So any budding Game Designers out there?

[Whiterook]

So simple question...are there any budding Game Designers out there?

You know what I mean...a hankerin' to come up with your own game system. I sometimes wonder how many great games are waiting for the world to play, designed by Regular Joes and Josettes. I have a couple gaming buddies that profess that they would love to come up with something; and one that tweaks the heck out of a game to the point that it holds no resemblance to the original, and now owns home versions of varied playability, but not original.

I'm not talking "Home Rules" here, either. I'm talking a complete game all their own. If so, anything you'd like to share about it?

[Hagen]

Not I, but how about yourself???

[TRDG]

Me either, but I'm doing an E-Mail game with a guy down South who has done just that, for the Eastern front, from the beginning of Barbarossa. I had to sign a waiver form or whaever you call it, if it ever goes "public", but it is interesting, though complicated....... This guy has done everything for research, then plug in his own game mechanics for miniature battles for one huge campaign, with all units from both sides from start to finish. Right now, I'm commanding some forces around Tula, trying to stop a German spearhead, in the first year of the war..... I'm still getting used to it, but its got me interested.

Cheers

Tom

[Whiterook]

I'm seeing double! Avatars, that is.

I'd love to be a game designer, and the cards may hold it in my future, but only time will tell. My experience thusfar are variations of games I play with some fellows in my game group...the latest is a version of RISK that is patterned after Stargate SG1.

But as for my own game, start to finish all mine, it'll probably be something along the lines of of WWII with counters.

[MAGNA]

My friends and I come up with rules for historical games. We are still modifying and playing Napoleonic ship games and we have started on WWI naval rules. They are usually gleaned from other free sets and then modified after reading as much historical info as possible. Keeping the playable level up without going to ridiculous historical detail is always foremost in our developments though.

A lot of sets are either so simple that there is no room for tactics (thud and blunder), or so complex that you might as well have a part time job as a tax auditor (it would be more fun).

Whenever we are developing stuff it always seems that there should be two levels - beginners which is reasonably easy with decent gameplay to introduce tactics and concepts, followed by more advanced add ons for those who want them.

I wish I had come up with a game such as Settlers (board game). Easy to play, everyone is involved in every move, harder to win than you would expect, and often goes down to the wire. Not a war game as such but a great example of a well balanced, interesting game.

[50th]

Yes, I have designed a sci-fi spacecraft battle game. Some of the spacecraft are named after wwii aircraft, like the Mustang, Warhawk, and Valkrye. I also made a ground combat game that went with the space combat game, but If I find it again (it's SOMEWHERE around here!) I'm thinking of changing it into a WWII or present day ground combat game. I would really like to publish the space combat game, as I've been playing it for 8 years now with my best friend. But I don't know how. I have come up with different modules for the game that affect gameplay in some ways. For example, at first I had slow simple ships. Then I added new faster and more heavily armed ships, then I added a ship construction formula so that my friend could make his own ships, then I added another country because another friend wanted to play, then I added alien invaders because my friend always wins, (I wanted more powerful weapons and ships) then after we played 4 games of my invader campaign, I added some of the invader weapons to the ship construction charts. It is a game that has grown over the years. Now I am making larger ships that act as carriers for the smaller craft. What do you think? How do I get this published?

[Whiterook]

Wow 50th, that's GREAT!!!! It sounds like a lot of fun, and you've already got some heavy playtesting into it, which is way ahead of the curve. Well, your first step is to secure a patent for the game. Critical! Your second priority should be in deciding if you want to market it yourself, in which case you should look into incorporating (come up with a game company name and copyright it); or farm out your idea at some game shows/expos...go to Origins or GenCon, and talk to the folks in the booths, and the designers attending to give seminars or "play alongs"...a wealth of advice and tips for the asking! With the Internet, it's a lot more feasible to start your own game company, if you can come up with the funds or backing.

[MAGNA]

The internet is a good way to get something known for sure.

Having people available to test and feed back information regarding play and especially the manual / rule interpretations is vital.

Others perception of what we see as obvious can sometimes be totally different. The best games I have seen have the option of beginners rules with more advanced additions as you go. Helps to ease into the game.

Seminars and expos is a brilliant idea. Nothing like networking to get yourself in peoples minds for later on.