Vesperteen Development

[Jonathan Walton]

As I'm working on Vesperteen (my Little Fears sequel) off-and-on, I decided to start a new thread where I can post updates and get feedback.  Hopefully Jason won't mind me trespassing on his forum, but Indie Game Design has so much turnover that a slowly-moving project like this one would get buried fast, and I would hate to keep unearthing the old thread and adding updates.  But since I'm working with Jason's intellectual property (I'm assuming I'll eventually either license the rights to Little Fears or co-publish Vesperteen with Key20), I figured this is a better place for this to go.

I've waded through the original text, fixed many of the existing problems, and am looking at expanding what I've got.  The monster types in the first version are described terribly (with 3-in-the-morning prose), have no stats, no advice on how the GM should run them, and just need more work in general.  If possible, I want to connect the various monsters to the Seven Kings in more concrete ways.  Sure, it makes sense that a horde of Gremlins/Bogeys would serve the Bogeyman, but why are the Aliens hanging out with Titania?  What about the Goblyns and Redcaps mentioned in LF?  I don't want to totally limit myself to the world/setting that Jason set up (because it wasn't really meant to include older kids anyway), but I'd like to make everything seem completely compatible.  Besides, there's so much good stuff in LF that can be mined and expanded upon.

So that's where I am now.  Oh and one more thing...

http://www.godmachine.org/vesp-char.jpg

Here's a working draft of the character sheet, which hints at what a Vesperteen char will look like and the kind of graphic design I'm hoping to use in the final product.  Comments and suggestions are very welcome, but I'm pretty satisfied with it, at least for now.

One major concern is trying to decide what the final set of attributes should be.  Muscle, Smarts, and Spirit all seem to work fine, but the Hands/Feet distinction doesn't make as much sense in Vesperteen, which is more about relationships and social issues than the physical, action-oriented stuff that happens often in Little Fears.  In the 24-hour draft I had an attribute called "Social," but since the various Sins already determine your social position, I thought that was redundant (it became a social attribute for dealing with grown ups, basically).  The current set combines Hands & Feet into "Speed," which I like okay, and adds a new attribute called "Charm," which I was intending to have cover charisma, sex appeal, cuteness, and generally manipulating people to get what you want (critical skills for teenagers coming to grips with their new sexual power).  Suggestions on the overall attribute set would be very helpful.  What do you imagine getting used a bunch in a game about teenagers?

That's enough for now, I guess.  Like I said, I'm developing this on a slow-but-steady schedule along with my other projects, Argonauts and Ever-After.  Major updates will probably be every couple weeks, but I welcome discussion.  And, Jason, I obviously would especially appreciate any thoughts you have, since this is based on your material.

Thanks all!

[Little_Rat]

I loved Vesperteen the first time I read it and I fooled around with making a character just to test the system/have fun.
If you need art, I might fit the bill, after all, I'm 18 and I'm a doodler, my notebook pages are filled with them. I don't know how to submit this though and if this is for profit or not. Get back to me on that one.
Hope this works, I like this game.

[Neylana]

I've never read the Vesperteen setting or rules, but I had some inspiration when re-reading this thread (I don't know why I re-read it... my usual randomness, I guess).

You said: "Sure, it makes sense that a horde of Gremlins/Bogeys would serve the Bogeyman, but why are the Aliens hanging out with Titania? What about the Goblyns and Redcaps mentioned in LF?"

My insta-thought (just add caffeine):

Titania is the King of Pride. A lot of people these days, if they bother with old things, keep them in their houses as luxuries, and show off their new luxuries outside their homes. Thus, keep the Goblyns and Redcaps nearby, and send newer minions out.

Now, take the usual person who talks about alien sightings and abductions. They are commonly geeky, maybe more hicklike... often, outcasts due to paranoia or a million other reasons. Even before they start spouting about aliens, their ramblings are often ignored. Having an alien encounter, something they think of as real, makes them feel special. They have experienced something that few other people have. They may even think they were chosen for the visitation. That they are being prepared for something.

How self-centered is that? There is a huge connection to Pride.

That, and if you take a look at some of the old myths... fairies and aliens become very similar... strange lights, missing time, abductions... makes you wonder if they weren't one and the same in the first place.