So while I've seen a bunch of stuff on "DriveThruRPG" with regards to selling an RPG or some kind of rulebooks for an RPG, I've looked over Kickstarter and noticed significantly LESS in terms of sheer volume of options.
I decided to take the plunge and write an RPG with some very UNIQUE mechanics that build upon a solid foundations of one of my earlier designs which kind of stalled at bit because of the illustration and so forth.
However with a TTRPG the focus is on the "Adventure" and not necessarily the "Graphics" that go along with everything related. I may only need a cover illustration and that can probably be AI Generated. No worries there, it's just the cover page. Something representative can be an AI illustration.
For the rest of the RPG, it's mostly about RULES, MECHANICS and interesting Gameplay. And believe me this TTRPG is one-of-a-kind for sure. Why do I say that??? Well for starters you can SAVE your game (always neat)! I am working on a 1-Player version but hope to support up to 6-Players in the end. The components are build into the "package" which means you WON'T lose any pieces here and there or the area of play gets disrupted, etc. etc.
So because everything is RULES-BASED, it's more important to have a GOOD (maybe even a GREAT) game experience and the focus is more on HOW you play that what kind of VISUALS you have. Believe me this TTRPG has a LOT of UNIQUE elements and features very INNOVATIVE mechanics used to make the RPG function.
I will post back soon as I have more information. And I've designed like 3-Pages out of 30 ... So 10% done. I know it's not all that much... But it's a good start.
Best!
Comments
For Profit?
I love me some innovation and originality, but your mention of Kickstarter make me wonder if you're pursuing this design for profit. If so, I think a few things in your idea are contrary to what TTRPG fans want: AI Illustrations and a de-emphasis on storytelling.
I'm not much of a TTRPG fan myself, but I like the sound of a 30-page rulebook. It's shorter than D&D's, like, 600 combined pages, but it must be more intricate than all the one-page RPGs. I'm not aware of any other TTRPGs of that approximate length.
I'm not sure what you mean by this. Can you elaborate?
Excited to hear about some of these unique, innovative mechanics as they're finalized
To elaborate a bit...
Yes the goal is to crowdfund the RPG. While it's nice doing things for FREE ... I honestly cannot afford that. I've already put in 2-Weeks of effort on the RPG and I need to pay my bills, food, phone and Internet. I run this forum at a LOSS as I make no money off of BGDF.com. I wish I could get a Casino Sponsor which could help with a Monthly Banner. Alas I've tried with people who contact me to post fake articles and links back to their websites. Has never worked. The only PAID promotion on BGDF.com is the Ad Program (Banners). And Google AdSense which pays me about $0.05 CAD a day (alas not many people click on the AdSense widget).
So yes the GOAL is to crowdfund the adventure. I cannot work and put in months of effort to make $0.00 at the end of the day.
There will be NO SHIPPING. It will be a DIGITAL PDF document and that doesn't stop PIRACY ... But there is nothing I can do if the people who get their own copies from KS share it with their friends... Again not much I can do.
But it will be significantly cheaper due to NO SHIPPING and NO TARIFFS. It's a digital deliverable.
Your comparison of 600 Page vs. 30 Page guide is because MY Guide is for a SINGLE adventure. I'm not offering a "flexible" RPG like AD&D. I am offering a "GAME" which is an ADVENTURE in-itself. You don't need 600 Pages if the rules and game are "LIMITED" in terms of what is needed for the adventure itself.
It's a all-in-one package (PDF) with everything NEEDED to run and play the adventure. Right now I am focusing on a 1-Player SOLO game... But the goal is to allow multiplayer and hopefully in the future up to 6-Players.
The only thing that I don't provide is the ten (10) Polyhedral Dice. Seven (7) is not enough because you have to roll 2D6s (Standard) as one of the mechanics in the game (You can upgrade to this option).
It will be VERY different than AD&D even though I have a pulse on TTRPGs including AD&D ... I simply know what is offered (the basics) and I try not to use similar mechanics. One example is STATs... I don't use the same STATs as AD&D or other RPGs. There are other ways in HOW(?) STATs are used which is also very UNIQUE to my TTRPG.
Remember this: with 30 Pages you get a FULL Adventure with everything needed for 1-Player. If you compare with AD&D ... If you have 6-Players with their OWN RPG elements (which are different for each player - ergo why some people will want ALL 6-Player adventures) ... It's going to take time to build and make each "package" (I don't know what to call it... Because it's an all-encapsulating adventure) which doesn't require a Dungeon Master (DM) or someone to control the flow of the GAME.
