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Writing Rules for Games

5 replies [Last post]
Tue, 03/01/2011 - 14:47
Yamahako
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Joined: 12/01/2010

Hi Everyone!

Hopefully I can get some input on this. I'm self publishing a game, it got funded on kickstarter and I'm getting files ready to give the manufacturer and am really excited about it.

However...

I've written dozens of game rules before - but this is my first time to have some published. *I* of course feel that the game rules are really clear, but I haven't had much opportunity to see if the game would make sense to people who haven't played it before. The rules have been blind play tested - but only so far by people who are gamers already. I thought I could get some more eyes to take a look at them.

I'm not the Graphic designer - and these will be made prettier - I'm the mechanics designer. So my goal is mostly making sure that everything is clear and concise. I typically write the rules like I would write pseudo-code as I do some design work for video games as well.

If anyone else has any rules they want input in - please feel free to post them, I will gladly offer some advice from my experience! I thought we could maybe get a discussion going on proper format of game rules, some syntax and editing stuff.

Thanks!

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Tue, 03/01/2011 - 14:58
#1
sedjtroll
sedjtroll's picture
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Joined: 07/21/2008
Congrats on a successful

Congrats on a successful Kickstarter campaign!

Writing rules is a pain in the butt. If I weren't knee deep in my own rules at the moment then I would be happy to comment on yours. I think you'll get a lot of good comments here though.

Good luck!

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Tue, 03/01/2011 - 15:13
#2
Yamahako
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Joined: 12/01/2010
Thanks Seth! I hope you got

Thanks Seth! I hope you got at least a kick out of playing it at the con the weekend before last! I know it's not your typical kind of game :-)

It's a scant 1500 words for anyone else who is worried they'd be looking through a novel :-)

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Tue, 03/01/2011 - 20:11
#3
perrochon
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Joined: 02/11/2011
The power of democratized tools of production

The possibilities are so amazing. Between Kickstarter for funding, and BGDF for support and collaboration, amazing stuff happens. First I backed Orbit on kickstarter, and now I get to review the rules before they get printed... Fascinating.
I'll print them and read them in the next few days... What is your dead line?

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Tue, 03/01/2011 - 20:20
#4
perrochon
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Joined: 02/11/2011
Should be in all rules: Picture of board and lists of components

One thing that I love in rules are a picture of the board and a lists of components, so I see what there is.

Here's why: When I buy a game, I can open the box, and look at everything while I read the rules. But even then, I often take the rules out, and read them independent of the box, before I actually play.

But I actually frequently download and read rules before I buy a game. When I know I'll play a game later at a friend, I download the rules, too, and study them beforehand. In all these cases I only have the rules, and it's very helpful if I have the additional information.

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Tue, 03/01/2011 - 22:56
#5
Yamahako
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Joined: 12/01/2010
The rules will be getting

The rules will be getting pictures etc. I'm not a good graphic designer, my brother does all the art and will be formatting the rules in full color with art for the printed materials, I'm just trying to make sure I've got the basic text correct.

you can get an idea of what it looks like here:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/42games/orbit-rocket-race-5000

There's a video and some art in the updates section

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