I bought this TEMPLATE from "The Game Crafter" (TGC) for $10.00 USD. Had to work with it a little bit ... But after a couple of hours this is what I got:
The template was well worth the $10.00 USD and I may buy another TEMPLATE from TGC for my own purposes (just because I like the layout and the SCI-FI Vibe from the template).
I think it has a LOT of potential TBH... So far so COOL! Let me know what you all think. Cheers!
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Comments
I can still make some extra adjustments...
I think the ICONS on the RHS (New Template) need to be WHITE (#FFFFFF) instead of the "gray" being used just so that they stand-out a bit clearer. I didn't put an ability because that aspect of the game is up for review... (Meaning that at the moment I am not focusing on that aspect of the game).
The RHS is not 100% complete either while the LHS is done... It is a bit dated and needed a better template for the cards.
Where I differ in some aspects of my designing ... Is that I like to get IMAGES and TEMPLATES to figure out what my game is going to LOOK LIKE. I know some ppl think this is a waste of time but since most of my projects will be self-published works ... This allows me to get "excited" about the design... Does it look cool? Will it be attracting to the players?? etc. etc.
I like putting down some money for art or paying for a template and working the card designs myself. Note that the NEW Template (RHS) was an adaptation of the template that I bought. I reworked all the icons, improved the visibility of the design, etc. etc.
It gives me some extra to work on too... Which allows me to "focus" on the design while working the templates and art for the game. This is another way of getting your mind into gear to prepare to FOCUS on this particular project over say another design.
Again let me know what you all think...
Note #1: The ICONS have been updated to WHITE and they look a lot better with the NEW Template on the RHS. The values actually look not bad with the "gray" color ... I can live with them as they are. Just gives it a bit of a more smoother feel. I think this version looks good even though it is NOT final... I've got the "Armor Class" and "Maximum Heat" as stats that need to be added to the design. Still not 100% sure about those two stats ... I need to figure out what needs to be designed to HAVE those 2 STATs on the card probably at the TOP LHS and RHS of the NEW Template. In time... I will get those done at some point in time!
Above is the "perfected" Commando DX Bot
I did a bunch of little "tweaks" and finally got an Ability IDEA... This is just placeholder information at best. I don't even know if they make any sense of not... But it never-the-less demonstrates how I can "adapt" a pre-made Template into something that works for me and my design.
Sometimes I don't know how to VISUALIZE the Templates ... But usually when I see something with POTENTIAL (like the Sci-Fi Template from "The Game Crafter"), I knew immediately this was going to look much better than my OLD Template which is very primitive but used to have the necessary information.
However I've made some modifications in the game and this NEW Template for TGC is more suited for the content that must be presented.
Please if anyone cares to share some feedback, comments or questions, feel free to respond.
Sincerely.
I bought the OTHER "Template" Archive too!
Although I did not NEED it... It gave me some layout ideas and so therefore I bought the other "Template" that was available to purchase. It's not like it is not affordable at $10.00 USD for each template ... Kudos to the designer for sharing his templates ... I sent him a message but so far he has not responded.
So in any event, I doubt he will be reachable by e-mail in the event that my PM is read and replied to. I honestly just wanted to thank him for the real cool templates and some of the great ideas he had which worked well with my design.
In any event, maybe he's no longer on "The Game Crafter" (TGC) or is busy with other matters at the present time that he didn't receive my message to his e-mail... It happens we all get busy at times. I do hope that at some point he does see that his TEMPLATES were purchased and that his attempt to make them available to all are not wasted!
Looks like I am working on a few more cards before...
Asking for more comments and thoughts. I mean all I get is walls of text and then when I actually show some WORK (like the template above) ... I get inconsequential comments that irk me the wrong way. Anyhow, IMHO I believe that the two (2) images above demonstrate the level of difference between now and then and how improved the overall look of the cards is really.
There are no comments or feedback so far... So either people don't care anyways or everyone is admiring in silence how the new template looks versus the older one...
Which one it is...? IDK.
As usual if you have any comments, feedback, questions feel free to respond and I will do my best to address any of your concerns.
Sincerely.
Here is the WIP of the Firestarter... Tell me what you think???
