Hi,

You are doing Endless' work here Aeyl. Thanks for working so hard to create this.

I voted for the card based system because personally I think it would allow for a little more depth and more ease of expanding on it. I am relatively inexperienced with many tabletop rules though, as I primarily play D&D. 

Have you an idea for the scope or focus of the game? I suppose the good (and potentially bad) thing about the ES setting is that it allows for so much. I somewhat imagine the heroes of the academy being the PC's, dust infused individuals who are outstanding by the beginning. Then travelling around the setting doing all kinds of shenanigans. Would it involve space travel? Would it be planet based? Is it a more fighty RPG like D&D, or more PvE style with anomalies, natural threats, diplomacy and puzzles being the focus? There is so much potential, but I do apologise if I am getting ahead of myself with this. 

I will be keeping a more close eye on your upcoming posts and will make sure to provide feedback (in votes or otherwise) whenever needed. 

Thanks again, 

RE

I prefer the first option because it's just so clean and simple and I'm a big fan of accessibility. Also, I have to say that I strongly dislike the card-based system because cards just feel so abstract and boardgamey. 

Hi everyone!


Thanks for your support, a lot.
It really is a blast when I lift my nose after hours of tough work and find your posts!

On another note, you really are not helping! : ) I have been keeping a close eye on the game system poll result and... And now ThonkTank with your vote the three systems have exactly the same number of votes! :D
My designer colleagues and friends try to tell me that it is this close because I asked the right questions and all that but... Well, let's say that this sure is promising to end on an interesting conclusion : )
Oh by the way, compared to the last poll there is a fairly smaller number of voters, you guys have any clue why? I guess a bit of abstract Game Design is maybe less attractive than a direct faction choice or maybe it was the way I presented it or... Well it is no biggie but as I strive to improve, any input is welcome on this!

Have fun guys!



Aeyl

Well, to be fair the question you are discussing isn't the one with the poll atop the page, so the "involvement threshold" to participate involves having to write in your choice, and supporting it with a reasoning, instead of just clicking a button. I'd suggest perhaps creating a new thread with a new poll, and linking to it here? I'm not opposed to it at any rate.

Hi Frogsquadron!


Fair point and thanks! I just did that aaaaaaaaand here is the link to the new poll!
You guys can vote either on the original doodle poll or this new one, I will manage.

Oh and @VonRaesyr: Thank you! Yes I have a pretty clear idea of what the scope will be is and you actually are pretty close!
To sum it up your characters will be exceptionnal indivudals, discovering how to channel the powers of Dust, the Academy though will have a minor role in this. As for the other aspects you mentioned, space travel will definitely be involved (it's Endless Space! :)), I am still working exactly on what capacity though as I process the intel on the factions you all chose. Combat will also receive a particular attention, the Endless series has an awesome battle system and I definitely want this RPG to reflect this strategic identity, without focusing too heavily on it. Ultimately my goal is to reach a balance between interpretation and interesting game system options.
I hope the overall design is a bit clearer, is there anything on which you would like more details?

Have fun everyone!



Aeyl

Hi Aeyl,

it's fantastic to see someone work on an endless rpg! I just stumbled upon it, but I seriously can't wait to play it.

Concerning the game principles: I like dice and I really think your approach with the customizable dices is interesting and fits well with the theme of dust-enhancements. So, thats what I voted for. 

I don't think, that one would actually have to modify the dices tho. One could simply write down, what each specific number meant, no? That would still make tools like roll 20 usable.

I will definitly come back here and have a look around as this game continues evolving.

Hi Ectheldir!


Thanks!
Customizing dice this way actually works but from my tests it feels a little bit tedious : ) Could you try it on a few rolls and tell me how it felt for you?

Have fun!



Aeyl

Senpai noticed me! Really I was keen to just see the overview of what the plan going forward was, of which you provided a clear view. I don't think I want any more specific details because at this point everything will be a pleasant surprise. Thanks for taking time to give me the writeup! 

