New Roleplaying Game: Kissanil

[Conteur]

I have finally decided to begin working on editing my game on wich I work since 15 years. The site is not finished(and it will never be...as all roleplaying games) but I think it will give you an overall view of the game. It is very fantasy-like so don't go there if you expect a realistic game. If you like the Neverending Story or the anime, maybe you'll like it. It's a post-apocalyptic world in a strange frozen universe.

https://www.webdepot.umontreal.ca/Usagers/p0829664/MonDepotPublic/Kissanil/

If you want more information on the history, the species or the rules, please ask. I'm working on it but I don't really what is the most important area to work on.
Thank you!:)

[scrandy]

Hi!
Nice RPG!
But your Site doesn't work so well. Especially the Picture in the Geography Page is missing and I get random 404 messages (Using Firefox Browser).
But the RPG itself looks interesting.

[Conteur]

Hmm, I don't know why. I tested it extensively and it worked fine. The map in the Geography take a little time to load but it appear normally once it's done. An error 404 is when the page is unavailable I think so maybe it's only because I'm on an University secure server...

[andrew_kenrick]

If you want more information on the history, the species or the rules, please ask. I'm working on it but I don't really what is the most important area to work on.

Hi Conteur, and welcome to the Forge! Do you have a real name we can call you by?

Let me turn this around on you - do you have any questions you'd like to ask us? Any thorny problems we can help with or design goals we can help you meet?

[Conteur]

My real name, strange question? When I'm roleplaying, I'm the Conteur(it means Storyteller in French). Just a habit of a geek...
As for my questions, It's really about "what should I put first on my site". I could work on appearances, history, species, geography, rules...Where to begin and what is the interrests of the roleplaying community? I also want to know if you think this game would lose you in too much details or if that's ok this way.
I had a habit of losing some players in this complex universe because if I don't say that people must drink, they don't need to drink...(In fact, some people like Marilth drink about 7 liter of water per day and Vinkelak drink about 1 liter, it's not about the mass of the body, it's just about an elemental need).
I also put the map in JPG instead of BMP, that should take less time to load...

[andrew_kenrick]

Hi Conteur!

It's not a strange question at all, at least not here - you'll find most people on the Forge like to call one another by their real names. But hi anyway, and welcome to the Forge!

As for what to put up first. Me, I like to see history and world background, but you'll probably find folks around here most useful in giving advice about mechanics and rules.

But I think that you should put up (and talk about) whatever interests and excites you the most! Which aspects do you get excited about? Which bits do you love the most?

As for too much detail, I'd always err on the side of giving just enough, but never too much. You want to give players the opportunity to use their imagination and be creative with your world, and if you give them too much you might stifle that and they might treat it as a novel instead of a game. Also, you don't want to make people feel they have to read an encyclopedia to be able to "get" your world.

As you said, you seemed to lose players because the universe was too complex. You might want to dial down the detail so that doesn't happen.

[Conteur]

The player who worked to make my Site more beautiful on March 19 put my name on my Site so it's it: Patrick Pelletier.
If you answer to my post and want something, I'll write about it. I prefer the history to rules but on a French Forum, they wanted more rules so I made much work to put it on my Site. History should take less time because it's almost Copy/Paste. The rules needed more tables...
What I really love is the true history of my world but my players look at my Site so I can't put it here and anyway, when I release the book, I don't want players to already know the truth that only the storyteller should know. It's as if in Vampire The Masquerade, they already put all the information on Cain on the Web(but I really think a Storyteller must know everything he want about a game, it's not very good to work so much on an idea about the game that the real creator destroy in the next book release. It's easy to change things in a game but you must know what it was before altering it...)

[Conteur]

No more replies. I'm sad
I've been working at my game much ever since I posted there.
I have updated everything a made a new PDF format.
I'm currently making a PDF for my D20 version.
I greatly hope some feedback please...

[Rafu]

People around here will usually answer specific questions, with a preference for narrow questions about game mechanics. What's giving you the more trouble in designing your game? But if your game is complete already and working as is, maybe you shouldn't post in "first thoughts": you should visit those other sections of the Forge forums, looking for playtesters, posting your actual plays, etc.

