I used to come up with setting ideas all the time but at this point I don't want to just create another version of a different game that already exists. I don't want to rehash a setting by just adding a new set of rules to it. This dilemma could end up dropping a brick wall in my way.

I think I may go a slightly different direction with this blog and use it as a means to keep me working on the game design ideas I come up with. Please comment and let me know what you think.

Thanks for listening to me natter on.