Hey,
A while ago (quite a while in fact) I posted a thread about creating a D20esque RPG with the hopes of developing and supporting a campaign world and series of adventures and campaign arcs and so on. There was a little interest, a lot of very great advice and then a lot of time...
Well, after a lot of set backs I've actually gotten to somewhere close to finishing the core rulebook of my system. It's no longer very D20esque, although there are still a few remnants but it has mostly evolved into its own thing. Which, un/fortunately is a lot like other things, but what can you do.
Anyway, I was wondering what people would suggest doing with it now. I'm kind of losing faith in terms of how much I can do on my own, and while I am convinced that it is a great game and could muster enough of a community to support itself and me, I'm not entirely convinced I can do it alone, nor that I have the experience and know-whats to guide this project. Actually, I am pretty sure I could and it would be great, but It's pretty daunting.
So I was wondering what anyone else would do in a similar situation. Do I finish working it into a publishable form (it's currently 100 pages in indesign with at least another 100 of content to be moved over, polished and expanded) and see if anyone is interested? Do I hand out to a few individuals to read over and see what they think of it? Do I keep it for myself and friends to play? Do I hand it over to the community and see what they might make of it?
I just don't know.
Any ideas? What would you do?
Get it out to people to playtest. Anyone and everyone who's willing to take the time to go through a full session (or several) of the game. And then look into self publishing. I think DriveThruRPG has a printing division. :) Not sure what you need to do that though.
Two sites are good for designers wanting to review materials and playtest.
Both sites have experienced people and links to articles that can help you answer a variety of topics from whether an approach taken is a 'good' idea or more importantly 'what happened when I did ____'.
The articles and commentary on the forums are a great resource to see what people in the Indy market and why they like those products. You can also learn new ways to solve problems that you may have noticed with your game. You can also learn of game design contests and maybe adapt your rules to one of the contests to get a mix of feedback and more interest in your product.
Like any critique environment, you need to be thick skinned. It is never popular to hear that your baby isn't the popular kid on the neighborhood block or that maybe his nose looks different from the rest.
Some advice will be good and some you may reject.
There is also a podcast;
With a standing offer to play test games and give feedback that they will record and put on podcast.
My advice would be to finish polishing it up and play it with your friends. Than see if you can get a friend to actualy run a game using it as a play test...one of the thing I see about Home made RPGs is that the person who is writting it sometimes does not notice issues when running it because they know exactly what the author meant(being the author) than hen handed it to somebody else they have a 101 questions.
After that I would decide if you wanted to published it or what not.
I'm working on a game system myself (Legion of Super-Heroes). Once I completed the basics I started playing at home as well as running a PBP here on Paizo. I'm making the game because its something I want to play. If I'm secure enough in the quality of the game I plan on making a pitch to DC comics since they own the rights to the characters. I also started a website for the game in order to interest others in PBP. I won't surrender the complete rules to just anyone. I send the necessary chapters to each player and anything a particular player has no use of (such as powers their character doesn't have) I keep to myself.
1. Do it for yourself
2. Run the game with friends or family until they are comfortable with the rules.
3. Let someone else run the game.
4. If you don't have any copyright concerns submit it to a publisher and see if it gets noticed. If they reject it, move on to the next company and so on.
Anyway, this is what I'm doing, hopefully something like that would work for you as well.
Thanks everyone for the great advice.
I think the overall response is 'grow a pair and get on with it!'. Which I'll get on and do.
The core rules are pretty much set and I've been playing the game with my girlfriend for a while. (She likes RPGs but is not overly into rules. I figure if she gets it, anyone will).
I will see about running a game here or somewhere else on line. I wasn't sure if hosting home-made (possibly with the intent to publish) frpgs on someone elses forum was considered good n
netiquette, but Eileen (if you'll excuse the contraction) seems to have no problems.
Thanks again everyone. All advice is very gratefully received. I'll get on with finishing this first rule book. There are a lot of details (spells, equipment other than weapons, magic items, feats and talents, and so on) to go.
I have to say though, I REALLY like it so far. Hopefully others will too.
I did ask Paizo staff before I started play testing the game. I didn't get a reply so I chose to go ahead. I've never heard from the staff after it was up and running. I'm sure they are aware of PBP game and if it was a problem I believe they would have contacted me. I started discussing the game with my Legion of Super-Heroes thread I started under the Comics section.
This is another good link for a central inventory of threads and links to other design articles.
If I'm secure enough in the quality of the game I plan on making a pitch to DC comics since they own the rights to the characters.
Are you aware of Green Ronin's DC Adventures? I am not sure DC would be interested in another RPG at this time.
If I'm secure enough in the quality of the game I plan on making a pitch to DC comics since they own the rights to the characters.Are you aware of Green Ronin's DC Adventures? I am not sure DC would be interested in another RPG at this time.
Yep I know, by the time I finish, Green Ronin DC adventures will be out of print. I'm talking 8-10 years from now. It's a huge project. Even then, I'm creating it because I want it, making money off of it is very secondary to me.
Hey, thanks again folks. The advice and support is really appreciated. Specifically:
EileenProphetofIstus - I wasn't intending to infer anything by mentioning netiquette and your running your own game here. In fact, I tried quite hard to find a way to word it that wouldn't sound like that. It's always a challenge, though, over text.
Smerg - I haven't seen that site. I mostly just float around here, rpg.net and the forge. I've had a look now and it's all good stuff.
Courtfool - Not for me, but ta anyway :)
All and anyone else - I am progressing nicely. I have enough of the stuff done now to begin thinking about putting an adventure together. I'm hoping to have one up and running in a 6 or so weeks, RL permitting.
Thanks again everyone.
All is good, home the game works well for you.
Jennisodes Kickstarter episode
Jennisodes is a great set of podcasts where she talks one on one with game designers and developers in the indy game market.
This is the latest episode and is a good talk on kickstarter and print publishing.
Hey, thanks again folks. The advice and support is really appreciated. Specifically:
EileenProphetofIstus - I wasn't intending to infer anything by mentioning netiquette and your running your own game here. In fact, I tried quite hard to find a way to word it that wouldn't sound like that. It's always a challenge, though, over text.
Smerg - I haven't seen that site. I mostly just float around here, rpg.net and the forge. I've had a look now and it's all good stuff.
Courtfool - Not for me, but ta anyway :)
All and anyone else - I am progressing nicely. I have enough of the stuff done now to begin thinking about putting an adventure together. I'm hoping to have one up and running in a 6 or so weeks, RL permitting.
Thanks again everyone.
My points have been already made by previous posters,but:
Interested to know how the adventure and testing went.Have fun!