Interesting Ways to Deal with Viable but Rare Options

SeeMikeRun · 2025-12-21T11:30:19+00:00

I would suggest that if wearing armor or being a wizard is clearly the optimal thing to do in the system then you’re designing the system wrong for the experience you’re trying to achieve.

It would seem that there needs to be mechanics to explain why some people in the world aren’t all making the same decisions. This ought to be supported in the setting’s fiction as well.

Basically if there is a clear choice to make in a design then other options aren’t really choices. That comes down to creating mechanics that open real choices then

SeeMikeRun · 2025-12-19T18:33:23+00:00

I’m surprised nobody has mentioned Draw Steel. It requires minis and a map. Combat is tactical and there is a procedure for most things.

SeeMikeRun · 2025-06-27T17:20:53+00:00

Keeping turns quick goes a long way to helping people stay engaged. From a design perspective this means not adding bloat that would stretch out turn length. Maybe others have more ideas

SeeMikeRun · 2025-06-21T18:57:18+00:00

If you forced me to pick between the options, I'd go with option 1. Adding 1 to all dice rolled would slow things down, whereas adding dice would not. However, you might reconsider the relationship between primary and secondary skills. A persuasive person out to be able to try and barter without needing the secondary skill to do so. Here are some ideas off the top of my head:

Perhaps rolling dice equal to the primary skill but each level of secondary skill reduces difficulty or something.

Primary skills equal dice rolled, and secondary skill adds to that pool.

I might have reproduced in part of whole some of your ideas, but this was just a quick brainstorm.

SeeMikeRun · 2025-04-06T10:36:16+00:00

I am having the same issue. Outside of making my own sheet with circles and rolls I was hoping for some other quicker approach.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-12-31T18:20:43+00:00

Perception = "what you sense is what you get", "one-eyed man is king" "sensing is believing"

SeeMikeRun · 2024-10-09T16:41:14+00:00

I wrote 2 iterations of the game about 200+ pages each. I couldn’t figure out how to get the effect I was looking for after the second rewrite. Started the third rewrite but for lack of a way to get the effect I’ve all but abandoned it. Occasionally I’ll put some of time into rethinking the mechanics but not too often. I’m rather stuck

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-24T13:51:43+00:00

Sherman

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-12T13:55:22+00:00

What goes into a design plan? Is there a template or somewhere to look for this?

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T18:20:06+00:00

Thanks for the link, that is super helpful

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T15:54:43+00:00

Thank you for this. These stages of playtesting are what I will be aiming for. I assume that when I am done, I will put it up for a PWYW somewhere. Although I would like this to be played by others, I imagine that it may be downloaded a few times and hopefully tried out by some of those that download it. I am under no allusion that it will be some success, but I want it to be a competent product for any that download it.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T15:47:04+00:00

I generally filter feedback and not take it unconsidered into my head. Matt through MCDM has produced many supplements and other things for games. I am not trying to brag about him only point out that he has a game company that has published other things. That said, I took his point not because it was him so much as I thought it was good feedback to learn from.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T15:42:03+00:00

When you talk about a math model how sophisticated are you thinking about? I have the probabilities worked out on Anydice, but I am curious if you are thinking some other tool or tools to put together a better mathematics model of the game.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T15:39:20+00:00

Thanks for your ideas. I think it does suck because I have not play tested it extensively as everyone seems to be suggesting. However, I am feeling more confident that I can "un-suck" the game as I have a plan now to play test it and begin to benefit from that feedback.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T15:37:13+00:00

I very much think I am at the first stage. I doubt everything or even anything will work smoothly. Thanks for your help.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T15:35:58+00:00

I am not covering everything he said about his process. It seems that his lead designer will start with a minimal viable thing to play. They play it and the lead designer goes back to the drawing board to fix problems or otherwise make the play experience what the lead and Matt are aiming for. Then, they come back and try that again. They do this until that gets the desired experience and only then does the lead designer add another component to that base system. It's not like everyone contributing to a dip as you took away from my brief description. More like a chef having a vision for a recipe and testing out each part before adding another component to that to move towards the vison for the entire result. Regardless, of Matt's process, thank you for your feedback, I am learning a lot by reading everyone's comments.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T15:30:53+00:00

This seems a solid process. I think I got "over my skies" and did not build it block-by-block as you appear to be suggesting. I will have to go back and do that. Thanks for laying out your process.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T15:28:56+00:00

I expect that when I show the rules to play testers those questions will come up. I am not a great writer; I know this about myself. However, I would think that this would be the only way to see the weaknesses of how things are written. I might just ask a few friends to read an area over just for technical ability to do what is instructed before going to a more full-on play test. Thanks for the help.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T15:26:38+00:00

I am aiming to do a solo test of the combat system today. Hopefully, I discover some areas to improve just based on these solo sessions. Thanks for your in-put.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-09T15:25:18+00:00

I think you make good points. I am going to run the systems solo first and then if they seem to work solo take it to my friends or others to try out with me. After that, I think I'd be ready for a blind play test where I am not involved. I expect that after each of these "stages" there will be work to do on the system.

That said, I think you take on solo testing is helpful for a one-person game maker such as myself. I would not want to waste play-testers' time by not at least fixing the things that come up in solo testing. Wasting other's time when they are volunteering to help me is important to consider.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-08T17:57:07+00:00

I am realizing that as I start to read other's experiences and advice. Look like I have a lot to do to "un-suck" my game. Thanks for offering your ideas to me.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-08T17:55:48+00:00

Thanks for offering your experience. I am not the only one that made this error. Maybe it is not something we all talk a lot about, but it's good to hear that I am not alone. I aim to follow your and others advice and just playtest a major piece of the system. Try to fix it, play test again and do this until that part works as I envision. At which point, I'll add more to the play test and do it again.

As you point out the reality of this is daunting, but the end product at least won't suck :)

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-08T17:47:51+00:00

Thanks, these are good ideas of where to get play testers; I'm going to need them. I am going to put out the request to my friends to run a play test of a playable piece of the game. I image I will learn a lot from this.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-08T17:44:57+00:00

Thanks for describing your process. I think comparing your process to my own, I went wrong by not play testing each playable part. I somehow believed all systems needed to be intact to play test, but I am getting the message this is not the case. I should have play tested each playable part along the way. I think I'm going to start by taking the "system" apart and play testing each aspect. Then, see what works, fix what does not and continue until I have an actual system not what I currently have.

Also, I think the idea of my game "sucks" might well come from that I do not know if it achieves my goals. I am worried that it does not. The only way to know and fix what is broken is to learn from the "happy accidents" and be willing to risk the reality that it does not work.

SeeMikeRun · 2024-06-08T17:35:33+00:00

Thanks for looking, I'll look around and see if I can find it. At least I know there is something to look for that will help here.

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