30. November 2009 by admin.

The writing of the Equipment section is fully underways now, helped immensely by conversations with playtesters. As old posts show, having equipment be more a way to tailor something precisely for an idea, rather than just a shopping list, is one goal of GEARS. The first steps are now being taken, with tweaks and revamps of a (horribly convoluted) previous system being streamlined into something more snazzy. The part on customizing existing equipemnt, either as a unique (or at least unusual) buy or as an alteration to existing gear, is fairly written now, albeit with room for many more aspects to customize (there is a quick list, which can be used in the fairly simple customization rules). It is even tying into the Ability system quite nicely, to the point where the range of items in a game world can actually be explained by the customization rules. They are not meant to do so, and the shopping lists that will eventually be added will not make any kind of show out of it, but it takes only a slightly observant mind (and the brief remark inserted in the chapter) to notice that everything is suddenly explained quite neatly. That was a bonus we did not plan on

Then there is the whole personalization issue, with items built according to the needs of a particular character. Yes, you can have an item that will work much better for you than its brethren, while being nothing but a bother to everyone who does not have your size of hands, overall build, personal aura, or the like! It’s still a somewhat shaky system, though, and will need some sandbox testing to check its viability.

And it goes beyond that. I just finished writing a section that uses steampunk blade guns as an example of Item Combos that become their own piece of equipment, with quite some interesting options for unique Abilities tied in. It’s better than expected, though a lot of clean-up and testing is still needed to get it juuuuuust right.

What is becoming painfully obvious is that the next round of playtests will have to be very different in order to incorporate the many different options that exist; they may be packed into tight, streamlined rules, but there are so many things that can be done with them that I cannot personally see a way for a few adventures to do the deeper testing. Options are still considered, including reaching out for external playtesters (we have not announced any need for that at all, so far). Time will tell…

Posted in Cash, Character creation, Equipment/Gear, Guns, Machines, Vehicles, Weapons | No Comments »

21. November 2009 by admin.

Things are still slowly falling into place. Five different variants of the core rules remain in playtest, but they are constantly being adjusted in ways that make them more and more similar, so it looks like it won’t be long before the core is fully assembled. The Second Draft looks to be about 40 pages long, including various sections that make up the most important rules. Game philosophy is not included in the draft, and whether this one will have sample characters is not yet sure; the final selection of Talent Abilities is not yet in, and without them, sample characters may become too confusing (because they will change wildly between the second and third draft). Phrasing also needs attentiononce the Second Draft is finished. Currently, the text reads like an academic text trying to speak normal English, i.e. dry and with some odd expressions. It is not really reader friendly yet, nor will it be before Second Draft launches.

Beyond the core that is being carved into Second Draft, there are some interesting things floating about in test. A very advanced expansion on the combat (and by extension, conflict) system is showing good results in playability, even if it is still horribly unbalanced. It allows very unusual choices in combat, from shifting weapons and targets to outwitting opponents by observation or constant feints. It even lends itself to magical and other esoteric combat in a way not originally imagined. Yes, that means magical combat moves! The details are still rough, as magic systems are in mid-test, but there seems to be some power in the system. Adding even more yum is the fact that the advanced weapons and armor rules are turning out rather nicely. They are only barely in early playtest, but the system holds and seems fairly light, despite incredible detail. What kind of detail? Well, let’s just say that if you want cheap armor against sharp blades, metal rivets in leather provide an option. Go for the round ones, though, unless you need very light and cheap armor; the crossed rivets break easy. And remember that jagged-edge swords of the right composition can outmaneuver rivets, as can anything thrusted and pointy. And you do not wantthose jagged blades thrusted into you, either! Full design system for composition armor and custom melee weapons is in the pipeline, too.

And then there is Alice. The center setting is being outlined for a shorter-than-full version, and it is nearly done. The full setting already has a lot of material to it, but the shorter version will be packed with Second Draft, to show off some ideas. Later drafts will have textboxes with addition setting seeds, and ways to connect them to Alice, but that’s a whole different ball game right now.

Things look good. On the more distant horizon, settings are forming, and a core design book for machines(vehicles, heavy tools, doomsday devices, etc.) is on the drawing board. The first pieces of an advanced gun design system are being drawn up. And an old favorite of mine, “Reich X”, is being looked at as a very dark, insane, and possibly silly setting. Also, ideas for merchandise keep popping up, but those are still mostly for fun.

Oh yeah, and Second Draft will have an actual cover illustration. Simple, but a cover illustration nonetheless!

See ya!

Posted in Magic, Vehicles, Guns, Swords, Reich X, Armor, Machines, Alice, Combat, Weapons, Conflict, Sample characters, Second Draft, Playtests | 1 Comment »