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Call for testers... Starquest!

8 replies [Last post]
Thu, 01/27/2005 - 16:01
Anonymous

Hey all! Been a lurker here for quite some time - and now that I've developed my own baby, I am interested in getting some opinions...

Here's the deal: The game is in internal testing right now (me and a few close associates) and will remain so for just a little while longer (approximately 4-6 more weeks). I am interested in finding out now how many people (and who) would be interested in testing this game because it will take time (several weeks at least) to create enough copies to send out to interested parties.

Here's the theme: It's a space adventure game where players assume the roll of ship captain. You'll discover planets, fight pirates (or become a pirate yourself), trade with merchants (or attack them for their cargo), run a variety of missions (fedex, bounty, exploit, etc.), buy techs, hire crew, board other vessels, and generally become the biggest, baddest captain of them all.

Mechanics: 3-5 players. Dice is used in combat, movement is determined by your your propulsion technology. Each player has an individual board which represents their ship - which can be upgraded with new crew and technologies. As your faction rating changes (from neutral to pirate or bounty hunter) certain missions open up and others are closed off.

You can find out more info at dimoninteractive.com. Click on the "starquest!" link at the top to get to the specific game info.

I am seeking players interested in this sort of space-adventure game at present (i.e. I don't want to open it up to players who are generally turned off by these sorts of games yet. For example, you prefer strategy games and don't like adventure games). This doesn't mean I don't want critical appraise.... I do - the more the better obviously. But I really want to hear from players who enjoy these sorts of games first. Then I plan on opening up the beta to other player groups that might run counter to the theme or style of game.

If you are interested, check out the site and email me at ded@dimoninteractive.com

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Thu, 01/27/2005 - 16:45
#1
Anonymous
Call for testers... Starquest!

Hi and welcome!

Pretty cool looking game. Looking over your web site, this looks like your first game. Is that true? Are you a publisher? Do you plan to publish/self-publish Starquest or are you making it available as a downloadable game?

Thanks for sharing with us.

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Thu, 01/27/2005 - 18:54
#2
Anonymous
Call for testers... Starquest!

Thanks for taking a look!

Starquest! would be my first attempt to publish a game (although I have written and assisted on a number of computer and RPG games and supplements over the years). It's also my first stab at a board game.

My intention is to 1st, make an enjoyable game. I began with the premise of creating a game that I wanted to play and couldn't find any games out there that met my criteria. 2nd, I am hoping to have it published through a company. If, after a reasonable amount of time trying to sell it, I can't, I will probably self-publish.

This particular game is doable as a print and play, but it would be a very EXPENSIVE print and play. Meaning, it isn't designed for that mode of distribution. If I can't publish (either through a publisher or myself), then I will probably provide the necessary tools to download and print the entire game so that those daring souls can enjoy it. However, there are hundreds of cards and chits (most of the chits are credits/money). So that would have to be accounted for.

I am creating a gaming company (Dimon Interactive Games is merely the placeholder for now) but it is more about creating enjoyable things than it is about making it a career (already got one of those...). Hopefully that makes sense. To that end, if I can publish the game to a reasonable level (I think it is a big-box type game) then I will. In other words, I am not out to strike it rich with my products, but rather intend on making fun things to play.

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Thu, 01/27/2005 - 18:56
#3
Anonymous
Call for testers... Starquest!

PS

The images on the site aren't very high-res - so the text might appear fuzzy and overly small. The cards are significantly higher quality and easily readable.

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Thu, 01/27/2005 - 19:13
#4
comport9
Offline
Joined: 12/31/1969
Call for testers... Starquest!

Looks interesting. I couldn't be a tester for it, but if you made the rules and whatnot available for download I'd certainly like to take a look at them. :)

NJB

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Thu, 01/27/2005 - 19:47
#5
Anonymous
Call for testers... Starquest!

I am planning on putting the rules up for preview relatively soon (within a couple of weeks). I need to nail down a couple things and then compile the rule-set into a standard format.

I will have updates posted on my site as to when this occurs. I will probably leave a note on this board as well.

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Fri, 01/28/2005 - 11:39
#6
Anonymous
Call for testers... Starquest!

I think having the rules available for people to read will help them decide if it's a game that they're interested in playtesting.

