[Terrae Novae] Beta 1.0

[Kilor Di]

http://www.geocities.com/greginkelaar/projects.html and then click on Terrae Novae.

If you'd like to playtest this game, then please contact me at ginkelaar@hotmail.com, or just PM me.  The first playtest for this game will be some time in April.  This is to give me time to design some character sheets for the game, as well as add some more details to a few areas of the game's design.

There will be two types of playtesting.  The first type will have me GMing a game for a small group of players over the net.  We will discuss aspects of the game after the first mission, such as what can be done to improve it, what you like about it, what you hate about it, etc.  The second type will be you GMing this game for your group.  With that type, you'll then discuss the game with your group and send me a document detailing what everyone in the group thought about the game.

Anyone who wishes to stay involved with TN after the intial playtest is over is welcome to...I could use some help with this project, such as talented artists, people experienced with various PnP games, etc.

[Kilor Di]

The beta might be moved to sometime in May.  This is because of how much school work I expect during this month.  I offer my sincerest apologies to everyone who was hoping to playtest this in April.

[Kilor Di]

So far there have been 0 replies.  That means that there are still plenty of chances for playtesting this game.

[Bill Cook]

Just briefly browsed your rules text.  You've focused a lot on developing the game world.  It looks like a Science Fantasy thing.

Noticed stats and fatigue.  Curious: what does play produce?

[Mike Holmes]

You guys are both looking for playtesters. Trade.

Mike

[Kilor Di]

Noticed stats and fatigue.  Curious: what does play produce?

Sorry, I don't understand the question.  What are you trying to ask me?

[Bill Cook]

I was trying to summarize the principle mechanics for your system in my mind.  Fatigue caught my attention, initially.  It looks like you have categories of skills or powers (e.g. magic).  Each skill is based on a stat and has a requirement for success.  If you're light or you want to boost, you can incur the balance in fatigue.

As for my question, what I mean is: what's the point of the game?  I got a hint from your bestiary thread under Independent Game Design -- gather armies and make war.  What I see in the game text, just glancing at it, are layers of affiliations and classifications.  It seems your focus is on providing a rich palette.  So, to pursue the analogy, what are we painting?

[Kilor Di]

The point of the game...well, I just want players to have fun playing the game, but I suppose the objectives for the characters would be to conquer territories and other armies.

The world we are painting is one where for the past few millenia, all that the beings who have lived on Terrae Novae have known is magic.  Until recently, it never ocurred to them that science might exist.  Then, the technological races came to Terrae Novae, and with the Terran Wars, the conflict between those who use technology and those that use magic has been set.  In the years after the Terran Wars, magic-users and tech-users have grown to trust in each other, but the conflicting natures of magic and technology still remain a threat to Terrae Novae.

(And the reasoning for it being a war-based game...I originally made it a dungeon-crawling game, like DnD. With the help of some friendly advice from a member of this forum, I decided that far too many games are dungeon-crawlers, so this one became a war-based game.  I don't think I've created any higher purpose for why these races are always at war, but one could use the fact that the worlds of Terrae Novae had no true government as a reason for perpetual war, I guess.)

[Kilor Di]

I am canceling the open playtest of Terrae Novae.  There are three reasons for this decision.

A) Only one person has expressed any interest in the game at all, and he hasn't contacted me in a few months.

B) I've been too busy with school work to focus on Terrae Novae.

C) If all goes well, I may be getting a job here soon.

This does not mean that Terrae Novae is being canceled or anything.  This just means that, instead of a public playtest, I'll try playtesting it with my DnD group sometime this month.  If anyone is interested in a public playtest of this game, I'll reschedule it for sometime later this year.