Here is the second Bot in the series, the "Firestarter":
What are you thoughts? I'm again not sure about the ABILITY. It's something that I've carried around from the previous iteration but modified ever so slightly to suit the mechanics of the current version.
Again any comments, feedback, ideas or questions, feel free to ask away and I'll do my very best to address your concerns.
Cheers!
The third (3rd) Bot in the series... The Grenadier
Here is the third Bot in the series, the "Grenadier":
I'm rather please with the TEMPLATE which looks cool and is VERY "functional". But I have to say that I'm still not 100% sure about the Abilities. These, again, are from the previous iteration with some tweaks to the STATs as per the NEW mechanics in the latest version.
In any event ... They just represent the outcome of an improved template with better overall mechanics.
Cheers all!
Note #1: I'm definitely thinking a re-think on some of the finer details of the "Ability". Although I don't want it to be SUPER powerful because that could un-balance the game... I do want this unit to have 2 Focus Actions which allow him to attack twice normally or once with some added damage. But the deal is that the "Ability" needs to be BETTER than a simple 2 Focus Actions ... Because that would mean he could DEAL "2 DMG" per turn without the need for an "Ability".
Perhaps the only other benefit was not produce any HEAT which could be another option. I need to re-think it a bit to ensure it makes a lot of sense and it is not "overly" powerful (but be balanced).
Maybe some more on that tomorrow. For now it's time for bed.
Regards.
I am working on the 4th Bot: The Medic
I am not ready to post up the images of the Medic ... But I am working on her. Yes she's a Female Bot! I'm struggling with the BONUSES of this Bot when in a Stack. My current direction is to "Deduct 1 from the Stack" in return for a couple of good bonuses namely +1 Coolant and +2 Fuel Cells.
I was going to go all "fancy" with a D4 Roll for the "Stack Size" but I realize that this is a SWINGY thing. I mean if you have a "Stack Size" of "3" like the Medic has... Sacrificing "1 Stack" isn't the end of the world (so-to-speak)!
The real question is HOW(?) these Botz are going to perform with each other. That's a good question and will require further analysis. I guess once I manage to flesh out a few of them ... The others should be easier (we'll see...) TBH I am not 100% sure about all the STATs and how they all come together.
It's very hard to proof a design with all kinds of STATs when there could be one master "solution" and everyone will be playing the same cards ... Hehehe.
So for now, I think I am going to LOWER the Medic by "-1 Stack" when you opt to use her "healing capabilities". I agree it makes total sense ... But up until now, the bonuses have relied more heavily on Fuel Cells and this is maybe a good trade off...
At least that's how I feel ATM!
Ok here's the Medic in all her "glory"!
Here is the fourth Bot in the series, the "Medic":
In true spirit of the Medic, I did NOT want to allow players to "HEAL". As such, the Medic is supposed to "Recharge" Botz with some extra Coolant and Fuel Cells. Everything so far costs Fuel Cells and having one Medic in your Stack can prove to be useful. At least in-so-far as to "restore" some resources in exchange for a slight bump (down) to a player's Stack.
But realize there are other Botz which increase the size of the player's Stack, so I'm not worried that some combinations will allow the "Medic" to co-exist in the ecosystem.
Other noteworthy thoughts...
I've been thinking about "re-working" the Firestarter. I know the policy with the Medic was "NO HEALING" and yet we have the Firestarter who has an ability which is -1 DMG per ... I think I'm going to change that to something else...
What(?) I'm not sure.
It's bit different than the Commando and Grenadier. And it holds true to my RULE that you cannot HEAL a Bot ... Never-ever-ever! Because this can BREAK the game and cause stalemates where one player DEALS +3 DMG and his opponent HEALS +3 DMG and there is a standstill and one player can never get ahead because the Stack is setup AGAINST them.
I will work on this soon enough. But I'm very pleased on how the design is coming along even though this is a very drawn-out and length-y process. But I enjoy have "pretty" cards and it helps me to focus on what matters and that's the balance in the game!
With my NEW Tablet ...
I've been working on "refining" the STATs for the various Botz. Clearly there were some fundamental errors and I needed to fix some of the details pertaining to how the Botz "interact". Namely how the depth, focus, energy, coolant and fuel cells work with each of the Botz to combine into a Super Botz TEAM!