In addition, you can get a great deal of valuable feedback from posting a ruleset. Just take a look at any of the games in the Game Design Workshop section of this site. Great feedback from other members just from the rules alone.

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Fri, 01/28/2005 - 12:04
#7
jwarrend
Offline
Joined: 08/03/2008
Call for testers... Starquest!

Welcome to the site!

Alas, not able to help with testing, but a few quick observations that may or may not be helpful...

If you haven't done so already, you should learn about and play as many of the "classic" space games as you can: Cosmic Encounter, Merchant of Venus, Twilight Imperium, Starfarers of Catan, etc. And since it sounds like there's an analogy between your game and "seafaring" games, you should also look at those kinds of games: Blackbeard, Pirate's Cove, Entdecker (?), and probably a few others.

One piece of unsolicited advice that I'll offer, and of course, take it or leave it, is that since this is your first design, I would slooooow down with the big picture, and just focus on making this game great before you even worry about whether you'll publish, or self-publish, or whatever. My experience, and I think that of many of the folks on this site, is that there's a maturation process as a designer that occurs as you design many games, and there's not really a way to short circuit that process. By all means, push forward on Starquest!, and get it into a state that you're happy with. But also, consider working on a few other designs in parallel, or letting Starquest! sit on the shelf for a while after it's close to done, to marinate a bit. You'll find, I suspect, that your opinion of the game will be totally different after you've designed 10 intervening games, and you may be able to make changes then that you can't even imagine now. And, there's really no rush. A sci fi game will always find a market, if your game is good enough.

A second piece of unsolicited advice is to drop the exclamation point in the game's title, but that's just a matter of personal preference...

And finally, a question; what's the distinction between a strategy game and an adventure game? By adventure game, are you talking about what we call a "beer and pretzels" game (like Axis and Allies, for example)?

Best of luck!

-Jeff

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Fri, 01/28/2005 - 13:12
#8
Anonymous
Call for testers... Starquest!

jwarrend,

Thanks a million for the advice! I do appreciate it.

I have played LOADS of the other space themed games (with the exception of Cosmic Encounter). I enjoy most of them (I've had TI3 for a couple of months now and I absolutely love it!) - but I also wanted to play a space-themed game that captures a certain flavor - something more in line of adventure game...

... which I will now explain what I mean by that. Runebound. Betrayal at House Hill. To an extent, Starfarers of Catan Card game... Although my game isn't anything like these games in turns of mechanics, they all revolve around a character of some kind, with particular, often upgradeable stats that go on missions to achieve victories, interact with "NPC's" and the other players... etc. Basically, I am suggesting that it isn't about building up forces to conquer the galaxy (or X territory) or creating the best combination of production to shipment of goods, or managing a system of expansion per se. Hopefully that makes sense.

Definitely my game is informed by the old colonial / pirate infested era in our history. I have played a couple of the games of that genre, and my game is definitely informed by them.

Regarding slowing down - I completely agree. I totally acknowledge that it will be some time before it gets to that stage. At this point I really am just focused on making the product better and to that end, I'm soliciting assistance in testing. Comments regarding publishing were in response to another users questions about what I intend to do with the game. Hopefully that makes sense?

Again, while this is my first boardgame, I have designed loads of other things (RPGs and supplements among them) as well as some java based computer games that are essentially electronic boardgames in terms of logic and style. Obviously, these don't necessarily translate, and I don't expect them to, but there are certain experiences that do translate which help inform design, marketing and publication decisions.

I don't mean to discount anybody's suggestions - it is always a good thing to hear from people who have been there - but I did want to let you know where I am coming from.

Regarding the exclamation mark... I don't even think the game will retain that name for much longer (but I agree). It was an idea for the site that my friend had and I figured that so long as we remain in testing and development, it can stay. I have been working on a cooler/sexier name. Of course, if I do end up not-self publishing, that will have some bearing too!

Finally - about the site... it's really just a mockup of a corporate site that is being used as a project for a course. I figured that it would make a good forum for the game (and other things myself and some friends are developing) - but is by no means representative of a "real" corporation. That being said, we plan on keeping it up (and adjusting it to get rid of the corporate identity nonsense) in order to disseminate games that we and others make.

Again, thanks for all the comments!!!

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