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Dev Blog #1 – Game Features

 Blogs, Easthalen  1 Response »
May 252012
 

Last time I talked about my, very rough, plan for getting Easthalen from the confines of my head and various note books, into some kind of  publication.

I will consider this goal complete once I have in my hands a hardback copy of the book, only then will I consider it finished and can start work on next big thing.

One thing I don’t want is for it to try and be Everything To Everyone(caps on purpose).

Why? Surely  that will generate more sale? Well then you lose focus, the game gets too complicated and don’t call me Shirley(Bonus points for anyone who gets where I got that from, without searching). Also It makes it a lot easier to design and create.  There have been games in the past that have tried that and succeed, but baby steps here.

The rule here will be K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Anyway, enough rambling, onto the main crunch of this post.

What features do I want in Easthalen?

In no particular order;

  • Magic present in everyday life, in much the way the electricity is in ours.
  • Those not trained in the use of magic WILL cause problems for themselves and those around them when using arcane forces. Think what would happened if you tried to rewire your house but didn’t know what you was doing.
  • A brand of magic users who purpose is simply to deal with the Arcane fallout from improper use, a form of magic tech support.
  • Not much advanced technology – But some tech, like Steam/Coal tech is allowed, but considered quirky, due to the fact the God of Technology has gone missing, rumored killed when his technology paradise , Grandeur, was attacked.
  • The gods to be manifest, allowing mortals to actually view them, although direct contact is not allowed except through their agents.
  • There is a equal number of Light, Dark and so-called Grey deities.
  • Though priests are exempt from the side effects of casting, their restrictions and demands from their gods are more important and more strictly enforced.
  • Franner is the world capital and at it’s center is the hub from which the gods maintain their prison to make sure Halen does NOT escape or even wake up if possible
  • The Barrier – does not allow travel from within to without.  Heat has not built up due in part to the every present and slowly rising levels of background magic. Even if you leave Easthalen and go to another plane, you cannot travel past the barrier. If you are here..you are behind the barrier, nothing else. This also applies time travel – You cannot travel to  the time of the Barrier’s creation or beyond
  • Reality is warped the closer you get to the barrier, starting about 10 miles or so from it
  • Mutations are present, but will be optional
  • The “world” it self is as yet undetermined as to  the precise size, but has at least 5000 miles radius and is circular
  • There is a trade city that is protected by treaty, arcane forces, constructs and the gods themselves. This is the only truly neutral place in Easthalen.
  • The races are descended from one core race, probably something like humans or gnomes.
  • The period of time from barrier creation to present day isn’t huge, but at least 1000 years, to allow races etc. to develop. The exact figure will be determined later

More items will be added to this list later, some will be taken away. A few will never be removed, but may be altered or changed to make things better

I shall leave you now, as this post was longer then I first thought it would be.

World Brief can be found here

Latest copy of Setting/rules can be found here

 

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Dev Blog #0 An intro

 Blogs, Easthalen  1 Response »
May 232012
 
Dice for various games, especially for rolepla...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intro

The main purpose of this blog is to help chart the progress of designing a game world, from concept, to writing,to editing and formating. Plus everything else along the path to publication. Hopefully there will be at least 1 or 2 dev blog posts a week, maybe more if time allows.

However, a warning now – I have family members who are seriously ill and they take priority in my life. Real Life rarely allows all of our plans to work out 100% they way we want. Plus those pesky jobs that help pay the bills.

To help fill the gaps there will be other articles and items along the way, such as NPC’s, items,plot lines, deitys etc. Each of these should be featured in the game world at some point. But by following this blog you get a free preview and also the chance to give feedback and contribute to the design(If you like, not trying to make you do my work..but would be nice for ideas)..all for free.. which is good, yes?

Each post be will go over one aspect of the game design. This includes the practical side such as Rules, races, etc. Also theory and thoughts behind the design process and decisions. Some of the more detailed posts will be spread over 2 or more Dev posts in a week.

 

Basic Format

The game world will be DnD 3.5 & Pathfinder compatible, mainly as that I the format I have played most and understand. There is nothing stopping it being convertered at some point to other systems, just not a priority.

Resources

I’m going to be using a few books and PDF’s to help along the way. Have found over the years that having some form of structure is very helpful for me. I can print out the ideas/sheets as and when I need them.

  • Complete Kobold Guide to Game Design
  • Fantasy Maker’s Handbook
  • Plus many more books and pdf’s from my extensive RPG collection
  • Online – There are many blogs and resources on the internet these days.  These are going to  be mostly used for brainstorming and research, such as DnD Wiki  and the very useful D20 Pathfinder SRD
  • NPC’s will be designed using Hero Labs.
  • Any dungeon tiles or maps will have been done with Campaign Cartographer 3. The actual game maps will be done differently, but I have found this program is excellent for both dungeon tiles and maps that give a good idea of layout

Timeline

At interesting question. At this point, there is no real time frame set in stone. However I would like to get the intial concept and rough design done within a month.

I would much rather take time and get things right then rush and make a pig’s ear of things. As the process goes along and more of the design takes shape, then a more  solid time will be put in place.

The rough order of things will be:

  • Outline of the game world and background, Covers the basic of the game world. No rules will be brought in at this point, but features will be mentioned and talked about
  • Major Game features outlined – This covers classes and other crunch material. This time period will probably be the longest and most intensive.
  • “Fluff” or background material done. Could, in theory, be as hard as the rules section
  • Testing – Although this will also be an ongoing process
  • Revisions and cutting
  • Images and artwork done
  • Editing and last min revisions
  • Published!
  • ???
  • Profit

 

Next dev blog will be talking about the game world itself.  A World Brief can be found here

Latest copy of Setting/rules can be found here. This is VERY rough. It’s almost a combined rule and note book. There is no editing and grammar has been shot and buried.

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