I'm still not 100% sure... I have two (2) additional Botz to define and then we shall see how the remainder of them get handled.
This is more of an procedural exercise to see IF they can come together and work as TEAMS. That's the whole purpose of the STACK and its DEPTH. Focus is Action Points (APs) and if you have only one (1), you can ONLY perform one Action per turn. If you have more, then you can attack or lower heat, etc. As you see fit. The Energy specifies that MAXIMUM between the Depth of your Stack and the Focus. And coolant level speaks for itself: it serves as a way of lowering your HEAT. And lastly Fuel Cells which are used as "currency" to trade bonuses (mostly).
All of that and balancing has been HARD to do.
I realized that when working on my NEW BOOX Tablet, that the Botz I had created were NOT BALANCED at all. I thought they kinda were... But when I put them side-by-side and did some scenarios like "2" of this Bot and "2" of that Bot, etc. It all came crashing down and nothing was making any sense!
So I did one pass tonight and we'll see in the morning as I want to see IF I can be 100% certain that my changes tonight are accurate and make sense. You know how it is... You focus on minor details and lose sight of the BIG PICTURE and then everything is un-balanced again.
We'll see ... I'll make a review and update my Tablet with the LATEST images.
This BOOX Go 10.3 runs Android 12 and has 48GB of space. It is more what I need for my personal workflow and includes OFF-LINE AI OCR (conversion to text) without the need for WiFi. The reMarkable 2 REQUIRES a WiFi connection wherever the device is and that was the DEAL BREAKER for me. I had to return it. My position is this:
The reMarkable 2 cannot do that. It REQUIRES WiFi... So I had to return the device. I'll be honest, it's kind of good that the device was so ineffectual at satisfying my note-taking needs because the BOOX Go 10.3 is the opposite. Heck I can even IMPORT PNGs and JPEGs into my notes... Freaken amazing!
Anyhow I am very pleased with the device ... It took some getting used to it as it is NOT as simple has the reMarkable 2. But that complexity comes at a big benefit which is Bluetooth buds and keyboard, Android OS, no need for WiFi it can operate on its own (off-line) and better on-screen keyboard... Fonts, Font Sizes and Textareas for "TEXT" (Typed or converted)... It's really neat and very worth the $575 CAD I paid for it.
It's my B-Day soon ... So I splurged and bought myself an eInk device.
Oh yeah it works AMAZING in sunlight unlike the other Tablets (with glass screens iPad et al.) It's really a great little note-take eInk device.
Cheer all!
I re-designed two (2) out of the four (4) Botz...
So far the Commando and Firestarter has been re-vamped given the NEW direction of the STATs... Let me explain the changes as they are very important.
#1: Instead of the "depth" of the Stack being the D4... It is now "focus" instead and it works now like this:
So if my "focus" = 2 and my "energy" = 4, that means I can perform 2 ACTIONS on my turn (4 / 2 = 2 Actions).
#2: "Depth" is now the D6 and it means 1 through 6. If you have a "1" you can only rely on that ONE (1) card.
Botz with a one (1) "depth" usually will have a RANDOM D6 ROLL as the modifier allowing them to having increasingly greater STACK sizes (based on RNG and PYL).
#3: Previously "Energy" used to be a checksum for both "depth" + "focus". No longer is this true. "Energy" is the total amount if power (like a "currency") that a Bot possesses and it is used with the "focus" to determine how many ACTIONS a Bot has on their turn.
Those are the dramatic changes which have restored my faith in the design even IF I am not done YET! Maybe I'll find some time on Sunday or Monday evening to look at the other Botz which I have yet to figure out.
Keep you all posted... Cheers!
Still working on this game "currently"
I made a major shift in terms of the Botz in the game. I defined all 54 Botz in this "First Draft" (which is in a way a military term too... so pun intended), I have yet to design all the Abilities and their meaning. Just naming all 54 of them was already an exercise because I had to figure out which Botz I wanted to include and their "primary" names which vary but also have a FIXED name which leads to multiple version of a SIMILAR Bot.
Anyways I defined three (3) Classes: LTE, MID and ADV.
