Hi all,
I've just finished putting together a basic playtest VASSAL module for one of my games (temporary name: Dice Quest), which allows the game to be played electronically. I plan to use this with my playtest group and my overseas collaborator.
In my opinion, from the player's perspective VASSAL is a workable but slightly clunky gaming platform. Module design takes a great deal of effort, so my current module is playable (if you know what you are doing) but not highly polished.
When I say "not highly polished" here, I am not talking about the game design itself. I'm referring to the user interface of the electronic version; it's usable, but not a smooth experience.
So I'm interested in the following questions. Other factors being equal, how willing would you be to playtest a game:
- If you had to print out physical components?
- If an electronic playtest version was available...
- ...a polished electronic version?
- ...a usable but slightly frustrating electronic version?
- ...an electronic version which required an experienced player to show you how to use it?
Simon
Hm. This looks like a virtual tabletop.
I'll download it and give it a try, but suspect it's not suitable for my needs. One mechanic in particular would be really inconvenient to implement without programming (the deck needs to be shuffled and then sorted face-down according to information on the back of the cards). Also, the commercial licence means that any potential playtester would have to purchase a copy of the client software, which is a serious disincentive.