Let the Games Begin!

The first (very rough) draft is complete. There is a lot missing; quite deliberately so, in fact. There are a limited number of character creation examples and no game-play ones yet. That's because I prefer to use real examples wherever possible, because made-up ones can sometimes feel just a little contrived.

One of my playtesters has asked for more "froth", by which she means stories and examples to give her more of a feel for the game. Again, hopefully that will come from the first playtest session. Another has commented that the initial draft reads like the engineers supplement for the game; I suppose it does, but maybe that's because the science is what fascinates me most (you know, as a scientist!). This will be addressed, with sections on politics, wars and exploration, as it is supposed to be a game of high-adventure, which in typical dopey fashion I knew but hadn't actually written in anywhere.

And therein lies the beauty of playtesters and proofreaders; you know what you meant to write, because it was as clear as day in your mind at the time you sat before your keyboard thumping away like the Dickens. But you always forget things; be it a word here or an idea there. There's always something that is crystal clear to you, but is a rather obscure point to someone else.

So, playtesting begins tomorrow - the first game of the New Year. We have seasoned roleplayers and a complete novice, which will also be very helpful in terms of level, detail and hiccups. When the test is complete, I shall post a brief report; no-one wants to read oodles of details from a game they didn't play in!