RPGaDay 2019 – Last
Here we are at the end of RPGaDay 2019. But is it really the end? Could it instead be the end of the beginning? Is this a moment to take stock of the situation before formulating a plan for the next stage? Perhaps.
Truth be told, the stock taking started long before I reached today’s prompt. I’ve been thinking about the ultimate question throughout this month. That question? Do I do anything with Between the Stars when this month ends? The question didn’t vex me and was simple to answer: Absolutely.
This decision comes with a caveat. I’m not going to commit to coming up with a publishable product by this time next year. Or the year after that. I’ve learned recently that you should never expect life to remain stable for too long. Maybe it’s the ‘Life’ part of the equation exerting some ‘balance’ on the ‘Geek’. Maybe it’s just life.
So what happens now? There are a few steps before I have a publishable product. Obviously, there’s a lot of writing ahead. I’m not sure how many words exactly, but it’ll be a few more than I’ve produced for RPGaDay 2019. I’ll also need artwork. This means finding an artist whose style I like and is open for some commission work.
Finally, since I’ve decided to use the Ubiquity rules, I’ll need a licence to use them. I think I’ll leave this step for later in the process. I’d rather apply once I have examples of what I’m working on, not going in empty-handed. If I’m not able to get access to the rules, I can still release the game. I’ll just need to point people to one of the existing Ubiquity products. This isn’t exactly a bad thing.
Once I have a finished product, what then? I could go the Kickstarter route and pin my fate on the whims of gamers. To be honest, I’m not keen on this approach. For one, I don’t have a big name or brand behind me. I’m not making something compatible with 5E or Pathfinder. Kickstarter also has a tendency to get out of control if you’re not careful. I’d much rather create something and put it up for sale, then let what happens happen.
And that’s it for RPGaDay 2019. This year has been different, but not in a bad way. I was a little thrown but the infographic when I first saw it, but I think it worked out.
RPGaDay 2019 – Connection
My gods, is it already August 30th? This month hasn’t exactly flown by, but it’s certainly ending with a final sprint. I’ve covered a wide variety of topics with my responses to the previous 29 prompts. This new format has been both a challenge and more freeing than previous years. Before I drift further into the territory of tomorrow’s post, let’s talk about connection.
RPGaDay 2019 – Evolve
I had planned to use this prompt to talk about potential adaptations of Beyond the Stars. How well would it work in different types of games and media. Then I ended up covering it as part of a response to the Dream prompt. To avoid repeating myself, let’s look at the setting instead.
RPGaDay 2019 – Love
Romance has always been a part of of the space opera genre. Princess Leia and Han Solo are far from the first pair of star-crossing lovers. While players will be able to fall in love (or lust) in Between the Stars, it’s not what I’m going to talk about today. I want to talk about a different sort of love – the books, TV shows and movies that inspire my design process.
RPGaDay 2019 – Suspense
If there’s one thing that’s key in a space opera RPG, it’s cliffhangers. That feeling of not knowing what’s going to happen is a powerful draw. It makes you read one more chapter or watch one more episode. It’s so successful you can find cliffhangers in all genres these days. And it’s for that reason I think I should talk about something else.
RPGaDay 2019 – Idea
I went back and forth with my response to this prompt, but couldn’t settle on an answer. Then I realised I’ve spent a lot of time talking about what players can do, with one exception. Can characters invent their own stuff?
RPGaDay 2019 – Calamity
As we all know, things don’t always go to plan. Sometimes the dice betray you, sometimes it’s an ally. Sometimes you misread the situation, sometimes you’re unlucky. It happens to everyone sooner or later. And it isn’t always a bad thing.
