Diary #11 – Overkill

In the picture above I’ve shown an extract from a graphic I’ve been making recently. I’ve used Inkscape to create a file which generates versions of the game board which are labelled differently, depending on application. To generate the picture, I’ve overlapped all possible versions, demonstrating how nonsensical and complex the exercise was. I’ve found far more rewarding things to do in my new job as a teaching assistant (including gaming, see here).

The big news is that I’m now testing the game with five to six players, hence the new, bigger, board. The board’s six starting positions are very different, so I’m focusing my playtesting on balancing them at the moment. The game should, in theory, scale to six players without a problem – another virtue of simultaneous play.

I’ve tried a number of simultaneous play methods recently, and discovered that the best method is very dependent on the preference of the players. One of my systems has been described as “A pointless pain in the backside,” “Good, but still not specific enough,” and everything in between. In my search for a one-size-fits-all system I have, once again, over-complicated the issue. The simplest solution is to have two game modes: in “competitive” mode, players secretly mark on white boards the tiles on which they are placing pieces, while in “casual” mode, they don’t.

I had a light-bulb moment while playtesting recently, and saw clearly how the text and graphics on the Knowledge and Power cards could be arranged for maximum clarity. Instinctively I asked myself “But what if I change that text once again?” On this occasion, however, I decided to abandon my conservative approach. If I don’t throw caution to the winds soon, I’ll never keep to the tight timescale I’ve set myself.

So what do I need to do now to get at least three copies of a proper prototype made?

• Get in touch with a graphic designer and ask them to help me find a suitable artist.
• Get proper stacking pieces made, perhaps through resin casting.
• Get boards made – it’s possible the same company could do this and the pieces.
• Get cardboard tokens made – ditto.
• Investigate getting symbols and information etched or painted on to solid game pieces.
• Whiteboards?
• Ask about manufacturing of cardboard screens.
• A budget. I probably need one of those.

And finally, I’m still using my Facebook “Likes” as a measure of interest in the project. If you’re reading this and would like to stay in touch, please do follow this link!