[Conteur]

No, in fact my game is not finished at all. I need to make sure my Kissan (powers) are unflawed and correct. My spell mechanic is also under work. Most of all, my site is not the best one I could create.
I have many specific questions related to my site:
-is the colors good
-can I use more pictures (is there pictures without copyright)
-is my descriptions clear
-is there too much information, too much pages
-should I finish my D20 version sooner and try to playtest it
-should I clearly define at least one of my city
-does my stories and legends bore you to death

I know one of my problem is to give too much detailed information about small things (like the name of my trees). I sometimes lose people in a mass of strange information and I succeeded in my last playtest to make it good. I must begin like a classic dungeon story then slowly expand to show the real picture that is more like a medieval star wars (without humans...)
Thanks for your help

[pells]

Hi Patrick !!!

Don't get me wrong here, I'm really trying to help !!! Here we go :

-is the colors good

Personally, the colors are not to my taste. But, I don't think this is quite the right question. You should ask yourself, "what am I using my site for ?". It looks like some kind of "window" for your work. So, I would recommend using maybe a better layout and less pages. But, the best ones !!! I would try to hit hard on this and try to have people to want more of it ... And, by the way, the three languages is a good idea.

-can I use more pictures (is there pictures without copyright)

Pictures are always good. Maybe you could get some more. And I would recommend you to buy a program for your maps : they are very good and cheap.

-is my descriptions clear
-is there too much information, too much pages

I don't really get what are your goals with this. Is this a setting with some kind of mechanic ? Are they inter related together ?
I think there is not the right information. For instance :

Ghnd'r: Fighter Dh'Flnds of the ThrynHaathok (Empire of Suffering). He is the right hand of Saadis. He is a psychopath tyrannical tactician.

Who is this guy ? What am I supposed to do with him ? What are you showing me exactly, a list of names and small description ? Get me less characters with more description !!!

-should I finish my D20 version sooner and try to playtest it

Where is d20 in all of this ? What do you want to playtest exactly ? Anyway, I would recommend finishing your "main product" (your campaign world/setting/story/whatever) first ...

-should I clearly define at least one of my city

Show me what you can do !!! Don't give me many cities that I can come with by myself, but give me one city that I will thrive to play in and let me ask for more of those !!!

-does my stories and legends bore you to death
I know one of my problem is to give too much detailed information about small things (like the name of my trees). I sometimes lose people in a mass of strange information and I succeeded in my last playtest to make it good. I must begin like a classic dungeon story then slowly expand to show the real picture that is more like a medieval star wars (without humans...)

Then again, for me, the question is never the mass of information, but what information.

Patrick, what are you providing me with ?

[Conteur]

Thank you very much, I think this is the best answer I had in a long time.
My site was created to provide a window into my world but I did'nt know with what to start. My world was created 15 years ago so it lived and was much defined since that time. So I should start smaller and begin with just a smaller areas and character inside. I will do that.
As for the pictures, some are being made for my world but time and money are'nt falling (I ask everyne for pictures but I know only one drawer who wants money)...
For the map, I saw two freeware for that but they are ugly.
As for the rules, I have my own but some people prefer to play with the D20 system. So I worked on that too...
Now, I will work more on the important information...
Thanks again...

[pells]

Hey Patrick ... I'll harass you a little. You didn't really answer my questions.

My site was created to provide a window into my world but I didn't know with what to start. My world was created 15 years ago so it lived and was much defined since that time.

You have worked on your fantasy world for a long time now, but the real question is not much "what is in your head" but "what is written". Writing is the big job ; it is what matters at the end. So, your website is it a window of what is in your head or what you have written ? Is it all you have written so far ? Don't get me wrong here, the site denotes that you worked a lot already, but if this all (or even 50%), you still have a lot of work to do. That said, have you thought of turning it into some kind of blog ?
But beside this, what are you selling exactly ? But maybe you don't even have publishing goals. Do you ? Those are very important questions ...

As for the pictures, some are being made for my world but time and money aren't falling (I ask everyone for pictures but I know only one drawer who wants money)...