In that sense it's more of a GAME. But many of the elements come from classical TTRPGs but they are "fleshed out" ... Take for example the Monsters. Yes there are Monsters but a limited set required by the "Adventure". But players don't NEED 200 pages worth of monsters. If it can be done in around ten (10) Pages, you have all you need to play without a complete "Book" like AD&D's "Monster Manual" which requires you to have a DM to MAKE the "Adventure".
So with my RULES, this replaces the DM as it is a subset of what is available from other "book-like" products. Maybe that's a BETTER word: "Campaign".
A LOT of the NOVEL "mechanics" revolve around how the GAME's RULES are used. Instead of a DM, you use DICE (for RNG) ... I don't want to SPOIL any of the "campaign" secrets. So sorry I don't want to disclose EVERYTHING out-of-the-box.
I am considering a fair price $25 CAD or $20 USD for a "campaign" you can SOLO-RUN and play multiplayer too. You can SAVE the game and some of the first steps in the game are "SAVING" some basic settings to ensure you can continue your "campaign" once you have had enough adventuring for a limited session.
So unlike "Board Games" which basically FORCE you to play the entire Game Session, my TTPRG allows you to play (eventually) with 6-Players, SAVE YOUR GAME which allows you to limit your session time. If you played for 2-Hours and maybe leveled up like to Level 5 or 6 and you are about HALF-WAY into the adventure... You can SAVE and stop playing and resume at another time. That also a UNIQUE selling point because you are NOT forced to play until the very end in one session.
That SAVE feature is the brain-child of the RPG and that's why I am calling this a TTRPG because it borrows a LOT from your traditional TTRPGs but does so ... In a very unique fashion specific to this "product".
And getting back the financial side of matters... Look I'm only asking $20 bucks for what will be like 6-Months of work/effort. And my goal is to only make accessible the FIRST (1st) "campaign". I'm not going to waste my time designing five (5) other Player Roles if the first one is not something gamers connect with.
I have looked through "DriveThruRPG" (DTR) and see some pure RPGs with more pages selling for around the same price. But TBH selling on DTR is like selling on other services like POD: they take a fair cut and in the end it's probably good AFTER a KS...
I hope this explains more about what I am working on. I just finished a 3rd Page today ... Will take a break and work on the "SAVE GAME" elements which I have FRESH in my mind.
Sincerely.
P.S.: If you ever want to be "generous" and "help out" BGDF.com... All you need to do is CLICK on the RHS Ad every now and then. If you click on an Ad every now and then... I can maybe get more than $0.05 ... I think it jumps to $0.20 ... Something like that. You don't have to DONATE any money... Just click on the Google AdSense Banner every now and then above the Daily Post (Square on the Right-Hand-Side) below the SEARCH. If you're feeling "generous".
Note #1: Also it takes the patience to WORK with BOTH GENRES and that sometimes takes days to resolve. Take the STATs... I "cannibalized" another OLDER "Game Design" that I had been working on for 6 to 8 months before retiring the game and going in a different direction.
But at the same time... It had it's OWN STATs system which I am "borrowing" for this TTRPG. I thought about that YEARS ago (probably back in 2022 or 2023) and so borrowing the STATs was not enough... I thought up another WAY of using the STATs which will be unique to this GAME.
That was NEW and has impacted the DESIGN "seriously". I will continue to change the nuances about HOW(?) to play.
Plus as this is a GAME, there is a TURN-SEQUENCE too. That's one of the more GAME-Y aspect which gives FLOW to the game (Direction) and therefore doesn't NEED a DM. I'm going to simplify a player's TURN and also the enemies TURN also with some interesting AI. Again a set of RULES governing how Monsters react to the players.
I still have OPTIONS to explore and IDEAS to "flesh-out" further. But it's been a good 2-Weeks and I've felt motivated by what I'm working on and planning to offer!
My own PERSONAL JOURNEY...
I've tried as much as possible to show that I am NOT a "one-trick pony".
What do I mean by this???
I don't design the same types of games. I've designed a Deck-Builder (TradeWorlds), a kid's Card Game (Quest Adventure Cards), my Custom Dice (Dual Dice), I run BGDF.com (open to the community), I have a Novel Tile Game (Crystal Heroes - Which is in search of a Publisher), I have an Gaming accessory (Monster Keep) and lastly Prospector (a Splendor stand-alone Expansion).
The TTRPG is just a normal progression in something UNIQUE and FUN/innovative for people who like the GENRE and probably some cross-over with people who enjoy SOLO gaming and others who can Quarterback a Game Session (your over-arching Dad or Uncle... Hehehe)!
It's also for my own sanity too. I don't think I can just sit there and design a ton of "Card Games" even though that's something that I really ENJOY doing.
And so I've mixed things up a bit and created a SUITE of "products" which cater to a plethora of gamers from difference walks of life.
