Development Diary

[indiekid]

I accidentally discovered an analysis-paralysis solution https://masterofolympus.wordpress.com/2019/05/18/diary-28-action-loop/

[Jubal]

Interesting - I'd like to hear more about Gnome's combat system!

I think the analysis of action loops is a pretty good one, though there's a further caveat of to what extent you expect the players to be calculating the value of different actions. In many games, the possibilities are sufficiently random and complex that players are rather asked to intuit those values, which actually means the loop is less of an issue and more branching can occur without overloading the player, I think. I guess that may be a facet of the difference between the "game as solveable puzzle" (which is where Euros seem to lean to) and "game as storytelling mechanic" (which is the supposedly "American" style).

[indiekid]

The combat system: if your gnome is in the same space as an enemy gnome, you can play an attack action as one of your action cards. Provided the attacker's combat strength is higher, the defender's piece is removed, otherwise the attack action cannot be performed (perhaps the fact that there are no "unsuccessful" attacks is strengthens the "not a real combat system" hypothesis). Apart from a few boring (and usually known to all parties) bonuses, combat strength is very simple: it's the number of played action cards in front of each player. That might be zero, at the start of a player's loop, or ten, towards the end. Unlike in Olympus, in Gnome, players have some control over when their loop starts and ends.

The question of "value" is an interesting one. I haven't worked it out in Gnome yet - the fact that upgraded actions are not better useful than basic actions surprised me. You mention branching: one of my priorities with the action loops is to create something with all the advantages I've described but without causing players to have only one sensible course of action. The mechanics punish players for backing out of one course of action and committing to another after the loop has started. Sometimes, however, the best start to a loop is  one which, though weak, will lead to two possible branches later on. This would lead to a flexible strategy which can respond to opponent's choices.

[Jubal]

Ah, OK! I find it hard to envisage without a copy of the rules to look over, but that sounds good - I think attack actions can still count as a combat system even if they're in the simplistic form you describe. I mean, that's basically how Chess works in many ways, that there are just certain conditions in which you can make the relevant move.

[indiekid]

I too started thinking about Chess after writing that reply. I'm not sure if Chess has a combat system either. Depends on your definition.

[Jubal]

I'd argue that it does, and that a combat system is anything where a piece or character can "defeat" another in a simulated combat, where there are a set of conditions that need to be fulfilled for this to take place. In most advanced combat systems, the conditions include e.g. "roll above the opposing piece's stat X on Y table", or offer a range of different defeat methods, but I don't really see why "the attacking piece must be in the necessary position from which to make the attack move" shouldn't count as sufficient to class as a combat system. Though that is a very broad definition thereof, I admit.

[indiekid]

Thinking about it, proof for me of the combat system comes from the humble Pawn. It captures in a different way to how it moves, meaning there is an independent rule governing its combat.

[indiekid]

Another great few days at the UK Games Expo
https://masterofolympus.wordpress.com/2019/06/01/diary-29-a-shoe-upon-the-other-foot/
https://masterofolympus.wordpress.com/2019/06/02/diary-30-indieboy/

[indiekid]

A new card-design tool and more cosplay https://masterofolympus.wordpress.com/2019/08/06/diary-31-enter-the-spreadsheet/

[indiekid]

Getting philosophical about why I'm into this hobby https://masterofolympus.wordpress.com/2019/09/08/diary-32-voices/

[indiekid]

Finally attended a playtesting-focused convention https://masterofolympus.wordpress.com/2019/11/24/diary-33-protospiel/

[indiekid]

An analogy for playtesting and some lost Specialists https://masterofolympus.wordpress.com/2020/02/18/diary-34-into-the-woods/

[Jubal]

Yeah, that very much mirrors my experiences of playtesting. Which possibly helps explain why I've never gotten a product out the other side of the woods (that, and my failing to put aside the time to complete projects...)

I'm not sure I agree that one should never playtest one's own game, I just think that comes earlier in the process. You're answering a different question by doing that - aka, the question becomes "can this game work as I imagine it if the players have word of god guidance", rather than "does this game work as I imagine it when the players only have the rulebook". Also some games of course are playable literally solo though there are fewer of those (I have genuinely enjoyed solo games of my Hetairos system though).

[indiekid]

I'm sorry I missed your reply last time Jubal. Even as I wrote those words I knew avoiding playtesting your own game is basically impossible, since you often need yourself to make up the number of players needed. When I do it I try to take a back seat in the discussion after the game. Also, being an actual player makes me worse at explaining the game and observing its effects! My presence changes the way new players interact with it. So I don't think of it as taboo, but find it can compromise the usefulness of the playtest.

[indiekid]

Written as the UK joins many countries in upping its response to the virus https://masterofolympus.wordpress.com/2020/03/23/diary-35-the-silver-lining/