The problem with mechanics...

After going back and looking at the work, Chris, Henry, and myself did, I realize this is going to be something that needs to be figured out by us.  I know everyone that makes a game goes about it differently.  I know some people like to work on the mechanics first, and then figure out everything else.  While others create the setting and build mechanics around it.

I am not sure since the one part of this I have struggled with the most is coming up with a new mechanics system.  I worked on it for almost a year and every time I came up with something I thought was cool, I saw someone else already had something like it.

That has been the most frustrating part of all of this.  Setting (which I will talk about next) is going to be a lot longer to do, but easier to create.  Maybe easier isn't the right word, but it will be more enjoyable.

There are a lot of people out there that blog about mechanics a lot.  I try to read through them when I can.  I see how creative people can be.  It is nuts, the things people think of.  Then you have the people that take someone else's game, and tweak it.  Like the D20 games or Fate (to name a few).  How do people feel about that?   Is it ok to do that because of how much they like the setting?  I have thought a few times of what our game would like using Fate...but that is cuz of how much I love the system.  I personally have no problem with it since every once in a while someone will do this and a setting will catch my eye (like Bulldogs!).

Then there is the excitement of creating something new. Something we can call ours.  But that is hard since so many people  have already created so many different things.  I still like this idea as well.

As I said, it is issue.  :)  It isn't anything that we figure out today, but it is something I am thinking about after reading what we created so far.

Why am I making a game?

How it came to be.

There are a lot of reasons why people choose to create their own game, so I don’t imagine my reason is going to really blow anyone’s mind with my answer. 

You know the scene.  You are sitting around with your friends and talking about gaming.  Your frustration in how things may be done in the game.  For me it was Dungeons and Dragons 2^nd Edition.  Don’t get me wrong, I have a lot of fond memories playing this game.  It was the game that got me hooked into gaming 20 years ago. 

So around five years ago we were playing a bunch of 2^nd Edition, and it started to wear on me.  My problem with D&D has always been that it was a bit too rules extensive, and trying to teach new people how to play the game?  Good luck.  By the time you got to Thac0, it was a mess.  So this is how this started.  We started to wonder if we could make a game that was not as confusing, and easier for new people to learn.  Most of our newer players came from our book club and had no experience in gaming at all. 

So on a trip back from a Renaissance Faire that was rained out, we started talking a script for a movie.  Or Chris did, since he was the one thinking about it.  In the story, people were getting killed by monsters from a rpg they were playing.   After talking about it, we decided to make a game for the movie.  A very simple game.

Or so we thought.

Then all those thoughts  of thinking we could make a game we actually wanted to play started coming out.  The three of us (Chris, Henry, and myself) started wondering if we could design something more.  So, it turned into something much, much, more.  We call it Perdition.

Why it is important?

I miss creating.  I have always felt better when I was creating something.  I am written most of my life, and remember how often my life seemed better while I was actually doing it.  Then came a new type of creation with the RPG. 

It was awesome.

It was a new kind of euphoria.  Because we were creating an entire world.  I will talk more about the game on a later date, but it is a world that the elements are a major force, and the creation aspect of that was something I loved so much. 

But even more than that, there is a sense of accomplishment (even on a game that is nowhere near done) that comes with the creation of it.  Even small parts that you finish can make you feel great about what you are trying to do. 

What does the future bring?

The one thing I have to do is get consistent with all of it.  It has been a little over a year since we have actually done anything, and I am in the process of moving back towards starting designing the game again.  I just have to re-read everything and see where we are. 

The funny thing is when we started we had created a D&D clone without even realizing it.  Then I started playing indie games and fell in love with them.   How simple the games can be, and how they are more about roleplaying, instead of it being all about rules.

But beyond that I am really excited about getting back into the game

Some game designers are truly jackoff's....

I have been thinking about the game Chris, Henry and myself were making a lot lately.  Psyching myself up, in an attempt to get going again.  :)  I am not where I want to be in my life to do this all the time, but I am definitely thinking about it again.  I have already started the beginning stages of this, by going on my google docs page and started reading what we had created thus far. 

So, I got into a conversation today with someone (won't mention who) has actually created a few games and we have talked game design on off for a few years.  But for whatever reason today, they just did nothing but talk about how hard it is to be a game designer.  How no one can make money that way.  How it had been a few years since i did this, and if were really important to me, I would have already done it.  Plus other tidbits of negativity that I just ignored. 

I was stunned. 

I have talked to quite a few game designers over the last few years, and for the most part...they have been really cool people.  Always willing to shoot you an email, or give you a suggestions.  I remember Eloy Lasanta (as his company Third Eye Games was just starting out) going back and forth with me in email about mechanics and other things about my game.  That was an awesome thing.  I live in NYC, and have even got to sit across the table with some people to talk about designs (some awesome people from nerdnyc).  These kind of moments are golden and I truly appreciate them. 

I struggle enough with these type of projects as it is.  It is not as easy thing to do to write a novel.  Or create a game.  If it were, everyone would do it.  But I do believe it can and will be done, and for someone to come at with all that negativity.  Well, it just flat out pissed me off. 

I try to be an optimistic person (not always, but i do try), but when people start saying things to bring you down...it is hard.  Now this isn't going to keep me from anything, but it did stop me for a few minutes.  A few minutes of wondering if he was right.  Then I shook that nonsense off, told him I did not appreciate his negative viewpoint and went back to what I was doing. 

It is what it is.  I realize that.  Not everyone is going to tell you how amazing you are and that you will accomplish all of your goals in life.  That is fine, I can live with that. 

The only person I need to convince that I can finish what I started is me.

Welcome!

Good afternoon all.

I deciced to move my blog over from Livejournal to here, due to the fact that it seems like no one uses LJ anymore.  Also, just to get a fresh start in hopes to meeting new people out there that are as into gaming as I am.  .

What I will be doing.  Well, I want to get back into game design with my friend Henry.  I also am going to be talking about what games I am playing on here, which includes my planning for The Dresden Files Rpg I am running with friends of mine.  That game will not be starting until maybe next month, but I have done a lot of work on it lately. 

I also plan on talking about video games rpg's and how they have impacted my own playing and game design.

So, this is just a little hello to you out there.  :)