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What happend then?

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Wed, 04/19/2006 - 09:49
Johan
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During the last year I have tested some games for members at this forum. We have tested a lot of other games also. I think I played over 100 games that I never played before and there were at least 35 prototypes among them.

I just wonder what have happened with the games and if the test helped.

As I remembered the games were:
- Cheften
- Chicago
- Sands of Time
- 7/8 Central
- Darebase
- Art attack
- High council of Evensford
- Wag the Wolf
- One for all (or All for one (I never learn)).
- Triton travel (this year).

(I'm sorry if I have forgotten a game).

// Johan

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Wed, 04/19/2006 - 10:41
#1
phpbbadmin
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Joined: 04/23/2013
Re: What happend then?

Johan wrote:
During the last year I have tested some games for members at this forum. We have tested a lot of other games also. I think I played over 100 games that I never played before and there were at least 35 prototypes among them.

I just wonder what have happened with the games and if the test helped.

As I remembered the games were:
- Cheften
- Chicago
- Sands of Time
- 7/8 Central
- Darebase
- Art attack
- High council of Evensford
- Wag the Wolf
- One for all (or All for one (I never learn)).
- Triton travel (this year).

(I'm sorry if I have forgotten a game).

// Johan

Just from my brief knowledge of some of the games:

Wag the Wolf was a finalist of the Hippodice game competition.
Darebase is being self published by Brykovian.

-Darke

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Wed, 04/19/2006 - 10:52
#2
OutsideLime
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What happend then?

Quote:
Darebase is being self published by Brykovian.

And I've seen a very positive Tom Vasel review for it...

~Josh

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Wed, 04/19/2006 - 12:51
#3
jwarrend
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What happend then?

Sands of Time is still ostensibly in development but, like most of my projects at this point, it is sitting around waiting for more playtesting to be able to propel it ahead. I don't really have a playtesting group to speak of anymore, so I'm only able to playtest at our BGDF get-togethers which are infrequent and at which it's tough to put a 3 hour game on the table without feeling like you're "hogging" the table.

If I can get a group together that could meet every month or even every two months I think I could resume work on it. I have a couple of new ideas that I've been kicking around that could change things a bit and hopefully nudge it ever-closer towards what I'm looking for. It's pretty close right now, just needs some more trial and error.

Your sessions were definitely helpful and are still much appreciated. I hope I can get a group together to finish the game up. I will definitely keep the BGDF updated with the progress of the game. It's just that up till now, there hasn't been much to say in quite a while!

-Jeff

BTW, congrats on your company -- hope it's a big success!

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Wed, 04/19/2006 - 13:06
#4
zaiga
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What happend then?

I stopped developing Chicago. Your playtest was certainly helpful. I think it showed that the game didn't work as I had intended it.

On the upside, it did inspire me to design Liar! which won the about.com design competition.

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Wed, 04/19/2006 - 17:16
#5
Johan
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What happend then?

Darkehorse wrote:
Wag the Wolf was a finalist of the Hippodice game competition.

That Wag the wolf should come to the final, was expected. The game had a very good theme, and the auction mechanism is one of the best I have seen. The game is still a little rough, but when that has been fixed (with tests) I would not be surprised if it is published (actually I would be surprised if it not be published).

Darkehorse wrote:
Darebase is being self published by Brykovian.

This I know and I think I’m still Bryks best customer when it comes to this game ;).

jwarrend wrote:
Sands of Time is still ostensibly in development but, like most of my projects at this point, it is sitting around waiting for more playtesting to be able to propel it ahead. I don't really have a playtesting group to speak of anymore, so I'm only able to playtest at our BGDF get-togethers which are infrequent and at which it's tough to put a 3 hour game on the table without feeling like you're "hogging" the table.

I’m sorry that I did not find the time to make the new version of the game board and the counters that I wanted to do. There has been no time. I still believe that you can speed up the game by changing the components and not do anything about the rules.

zaiga wrote:
I stopped developing Chicago. Your playtest was certainly helpful. I think it showed that the game didn't work as I had intended it.

Sometimes we still use the game as a light filler.

