I've come to really appreciate smaller rules. When I looked at Old School Essentials for the first time I was like "nice"; when I looked at Cyberpunk Red for the first time it was more like "oh fuck". Will need to try the index card exercise at some point, thank you for the great tip
I know a guy with several genre iterations of his game ant he'll test play them but hasn't and won't run a blind test. He's just awful as a ref in terms of role playing. Not like he can't deliver a rap, but when you try to initiate rp.. he steps all over it and subverts the attempt. It's like seeing the system under stress as opposed to under normal conditions just isn't on his radar. I really want to see how it operates with unfamiliar players going in blind. I agree that "do and fail" is much better than "risk nothing: gain nothing". At the end of the day a winner is a loser that got back up one more time than he got knocked down.
Hi Kyle, I only recently found your page and have added you to my morning routine list. I've been building a ttrpg for the last 18 months, and our playtesting is going incredibly. I'd like to share it with you and hear your thoughts as well as advice on how to take steps to marketing it. All current feedback says it blows D&D out of the water
Thanks for sharing these tips, Kyle! Everything and the kitchen sink is quite the real temptation I've observed as i work on my game system... step by step is certainly the way.. i personally can't wait for my testers and breakers, especially coming at my own game's design from a purely teleological standpoint, having no attendant gaming background to bias -- or practically inform -- me (which isn't always a bad thing, i'm finding).. All while enjoying the unfolding of a monster (size-wise) of a project (with layers of universe building in a niche i would have never thought in a million years i would have anything to do with, i.e. aetheropunk techno-mystic fantasy) and whose scope seems quite daunting at times, yet being innately wired for the complexity of it all.. It's good to be reminded, regardless of my inexperience, i AM a game designer. An unknown one, sure. An anomalous one based on my background, absolutely. And yet, while i've never held a d20 or rolled a crit, the love of the hobby has me totally invested in making my own humble contribution to it. Actual players will be welcome to come and break this system. Criticism for its ambitiousness will be borne gracefully. And maybe - just maybe - it sparks something or fans a flame that brings hope, joy, fun, meaning, purpose to just one being. Or maybe it doesn't. Either way, the joy is in the journey. Happy to be in good company. Keep on doing the do. Yes, you.
I'm still quite young but I've always "made" games. One thing I was told a lot when I was making games was to not have too many rules so that the game wouldn't be too complex for others to play. I took this as a jab at me, as one probably does as a 7-year-old, but I tried doing that and ended up with something uninteresting, at least for me. Something I never considered up until recently was to have a target audience for the game. Not everyone likes neat and simple rules, though most people do. But I don't necessarily need to make a game that everybody likes. I lost my train of thought and I'm not sure why I started this off like I'm about to write my autobiography. What I think I'm trying to get at is that I now understand my games will not be for everyone. There's a lot I want to say and I can't find the words so I'll just leave off with thank you for making this video. For whatever reason this video about design mistakes hit me like no other similar video has. So again, thank you.
Hey, I'm glad you enjoyed it! If these can be beneficial, then I've done my job right. Game design is a process and one that definitely takes time so keep at it.
🥳🫂👍🏿 Finally a chance to just shout Corporate Game Design buzzwords into the void: Minimum Viable Product! Fail Faster! Cargo Cult! Pare Down! Purple Monkey Dishwasher!
I think a big barrier to testing is not necessarily unwillingness but just not knowing where to find people that will actually test it
I'll look into some resources for that that I can share.
This was a very down to earth and earnest conversation.
Thanks! That was qhat I was aiming for!
So many of my designs have fallen apart, or come together in testing. I agree with this!
It is really tough but I'm glad to hear that there bore out in your experience as well!
I've come to really appreciate smaller rules. When I looked at Old School Essentials for the first time I was like "nice"; when I looked at Cyberpunk Red for the first time it was more like "oh fuck". Will need to try the index card exercise at some point, thank you for the great tip
I like the new Cyberpunk system but it is a lot.
