17. April 2010 by admin.

The first part of Fourth Draft is still being compiled. But as a little treat, here is the first (very rough) draft of the character sheet! It’s extremely simple. There are two reasons for this: This version is only meant to be functional, not pretty, so dazzling decorations are not yet part of the equation, aaand… it really is a simple sheet! Unlike many other RPGs, GEARS works around a very simple character design concept put forth since First Draft, and a few tweaks made it even simpler. As a result, anything character related (technical stuff, not the fictional background stories some players choose to write! And not really equipment lists either… sorry) can be placed into one streamlined row! The character sheet, really, is nothing but a coloumn of these, every row just the same. And you can do anything with it!

So here it is, the first version of the GEARS character sheet:

Posted in Abilities, First Draft, Background, Disabilities, Character creation, Equipment/Gear | 1 Comment »

9. February 2010 by admin.

Writing is progressing. It’s in the tough parts now, the things that need work and the things that need serious thought. GEARS in its entirety has been the product of intense work, but what is being done now is not just the structure of the game, but all the scaffolding that holds it together; it’s what will take GEARS from a detailed idea and turn it into an actual game. The plan is that, because this takes longer than the previous draft work, parts will be posted before the full Fourth Draft is put together. Changes in wording and outline are making the game mechanics far easier to understand and use, and small pieces are fitting so nicely they are opening up whole new realms of possibilities (I am looking at you, ‘character aspects’!). So even though everything is chaos, layout-wise, there is gold in this mine, if I may be so self-indulgent! And since the second major round of playtest is being put together now, along with the first serious (but still limited) push into public spotlight, things are looking mighty heavy for the coming weeks!

For the time being, here is the cover designed for Fourth Draft. As in the previous two covers (First Draft had no cover), the theme is “Work In Progress”, but the very simplistic logo-and-textlayout is now being transformed into something a little more interesting. Of course, clearly still WIP!

Posted in First Draft, Dice Mechanics, Layout, Fourth Draft, Character creation, Playtests | 1 Comment »