How do I publish my RPG?

[Luke]

Hi Wylde,

It seems scarey at first -- and it is terrifying -- but, it is a surmountable fear. You can beat this!

When I wrote BW, I had a HUGE outline on the wall. One page (digest sized) for every chapter running up and down the wall next to my computer. I added and modified the outline as the game developed.

But during the process I had some very helpful and critical friends reading the manuscript. They pounded on my rather large head trying to explain to me when they couldn't understand concepts in the game. I owe them a great debt.

Also, if I were you, I'd go and look through a few RPGs which you found easy to learn and deconstruct their structure. How did they teach you the game? Warhammer Fantasy Battles 6e (while not an rpg), is incredibly good at stepping a newbie through the process.

So to review: Outline of the game, critical friends and favorite rpgs. You should be all set.

-L

[F. Scott Banks]

Yeah, I checked out BW.  It was very, very tight.  I guess I'll just go with what makes the most sense to me.

Intro
Getting Started
Playing the Game
Resources:  Beastiary, Game Lore, Campaigns, Weapons and Items lists, Skill lists...

Everything seems to fall under those broad strokes.  I debated about putting skill lists at the back of the book though.  I'm kinda juggling that one back and forth.  For my shorter game, it's not really an issue, but my Huge Fantasy Game needs this kind of streamlining.

[Michael S. Miller]

Check out the thread Shooting the Sacred Cows. About 3/4 of the way down the first page, Chris Lehrich goes over a great process for organizing your work.

[F. Scott Banks]

Thanks for the link.  That's really helping me clean up my game.  I hadn't thought of it much, but I was spending way to much time on backstory and such,  Getting it all down in a readable manner is the focus at this point and I'll be finsihed with a polished version pretty soon.

Now, finding playtesters in Detroit.  That will be my next challenge.

Oh, by the way, GO PISTONS!

[F. Scott Banks]

Okay...here's another stupid question that everyone seems to already know, but which I can't find anywhere.

PDF seems to be the method of choice for playtesting and even publishing for smaller games.  Unfortunately, I haven't a clue how to do it.  I've hit the recources and found places that will sell my PDF files for me, but most everyone seems to be keeping this info close to the vest in hopes that I'll pay 'em to do it for me.

Since it seems that everyone already knows how to make a PDF, set up a link on their website and get to downloading, I figured I'd just go ahead and ask here.

[Lxndr]

For Fastlane I had the guy who did the layout for me (Matt Snyder on here, hi Matt!) convert things into PDF.  For Snowball, I just laid it all out in Word and used PDF995, which I think is at http://www.pdf995.com, but if not a websearch should turn it up.

[Matt Machell]

For quick and dirty playtest PDFs, Open Office is handy. I wouldn't use it for a production release, personally.

There's a few people round here who can give you actual production layout help or freelance services. I'd 2nd Matt Snyder as a man with a good eye for design.

Or if you have artistic talent you could do it yourself. There's threads in this forum on products you'll need to make a PDF.

-Matt

[F. Scott Banks]

Artistic Talent...wow, that'd be nice.

But yeah, I was really just looking to playtest the game.  My artistic talent is great as long as I don't have to draw anything.

Next, setting up some sort of web presence.  Need to get me one of them links like everyones got in their signature.

[F. Scott Banks]

This one might not be too stupid.  It seems to be a valid critique of many first drafts that I've seen reviewed.

When writing for the forge, it's generally assumed that everyone knows how to play RPG's and doesn't really need a refresher course.  However, when introducing a finished product to the public, a little introductory segment is expected.

So I guess my question is...do I put a "what is roleplaying" segment in the game, or do I just write the instructions as if I'm explaining candyland?  I was thinking about just a balance between the two, clearly stating what the game expects from them, then stating how to go about playing it.  Not overly technical, but not too simple...which might result in rules being longer than they need to be.

Hmmm, maybe I answered my own question.

[Ben O'Neal]

When writing for the forge, it's generally assumed that everyone knows how to play RPG's and doesn't really need a refresher course. However, when introducing a finished product to the public, a little introductory segment is expected.

My suggestion is not to bother with a "what is a ropleplaying game" section for your playtest, cos no-one who will be playtesting it will be a newbie. But for a final release, pretend your game is the first of it's kinda anywhere, and explain it for teenagers who can barely spell.

I'm suggesting this because this is my own plan for my game.

I could be giving bad advice though.

-Ben

P.S. I can do layout for you if you're interested. I'm hesitant to take on too much at once, but if you're up to the layout stage, give me a buzz if you're interested.

[F. Scott Banks]

After having seen your own project...yes.  Also, I need the more basic run-of-the-mill advice like getting a website and such that it seems everyone already has.

I made this thread so I could ask stupid questions without bothering too many people.

[F. Scott Banks]

Okay...stupid question time again:

How much of the completed game should go into the playtest?

[Ben O'Neal]

All of it. You have to know exactly how the whole thing works. Every last piece. And you have to know how it all fits together. So all of it.

I know what you're probably thinking, cos I've thought it too. But including the full thing as a playtest won't hurt sales. If anything, it'll boost them. Your final version will be kink-free and probably alot prettier than the play-test, which only needs the rules.

-Ben

[timfire]

How much of the completed game should go into the playtest?

You don't have to have everything, it depends on what you want to get out of the playtest.

Realize, a playtest is for your benefit. You're trying to get feedback from other people. The less you include in the playtest, the less feedback you can get from your playtesters.

Also realize that there are different types of playtests. If it's an early alpha-level playtest, just give whatever is needed for the people to play. But if it's a later beta-type playtest, it's been suggested to me that you should include all the 'rules' and around 75% of the final text, so you can get feedback on your writing style and explanations.

[F. Scott Banks]

Hmmm, I guess it's a later level playtest as I've had a group here working it and I know that it works.  As far as the rules go, I don't mind putting them all out.  I guess I don't need every monster and item however.  Besides, the way the game looks now, it probably plays better with the GM making up his own monsters and the players trying to figure out how to react to them.  As far as the rules go though, I wouldn't give a hobbled version for the playtest.  But, as I think was stated elsewhere, the "What is a Role-Playing Game essay" is probably unneccesary for people who already know the answer to that.

Pfffft...lord I don't want to write that.  I wrote something similar for my MMORPG for players who were familiar with MMORPG's, but not familiar with RPG's.  It was huge.

I'm tempted to lure one of my fellow forgers, someone who writes articles on RPG's into doing it for me.  Well, that'll probably never work, but I can probably hit someone up for pointers.