Yeah ... illustrations are a mess. But they can always wait. So, don't focus on them. Write, write, write. Think of what you are writing and why. Do maps, r-map (you need them, trust me). Stop everything and do a nice, beautiful r-map. You'll maybe realize you need to add a couple of elements. And a r-map is a good teaser. Quite better than a list of names and some descriptions.
Well, anyway, I'm talking about r-map, but there is so much things to do ; it never ends.

For the map, I saw two freeware for that but they are ugly.

I'm using campaign cartographer. Quite cheap and does the job. But you can find some for free. I don't know their names, but you should be able to find them easily. Maps are a great asset.

As for the rules, I have my own but some people prefer to play with the D20 system. So I worked on that too...

Prefer ? I would say use it for a specific purpose. Anyway, d20 is popular and well established. Like it or not, you'll need it. But, what about your system ? What does it do well ? Could you present it thru a power 19 ? Why would I prefer it over d20 ? Systems are a big mess. And a lot of time. A couple of charts won't do it. Then again, don't get me wrong, you're well started, but you'll need to think of those things.

Now, I will work more on the important information...

And what are those exactly ? It is your choices that matters. What do you like to do ? What do you want to sell ? Or maybe just the interest of some people might be enough and very fun for you. It's nice, either way. But what are your publishing goals ? And how is your website helping you reach those goals ?

Patrick, I don't want to scare you, but you have some serious thinking to do. And, we're here to help.

[Conteur]

And for that, I thank you very much. You're the most useful reply-guy I ever met.
For what is written, I have on my computer more than 1000 pages written on Kissanil. Most cities and important characters are fully written. I could say that even with my 6 Dragonlance books, I don't have all the information that I want. With Kissanil, I have it. The real problem is what must I show in my website.
I'm working on one of the most important city in Kissanil, Meldrant. It is all written down but now I make it readable for my site (without characters stats and all the name in Minshä)
As for my rules, they are already done but I'm also making some adjustement everywhere. I had a new Initiative system worked on my Forum and it's now working pretty cool.
Finally, I want to write one complete roleplaying game book. I want my site to be a window to that book (so I don't want to give everything for free, the site only have the crucial information. The history of the world is many pages long!). I know that the table top RPG is dying but my dream since I'm a kid continue to lives on. I don't want to sell millions of copies or make money...I want my game to reach people who love evasive worlds without all those realities like humans. (even then, my species are more human-ooking than many aliens of Star Wars)

PS: What is a r-map?
Thanks again

[xenopulse]

Hi Patrick, I'm Christian.

I can't comment much on the content of your site, because my French is really rusty. But I do have a few more questions as well as comments.

Questions first; they are the very basic ones. We call them the Big Three Questions.

1. What is your game about?
Is there a theme to your game?

2. What do the characters do in your game?
Are they all standard adventurers? Are they movers and shakers? Is there a lot of fighting? Do your rules focus on what the characters will do most of the time?

3. What do the players do in your game?
Do you have a GM? Do the players handle resources? How do they handle the setting? What are the meaningful decisions that the players can do, and how are they evaluated?

These are just examples of sub-questions. I would suggest taking some time and really thinking about the three main questions, and even play through a little simulation in your mind. What do you want it to look like when people play your game?

One thing about a setting as big as yours is is that you need to figure out how much of it is needed to play, and how it is introduced into the game. If you want me to play your game, but you require that I memorize all 1000 pages of your setting info first, I'm going to politely decline. If you've got a way for me to take a chunk that I can read through in half an hour and then run my players through for a six-hour session, it looks much differently.

Now, R-Map is short for Relationship Map. Take the most important characters and/or groups of a situation within your game. Write out their names on a sheet of paper and connect them with lines. Write along the lines how they are connected. This is a way of displaying information, but it's also a tool: when your player characters interact with one of the characters on the map, there will be repercussions along the lines.

As to your dream: We're in a golden age of RPG publishing, thanks to the wonders of modern technology. My wife and I wrote a game together. We hired an artist and a layout person. Now we've produced the game and not only are people buying it, they are playing it. Print on Demand and PDF publishing are key here. There are a lot of resources, many on this forum and many all over the internet, that will help you achieve this goal. Many of us have done it, and we're glad to help if you need it. The publishing and connections forums here are excellent for that.