Presenting New Game Ideas

[sockmonkey]

Hello, all. Longtime lurker, first time poster.

I know a lot of people present their game ideas in the form of the Power 19, but I've seen others just post a summary of their idea. Is there a preferred format? I thought I should ask before I post anything.

Thanks!

Edited to make this thread sticky - RE

[JadedDemiGod]

This is a really good question, and id like to add as someone brand new here id like to ask what is power 19? and should people post using it.

[dindenver]

All,
  By and large, the Forge does not seem to be about "do it this way" or "don't do it this way."

  What is Power 19?
  It is a series of 19 questions that helps the designer figure out what their game is about while also helping to communicate that to interested readers.

  It has it's pros and cons.
  Pros
  It is very thorough, you can get a deep sense of what a design is like and what it is trying to accomplish by reading a game's Power 19.

  Cons
  It is Looong, many people won't bother with such a long post.
  Also, it is pretty focused on Player experience. It is not a good tool to use to discuss a specific mechanic.

  So, in the end, many posters here, will suggest, use the right tool for the right job.

[Mike Sugarbaker]

The Power 19 is a great tool for crystallizing your thoughts about a game, but as a way of starting a conversation here it generally doesn't work that well. (There are exceptions.)

What works better: intrigue us, then ask about something specific.

[JoyWriter]

One thing to bear in mind is that when you ask a question about your game, people will often ask you a few questions back about the context of the game and your main interests in it. The power 19 bundles a lot of those questions into a standard list, so it's good to look at it even if you don't want to follow that pattern.

[sockmonkey]

Thanks for the replies. That's exactly the info I was looking for.

[Luke]

The Power 19 is awful. All it does is prompt you to answer questions. It codifies responses and limits creativity rather than offering any fresh perspective.

Ignore the Power 19, post your game concept and ask questions. Be prepared to have your assumptions challenged. Keep an open mind.

-Luke

[Patrice]

Just can't tell how much I agree with this answer. When you choose a pattern, you also willingly submit to its limitations. I tried to P19 a few concepts before and never quite managed to get one right, as I was keeping rephrasing and changing the questions before deciding to throw the whole thing away. If you're going to create anything worthwile, that will take some piece of you. Nothing can replace nor hide this you in it, whatever number of questions and patterns you put between this and us readers. I strongly advise that, to start with just this you.

[Brimshack]

I've tried a few things with mixed results.

Sometimes I have specific questions and sometimes what I really want is to see what people's undirected reactions are to an idea. I can always make up a specific question, but a specific answer to such a question is not always what I am really looking for. My most helpful responses came when I just posted a summary of my magic sub-system without asking any particular questions. On the other hand my last longish summary with no real question to it went nowhere. You taps at your keyboard, you takes your chances.

As to the power 19, I'd say it's a tool, not a class assignment. It may or may not help you, depending on where you are at and what you want to accomplish at any given time. For myself, I have tried running through the answers a few times and haven't come up with anything worth posting. Still, some of the questions have prompted me to think my way down different directions, and I may someday take a run at posting a complete set of answers. I'll do that if and when I think the process (and hopefully the resultant dialogue) are likely to be productive. Until then I won't be sweating over the matter.

[Daniel B]

Hey, the Power 19 was good enough for my mother, so it's good enough for me!

Seriously though, even if you throw away your answers, the Power 19 is a good place to start because it gets you thinking outside of whatever box you may currently be thinking in. That said, I notice people are dancing around what it actually is without technically specifying so .. here's a link:

Power 19, I think it's official?

[Ben Lehman]

I, personally, find the power 19 basically worthless. They try to confine my game into a box where it isn't.

Were I you, I'd just talk about your game ideas and let people ask questions. Of course, I'm not you. You're you. So you'll make your own decisions about that.

yrs--
--Ben

[sockmonkey]

For me, the Power 19 helped and didn't. It forced me to think about some angles that I hadn't considered, so that was great. But it never seemed like a good way to introduce a game.

For the specific question I had I went with an elevator pitch with the understanding that additional questions might arise. When I get a spare moment I'll put together a brief synopsis to get a general reaction.

[Mike Sugarbaker]

If I may gauchely quote myself:

What works better: intrigue us, then ask about something specific.

I forgot step 3, which is: be prepared for the answers to come in the form of entirely other questions, some of which may challenge or annihilate some of your most cherished assumptions! (And "be prepared" does not mean "arm yourself against attack," but rather "prepare to see things in a new way.")

[Catelf]

Um, bit sorry for posting here again, but i can't seem to find the thread you put out again, that mean i....
and also, even if i mentioned i needed playtesters, i also needed to discuss some...  specifics about the Game(s) i'm putting together.
If you put this in a seperate thread, i definitely don't mind if you edit this post, and instead start it from here:

STREED Rpg Rules (Multigenre)needs suggestions.
I, its creator(more or less) claim its rules to be the most easy and effective yet, and that without compromizing the complexity needed for making a complete Rpg.
But now to the humble part: I'm in need of people to discuss the paths to take for it.
I'm currently focussing on what i call City Zones, which started out as highly Shadowrun-inspired, but it is now far more Manga-styled, with Slender (and bulky) MechaArmors (think Bubblegum Crisis, not Macross/Robotech), and cute but batttleready Hybrids between humans and (other) animals.
Suggestions, any, or need i write more?

[Ron Edwards]

Hi,

Please send me an email at sorcerer@sorcerer-rpg.com. I think I can help you with operating the forums.

Best, Ron