// Johan

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Tue, 05/16/2006 - 21:03
#6
GeminiWeb
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Re: What happend then?

Johan wrote:
- High council of Evensford

Hi Johan,

It seems like so long since I last visited here - work has a lot to answer for!

The game was nearly picked up by a company you asked me to try again in 6-9 months (when business might have picked up). 9 months later they were no longer interested.

As a result, I've been re-jigging it lately (I'd left it while I was waiting to hear from the publisher), including the removal of all the event cards and makign purchasing technology an action (as suggested by you). It's now at a stage I need to re-print it and playtest the latest changes.

Then, I plan to either enter it in Hippodice or try another publisher ...

I did really appreciate your feedback and re-affirm my offer to help you where I can!

- Geminiweb (Bill)

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Tue, 05/16/2006 - 21:58
#7
IngredientX
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What happend then?

Johan wrote:
Darkehorse wrote:
Wag the Wolf was a finalist of the Hippodice game competition.

That Wag the wolf should come to the final, was expected. The game had a very good theme, and the auction mechanism is one of the best I have seen. The game is still a little rough, but when that has been fixed (with tests) I would not be surprised if it is published (actually I would be surprised if it not be published).

Thanks for the kind words! I've gotten it onto the table more often, and have tweaked a couple of numbers and rules. Nothing major, but I'm enjoying where the game is headed. I think it's close.

Alea took the game from Hippodice, and is considering it for publication (no word from them since the competition, which I understand is par for the course). I'm working on a more Euro-friendly theme for the game, which I think will be perfect for them. I'll post details about that in another thread...

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Wed, 05/17/2006 - 09:40
#8
Johan
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Re: What happend then?

GeminiWeb wrote:

It seems like so long since I last visited here - work has a lot to answer for!

I think that work takes too much of our time ;).

Quote:
The game was nearly picked up by a company you asked me to try again in 6-9 months (when business might have picked up). 9 months later they were no longer interested.

Sorry to hear. I hope that you continue with the game. I like to see it in print.

Quote:
As a result, I've been re-jigging it lately (I'd left it while I was waiting to hear from the publisher), including the removal of all the event cards and making purchasing technology an action (as suggested by you). It's now at a stage I need to re-print it and play test the latest changes.

Interesting.
Purchasing technology will both slow down the game a little (one less action) but also remove some of the player's down-time.
Removing the events can give the effect that we get a run away leader that nothing can stop. I don’t think that the probability for this is high, but the risk is there.

Quote:
Then, I plan to either enter it in Hippodice or try another publisher ...

Hope we will see this game in print

// Johan

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Fri, 05/19/2006 - 02:18
#9
GeminiWeb
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Re: What happend then?

Quote:
Quote:
As a result, I've been re-jigging it lately (I'd left it while I was waiting to hear from the publisher), including the removal of all the event cards and making purchasing technology an action (as suggested by you). It's now at a stage I need to re-print it and play test the latest changes.

Interesting.
Purchasing technology will both slow down the game a little (one less action) but also remove some of the player's down-time.
Removing the events can give the effect that we get a run away leader that nothing can stop. I don’t think that the probability for this is high, but the risk is there.


I am hoping that while it increases the number of turns required, it might also speed up some turns as there will be a clear need to purchase technology, particularly as I am thinking of introducing on overall hand size limit (e.g. 9 cards - research and production combined). of course, I'd love to speed up the game further, but that's a tricky one!

Regarding the run away leader problem - that is a good point. I had been thinking many of the actions had limited effect (limiting the type of action for example - except in the endgame) and that they often got discarded when people were forced to discard cards through the card limit event cards. Also, I was wanting to try and simplify the game mechanics and I thought the events were a bit fiddly. However, the taking of other people's cards and the fire events do help with a run away leader. Maybe I'll reintroduce them but make them interact just like the other cards (i.e. they get selected as card draws rather than get drawn automatically) ... yes, that sounds like it might just work!

Always a pleasure chatting with you!

Quote:
Hope we will see this game in print

Thanks! If it does, I'll owe you a copy!

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