On Saturday night I was able to pull together a play test for Defenders of Wessex. It was the first one on the new version. Spoiler alert: we lost the game. Of course, it got to the point where we knew we had lost the game about 3/4 of the way through. But we continued to play so I could gather more data. You see, we lost because the game in its current version is more unbalanced than me on a skateboard doing yoga on a steep hill while eating ice cream. No, I've not done that. But you get the idea. It needs some work.
The good news is that the work is do-able! In fact, every flaw that I had found in version 2.X is either significantly reduced or completely removed. For example, no more confusion with Viking movement, because they don't move! Downtime between turns is significantly reduced without reducing the impact of player actions. Vikings are now a threat right from turn 1, all the way to the very end of the game. Wow!
Some of the new challenges I need to resolve have to do with the frequency and volume of Viking spawns - they need to be a little less, as does the panic generation and spread. But rules for both of those have already been drafted! In addition, the game is now scenario based and multiple scenarios of a variety of difficulty levels are set to go. In short, with the major issues resolved, it is now just a matter of time until I get this thing balanced, and once I am successful with balancing, I will be able to identify any other flaws. Hopefully it won't be long until the rules are fixed and solid.
Once I get them a little more solidified I will be putting together the V3.1 rule book, and I will upload it here in case anyone wants to take a gander.
So, to recap: The game is simpler, more engaging, more challenging, and it flows better. Perhaps being more challenging isn't precisely what is needed, but as I mentioned earlier, that will change.
Thanks for reading! Any questions or comments are welcome!
