This will be an all-update day.
As I mentioned in my last post, maybe a month ago I set a deadline for myself: I would play 20 more test games, and then call Illeria done (at least for now). I recently played game #10, so it's time to check in and see how it is going.
I'm trying to keep in mind a great GDC talk I saw by Tom Francis on efficiency in game design. I recently rewatched it. One of his main pieces of advice was to consider things it add in terms of value divided by work.
So, here is what I have done and need to do, divided into groups.
Main rules
I feel really good about the main rule set. I've made few changes in the past 10 games, and feel good about those I have (e.g. making spells harder to cast if the target is in cover). I've also been tightening things by removing rules or making things consistent. I doubt I will have many more changes in the next 10 games.
I feel really good about the main rule set. I've made few changes in the past 10 games, and feel good about those I have (e.g. making spells harder to cast if the target is in cover). I've also been tightening things by removing rules or making things consistent. I doubt I will have many more changes in the next 10 games.
Characters
I've finally started testing with high-level characters. I think it has gone well, as a character with a two-point ability or a couple of ability boosts is good, but not overwhelmingly good.
I currently have 5 fighter abilities (mostly well tested), 7 archer abilities (all but one well tested), 12 mystic abilities (not all of them tested), 6 spellcaster abilities (some well tested, others less so), 4 animator abilities (all well tested) + 2 I'm debating, and 5 summoner abilities (most well tested). I think at this point I can stop testing archery abilities, and I either need to start culling mystic abilities or testing them thoroughly. I keep feeling like I need one more animator ability, but have been struggling.
I've finally started testing with high-level characters. I think it has gone well, as a character with a two-point ability or a couple of ability boosts is good, but not overwhelmingly good.
I currently have 5 fighter abilities (mostly well tested), 7 archer abilities (all but one well tested), 12 mystic abilities (not all of them tested), 6 spellcaster abilities (some well tested, others less so), 4 animator abilities (all well tested) + 2 I'm debating, and 5 summoner abilities (most well tested). I think at this point I can stop testing archery abilities, and I either need to start culling mystic abilities or testing them thoroughly. I keep feeling like I need one more animator ability, but have been struggling.
Missions & scenarios
I've divided my game types into "missions" (which define how one wins), and "scenarios" (which define how magic is transferred to the real world). I currently have 9 missions that have been tested decently to well, and a few I'm so-so on. I'm debating between whether it is worth spending my last 10 games tightening up current missions, or developing new ones. I think it would be irresponsible to try to develop more than one new mission (two at most). I have three very solid scenarios, and two that are so-so. I'm definitely going to test the two so-so scenarios, that will be a main focus. The scenarios have honestly been lacking in part because they are harder to design. I'd like to have a 6th one, but might not come up with an idea.
Campaign
I have a decent campaign mode at this point. I think I have a decent method for having strong parties fight weak ones. I think I really like my death and experience systems, though I wonder if they could use minor tweaking. I've tracked the number of survivors per game in the past 7 games, and have found that on average 40% of a party dies if the party wins, and 60% dies if the lose (that said, these are both +/- about 18%, so I can't be super confident yet); I can use this to project how long a party will survive. One thing I've struggled with slightly is the resource system (more in a future post). I've been thinking testing with this in simulated campaigns, where I do the pre-game stuff, then flip a coin to see who wins, and calculate the aftermath. I'll do computer simulations understand long-term behavior, but also do it by hand to see how crappy I feel after a bad game.
The campaign is one where I debate the value/effort. If I look in that term, I'm not sure if it is worth it, but it is something I really fundamentally wanted from when I first created this game. I guess that is like what Tom said, that it is important because it is the value I want to put into this game.
Rulebook
I just gave the rulebook an on-paper edit. It is still rough, but other than the missions and scenarios, I have everything on paper. My time as a scientist taught me it's often easier to edit than write from scratch, and I have a good basic structure. Sarah promised that she'll read it when I'm near done.
I have several diagrams, which I'm happy with, and many hand-made pictures. I have a few more diagrams I want to make, and a couple more drawings I want to hand-draw.
Backstory
This is one I keep going back and forth on. I'm starting to lean towards the story of mercenary prospectors in a magical outlands, rather than a story of escapees fighting to survive on a prison island. The outlands story works better with the campaign mode, and honestly makes more sense with some of the missions. I'm debating if it is an interesting story, or one that is over-done (I worry it sounds too much like Frostrgave and Mordheim). I think the prison island story is much more unique. I also have to take into account that I have flavor text written for the prison island story, and I worry that would take too much time to re-do (failing the value/effort ratio).
Ok, so the current to-do list (in rough order of importance):
-Make rulebook clear.
-Make rulebook pretty.
-Polish abilities I am so-so on.
-Add an animator ability.
-Get campaign mode working.
-Polish scenarios I am so-so on.
-Polish missions I am so-so on.
-Get at least 1 more scenario.
-Make at least 1 more mission.
Ok, T minus 10 games and counting...