LTE usually require 1 to 2 "Focus"
MID usually require 2 to 3 "Focus"
ADV usually require 3 to 4 "Focus"
This means that the distribution for 54 Botz is a factor of 54 Packs due to how I managed to count the number of Rare/Mythic/Legendary Cards. There are 18 different of the "Rare-Class" Cards which means 18 x 3 = 54 Packs to one German "Black" Core Sheet of Paper. And everything else derives from this amount. Again 18 Common and 18 Uncommon Cards which distribute over the 54 Packs to form a 6 Card "Booster Pack".
That's what it is only... And it might be a bit price (Around $6.50 USD or $9.00 CAD per Booster) but it is what it is... But you only need ONE (1) Booster Pack to PLAY. So your roster is only six (6) Cards.
More on the design to follow... I've got to do more work to figure out the Abilities and how to do more documentation (like Bonuses/Penalties).
Keep you posted on how things evolve!
After much debate, analysis, trial and error...
This is the NEW "Commando DX" card. What are the differences? Well here are some of the changes this NEW card implements:
2 Focus = Requires more focus but can have a bit more ENERGY (+1) allowing for two (2) consecutive Actions.
1 Depth = Only one (1) depth but has can a die roll to increase the size of the Stack.
Two (2) Attacks:
KAMIKAZE deals 1 DMG to self but deals 3 DMG to the opponent. It's a DIRE attack but can be done SOLO if the need is present.
That about covers it. I went with two (2) Attacks because I feel like it is best to have a COMBO Attack and a DIRE SOLO Attack (in desperate times...) Probably used when your bot is going to be DESTROYED... But paired with a MEDIC, you could recover 2 Armor and makes this Attack a bit more FLEXIBLE.
I'm really forcing myself to think in terms of COMBOS and the Stack size being 3 or HIGHER. I will work on more cards ... I just needed to figure out HOW(?) this one was going to WORK and now it seems rather logical!
Balance and Abilities... Not sure if I am on the right path???
Since it's a bit complicated how the resources and stats are used in this game, I am not 100% sure if the cards I am designing are "balanced". Right now, I know that I am TRYING to make some kind of balance to ensure that when the cards are used together... They are NOT overpowering.
But at the same time, these are ALSO "Lte" Combat Units and also need to feel a bit WEAKER than their "Mid" to "Adv" versions.
Plus I need to ensure that combining Bots in the STACK works effectively too and that there is not a DOMINANT strategy to win and that there other paths to victory which have an equally likely chance in winning.
All in all, I have worked through a few cards and while this is Christmas Eve, I decided to finish up the prototypes that I had and rework the SAMPLE cards that I have been using.
At this point in time, I want to wish everyone a very "Merry Christmas Eve". I hope that your lives are filled with Joy and Happiness. No doubt for all tomorrow may be more festive as well!
Further analysis and I have determined that...
I am "unsure" of the Game Mechanics behind the "Medic" Series of Bots. I believe that in ONE (1) of my threads I decided to set a "simple" rule and that rule goes something like this:
What this did is set-up a paradigm that no matter WHAT your "Stack" Looked like, either way, in some sort of fashion, you could ONLY LOSE Armor and therefore be beaten like any other Bot out-there.
This was a SOLID direction in that it ensured that the game would continue to FLOW and no matter how POWERFUL your Stack was... Eventually any player will be forced to lose a Bot and then it's to see how well the remainder of your Stack performs against an opponent.
So there is this PRINCIPLE that while a player may lead the "Match-up", it does NOT mean he will will the game. Because it's possible to put up a Stronger Bot and then eventually lose that Bot and have your entire Deck Strategy Blown-up.
As I worked on the "Medic" Class of Bots, I decided to go against this principle and therefore ALLOW for "healing" of Armor Points. And I will honestly think about this some MORE... Because it brings up an interesting PARADIGM and a shift in what is possible.
You CURRENTLY can have a Stronger Bot and Heal it and recover Armor to survive a LONGER time in addition to maintaining your Stack and continue to do so... And never let the OPPONENT "progress" along your Stack.
That is SINCERELY BAD!
It's BAD DESIGN unless there is some kind of BALANCE in terms of HOW MUCH Armor may be restored. Currently it is +3 Armor if you have sufficient Medics in your Stack. It's still not IMPOSSIBLE with the current list of Bots that I have worked on so far ... To OUTLAST the opponent by constantly HEALING. And I'm not 100% sure I want this kind of MECHANIC or Gameplay.
