Several questions on opinions, knowledge and other

#2: I would avoid doing anything for the public eye IF you plan to deal with a Publisher:

-So no Board Game Geek entry (some Publishers will reject a game if it's already on BGG).
-Don't spread the game around with the exception of play groups - like a designer's group or a playtester group.
-Don't plan on doing a Kickstarter unless the publisher is interested in partnering to do one together.

What I would encourage and is permissible is to have a Development blog or a Facebook Fan page for the game. That can help attract some attention to the game... And maybe build a pre-release following.

#3: Smaller publishers like to see artwork samples and nice card layouts (if possible). If you've found a talented artist and have negotiated a budget for producing the artwork, that can only help with smaller publishers.

Also the more professional your prototype looks, the better the odds people are interested in knowing more about your game!

#6: WOTC patented the concept of "tapping". You cannot use the term "Tap" (from what I have heard/understood from other designers).

These are very interesting perspectives you have there - I'm utterly noob in the boardgame dev scene, having spent more of my time in the video game dev scene, but everything you said here pretty much contradicts what I know about video game dev, in that it seems like if you want your game to succeed, the best way to go about it is to keep it away from the world.

In the video game dev scene, the best chance you have of marketing on bugger all budget - i.e. Indie, is to develop the game out in the open, get as many eyeballs on it as possible, share everything you can with a potential audience, let them follow your personal story, contribute, and feel like you all made the game together.

So is the boardgame scene so utterly opposite because... There's no programming/specialised knowledge, and it's all pure rules, art, component and production/distribution?

Very interested to hear more on this subject!

1) You could look other deduction games, like PI, that have each player solving their own case in a race. That one has no backstabbing or player interaction at all, except that the player to your left is the one holding the details to your case.

2)I tend to agree more with Tuism here, depending on the route you wish to take. If you're kickstarting your game, PNP it, ship out playtest copies to reviewers and bloggers and just get it out there. Not just for marketing but every step of the design process. I point to Daniel Solis' blog in regards to this because he's designed a number of games - both published himself and sold to other publishers - and his design process is completely public (with input from others).

If you intend to sell the design to another publisher, PNP first is debatable. If it builds buzz, great! If it doesn't, some publishers might take it as a bad sign...but then PNP is a sub-niche and not all games are appropriate for the format.

3) Tablets - I don't use much beyond a Bamboo tablet...but if you're looking for one with a screen you might go with a Surface, since it's basically a full window machine and will run photoshop desktop version. However if you're looking for just a quick drawing app, adobe does have photoshop express for android. In both cases what you will really need to worry about is the stylus. Look for one like the Jot touch that you can see through.

4)Not that I know of, but you can start one.

5)Aside from the gender part (pick a pronoun and stick with it. You can even switch from "her" to "him" in an example with two people so you don't have to say "player A") it seems you're kind of talking about a thematic layer. Why have a treasure just be a treasure when it could be the "Lost Orb of Ach'n'bob?" Naming things generically will have limited value in keeping each play unique, and should only be used for actual common items, like a chair. That is, if the chair is not really the point of the game's narrative layer. If decor is important - for instance establishing whether a room in a scenario is decrepit or pristine - then it might be useful to care about the chair.

Is that what you meant?

6) Yeah, for serious. And with the videogame industry getting worse with naming legislation (ahem, candy crush ass hats) it's even more important now for designers to set a good example and KEEP DESIGN OPEN.

2)

What you want to do for playtesting is go to BGG or here and ASK for playtesters. Send anyone who is interested the PnP pieces.
No need for NDA's or other complications... just keep it short of making it fully public.

While a popular PnP version won't technically HURT your chances of a publisher picking up your game... it does limit what they'd be able do with it.

Publishers in board games need to fit your game into their current marketing needs. This usually means that they will take your game and make changes to fit their plans. (This can be anything from the theme to actual core gameplay mechanics)

The more expectations that you create with the public, the less they'll be able to change your game. This means that it is less likely to fit into "what they need" and won't get picked up.

3)

Be careful with the art if you are going the publisher route.

AS I mentioned above, publishers will often need to make changes.

If it LOOKS like you've spent alot of time and money on the graphics... they MAY hesitate. If it looks like you've put too much time and effort into the project they may assume that you don't want to throw away your efforts.

If they can't throw away your current stuff... it can't change... and again doesn't fit into their needs.

Make it look good, but don't go overboard. Even if they pick up your game... the work is likely throw-away.

Keep in mind, I've heard a few success stories where the publishers keep the art and pay more... I just don't hear many.

4)
Not exactly sure what you're asking...

5)
I usually just call a chair a chair. While their are benefits to using colorful language and explaining things from a thematic standpoint... I'm not particularly good at it.

I usually just say "his". I know I'm a terrible monster of a person but it's easier to type.

The other thing to keep in mind for both of the above is that long rule books can be intimidating. Using a more concise and mechanical booklet is beneficial on that note.

6)
Yes. He's serious.

You run a risk of being sued for using the word Tap when relating to turning a card sideways. Not ****ing kidding.

That's why you see many rule sets calling it "Exhaust", "Expend", etc.

BONUS)
Keep in mind, everything I said applies ONLY to publishers.

If you are going self-publisher GO ALL OUT! You want to develop a following PnP and beautiful artwork so that you can raise lots of money on kickstarter.