What happened next?

This will be just a quick updates for July, before I go to bed and looking forward to this week! I will share a few things today:

Q: Why OFFICE 21 need a expansion(promo)?
A: When I first start designing the game, there are many ideas about characters and abilities. More characters, mission expansion, assistant and many more, the game can grow to a reasonable size or even a cool small TCG if I want to. However, I feel a 4 cards promo will really make this game slightly different. That't it! 4 new characters are into the game. The difficulties is to make the promo stands out:

- 4 characters not really into the game but provide an alternative power for the characters already there.
- Shift the game to "Hand Manangement" rather then a pure "Party game"
- Give a bit more GOAL for players in an earlier stage.

You might think, ah... another promo if you did not play this, but I think it add a bit more details and challenge for you to get to 21 or winning. Well, I like the slight change and I hope you do either.

Q: Why I want to have a theme every time I have a chance to show my games?
A: This is communication, this year's SWANCON, I choose a more relax theme rather then giving a good discount or yes! you have to play board games! or LIKE us on Facebook...etc.
Summer should be a relax time for the year after all, especially for the students. Let's chill!

For you people are not in Taipei, this is what we have:

Thanks to Yu Jung Dong which is still working so hard on illustration.

Q: Where is GOLD RUSH?
A: There's a big delay, but I am trying my best to have everything ready in September and aiming for December. Hold tight!! I am so glad people is asking about this game and I will do my best to make sure this game is produced to the highest standard.



Finally...
It's been really busy this month since I joined to the new company.
This is once in a lifetime opportunity and yes I am prepared for it. Fingers Crossed now.

and 
for now, I think for me it's a turning point, I will stop designing the games for a few years and step into what I really want to do and aiming for my dream. I will definite play more games but for designing, I will put it down and leave it for a while. I will complete the series before 30, this is my new aim!

Past, Present and the FUTURE

This is the first time, I am going to release my plan for the future game releasing plan. To start, let's starts with the name, I called this "Project Columbus".

Project Columbus will be a series of 3 games with different mechanisms, the country and the timelines.
From Past to the present and to the future. I come up with this idea in the beginning of my second game - GOLD RUSH which is now at the stage of "Illustration in progress". If Office 21 is a game that based in the present in a slightly more Japanese based storyline. Gold Rush will be the second game in the series set in 1851 in America. Since the game is now completed, A few more cards should be added or rewarded for the first print run. Not necessary, but it's all about happy memory :)

Possible Promotional Item in the game.

 You may ask the third game? and Yes it's a futuristic game that set somewhere around the world. My first thought is in Africa where I have try to google relavent images and illustration for the third game, then this come up and this comes up-->

Possible Ideas for "The Future of Africa"

Cows with weapons and armory battles against human and invaders will be a really cool theme. I will try to make this story a bit more complete next month if possible. Although I will say I will become a lot busier soon.

In addition to new ideas, recently I have different views on my partner's game which I think it's either hard to sell or it's not a new game but a variant. Well, if it does come out in the market, we will see how it goes, maybe I am totally wrong ??

One more thing, someting new for Office 21 will be soon avaliable somewhere on your phone! You are welcome to guess what it is!! It's rather exciting!

SOMETHING EXCITING IS COMING!

Game Designer? or whatever? - What's your role?!

Some of the issues that I have met recently, well, not really recently, but that has been go on for a while but I start to realize I have to raise the issues now.

Game Designer?

The person who design the "Game". Yes, from my point of view, this includes, the mechanism of the game, the theme of the game, the cards  layout, rule books write up and all the words on the boxes.

EXCEPT

The places where lovely pictures comes in. no matter is the box itself, the cards or the rule book.

This is how I define it, however, I have found some people have a different opinion with me. Well, I don't know how many, but there may be a lot.

So far as an Art Illustrator, I have to do everything else, except the game mechanism and balance the game.
which is probably unfair, as I will put it this way.

Well, just want to complain today, nothing really useful here, but I would love to hear from someone who has a different view to me or same as me.

PS: The flyingV project - BELIEVE!? where I am the illustrator of the game( you know the definition from above) is not going well. I knew it and I have warned this, so this is it. However, as I have to be responsible for the artwork, the theme, the card layout and ....etc. so I have to complete my mission as assigned.

PS: Gold Rush has gone thru so many playtester and several convention, since it is pretty positive and it has met my standards, I hope it will be published sometime in summer. Fingers Crossed.

PS: I am off to Game Market 2014 Summer on 1st June, I am so looking forward to this!

Let's Find a theme for a game, any thought?!

