Re: [piecepack] What about a Piecepack Pipeline?

["Mike Schoessow" <mikeschoessow@...>]

Hi Eric,

    Here is my philosophy, for what it's worth. I typically come up with MANY more game ideas ( often just rules write-ups), than ultimately become good (or even fair) games. My system is to generally not release a game rules-set for public viewing until I have play-tested it myself a number of times, and have also played it with other people and received their inputs, adjusting the rules as appropriate.. As I have gotten more experienced at designing games over the past ten years, I sometimes bend this rule a touch for simple abstracts (because one eventually gets something of a feel for when a game is "ready". In fact I have recently added a couple of minimally play-tested 4x4 abstracts to the Rules in Progress folder ), but not too often, because the first draft of the rules (before the game has been played with other people) is almost certain to be flawed, especially for major games and multi-player games, and I'm not sure it's fair to other people to expect them to put effort into trying such a game at that stage of its development. The way it works with me is that, once the first write-up is complete (before the game has been played with other people), it ALWAYS feels like the game is likely to be good, and work at least fairly well, as written. So it's VERY tempting to "release" it at this point, but the fact is that experience proves that the game almost certainly has a problem of some kind at this stage, and this should be smoked out by the designer before asking many other people to devote substantial time to play-testing. The problem may relate to the basic mechanics of play, or it may relate to the "fun factor", or scoring, or some other area. The only reliable way to find these basic problems is to play the game at least once or twice with other people. Based upon results of these plays of the game, the rules should be modified. After that, it is appropriate in my opinion, to post the rules and ask for comments.

-Mike Schoessow


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Electronicwaffle 
  To: piecepack@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 8:46 PM
  Subject: [piecepack] What about a Piecepack Pipeline?


  Granted in some respects this group is already a PP pipeline, I 
  wonder how forthcomming we should be with NON-Competiton  ruleset 
  ideas. Personally speaking, I am glad to have the input on Pawnopoly 
  and Camels Quest. As mentioned in my previous post today, I now have 
  6 games (3 for comp) non-public.(11 games total) Then again, some 
  would say, what am I doing working on a new game from an old unused 
  idea. If only I could tell my mind to work in that way. Then again, 
  I don't think I would want to.

  Am I right in assuming that I already contribute my fair share to 
  the group? Would the group benefit that much if I released my other 
  two "in the can" games now? I mean it is obvious that Pawnop and 
  CamelsQ need more work. I don't want my other games to be as faulty.
  College and a new Job have picked up again, Camels Quest fell victim 
  to this with just college on my plate. 

  I go back and forth on this, and I know the final choice is mine. 
  It's just that I know that these ideas are better than those I 
  started out with. How much can I give as a preview, yet still keep 
  if a competition calls for it.

  And then again, part of me wants to ration my rulesets out, 

  I am in that fog right now, that for the time being, I can not see 
  new games above my ideas and sets I already have written. 

  And perhaps after all is said and done, 15 piecepack games is all 
  one person can create. (One Idea I had since before I knew about 
  Piecepack, another 'game' based off of an Orson Scott Card Book. (If 
  that description doesn't give it away ;-) ) A third Idea that lead 
  indrectly to the 2nd game in the can. A fourth game to be the chop 
  suey of my left over ideas. Incidently, after making all the games I 
  have so far, one game was 85% the same to Camels Quest, so I threw 
  it out. (I had the ruleset complete on this game before I finished 
  Camels... and Camels won because it had a better foundation. I did 
  not have the game thrown out anywhere in mind when I finished 
  Camels, only in hindsight of completion) Exponetional Gridlock 
  filters the numbers of newer games. Then again, if I could use 
  more 'bits'  ideas would open up. I think all I use over a piecepack 
  is pencil paper dice and an opaque bag. 

  Rambling long past the 'shut up' mark, 

  -Eric





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