So for now ... It is TENTATIVE as a decision to "give back" the chance to do damage AND then HEAL. At most you may have THREE (3) Medics in your Stack and I feel that without them CURRENTLY it is a BIG LOSS if you don't have them and your Stack is NOT optimized to "4" Units (If you NEED to heal).
Obviously there MIGHT be bots that deal MORE Damage than "5" Armor Points as we go further into the Mid and Adv Classes of Bots.
The thought process is something like this:
This is very important because it sets up the possibility to have a STRONG Stack to start with and MAINTAIN it with HEALING. Previously that had not been possible as I decided to remove it by making a specific RULE.
We'll see ... I want to know HOW this "concept" will come together and what it will look like in GAME TERMS. ATM this is very much an "Embryonic Concept" and the ideas proposed are just that: IDEAS!
And we all know with IDEAS: "They sound great UNTIL you playtest them..." And then figure out what the F- do I do with the MESS of a game... Because usually the end product is pure garbage and needs a lot of WORK to recover and streamline something that WORKS!
Cheers all!
Ok after some FURTHER thought ... I kinda NERFED ...
So I replaced the "+1 ARMOR" with an additional coin toss to balance out this mechanic. Meaning now the ABILITY is "conditional" and a bit driven by luck. This is very important because when you think about "HEALING" you DON'T want it to be indiscriminately. You would want it CONDITIONAL such that SOMETIMES a player may get LUCKY and other times at which the Tactic Fails.
This to me feels like "BALANCE" TBH.
Therefore the idea is NOT to prevent HEALING but make it CONDITIONAL to RNG (Randomization) and not always a perfect "+4 ARMOR".
See that's what I was WORRIED about: "+4 ARMOR" every turn (given multiple actions permissible on a turn).
This does a GREAT service to me in that it is VARIABLE. Sure if you are lucky a bit it may SAVE a card making for some kind of Game MOMENT (And that's all fine and dandy...) provided it isn't always the case.
So these are my conclusions with the "Medic" Series of Bots. Unfortunately this is NOT the end of things to discuss and think about.
More on that soon enough...
So let's talk about the things that are TROUBLESOME
Each "Battle Bot" (The primary Unit) I have been concerned about the "Abilities" and how they should be handled. More specifically, which "Ability" may be used by the PRIMARY "Battle Bot". We know that there is a Stack of up to six (6) cards to START the game ... But as this gets weened down, there are less and less Bots to fill the Stack.
Moreover, each "Battle Bot" has two (2) Abilities and you normally need to choose from these TWO (2) "Abilities" which one you want to use.
But this prevents a player from selecting Abilities of the OTHER Bots in the Stack. Note that I say in the "Stack" because it's important to respect the rules of the Stack and only cards in the Stack my be included in the Battle.
This brings me to the point where I would LIKE to use a "Medic" Bot's "REPAIR" Ability ... Yet it is on ANOTHER Bot...
This makes me think that MAYBE each ABILITY should have a "Primary, Secondary and Auxiliary" indicators. So "P-S-A" to determine when the Ability may be used. We shall see... This is a good avenue since it will HELP to determine what may be used WHEN(!)
TBD... I will work on this to see how it works out.
Keep you all posted on my progress and what comes of these conclusions!
Looking good so far ... With NEW concepts too!
So this EXTRA "Ability" Modifier (PSA) makes it much more intuitive with regards to HOW an "Ability" MAY be used. For example, the Firestarter has a "Secondary" Ability which produces more HEAT and is a way to immobilize or cripple an opposing "Battle Bot" such that they need to waste valuable action to LOWER their HEAT Level. Instead of making this ONLY a "Secondary" Ability, I added the "Auxiliary" symbol to show that a "Battle Bot" may used this incendiary method against his or her opponent.
And that to me... Sounds COOL!
From necessity is born ingenuity. I think these Modifiers which will give further direction on HOW(?) an "Ability" may be used ... Is real NEAT! Sometimes the obstacles are easier and require some "small" compromise... Other times it requires a complete and total RE-THINK. In this particular case, it was only a small compromise: add Modifiers to know what ability can be used when.