Diary of a Failed Game Designer

Phase is a game I wrote a few years ago. Born into the world back when 4th edition was announced. Jay and I said  "We don't want to pay for another D&D" With that our group set out on making our own system. I have written the story of Phase on this blog more than once. I have also called it "The best game no one has ever played." To further the point I have called it "My favorite out of the games I have written." I stand by those statements. The PDF as written has a couple mistakes in it (I'll fix them.) Some of the design choices may seem a bit contrived now that a few years have passed, but at least I know it works because our group has played an awful lot of it. Phase Abandon is available at drive through RPG for the low price of $0.00 USD. Phase abandon is  at it's heart a DM'less game. It was designed so I could play a character as well as share the G.M. duties. At the time Phase was written I was doing most of the game mastering ...

I have not done this for some time. "This" being just a usable map tossed on the blog for  anyone to  take and use for whatever they desire. The  story behind this map is a tragic one. a while back I Started running a good old fashioned AD&D 2nd ed dungeon crawl, as it happens the game didn't stick. I think sometimes with these side games, if they don't stick it's honestly no big deal. It's not like our main campaign completely bit the dust. (Even though due to scheduling problems it sure seems like it has.) We got a few nights of fun out of it and  that's that. I suppose I could do a whole blog about why some games stick the go on to become the long running games we all love, versus the games that  don't go anywhere. Though I think that ground has been covered before by people a boat load brighter than I am, so all you get are some maps. The maps: One is of a mining town perched on the  side of a treacherous mountain. The other map is  a section o...

Small AAIE Update: On Saturday Morning I'm running a game off AAIE at " Gaming in the  woods " a new Con just starting up this year in Poughkeepsie NY. I guess this isn't  playtesting anymore, now we're just playing. Editing and such continues. I still haven't done anymore art for the game, so ... that's on me. Also One of the games I wrote back in 2006, which was played quite often between then and 2014 (when fifth ED dropped and we all decided to try it) Can now be downloaded on Drive through RPG for Free. It's Called Phase Abandon. The  document was edited and Laid out by the multi talented Jens D. From the D isoriented Ranger Blog.  The Drive through RPG was set up by the equally talented Neal T. who deserves all the credit for getting this stuff out there. Quick note about Phase abandon: It's very much a "Narrative style" game. While I hate those labels because of the arguments they cause, I had to point out the Phase Abandon is ve...

I think I am obligated to say: I'm not affiliated with Paizo in any way. No"review" materials were provided by Paizo prior to this writing.  Here is ae link to the  official Paizo  information about the Starfinder game. I bought the book from Amazon . I get nothing from your clicking on the links contained in this blog. I am quite obviously not a professional reviewer, all opinions in this piece are just that..My personal opinions. I think that covers my rear-end sufficiently. OK. I have to be a straight shooter here. There is no way to do a "Quick Look"  at a 521 page book. My apologies. So here is the TLDR version: Very good production values. Surprising value for price. A system the group I game with will relate to. A Pazio game I can get in on the ground floor of. Good value for the money. Does Sci-fantasy "shoot-shoot" as well as Pathfinder does Fantasy "stab stab".. . I took the time to hack together that preamble because I know Starfin...

Gen Con is almost upon which was my personal goal for  AAIE to  be wrapt. I don't think the  editing of AAIE is  quite done more to the point I know I personally have not done the amount of art I would have liked to. Unless something amazing happens I'll change the timetable in my mind. Not being done quite yet isn't a big deal, at the end of the  day  AAIE is a homemade project with  no discernible anticipation beyond the people directly working with it .  N o harm no foul as they say. Related:  A note about Gen-Con 17 If you are at Gen-Con on Wednesday Night look for Neal running a table of AAIE for five players somewhere in that vast sprawling con. I think he will have contact information for the Dustpan games website and whatnot with him. Unfortunately I won't be there because of work, money, anxiety, all those things that conspire to keep me away from a huge con like Gen-con. If by chance you do see Neal at the...

No AAIE New updates, Editing continues The goal is still to be done by Gen-Con. Some of the new players from the games that happen on saturdays  have been leveling up their characters. So far the level up system  has not received any complaints. I think advancement one of the  stronger or at least more concise sections of the  game so I'm glad it's going smoothly. The series includes: The Anatomy of Weapons. AAIE "The town" The anatomy of Balance. The Anatomy of a Perk. The Anatomy of an Ability The Anatomy of AAIE Magic Weapons in AAIE are separated into four basic categories. Peasant weapons are the weapons a character gets stuck with if that character charter was unlucky enough not to gain a legit weapon skill during initial character generation. Peasant weapons are admittedly pretty silly. A chunk of wood, a dead chicken, a frying pan, are all possibilities. They are distinctive in that most peasant weapons have a secondary mundane use. A pitch fork can be jabbed...

cam·paign kamˈpān noun 1. a series of military operations intended to achieve a particular objectiv e*, confined to a particular area* , or involving a specified type of fighting. "a desert campaign" synonyms: military operation(s), maneuver(s); More verb 1. work in an organized and active way toward a particular goal, typically a political or social one. "people who campaigned against child labor" synonyms: crusade, fight, battle, push, press, strive, struggle, lobby "they are campaigning for political reform" When using the term "Campaign" to describe a roleplaying game the phrase"Particular Objective, confined to a particular area" part puts me off. Moreover I think it's just a convenient term held over from the hobbies wargaming roots. What I normally run is not by definition a campaign. There is rarely a particular objective. I generally put situations in front of the players then conduct my GM'ing duties largely based of...