The theme of the game is like the first date with a girl on the web, you don't know her yet, but by looking at how she dress, or look like, you start to judge her. (seems a bit unfair, but this is how things work) After that you play the game, you may find:

1. How she dress is suitable to the personality

2. This is so wrong.

In situation 1. this is what we all like to find, a good game with a good mechanism! (or the other way, a meh game with a meh theme)

Rattus- A theme that is looked like is based on novel or some book, however, 

it's backed up with history and even it's expansion does that.

In 2, I will interpret as "a good game with a boring theme or a good theme with a boring game".

Sometimes, I think the artwork and the theme does upgrade a rather usual game to the next level. From the business point of view this is great, but for experienced gamers, it probably doesn't work either, a boring game is still a boring game. 

River Dragon - The dragon is not really plays a strong role, not a strong theme game but a very colorful background and components making the game different.

Viva Java - Coffee!? Yes! from my point of view, a good theme for a semi-cooperative game, coffee beans, research skills, overall, I think the theme is as great as the game itself.

In the case of my own game, the mechanism and the theme of the game nearly made up at the same pace, I think this is what usually people do but the difference is, I usually wouldn't agree in changing the theme of a game.  

One of my colleague usually came up with a mechanism but without a theme, i used to help him to solve this problem, but after a few times, I think it's time for him to grow, therefore, rather then provide a full theme, I try to inspire him with some hint. I am still trying this, as this might give a even a better theme then the one is already in my mind. 

By comparing 2 of my games Office 21 and Gold Rush, GR is a way better concept then Office 21.

One of my friend think the theme is just okay, I can't fault him, but I think it's a suitable theme probably the game is made for the theme. I am confident in the game which I think it gives a twist on the usual card drafting game, and I am planning to play the theme a bit more since I have a bit more time till the release date! 

I would love to know, how does the theme comes up from many games and one more question to think? any theme that has not yet been made into a board/card game?

Other Stuff came a bit late this time - becoz we are busy doing these...

What I am busying these days? except those boring office stuff, I am now finishing off this year's crowd-funding project - Gold Rush in the Wild West.

Here is probably the only place I can send a little preview on what the project will be look like and give out some info:

Before I start, I will introduce myself a bit. I will say I am a second time designer in this geek world. I am co working with my friends Anton Liu. We are a very small team called Table Friends based in Taiwan, Have a look at our facebook and you will see a bit more on what we are doing recently or catch up with some new ideas or discussion in the gaming world (especially in Taiwan or Asia).

facebook.com/tfonboard

Last project, we hit our goal and over funded with nearly 90000 on the crowdfunding website. This time our goal will be slightly higher than last time, since we are going for 3 games at once. I see this as probably a big jump than our first project.

So, how we gonna make it, we will upgrade all the components, and let everyone knows what are actually in side the box, including cards and box size all the details. we really want the project to be funded. As the designer of Gold Rush,  I will not say this game is better or what then my previous game, becoz this is totally up to the public to decide. Gold Rush took me nearly a month to fininalise the rules and another month to test the whole game, removing bits are complicated and adding things into the game, and yes, this is my game so u will know why very soon.

One thing that is probably the biggest difference to Office 21 is the game requires hell a lot of communication and interaction between players, u may be a very quiet person, but this won't work in the game.

 a playtest session with the public

I am really looking forward to this project and I would love to push this game to the world. This is all from me in March, the project is set to start in early April. I will post the link here, once its online!

a little peek and one of the card in the game

BYE!

How does a game is made (well, by my way)??

Yes, I am back. This is the second article on how does a game is made? After you plan out your idea, you should start constructing your first prototype. Prototype is like a experimental verison of the real thing.I made about 15-20 version of prototypes before I got my Office 21 published. Ya! 20 different one for a small card game. I can still remember on messy card layout, wording and game language problem. These are all things that I have learned after my first game.
Here are some photos about the evolution of Office 21.

  Something like Prototype 6

      Prototype 11+

Making prototypes are essential, and sometimes make you think the question of "why are there so many components in this game?"  There are several things that I think are important when making prototypes.

First Prototype
Print or draw even something really rough for your first one. you will throw them into the bin less then a day sometimes, because you will find a problem or wt so ever.

2-10th prototypes
This depends on how many variables and how many times you test the game. If you do a lot of play testing and many minor changes in your game. You will produce more prototypes. At this stage, your prototypes need to be playable and maybe with some image from Google or painter will do the job.

11+ prototypes
This is getting close to the finish line and the prototype here has to be "good" if not "great" quality. it should have meaningful artwork, player's aid, a small tuck box for you to carry around and open it up when you show it to the others. At this stage, you should even be proud of yourself, since you have made something and you continue to do so for quite a while now. At the end of this stage, professional artwork shall come in.
This will likely be the final version of the artwork and as close to the final production as possible.

