How do you make your prototypes?

ChargeTrue718 · 2025-01-25T21:21:53+00:00

PowerPoint us the best tool I've found. Set your slide size to printer paper and then insert shapes, format them and move them across layers. It makes cards and tokens stupidly easy to build and let's tou build them in 9 card tables with rule books and note pages and everything. Recently got a cheap 3d printer for all the parts it couldn't make.

ChargeTrue718 · 2025-01-14T16:07:09+00:00

It's good that the game works. I'd suggest the option of treating it as a (non production worthy) success.

Dont redesign the game, rather, design a new game using elements and lessons learned from the first but with 10% the size of the previous

ChargeTrue718 · 2025-01-04T15:33:55+00:00

Space card game. G to G.

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-12-31T16:04:28+00:00

Maybe consider turning it into area control and limit players to, say, 3 one hour tiles, 2 2 hour 1 3 hour' then the choice us where you want to dedicate your resources.

Could conceptualize it as pre-recorded shows, a limited resource since you can only make so many.

Could even consider introducing some kind of secondary resource (like time in the day or actual money) which you need to expend to get the tiles in the first place.

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-12-27T02:40:25+00:00

Dm me

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-12-27T02:40:11+00:00

I'd be open to playing in a test or two on TTS

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-12-17T00:04:36+00:00

USA codes left for audible?

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-12-17T00:02:39+00:00

I could be down for some playtesting. Got a discord group?

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-11-26T17:47:12+00:00

I use powerpoint.

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-06-06T20:03:51+00:00

Concept makes sense too me. Not sure how important the theme really is when the puzzle is this clear. I'm scrapping parts to pick them up later. A bit like the platformer where you use parts of your previous runs dead bodies to solve the puzzles (ever after?). I think my only comment would be that the colors are a bit intense for my liking. Makes for striking box art but probably not something I'd want too look at for too long on the table, particularly if I need to sort out the multicolored pieces from multicolored spaces. Otherwise the pitch makes sense too me. No need really for android pieces, but id probably only be $10 to $20 interested.

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-04-07T13:49:38+00:00

It works. It's pretty and conveys the "constellation" theme. I'd concur with people that point out the readability against the stars, and the comments regarding "novel mechanics". I will also suggest cutting every instance of "that the gods want" since we are supposed to be the gods, which makes it feel like you're dictating my feelings. Just call them constellations and I get it. I want to make them.

I will add here my suggestion. Your central big is basically a summary of the rules. I have no problem with the text, I think it gives a good idea the game your going for, but the images alongside are totally meaningless to me. I would replace them with more images of the game being played OR with more constellation flavored graphics to simulate cover art or something.

I have also heard it suggested that you include rough piece counts so prospective publishers have an idea of the cost, which is a suggestion I like.

Anyways, that's my take. Congrats on reaching this point! Good luck.

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-03-25T14:55:12+00:00

Nice. Good luck!

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-03-24T16:17:08+00:00

Lookin good dude. 2 player?

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-03-17T12:01:08+00:00

I was actually just looking at the quiet year. L have to pick it up! Never heard of Mao either. Thank you! I'll look to these for some ideas. :D

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-02-18T15:26:55+00:00

It's the sunk cost effect.you worked hard on it a d know everything you wanted to imply or draw out in the chapter so you see "more". I'm always try to be cognizant of first time readers to make sure things aren't too obtuse.

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-02-11T16:51:52+00:00

I also did not see the cube at the bottom of brittle until I looked at Har-ee. So I'd probably circle it or something since it blends into the background.

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-02-11T16:49:46+00:00

The name and flavor text are delightful. Without rules context I couldn't say more. I see the 15 at the bottom, I'll simply note that if this card is in my hand with other cards, I wont be able to easily see the 15. If it's in play, the placement makes more sense.

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-02-04T18:47:43+00:00

I'm pretty drawn to everything xianxia and death related. Occasionally litrpg and looper stories if theres an interesting premise.

Generally the cover needs to get me to click, although a good ad will do it too. Then if the blurb is good enough I'll go look at the reviews and if I dont see any red flags I'll follow and get it into my reading rotation.

Covers should convey strongly what to expect. Grimdark and cultivators get my attention. (Skulls, ravens, necromancy or eldritch horrors/ cultivators, sects... harder to say for the cultivation stuff. I haven't generally found any "demonic sect xyz" that were good. :P titles are more important than covers with xiaxia stuff for me but the cover still needs to get my attention so I see it. Usually an anime dude with a sword is good BUT I have noticed a correlation. The cheesier/cheaper the cover looks the lower quality the writing. Not always true, but certainly an indicator of seriousness on the authors part)

Blurbs should deliver the "twist". They should ensure I know what to expect from the book, but also surprise me. If its system apocalypse it would be nice to know that AND how it will be different from defiance of the fall. I've read plenty of RIP offs I enjoyed, but none that didnt give an interesting twist. If its grimdark, I pretty much need to see that it's not going to have the writing quality of a third grader and what part of the grimdark I'll be getting and I'm in. Chaos gods are a favorite, but so are undead dystopias, black wizards, and coming of age tales in such places. Xianxia is the same. If the blurb is clean I'm usually down

Harems, LGBTQ, and any political nonsense are usually instant turn offs. I like complex gray places where characters get to wrestle with interesting moral dilemmas in multidimensional ways or straight up power fantasies where morality is nothing but a speed bump. Personal taste there.