That's been my own Personal Journey!
Cheers.
I Think I Get It
Thanks for the elaboration. I'm reminded of Final Girl, a solo board game. It has a core set and many modular expansions, all operating on the same rules. Each expansion is a different antagonist and map, sort of like a whole new adventure. Is your ambition to do something like that along with multiplayer?
Nope nothing like "Final Girl"...
That's a Miniatures Game. I'm not making no miniatures. For that matter, my game is different from all those SOLO Miniature Games like Gloomhaven, Zombicide, HATE, et al. I'll share the KS Link/URL when it's LIVE and you'll see that the "game" is very unique.
Yes there is an Area of Play... And SOLO Adventure to start with because I just can't waste a bunch of time on something that people don't WANT to play. The KS will be the ultimate "litmus test" to see IF people like the concept.
Also there is a "primary" version which is the DIGITAL edition but I could produce PHYSICAL copies of the game, IF people are interested (in wanting that).
That could be done via a "Publisher" (for example). So while the Digital Edition is something that I would KS, it doesn't mean that I am not open to someone wanting to sell a Physical Edition. It's just for me... That's not a GOAL in what I want to do.
Sure if someone wanted to CREATE and sell a Physical Edition ... I'm fine with that once we come to some kind of terms and agreement. But it's not needed for the evolution of the "game".
My first GOAL is to have a 1-Player Version of the Game. But as I am designing it ... I am also thinking about how a "Coopetive" version of a Multi-Player game would look like. Why "Coopetive"? Because players compete to accumulate and use "Experience Points". This will allow them to make Upgrades to their "Character" and re-shape how the Game plays in various ways. I can't talk much about Upgrades because there are a TON of them and I need to figure out how they will ALL work. But LEVELING UP is one ASPECT of the Game ... Much like your typical RPGs but ALSO MORE things affect that are "core" to the game.
Cheers.
When I say Leveling Up is one ASPECT...
How you "transform" your Character will affect HOW(?) the game is played. So one of the CRITICAL aspects of the Multi-Player Version is have UNIQUE "Roles" which complement one-another and make for a more BALANCED Game. Sure you can PLAY a SOLO "Campaign" that will be the initial appeal and approach.
But if that "Campaign" is well received by the Gaming Community ... I will of course work to offer ADDITIONAL "Roles" and Rulebooks with the OWN Set of elements which are DIFFERENT from the 1st product.
Of course it will be like a TEMPLATE but at the same time there will be differences which make PLAYING another "Role" gives you another perspective into the "Game".
Each "Role" will be UNIQUE and the plan is to have SIX (6) UNIQUE Roles.
In addition there are "Archetypes" in the game which explain HOW(?) you are evolving as a "Character". I've already done all that DESIGN work... The "Archetypes" are done and are cool.
I'm still trying to see IF you can HAVE a "Generic" "Archetype" which means NO SPECIALIZATION. I don't think so. I think you MUST choose from one (1) of the three (3) available "Archetypes".
Just giving you more "morsels" of information without releasing any spoilers.
Cordially.
"Archetype" is a form of "classification"
I don't think that I can "block" the "generic" Archetype which is a BALANCED "Character" ... It's just that there is no INHERENT "Bonus" or "Penalty". And this will go for ALL "Roles". I see no reason to penalize players who choose to maintain such a "Character".
I mean IF a player wants to be a "generalist" and have equal STAT levels... Well I see no problem with this except the fact that having one of the three (3) Archetypes grants you a BONUS and PENALTY but I guess player can opt to not make their "Role" a sub-role.
So no "Bonus" and of course no "Penalty". Something along those lines. I see nothing wrong with this ... Except when you need one of the STATs more than the others ... That's when it becomes important to "specialize".
Let me know what you think!?
Some examples about HOW(?) we are using STATs ...
So I mentioned in a previous post that we are doing something SPECIAL with the Game's STATs. Here is what I mean by "special":
Well because you can recover STR at the start of your NEXT Turn. But meanwhile you have used some STRENGTH, you make yourself VULNERABLE to a Monster's Attack.
In the case of a "Ability Check" this can depend on what is being compared against. If it's a question of "FORTITUDE" the CURRENT MAX STRENGTH will be used by the skill check. But if it's a "STAMINA" check, that would use the CURRENT STRENGTH Level minus any "Power Ups" used during that Round.
This applies to ALL STATs and in different contexts. And describing different uses of STATs.
If this sounds interesting ... Please let me know if this is sufficiently INNOVATIVE in terms of the STATs and HOW(?) they are going to be USED and interpreted in other ways as compare to their Level, Maximums and Current availability.
Cheers!