Last night I met with three friends at Diversions, our local gaming store, and we gave my game a spin.
What resulted, according to my test subjects, was an hour and a quarter of wonderfully stressful, strategically rich fun that ended in a photo finish with one player on the emperor's throne and the others having come very close to the prize.
The changes that resulted from the previous play test session definitely worked giving a greater balance and deeper strategy to the game. My testers also helped me with a few more tweaks that will bring it even closer to a "finished" product.
My next step is to have 3, 5 and 6 player test sessions to see what flaws arise from that many contenders for the highest seat in the land. I also want to focus some attention on 2 player games. So far, it seems that the game is less interesting with only 2 and I'd like to consider special 2 player rules if possible.
Very pleased and excited about how it's coming along. Stay tuned...
