I have been reading blogs for a long time and with great interest in most, this is My first, so Hi.
My history and of game design and skill, if I am allowed to call it comes from trying to occupy five children and at present 2 grandchildren over 30 years. I designed a game about eighteen years ago for my sons that occupied them and their friends for a whole summer and winter on and off. the game consisted of four 3 X 3 grid boards, four playing pieces each, dice to gain or loose attack points and a few varied blockers to place around the game board. The game can, with a bit of skill be won in 10 - 15 minutes, but mostly last about an hour. the game has resurfaced after spending seventeen years in the attic after my son found it and is now playing it with my grandson. I'm not sure what to do with the game now as i have spent the last two months making a rule book that's understandable on its own, which is not as easy as I thought it would be. I have looked at a lot of games that are similar but noticed that they consist of hundreds of parts and a rule book that could challenge any full encyclopaedic range. The only bonus to my game is that two or more games can be added together to expand the play area so more people could play and the simplicity of the rules means that a spear throwing warrior can play on level par as a machine gun shooting soldier. my question is ...could the simplicity be its downfall? Can i just make it clear that when i said i designed games I meant in a pencil/paper and cut-out format, not any production status. hope I did not mislead.
Do I go any further ???
Simplicity never hurt Hasbro's bottom line. If the game is fun enough then players can suspend disbelief about a spear wielding warrior going toe-to-toe with a machine gun toting soldier. That your children not only enjoyed it but broke it out to play with your grandchildren is promising.
I can completely relate, a game can be played with others for years but getting the rules down on paper seems frustrating to get others to understand. It can help if someone who never played the game would try it just by reading the rules.
I agree with Soulfinger thar there is a market for the fun, simpler, family games. Everyone has different tastes, some like complex and strategic, others light and speedy, and so on. If many people have enjoyed your game, I am sure others will as well.
Nothing wrong with pen and paper designs, one of favorite single player print and play games, "Zombie in my pocket", started as just that. Then an artist like it so much that they turned the pencil sketched tiles to full color art, and so on. Who knows, someone may want to do the same for your ideas.
Wish you the best, -Chad
Thanks for the feedback Chad. The problem I am having is the more I read the rules the more I try to simplify which is even harder to explain in written form. When you know how to do something you just do it without thought. When you have to explain how you do it, its difficult. The game format that is played is set around WW2 history but as there are so few play pieces, it can be any re enactment or mythological or made up which could even be combined. Ill just keep chipping away at it until I'm happy to show all a decent basic design.
Hey OLD Fool,
good thing you are trying to give the world a glimpse at your design.
As for rules, I have yet to write my first rulebook, but from things I have read and heard, and from the way to explain games, I'd recommend an iterative approach:
- First, (maybe after some flavour text) tell the reader what the game is about. It should contain the type of game (most defining attributes as single words or word groups), maybe parameters like playing time and player count and age, what you do as a player, how many phases the game has (if more than one), and how you win. This all (or at least the very most of it) should be comprised in 1-2 sentences, e.g: "(name) is a tactical turn based war game about card drafting and battle field dominance set in World War II for two to six players of age 6+. The goal is to invade the opponents home sector or to defeat every enemy unit.
- Game set up
- Depending on the complexity, ignore this point or give a brief overview over one turn (First comes the resupply phase. In this step you... Second is the card drafting phase. The player now... etc)
- Flesh out every phase to all the rules it has. Give examples, ideally with pictures. Make sure to group possible actions, rules etc accordingly. Often the most important parts are highlighted with bold font, though I personally dislike it.
- Give a glossary and maybe a FAQ.
Sincerely,
Dagar
Thanks for the input Dagar.
I am up to 10 pages of rules at present, with diagrams also, all on A5 size.
Even the simplest of move needs a major explanation. I'm hoping that when done, the rules need only digesting once and there after, the use of a simple move/point prompt card needs using. I have developed an issue though that the more I go over things the more I think it wont work. I have made a small test piece so I can check things as I go which helps. if I can work out how to attach my phone camera to my laptop and then workout how to send a picture, you can have a peep. OLD Fool means OLD FOOL.Just wondering something that's on my mind...I understand that the object of any designer is the end game, BUT do you have just as much enjoyment in the designing?
Just like to add GREAT FORUM.....
It's a WONDERFUL thing that drives casual gamers and those that want to fit in a quick game to make most of their purchases.
I personally have a children's card game I am working on further simplifying so all the rules can be placed on 3/4 page (with images).
Wishing you success. :)
A few questions I need answers to so can I carry on with my game progress.
1. Do I have to retype the first draft rules to show for dissection and feedback or can I paste from works.
2. Can I send pictures mixed within the rules, or do I have to remove them first.
3. which forum do I send it to.
Any format is fine, if you're just looking for initial feedback. You can write it up in a word processor to include pictures if you want, then attach the file such as what Eberhardt did here:
http://www.bgdf.com/node/16157
New Game Ideas forum would be a good place for it.
Regards,
kos
Thanks for the quick reply. Ill spend a few days tiding up the game pieces and take a photo of play and post to give another perspective.Your response would be very much appreciated.