Also seriously try the index card thing it really does work!
Glas you liked it!
I know a guy with several genre iterations of his game ant he'll test play them but hasn't and won't run a blind test. He's just awful as a ref in terms of role playing. Not like he can't deliver a rap, but when you try to initiate rp.. he steps all over it and subverts the attempt. It's like seeing the system under stress as opposed to under normal conditions just isn't on his radar. I really want to see how it operates with unfamiliar players going in blind.
I agree that "do and fail" is much better than "risk nothing: gain nothing".
At the end of the day a winner is a loser that got back up one more time than he got knocked down.
I know many folks like that. It's family common sad to say.
Hi Kyle, I only recently found your page and have added you to my morning routine list. I've been building a ttrpg for the last 18 months, and our playtesting is going incredibly. I'd like to share it with you and hear your thoughts as well as advice on how to take steps to marketing it. All current feedback says it blows D&D out of the water
...from a system point of view many ttrpgs blow d&d out of the water.
Please do! Discord and company email should be availablem
Who knows it could!
Thanks for sharing these tips, Kyle! Everything and the kitchen sink is quite the real temptation I've observed as i work on my game system... step by step is certainly the way.. i personally can't wait for my testers and breakers, especially coming at my own game's design from a purely teleological standpoint, having no attendant gaming background to bias -- or practically inform -- me (which isn't always a bad thing, i'm finding).. All while enjoying the unfolding of a monster (size-wise) of a project (with layers of universe building in a niche i would have never thought in a million years i would have anything to do with, i.e. aetheropunk techno-mystic fantasy) and whose scope seems quite daunting at times, yet being innately wired for the complexity of it all.. It's good to be reminded, regardless of my inexperience, i AM a game designer. An unknown one, sure. An anomalous one based on my background, absolutely. And yet, while i've never held a d20 or rolled a crit, the love of the hobby has me totally invested in making my own humble contribution to it. Actual players will be welcome to come and break this system. Criticism for its ambitiousness will be borne gracefully. And maybe - just maybe - it sparks something or fans a flame that brings hope, joy, fun, meaning, purpose to just one being. Or maybe it doesn't. Either way, the joy is in the journey. Happy to be in good company. Keep on doing the do. Yes, you.
Hecc you man I liked the pipe puzzles in bioshock XDDDD
LOOOOOL
[Imagines an average party getting to one of those, winces]
I'm still quite young but I've always "made" games. One thing I was told a lot when I was making games was to not have too many rules so that the game wouldn't be too complex for others to play. I took this as a jab at me, as one probably does as a 7-year-old, but I tried doing that and ended up with something uninteresting, at least for me. Something I never considered up until recently was to have a target audience for the game. Not everyone likes neat and simple rules, though most people do. But I don't necessarily need to make a game that everybody likes.
I lost my train of thought and I'm not sure why I started this off like I'm about to write my autobiography.
What I think I'm trying to get at is that I now understand my games will not be for everyone.
There's a lot I want to say and I can't find the words so I'll just leave off with thank you for making this video. For whatever reason this video about design mistakes hit me like no other similar video has. So again, thank you.
Hey, I'm glad you enjoyed it! If these can be beneficial, then I've done my job right. Game design is a process and one that definitely takes time so keep at it.
The hacking mini game in Bioshock was my favourite part of that game. Lmao
I can’t seem to find the discord, where is it linked?
discord.gg/vgf7bWVn
🥳🫂👍🏿
Finally a chance to just shout Corporate Game Design buzzwords into the void: Minimum Viable Product! Fail Faster! Cargo Cult! Pare Down! Purple Monkey Dishwasher!
Honestly if you shout enough of them Gordon Gecko shows up in a big 80s suit and yells at you about your ROI.
@@DesksAndDorks 😄
ABC!
GREED IS GOOD
@@DesksAndDorks No Gods! No Kings!