Aeyl wrote:

Thank you! Yes I have a pretty clear idea of what the scope will be is and you actually are pretty close!
To sum it up your characters will be exceptionnal indivudals, discovering how to channel the powers of Dust, the Academy though will have a minor role in this. As for the other aspects you mentioned, space travel will definitely be involved (it's Endless Space! :)), I am still working exactly on what capacity though as I process the intel on the factions you all chose. Combat will also receive a particular attention, the Endless series has an awesome battle system and I definitely want this RPG to reflect this strategic identity, without focusing too heavily on it. Ultimately my goal is to reach a balance between interpretation and interesting game system options.
I hope the overall design is a bit clearer, is there anything on which you would like more details?

Anytime! : )
See you soon!


Aeyl

Hi everyone!


There is something I would like a few inputs on if you have time.
As I work on, I am progressively wondering how you would react if the emerging game principle is not the one you wanted. I guess most of those who will be in this case will wait and see how it turns out in the end before forming their opinion.

But I am thinking about ThonkTank for instance, could a principle you didn't vote for turn the project into a no-go for you at this stage?


Good evening to you all!



Aeyl

Hi Aeyl - 

I don't see how "not getting their way" would lead someone to dump the project altogether, especially since our input (and investment) is limited to the questions that you pose to us.

Personally, I would take the "wait and see" route, because while I might not agree with certain game design decisions, there is no harm in witholding judgment.

Aside from all of that: how're things coming along? It's been a while since the last update. Any juicy tidbits you can send along to us regarding character creation - species, classes, backgrounds etc?

Good luck!

Personally, I think all of the designs are cool. I don't care what principle ends up being the core, I plan to play it anyway! 

Also hungry for updates, if you've got anything for us!

Hi guys!


Thanks for the input!
About the update, it has taken a bit longer than the previous one indeed. The reason is that it was a bit slower to get a significant amount of feedback on the game principle, things are rolling pretty nicely now though!
This being said, I won't wait another month to get things moving, I will close the poll in less than two weeks (november the 11th) and start designing the rules right away. Well I kinda already have actually... Basically much of what I could without the game principle (movement, xp gain and expenditure, character power basics, attributes, skills...). Can't wait until the end of this poll to get into the meat of the game system!
Now for some more tidbits, I met with Slowhands last Wednesday to get crucial intel on the factions you chose, of course it is pretty recent so I am still processing all that to adapt it to the RPG universe. The idea being of course to design it all canonically.

I hope this is interesting enough for you at this point : ) Oh and to give you a bit more insight on the design process, I am ending the very first phase where basically I gather all the material I can get, do research and set design constraints. Of course I design at this point but as things shift drastically at this stage I can't give you much detail as most prototypes or pieces of design evolve or become ireleveant very fast.
I hope it is not too frustrating for you guys but in less two weeks I will have all I need to fully start setting definitive content!
Then I will keep the monthly updates but the polls will be much more rare, if present at all : ) and I will still be very (very!) eager to read your feedbacks on the game as it grows!

See you all pretty soon!



Aeyl


 

Sorry for the late reply, but I will echo what Blandersnatching said. Even if the outcome was not for elements I voted for does not make me any less exited and interested in the project as a whole. 

Hi everyone!

As promised here is the verdict on what will the RPG rule principle be and a bit on what it implies!
You guys largely voted for... a classical D6 hit system!

Now about this there is something I must tell you. I decided back then to present the principles the way I did to limit any influence I could have had over your choices, obviously. But this project is at the forefront of my free time and I have been giving quite some thought on the rule principle part. More precisely on the reason why I designed a card system in the first place.

Last week, I had a few friends at home and we were having a good RPG game session. At one point, one of them had to succeed a roll. Odds had been calculated, tactics debated, he had to make it. Others said “Don’t fail this.”. What could he do about it? Nothing, and as fate would have it, of course he “failed”.

You see I have a fundamental itching with this part of many P&P RPGs experience. Player skills are very present, but not where I would want them. I do mean player skills, not character skills, when you chose how to interpret, how your character evolves with experience points, tactical choices during fights… But usually these tactical options are either a bit too simple or, when complex, become an open table discussion, a mechanical slugfest, or both. Uncertainty in games is essential but when the action begins, I want to feel the heat and be involved beyond contextual decisions, not just throw a die and hope for the best. The card system, for all its flaws, is my answer to this.

