So, I saw this game at the Student Nationals in 2008 and I picked it up from Lulu.
I'll do a critique of it at some point when I've had time to really look it over (Malc has my copy at the moment -- I should get that back before he heads to the US, actually).
Anyway, I posted a topic about Lessons Learned on their forum and they responded.
These are good people, and they're starting out. I think they'd have a lot to learn from us, but also we have lessons we can learn from them. As they are at University they've access to a large pool of playtesters and so their game was thoroughly playtested.
Briefly, my take on the book is that it has lots of "stuff" in it for characters but little about how they actually played the game. I think there are techniques going on at the table that aren't in the book -- they come from the group, or at least the GM, knowing "how roleplaying works".
Anyway, it has that whole SLA Industries, a|state meets WoD vibe.
That looks like a great
Submitted by Andrew Kenrick on Wed, 30/07/2008 - 14:32.
That looks like a great thread Gregor - have you pointed them in our direction? I think you're right when you say we'd all have something to learn from one another. Actually, looking at their site I see they're in Sheffield - I wonder if they'll be at Furnace?
I can certainly empathise with their first comment about launching with nothing to show - I launched the Steampower website about 2 years too early! In fact, even if you go there now you can still see stuff that's "coming soon" that should really have been kept quiet until finished, or nearly finished. I guess that's all about noise to signal.
That final comment is golden though, and should be quoted here:
"If, at the end of all of this, we get the book out there, people play it and we make enough money to buy everybody a drink, then that's a success."
I'll drink to that.
Yes!
Submitted by Gregor Hutton on Wed, 30/07/2008 - 14:56.
I'm now going to point them here.
But I'll openly point out, here, I am very wary of coming across as "here's how you ought to do it", because any such sentiment from me would be nonsense. It's up to all of us to decide how to do things ourselves. But we can learn from others mistakes as much as our own.
I also think there's a blurring of lines about game mechanics and all that stuff, that people try to force (even subconsciously) on other designers. That's not the purpose, I'll say that up front.
They have a system (3d10) that works in their play and a lot of setting crunch. I wouldn't want to change that as that's what they want to write (and their players want to play).
Anyway, hello to the folks from Jackalpack if they're reading this.
As you say Andy, I think we all have similar goals. are equally interested in the hobby and have actually gone through the wringer of taking a game from idea to publication.