Under the Hood – The Complete Picture
The Complete Picture
By The Warden
When I learned to drive oh those many years ago (24 years ago, to be exact), my dad taught me. He took me out to an unused country road, pulled over, and spoke the words that every teenager longs to hear. “OK, hop into the driver’s seat.” After fifteen minutes of seat and mirror adjusting, along with a lengthy lecture on responsibilities while driving...
Under the Hood – Using Your Words Good
Using Your Words Good
By The Warden
Choosing the right words for your game is like searching for one volume in this library.
Game design is the culmination of many different parts. If you’re an independent or casual designer, you’re piecing them all together yourself or with a couple of people contributing. If you’re really lucky and have built a career in game design, there’ll...
Under the Hood – Conducting the Autopsy
Conducting the Autopsy
By The Warden
Well, the very first playtest of ScreenPlay is done. Let me cut straight to the chase and say that while there were some hiccups with gameplay and phrasing, the game itself was a big success based on the overall feedback of the Development Team. There were specific recommendations and suggestions, but we’ll get into those in a bit. Right now, I’ve...
Under the Hood – Pouring Out Your Soul
Pouring Out Your Soul
By The Warden
See that title? It’s the feeling that rests in the pit of my stomach as Friday night draws closer. I’m about to bear my soul for others to admire or laugh at. My new game is getting its first playtest and I’m worried. However, it’s incredibly true when it comes down to that first playtest. As I start writing this week’s post, it’s only a...
Under the Hood – Pulling Back the Curtain
Pulling Back the Curtain
By The Warden
Welcome to the 100th edition of Under the Hood. That’s right, there have been 99 previous instalments of this column and this is a day filled with a mixture of sentiments and disbelief. You know, the standard drill stuff. I can’t believe this has gone on to a hundred, never would have known it would have gone this far when I first started it, can’t...
Under the Hood – Grabbing Eyeballs
Grabbing Eyeballs
By The Warden
PREVIOUSLY: After weeks of humming and hawing over what I wanted to attempt, building up a core ruleset, establishing a concept, and writing about it extensively for nearly every week over the past couple of months, I have over 3,000 words ready to share as Project Phoenix’s initial draft. But not yet. Last week, the topic was filling in those unexpected gaps...
Under the Hood – What You Don’t Expect
What You Don’t Expect
By The Warden
PREVIOUSLY: It’s starting to get crowded in this flashback paragraph, but let’s stick to the immediate updates. First of all, you can check out all the previous Phoenix Project posts using the tag. Last week, I defined the exact terminology for two of most pressing and challenging elements in the game: Minor and Major Complications. With a clear...
Under the Hood – Establishing Terminology
Establishing Terminology
By The Warden
PREVIOUSLY: An internal debate between static target numbers and opposed rolls for Phoenix consumed me and I weighed the options between using one or the other and instead felt comfortable going with a healthy combination of the two. Whenever a character wants to change the outcome against a generic event, such as hot wiring a car, they roll against a Difficulty...
Under the Hood – Stay on Target
Stay on Target
By The Warden
PREVIOUSLY: In my quest to build a new system from scratch (and meticulously document it right here), I’ve devised a plan for a fast-paced, easy-to-learn system currently titled “Phoenix Project” where odd numbers on the dice can spell trouble. Last week, I decided to allow players to active defend/oppose any actions taken against their characters and maintain...
Under the Hood – Active vs. Passive Defence
Active vs. Passive Defence
By The Warden
PREVIOUSLY: One of the key signatures of this game is the use of a bonus action whenever you successfully roll a previous action, though there is a cost. If you roll an even number, the bonus action is yours. No strings attached. If you roll an odd number, you can take that bonus action with a Minor Consequence to complicate matters. With the parameters of...
Under the Hood – To Roll or Not to Roll
To Roll or Not to Roll
By The Warden
PREVIOUSLY: After establishing a signature mechanic for the Phoenix Project (yeah, I’m still playing around with the codename for this game) where characters receive Complications when rolling an odd number, the issue of Complication frequency – particularly with Minor Complications intended on a successful roll – and the need to provide a form of control...
Under the Hood – Frequency & the Illusion of Control
Frequency & the Illusion of Control
By The Warden
PREVIOUSLY: With core mechanics in place, one of the signatures of this game (still known as Phoenix to the rest of the world at this point in space and time) is the use of even and odd numbers when players roll their dice to perform an action. Even numbers mean you’re in the free and clear (though it still depends on rolling against a target...
Under the Hood – Complicating Matters
Complicating Matters
By The Warden
PREVIOUSLY: Here we go! After a couple of weeks of speculation and theorizing, last week’s post saw the first rough preliminary early concept draft for the core mechanics of what is currently known as Phoenix. If you haven’t seen it yet and are about to get started on this week’s latest update, I’d highly suggest clicking on this here blue...
Under the Hood – Creating the Signature
Creating the Signature
By The Warden
PREVIOUSLY: In my quest to design a new game, currently entitled “Phoenix,” I have decided to make quick turn management a top priority and ran over some hindrances caused by rules-heavy mechanics and certain player habits. With a few concepts in mind (shown in last week’s post), I think it’s time to draft up a rough idea for the task resolution.
Every...
Under the Hood – Time Warp
Time Warp
By The Warden
PREVIOUSLY: If you missed out on last week’s post, you’ll definitely want to check that out. Over the next few months, I’m using this column to document the complete design process for a new system currently underway in my Lab. So far, I’ve established five objectives needed to fulfill my goals with this design: super-fast gameplay, rules-lite, easy...
Under the Hood – From the Ground Up
From the Ground Up
By The Warden
Artwork by Genzoman (DeviantArt)
Back in late January, I reached critical mass. Without going into too much detail on this forum (those of you who may be curious can read about it on my personal blog), things in my life became more than I could handle and I needed some time to get them sorted out for mine and my family’s sake. The reason why I mention this is because...
Under the Hood – Accepted Use
Accepted Use
By The Warden
I have to admit something before we get started this week, though I’m not entirely sure if it’s shocking, dramatic, or unnecessarily overblown: I suck at following the rules in any game. Not because I don’t care or can’t understand them, but because I’m an eternal dabbler. I may have read the rules and played them at a con before, but it doesn’t take long for...
Under the Hood – Fear the Mechanics
Fear the Mechanics
By The Warden
We are a fearful people. We are afraid of what waits outside our door, be it real or imagined. Some of us are afraid of the people walking past our house, other are afraid of Santa’s skin changing colour. Our fear defines our bravery for we choose what we confront and what we surrender to. Like it or lump it, there’s no escaping it.
I know it’s been...
Under the Hood – Mechanical Morals?
Mechanical Morals?
By The Warden
Regardless of what you celebrate this time of year, the final month of our calendar is a time to reflect on the accomplishments and sins of the past eleven months. Whether you’re a child eager to convince Santa how good you’ve been all year or a full-grown adult setting down New Year’s resolutions with the goal of becoming a better person in the...
Under the Hood – The Cool Factor
The Cool Factor
By The Warden
The classic Planescape adventure (as far as I’m concerned), Fires of Dis. Written by Steve Perrin and Ray Vallese.
There are so many variables in a game’s success at the table, assuming details such as mechanics, presentation, camaraderie, and dice rolls are aligned in the perfect global position. For now, I’m talking about the individual session. You...
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