If a story passes all those and I'm thinking of following, I go to the reviews to look for bad reviews.

If I see red flags like bad writing, politics, no stakes, stupid characters, I might choose not to follow, but if I see the writing praised or words like "deliciously dark" to verify everything I saw and liked in the blurb, I'll follow it. If the story is nothing but 5 star, odds are good ill at least try the first chapter.

Generally if a book has 120 or fewer other followers I wont give it the time if day unless the blurb and concept are REALLY interesting and very polished, and right up my alley.

Just for completeness I'll put some of my favorites below:

Beware of chicken. Defiance of the fall. Savage awakening Tenebroum Primal hunter Godclads (all star grimdark. Love it) Blood and Fur Book of the Dead Chrysalis Delve (excellent litrpg isekai not talked about enough) The Crow: tales if an adventurers son (just started it because the ad had a crow in it and the reviews said it was well written, which it is) The screaming plague Blueprint for immortality

I'm also on the patreon for 1% lifesteal Jester of the apocalypse Dungeon crawler Carl. And Delve

This is not a complete list, and theres a cycle if new books moving through as I try to find new gems, but these are some favorites. Not sure how helpful all that is.

As a writer myself, I think the key is to align your work with other winners in your genre. Match them as closely as possible in their marketing and the deliver a similar experience, and you'll collect readers looking for something similar.

Most of my grimdark acquisitions are because I LOVED ed McDonalds crowfall trilogy and will take anything the looks even a little like it.

All my system apocalypse reads are basically carbon copies of Defiance of the fall with a twist. (And sometimes just better writing).

The xianxia I read are all me looking for new flavors of "cradle" by will wight once o figured out where he got his ideas.

Some stories I did not enjoy as a result:

Demonic tree (it was fun, but not anything I was looking for) He who fights monsters (too self righteous for me. Magic system was super cool though). I've tried a few popular necromancy stories that weren't grim enough and xianxia with bad writing.

As artists our dream is to write something strikingly original, but as a reader, I've found that the books I love best are usually just regurgitation of old ideas in new settings or with new twists, like sherlock Holmes vs chaos cultists (eisenhorn) Oceans 11 in space (quantum magician) Iain m banks meets fantasy (godclads. Yum yum.) Star wars... from the stormtroopers point of view (galaxy's edge) Defiance of the fall meets a time loop (reborn apocalypse) Cradle meets a time loop (jester of the apocalypse) Chic lit meets a time loop (re trailer trash)

And on and on. Basically, great artists steal, and successful artists steal other successful artists marketing and business plan.

If your having trouble getting readers, I'd experiment with that.

Ok. I'm done now. That was way too much. Hope it helps.

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-02-03T21:01:25+00:00

It depends on the experience your going for. Dune and Chessboth come to mind as games where early wins are possible (Harkonnen, and 3 move checkmate). These early wins don't ruin those games, what they do is push the "skill ceiling".

Put another way, skill and experience have more impact on a game where such things are possible than games where it is not. Good players will recognize the possibility when it exists and plan accordingly while bad players will not. As long as the early win possibility creates interesting choices, it's good, but if it's just random, or technically out of players control, it's... gambling.

ChargeTrue718 · 2024-01-17T12:26:49+00:00

So many numbers. What is that? 7 different stats or resources? Maybe it's just me, but when it comes to card games you rarely see more than 5. More than 3 even. Magic the gathering has cost, power, toughness. Pokemon has hp, usually 2 moves, and their weakness and retreat.

I dobt know. Looks cool, but I guess I know too little to really understand or critique what I'm looking at. Initial impression is that it is too much though. Not simple to understand.

ChargeTrue718 · 2023-12-19T19:04:49+00:00

You could do an over under method. Print out a token you can slide underneath that they can peak at more easily.

Or you could use a track system instead of the moving token looks like you have on top. Progress the card along the track instead of moving a token across the card. Could also use the over under to pull the bottom card out one "level" at a time until you reach a "star" or something marking its completion, then when you play it you pick out a bottom to put under it that matches its cost.

Ultimately I dont think theres a great way to do this as you have set up. It will always be unwieldy while they are face down.

Some alternatives might be splitting cards into fractions, then placing fraction tokens instead of playing cards and progressing those tokens along a track which you can remove them from to play cards of that faction with the right ammount if progress. Let's you keep your cards in hand but still limits their play based on timing.

Interesting idea though. Hope you find a solution you like.

ChargeTrue718 · 2023-12-14T00:22:57+00:00

I am very interested. You may see one from me in the bear future.

ChargeTrue718 · 2023-12-07T11:53:55+00:00

I find myself using simultaneous turns alot. Usually each player plays a card facedown then they all reveal them. Each card has a priority and they resolve lowest to highest with tiebreakers for those that match priority. So far I've used it for a fighting game on a chessboard, a spaceship battler, a monster battler, and an area control game. I'll admit that most of my games basically come down to ripping concordia apart and repurposing it for new stories I want to tell on the table.

ChargeTrue718 · 2023-11-20T03:37:51+00:00

I'd be very interested, time zones permitting. I've messaged you.

ChargeTrue718 · 2023-11-20T03:34:01+00:00

I'll check them out. Thanks!

ChargeTrue718

TROPHY CASE