The last big push
Below are the things that I am working on for the July release of Wordplay. Thanks to Tweaker and the Collective Endeavour for providing the suggestions.
- make the rule and trait examples consistently fantasy related and not mixed and matched.
What do you think of this one? It keeps a consistent theme in the rules and prevents ’swordbearer’ and ‘SQL administrator’ in the same trait lists. Expressions of adaptability will be found through the themes.
- A single or two-page extended example of play showing how the players and the GM negotiate the results of their roll, assembling their hand and counting their dice, and perhaps using a multiroll contest to play out a fight, a social event or both.
- Advice on getting on the same board and agreeing on the theme, tone, setting details, etc.
- Who is in charge? The role of the Guide and the Players.
- Advice on creating adventures, possibly using the traits and defects selected by the players as an springboard.
- Advice on creating new templates for Places, People and Professions, though this might not be necessary if the themes included provide enough examples.
- How do you deal with those characters whose equipment is an integral part of their concept or is a signature element of their personality?
So, a lot to go in the Guide chapter.
July and August will see the great editing hack. My aim is to condense the text and remove duplication as far as possible. I see this as freewheeling on the downward slope to the release. I suspect that I will find it rather painful!
I am not sure it is a good idea to make all rule and trait examples fantasy-related, Graham. Look at Heroquest - lots of people think the system is only valid for playing fantasy or historical settings…
I think the best way to keep ’swordbearer’ and ‘SQL administrator’ from appearing in the same trait list is making sure everybody is on the same board about the kind of game they want to play, allowed character types, etc.
On the other hand, it might be perfectly acceptable to have both traits if the game is set in a futuristic, cyber-fantasy, post-apocalyptic, elves-and-dwarfs-with-mohawks background
PD. Best of luck with the final push!
I have to agree with the person above me, I don’t think it’s a good idea to make all the trait/ rules examples fantasy themed as doesn’t that undermine the concept of Wordplay as a generic game?
After all if you keep the examples mixed and matched it reinforces the idea that the game can be used for anything. As when I’ve read other generic games the examples the writers give tend to form ideas on the types of games I’d want to ruin with that system.
Just to leap on the bandwagon, I’d also advise against standardising the examples — it’s the best way to show the versatility of the system.
I know I’ve mugged you for SQ editing quite severely, but are you still on for a July update of any sort?
Yes. I am looking at the text right now. I’ve done a tidy and a re-order, though not the needed purge. I aim to hit some of the ‘Big Push’ items before August but really finish the game during August.
Expect the July release to come through in the last week of the month.
Started reminding myself on driving InDesign tonight in preparation for the final draft