The route of building a game is not as easy as people thought. In my first game, my mom always ask me about the status of my game. Is it finish?, What?! you are still changing things in the game? or What?! The art works has to be re-done? blablabla~ etc.

Making a game is not easy, is like writing a novel or a script. by play testing, we try to see is there any problems or unnecessary parts in the game. We can not afford a game that has a problem therefore we play test them all the time.

Last few days, my colleagues propose a game idea and we did test the game out. It was a  bluffing game with teams. I am now working on the illustration and prototypes for him. This is like the 2nd prototypes, which means still at least 10 copies still to go.
Let me show you about it:

The game is likely to be published in April (ENG version) too. 

Next Time, We will leave the game making topic for a few times and will focus on the other stuff!

See YA!

How does a game is made (well, by my way)?

There are like tonnes of game out there now, no matter is apps, online games or board games.
Here, we are looking at how does a table game is made! I specifically stated by my way, because there are many other way or you might start the game from a different point. You will see what I mean.

1. The base of the game

Theme based

This is usually where I start, from my view, a game has to be thematically strong rather then a paste up theme at a later stage. I will start by looking at newspaper, magazines, even ads on the street to get some ideas. For example, during the sale seasons, women are so into the discount and shopping. This can be a unique theme since shop to drop is not yet been done.
I love games that have themes that can happen in real life, even the chance is small but it is still realistic. 

Type of the game

This is a bigger category I think if you want to compare it with the theme based game. mechanisms, difficulties, age group, length...etc these are actually semi-related with each other.
The sheep roulette that I have tried to design is a game starts from the mechanism, where I am trying to make a roulette with less luck involved.

Office 21 sits somewhere between base and theme, I have designed a game called 21x21 before I go into the boardgame design, it is a game with 21 cards and you try to play blackjack aganist the other player.  The theme does actually comes from the situation where people graduated from university are really hard to get a job in Taiwan. This is where the theme brainstorming begins. 

The game of Office 21 does influence by a bit from the Love Letter from Seiji Kanai, where cards is condensed to be both points and special abilities. I have share this with him and glad he like this game when he is in Taiwan last year.  Black Jack without money is a boring game, so this is where the game does actually starts to grow.

Gold Rush is my second game, the game is actually a big mix of my previous prototypes, including roulette, slots and poker hand. and yes, they are all elements from casinos. 
This is one of my goal, if the casino is not for gambling, means no stakes or money is on the table, how can the casino game to be as fun as it should be. Gold Rush borrows the idea of poker where you draft 5 cards and try to be rich or poor at different situation.

I think this is a rather long one this week, I will catch up soon and continues on how does the prototypes are made and the next step.

Moreover, it seems there are quite a lot of people want to join the game design. I am not a professional, and only published my first game, but my one word advice is to read more, play more and enjoy more before you actually starts designing. 

Lots of Cowboys, but not the Miners

After a few more playtest session with my friends and other designers in TBD group. I have decided to give this game a bit more wild west feel to it. However, I will be more specific, it is a bit more - Mining theme rather then the cowboys shoot out or desperado killing people...etc.

The rules has changed quite a bit, I will say. There are several bits are now removed to make the game flow even better and more bluffing elements in the game.

One more thing to add to the game is there might be several expansions or add-on that will not included in the base game. Player can choose which module to play or just the base game.

I do hope this game can be published some time in April or May this year and since this is not language dependent, both English and Chinese Rules will be included.

I am happy to provide a prototype for people who are willing to help me to play test this :)

That's all for today, it's getting close to Chinese New Year in Taiwan and it's a good time to catch up with a bit more gaming.

American or European?!

I have many ideas after Office 21, my first published game, but most of them did not really meet the standards which I am seeking for or the fun factor of "a game" should have. Until 2 weeks before, I looked through all the game ideas I have and come up with a new one. Let's called this game Gold Rush for now.

I am always a fan of casino game, I don't like gamb

ling, but I love to watch the others. This is probably the reason why I love making games that borrow a small bits from the usual casino game and make it become a game with no money on the table.

Gold Rush is a game of bluffing and negation. Player's tries to get some gems and metals and hide their richness in the game. In every round, 1 player will be voted as the "maybe the richest" and he has the chance to fold or challenge. At this point, I think you get a quick feeling of how this game will plays like.

And yes, after I have thought through the game, I think this one is a par and need a few more bits to make this game works perfect. The play testing is a GO! YA!

In addition to the mechanisms, there is a small problems on the theme, whether it's set in the wild west or a more European style in the past( steampunk?). It's hard to tell, Any thoughts  from you ?!