To top it all, I am having a stacking experience syndrome at the moment: A recent game session which, according to my players, was a resounding success while going at the exact opposite of what they wanted to do, this old adage in game design saying “Always surprise your players.” and that advice from Alexandre Astier which would roughly translate as “Don’t do what’s expected of you, go with your guts.”.

This being said I have way too much respect for your first impression to ignore your votes so… By the Lost I am going to hate my past self for saying this… So I am going to develop both systems!

The plan is to present two relatively basic prototypes so you can get a much better idea of what the D6 system would be and what I meant by the card system being my idea for player agency. Of course the D6 system is easier to try out than the card one, be it only because it requires to craft the cards, but you would have at least a more precise idea of how they would work. And maybe one or two among you will have actually made a few cards and tried a few rounds for a feedback ; ) 

Now here is what is going to happen from now on. Very simple loop: I produce, you enjoy and give some feedback, I improve the design and produce some more.

Also, two things to give you a bit more details on what will be going on backstage First I will make a few meetings with the Ampliteam as I design to make sure everything remains canon. And second I am entering a pretty dense personal period. Basically I am changing my job and it is going to overlap with Christmas which is the only time of the year where I can see my family.

It is all good news but the reason I am telling you this is because I want to keep you updated on what is impacting production. So there will be a bit of a slow down on the upcoming six weeks, but this game is still very high on my priority list, so I will keep up the monthly post, my presence on the forums and if all goes according to plan, I will have something to sink your teeth into for Christmas!

Until then, have fun guys and feel free to get in touch!

Aeyl

You are an ambitious person, I'll give you that. I'm down for either system. Take your time! Once you you've got some stuff ready, I'm definately going to try it out and I'll post my experience here!

Combining the d6 and the cards sounds like a risky proposition, although not without approrpiate potential. It really depends on how you want to align the content cake for the game: how much of is it combat, social interactions, equipment/vehicle management, and funding, and then which parts will be handled by the dice and which by the cards. There are a lot of arguments that could be made but in the end, it's up to you. There's doing something well, and then there's doing something differently (the playstyle differences between the CIV  and the Endless series should be a great example).

I think it'd be interesting to see a system where combat gets simplified the way social interactions often are (you know, the 'my character wants to convince the guards we were doing nothing bad, I'll roll my Persuasion' level), which would mean, perhaps, an encounter DC the group has to hit in a best-of-three fashion, while social encounters such as debates and haggling could be more fleshed out, like 'stance cards' indicating how your character approaches a situation (intimidating, cautious, dominant, etc.) and maybe even with their own mechanical effects. Or both could have those stance cards and they'd modify your dice rolls, that'd be interesting as well (especially since ES2's combat system works that way as well (as much as player agency goes)). In those cases the cards wouldn't be 100% necessary, since their effect could simply be declared like any ability or spell; which is always nice for those who play online (like myself).

I've been in situations where the dice decided to ruin everything but those are the times when the group as a whole needs to make up their mind about it, because in the end, there are no cops standing next to your table, so if the group agrees, it can be re-rolled. Otherwise I think the randomness is a prime source of twists and turns, primarily outside combat. With that in mind I cannot recommend messing with that; I've played enough 40K RPG to know that 'emergency resources' just end up taking out the risk from the decision making (and if it's very rarely replenished, it might as well not be there, so it's double pointless).

Hi everyone!


A quick note before going to bed as I realize that something was pretty clear to me but maybe not so much on my post : )
I will develop the two systems into basic prototypes so you guys can have a clearer grasp of what which can offer but the ultimate goal is to pick one of them, which I will develop further and abandon the other (well I will probably hoard it for another game later :P).
As Khorothis suggests, it could end up with a fusion of both, the tests I made in this direction had interesting conclusions, and a lot of balancing and tweaking in perspective, but it is not necessarily the goal.

Off to bed! Have fun guys !



Aeyl


PS: Welcome aboard Broco! : )