Made a number of massive changes to the game. The first playtest was rubbish, because I made the standard mistake of expecting the players to do what was in my head. In the interim, the game has become more complicated now, with lots of steps. But so far, it’s shaping up to be nothing like most indie games.
Not sure if that’s a good thing.
If you’re interested in playtesting, please contact me.
Anyone familiar with my designs knows that I prefer dark, deep, resonate game-play. I’ve been tinkering with the idea of this game for sometime and I finally just sat down, made some character sheets, and started playing with some friends. And I’ll be the first to admit, this first playtest sucked, because I had too many stats on the sheet and no idea what they were going to do, or what I wanted them to do.
After Julie left the playtest out of disgust (or some phone call she pretended to get), the rest of us sat and worked out what a scene should be about and who should be in it. For some reason I failed to even address that since every scene in this game is indoors, quarantined from the world around them, obviously everyone would be in every scene.
Idiot.
After that, I realized that what was at stake for someone in a scene did not need to be the same across the board. Everyone could be in a scene, but be having a completely different experience within the scene. And that the strategic part of the game could be taking place between scenes.
I also failed to tell the players the goal of the game. Wasn’t it obvious? Ha.
Lastly, when I got home, I fixed the character sheet, started working on charts for a GM-less version (which I always knew it would be), and made the cover above. I intend to add interludes between scenes, so players can have some personal time to reflect on the events of play. I also added a concept of “foils” triggering other players to action in tense situations.
More updates as playtests continue.
In Dying Memoryes, players take on the roles of crewman trapped in cryogenic sleep aboard a space ship in deep space. The ship has gone adrift, heading into the orbit of a wayward planet. As the ship’s unavoidable and tragic decent to the inhospitable world continues, the crewmen suffer traumatic episodes of fragmented memories from their past, in an attempt to rebuild their lives. Their final moments spent trying to formulate who they were and what is happening.
Dying Memoryes is a structured freeform roleplaying game which strings together relevant scenes from the characters past. As the game progresses, the players’ unconscious unravels more and more perceived truths about their past as they attempt to find the missing memories that made them who they are.
Coming soon.
I’ll be running games this weekend at the local Strategicon convention at the LAX Sheraton. For those keeping score, the Labor Day weekend convention is called Gateway.
Friday 2pm and 8pm I will be running a playtest of my Samurai story about nobles dealing with the guilt of killing their lord.
Saturday at 10am, I am delivering a seminar on how to get your game published and my 8pm game is Fiasco 909. You can find that here on my site.
Finally Sunday at 2pm and 6pm I am running games. 2pm is my game called Dying Memoryes. And my 6pm game is a Steampunk LARP about a race around the world.
I hope to have stories when I return.
I’ve always believe that illustration should inspire one to write, not the other way around. I think seeing a piece of art and wanting to explore the intricacy of it should be part of the process. I believe the art is another medium for which to explore story, character, worlds, and so on. I do not believe that everything in the art has to be representational. If the art is identical to the text, what’s the point of the text?
I hope Marc’s work makes you think about worlds they way it makes me think about them. http://www.marcscheff.com/spice-flow
Free Download
My third attempt at a Fiasco Playset. Enjoy.
JUST 500 MORE MILES AND THEN WE’LL STOP
It was supposed to be a simple trip. A one-way trip. Me and some Friends. A hitch-hiker or two. And a simple delivery.
That’s all.
Just one simple delivery.
What could possibly go wrong?
Yet another free PDF game. Woohoo. Everyone feel free to not download this one as well.
Drama is a Quick and Dirty story-game done in a theatrical style with delineated places for plot, development, twists, and resolution. This is a work in progress. Any feedback you have would be great. From paragraph one of the PDF.
Drama is an experimental roleplaying story game for 4 or 5 players, allowing the players to take on the roles or writers, directors, and actors in an ongoing plot. The system is designed to emulate all manner of dramatic work, regardless of genre.
Jim Pavelec is producing a book of vile wretchedness that cannot be overlooked. It is a tome of art, so foul, it will break you in half to read it. [Also, I helped write some of it.] Please give your wretched offerings to the golden ones so that you may bask in the glory of their great and everlasting evil.
Another 1-2 hour game design, this one is about emo kids jockeying to be the “most emo.” It’s a little rough, albeit the graphics are tight. The art is courtesy of some friends of mine. Once I’ve done some testing, I’ll have a better version up. But you are free to enjoy this one in the mean time. EWTBS
post world games 