So... we have established that our Humanity has sailed onto this abandonded Ring (If I haven't told you about this, that means I've been going out of order, and skipped over the very important History of the Ring step.), and have started inhabiting it.

However, we do have a LOT of ring... and maybe the project was abandonded, but that doesn't mean the Ring was left empty. Oh no.

For example, you have Trolls.

Taller than a man, smaller than a giant, colored a light grey, and often has studs and stones embedded in their skin both for protection and for tribal identity, Trolls are an evolving race. They live in the spaces that operate between the surface and Niflheim. They are primitive, in general comparison, lacking star gear, cities, or technology more advanced than a musket, but they are resourceful, they don't have enough signature to detect with ship sensors, and they are strong.

So... while i am thinking about it, here is the direction I want to go with some of the options in OpenD6... just to keep my wheel turning even though I've been distracted this week from progressing too much.

Wild Die - Out. Out, out, out. OMG, I absolutely HATED the Wild Die. Just flat out we'll call anything that is two steps needed for a success a botch, and anything that is two steps above what is needed a crit, and just leave it at that.

It's not that the Wild Die is all that bad, I suppose. A lot of people liked it. I just don't like the thing. It makes things too chaotic for me, and I really don't think it adds as much as it takes away from the game.

Half-Elf Hacker (Can access Alfiemr, the virtual world of the ELF, Weak FATE ties, Partial Magic User, Mechanical Strength)
Skald (Knowledge/Perception Base. Diplomatic archtype)
Shield Bearer (Strength Based Fighter. Starts with light weapons and a mobile force field. Represents traditional Shield Maiden, Strong Fate Ties)
Viking (Dexterity Based Raider. Equipped with Physical Damaging weapons. Represents a more modern looking Raider archtype)
Volva (Perception Based Character. Full Magic User, Strong Fate ties)
Longboat Pilot (Technical based character, has access to a Longship. Rocketjock archtype)

So.. Let's start with Space Aesir, shall we? The simple thing about SA is that I figure I'd use the OpenD6 system, as it helps evoke the right feel. It worked wonderfully for Star Wars, I am sure it'll work wonderfully here.

However, it is going to need some tweaks to get the kinds of feel that I want done right to be done. It's going to need a Runic Magic system, representing some players (Particularly Elven characters) access to the FATE's Nanosystem. It's also going to need a Runic Word system in place that allows players to upgrade equipment and get neat stuff. After that, it's really a question of templates and tweaking the core system so that it works the way I wish it to.

So, it's been a long time since I last posted, and for that I apologize. Shortly after posting the first alpha of The Volume of Secrets, I was ill for about a month, and didn't really have any energy to post more. However, I am back, and I figure this out of all times would be the best time to restart thoughts.

Right now, I have two thoughts on which type of games I would like to finish up and actually run.

The first is Space Aesir. I intend on using the OpenD6 system, and basically it's a reaction to what was a game that could have been much better, Too Human. I just deeply think that Too Human took the wrong road, and I've done a re imagining to do Space Vikings right.

Okay, so I am starting to get some feedback on the game, and I have had some time to think about the character creation for the game, and here is the thoughts I have so far.

Volume

- It is really unfair that the Owl Faction has no 'win' condition. We're fixing that right now. The Owls win when the Volume is 10 decibels or less. The Raven Faction wins when the Volume is 60 to 70. The definitive starting point for Volume moves up to 35 decibels, as a midpoint. The GM can off course, set the volume differently

Competitive Aspect

- Part of me wonders if I really want to include the Cooperative mode of play, as that seems that things end up being more arbitrary by the GM when you have done enough to win. I think it can still work, but maybe taking it out would make a stronger game. I'll add an appendix covering Cooperative play.

This may ramble a bit. I am starting to think about Competitive design. I'm not the only one on the ground doing so, as someone pointed out a lot of old TSR games assumed that players would be playing at cross purposes as well(To that person, I apologize, but I seem to have lost where I found that blog entry. It came at an Excellent time, however). It is important that I think about such things because there are a few flaws in TVOS alpha that I would like to fix.

Right now, in the state of that design, it is really really clear how Ravens win a given scenario. All they have to do is accumulate 30 positive points, and/or tell a lot of lies as they play. It is not so obvious how an Owl is suppose to win. In fact, by design, it is explicit in saying "It's okay to lose.". While I still stand behind that statement, I feel it was short sighted of me not to have an official win condition for them that didn't end up killing off a character.

Well, it happened. I finally found out about a 24 hour RPG Design competition before it was too late to enter. Which means this has happened so fast, that I can't figure out which category this goes in.

The Volume of Secrets RPG

General Afterthoughts of the experience

It's not a perfect little game, but it is a complete little game.

I, of course, have self critique and self defense, but the main point I think is not only did I finish a game and got it out into the world, I did so with the kind of style and things that I like to see in games. This game can create some really interesting moral conflicts for players if the Game Master sets it up right, and the game can completely and totally be played without violence if the players wish it. Combat takes less time then it does to move a secret, and I think that's a neat thing.

It is inevitable, I suppose.

When I think of old school games, the first thing that jumps to my mind isn't Dungeons and Dragons. It's not. I tend to think of games like Star Wars (The D6 Version) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dreampark (I still think that game is under appreciated). So, when people started to talk about OSR sections for conventions, I really get my hopes up. "I might see a game that I've not played/thought about in years!".

Gawd, I don't blame people for wanting to play older version of D&D, but can we broaden what kinds of games fall under it's banner? Would it be so bad to include the Open D6 movement under the OSR banner? I know I have just the bare line notes scratched up for a Space Viking game that I could run as a D6 thing at conventions. (I was really, really disappointed in how Too Human did Norse). Knowing my luck, I'd never get people signed up, though.

First Post! Yeah!

So, I am currently in another one of those "Maybe I'll finish this this decade" designs for a pet RPG, and I am trying to decide about long term rewards. Do you need significant long term rewards to have a good game?

In previous designs, I was working off of more conventional RPG type experiences, and experience was a natural reward for those kinds of games, because you want to see an increase of power and growth development. I mean, we've all been trained to what experience rewards mean, and even dice less games, such as Everway, tended to involve power progression as part of their game cycle.