Anyone have this problem? You're lying in bed all lucid, then it hits you. . .a new game idea!!! But then you wake up & realize you don't know where the heck to even start.

-PJ

Board game idea? www.bgdf.com aka the Board Game Developer's Forum.

Or if your idea is RPG oriented: www.indie-rpgs.com/ aka "The Forge"

Both sites are an excellent resource on how to develop your game idea and get it published. But let me give you a bit of a preview of what they'll say: It's hard. It's really hard. Ideas are a dime a dozen, coming up with rules, putting a prototype together, playtesting it, revising it, playtesting it again, revising, playtesting it with some people who are willing to tell you your precious baby sucks, then repeat.

But hell, that's half the fun, right? I'd love to hear your idea, if you're not too worried about someone stealing your idea (and I could point you to a couple threads in both those sites that tell you why you shouldn't be worried about that).

Sure, no prob. PM sent.

BTW, thx for the advice, much appreciated!

-PJ

What kind of game is it?

So..... How is the game goin?

Sorry I didn't get back sooner.

My idea was a game based on the Weekly World News that you'd see at the grocery checkout, where the players would play PCs on the outside investigating the veracity of the stories, or the players could choose to play on "the inside" i.e. you're Bat-boy's neighbor, or whatever. Sort of like a silly version of the X-files, where you mix it up with WWN believers, skeptics, the Govt., and the totally naive.

But after doing some research, it turns out someone already published this same type of game several years ago. I had no clue. I got the idea while standing in line at Safeway.

In the end, it just seemed like too much work for just one person.

-PJ

Yeah, well try something different, mechanics are what drive game systems and make them sell. So use the mechanic you had to make a different RPG! I am devoloping my own miniature wargame and it has been going along well (31 pages) i am working on the points system and everything else. I have lightly playtested it so far, but we are going to do exstensive playtesting with it in a couple of weeks.

You could also try a conversion using an existing game system, D20, Palladium, GURPS or something

Dungeon_Master123 wrote:

Yeah, well try something different, mechanics are what drive game systems and make them sell.

Of course, you're absolutely right. The demand is always for a unique-looking mechanic and the like. I was just discussing this with a friend of mine. The gaming community as a whole usually demands 5 things out of a pen & paper RPG:

- Fast paced play. Not what you would call "fast", they want them to be MMORPG fast in a paper-pencil format.

- Crunchy bits: They want it to be full of rules with outrageous mathematic variables. If you can convince them that these rules are somehow, "new" well then you're really kewl and innovative. It makes the gamers feel smart. Gamers think this makes their 22nd level Tiefling-fairy-bard-space-lancer more "realistic".

- Additional optional crunchy bits: To individualize the campaign. Or, "If my crunchy bits look anything like his, I'm not playing the most unique game in town, therefore I'm not kewl." Keep in mind, these all absolutely must be incorporated in along with the primary demand above.

- Hype, professional graphics, boobs, violent graphics, and more hype. The cover/interior art justifies the gamer's final buying decision. I fall for this one all the time. Bought every volume of several games that I know I'll never get anyone to play (who's up for some diceless Marvel Comics Roleplaying?)

- Loopholes in the rules that encourage them to "enhance" their game play options (cheat). Over time; once those have been fully exhausted, the game is officially passe. Time to start the list of demands all over again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

If you can't fulfill all these demands at once, you're a failure.

Eh, I'm too jaded. I also just graduated and got hired. Besides, game development would cut into my gaming time.

-PJ