Woerner's · Wunderworks

Some of you may be wondering where the Beta test is.  I said that I would be releasing it at the end of September.  I've been running some in-house testing for some of the very basic rules before sending the game out to everyone to tear apart.  Unfortunately, my timing has my last in-house test scheduled for tonight - which is technically October 3rd.  I like to think of it as the last week in September though.

Once my tweaks are done tonight I am going to write up any of my changes tomorrow and post it ASAP. 

I want some checks on my Stat system, the Trust system, the Legend System, and tweak aspects a bit more.

So haul up the yardarm Legends of Piracy is about to set sail!

The first playtest is complete.  It was definitely a learning experience.  I made many notes and I felt like I was hacking through a rainforest with my machete as we walked through character creation.  The post below regarding how to make characters is already horribly out dated.  I've also changed the dice mechanic, and even though I still want to look at the statistics for the old system the new system will work like a charm.

( Here's a sample )

 

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Ahoy!

Some of you know that I completed my alpha manuscript for Legends of Piracy.  I've begun work on my Beta Manuscript and unless fate intervenes I will complete it before the end of September.  Thus, I need beta testers to stab, sail, and plunder Legends of Piracy until it sinks to the bottom of Davy Jones’ or it conquers Panama.  If you don't know the details about my game I'll give you a quick run-down plus point you towards my live journal where I will be posting about the game on a regular basis:  http://wunderworks.livejournal.com/

1. What is the game about?:  Legends of Piracy is about creating and telling the Legends that surround your band (players and GM) of pirates.

2.  How does the game do this?:  I've created a character system that have rules for such important pirate and legendary things as trust and betrayal amongst pirate bands (The Black Spot!), unique crew abilities from Captain to Cabin Boy that will drive the story, a personal career and legendary goal system that drives character development and finally a grog stat!
I've built a storytelling system that will support the storyteller in building interesting and exciting stories that the players will help direct into even more interesting directions.  The dice mechanic based on an old sailor's game will give the players freedom to define their world and their story, but will help the storyteller keep the players on their toes so that even if they're a fabulous fencer facing off against the Dread Pirate Roberts will never be as easy as facing down the drunken Sergeant Garcia.  I’ve a built in flavored 'bennie' mechanic that also gives players the ability to alter the story and create interesting features, but also grants the storyteller the ability to throw a wrench into the work and catch the players by surprise.  Plus, the Inverse Pirate Rule.

3. Why is this fun?:  Who hasn't told someone their story about their favorite character/role-playing game session/campaign?  This game is designed to create not only piratical adventures (and who doesn't love pirates?  Quiet Hanzo, I don’t want to hear it.), but to build campaigns and stories that players and storytellers will remember and reminisce about even as they begin their game reminiscing about the adventure they haven't even played yet.*  We all love telling stories and hearing stories, it is one of the basics of human culture.  Legends of Piracy raises real storytelling into the realm of the group experience with a dice mechanic to keep everyone guessing about how things will turn out in the story they're making up as they go along.

* - Yes, the first thing you do after character creation is sit in a pub and reminisce about the whale tale of an adventure you haven't even played yet.  Make sure you have enough grog!

If you are interested in starting or playing in a play test group for Legends of Piracy let me know.  I am starting a local group this coming Friday to work out some initial kinks I'd like to have a better handle on before I commit it to the Beta.  If you're local and want to be part of that group let me know.  If you are not local, or don't have a gaming group, but would still like to take a look at the game let me know and I will send you a .pdf when the Beta is complete in September.  If you know anyone else that might be interested, or would like to cross post this to your blog/livejournal/myspace/facebook please do so.  The more input I have for the game the better. 

If you help me out I'll include your name in the book and might even incorporate some of your ideas into my game when it is published.  Beta testing is one of the most important parts in the design of any game.  It is where all the lose bits get torn off, where the author's crazy ideas are refined into ideas that might work, and the testers' are able to give the author the first glimpse of how his game will be received.  If you have any other question, please feel free to email me.

I am in the midst of arranging the first Beta Test game session for Legends of Piracy.  This coming Friday, August 29th will be the first time people besides me will make characters, roll dice, and play in my, up until now, private sandbox (with excellent water feature). 

Sunday I was able to speak with Roby about some game concepts I've been concerned about.  As has been evident since the day he first convinced me to run a mafia gang in college the man is chock full of great game and story ideas.  Which only helps make me better as I compile all of these ideas.  Although I much less enjoy the amount of re-writing I'm doing  - bad habits regarding perfection in the first draft are hard to break.  Hopefully completing this game will kill that little flaw of mine.

So far I've had John, Jared, and Josh all talk to me about my game, and now if I could only get Matt, Tony,  Caleb, tarq, and storn_cook to do art and gobi for the design I'd have my dream book when I was done.  Not that any of that is likely.  I can already picture the great art that they'd each do.  They all have, in my eyes a vision that would mesh perfectly with the feelings I want to evoke in my book.  I'll stop now before I go off into fanboy fantasy land. 

Let's just hope Friday goes smoothly and I discover some important holes, I know that are there, and revel in some of the cool features I know my players will love. 

Done: rules for player job bonuses
To Do:  'final' trust rules and difficulty levels during conflicts.

I am excited about a new prospect that is just over the horizon.  It looks like it will, not only, be profitable, but also exciting.  Unfortunately, it is eating into much of my free time that I had previously set aside for writing, Legends of Piracy. 

I do not want to let Pirates fall by the wayside, but this new venture is more immediately (ha! six months at the earliest) profitable, and more real in the business sense (I just finished applying for the EIN).

Ce la vie.  I will find time for this business along with dance, paintball (yeah, I just took paintball back up after a ten year hiatus.  A lot has changed.), Morgan's activities, Emily's activities, and my writing.

At the beginning of June I will re-evaluate my position on Pirates and let you know where I am moving with it then.

As for now, Restori has my full attention.