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I'm 3 years deep into designing a followup to Fall of Magic called City of Winter. Here are some things I learned. *thread
1.
I thought I could get away with just writing FoM2 but the narrative differences between City of Winter (a family immigration saga about changing traditions) and Fall of Magic (a traveling adventure about how journeys change us) required very different mechanics.
I thought I could get away with just writing FoM2 but the narrative differences between City of Winter (a family immigration saga about changing traditions) and Fall of Magic (a traveling adventure about how journeys change us) required very different mechanics.
2.
-At one point I though I was going to have to engineer a scroll with a flap that opened up part way through the game.
-Turns out it was more efficient and almost the same cost to just add a second scroll.
-At one point I though I was going to have to engineer a scroll with a flap that opened up part way through the game.
-Turns out it was more efficient and almost the same cost to just add a second scroll.
3.
-Reading poetry, and books on writing poetry has been the best way for me to get better at writing prompts
-Reading poetry, and books on writing poetry has been the best way for me to get better at writing prompts
4.
I really beat myself up trying to keep the game as simple as Fall of Magic before I realized that this game was just telling a more complex story and it was ok if the game had more complexity too.
I really beat myself up trying to keep the game as simple as Fall of Magic before I realized that this game was just telling a more complex story and it was ok if the game had more complexity too.
5.
Sequels are hard, in the same way it is harder to write the 2nd verse of a song or the 2nd stanza of a poem. You've established the structure and the expectations, now you have to make something new with those constraints in place
Sequels are hard, in the same way it is harder to write the 2nd verse of a song or the 2nd stanza of a poem. You've established the structure and the expectations, now you have to make something new with those constraints in place
6.
Maybe half of my game designing happens while doing layout with finished art assets. and the other half happens in spreadsheets and scrivener
Maybe half of my game designing happens while doing layout with finished art assets. and the other half happens in spreadsheets and scrivener
7.
Game designers, please teach yourself layout. Many of the most played story games from the last 10 years come from designers who did their own layout. I don't think that is an accident.
Game designers, please teach yourself layout. Many of the most played story games from the last 10 years come from designers who did their own layout. I don't think that is an accident.
8.
Almost all of my good ideas come to me while I'm napping.
Almost all of my good ideas come to me while I'm napping.
9.
I'm much more aware of component design and the manufacturing process than 5 years ago. I'm thinking about the ergonomics of screen printing different kinds of designs, the kind of ink I want, paper quality, card size, stuff like that.
I'm much more aware of component design and the manufacturing process than 5 years ago. I'm thinking about the ergonomics of screen printing different kinds of designs, the kind of ink I want, paper quality, card size, stuff like that.
10.
Tweeting about game design is not the same as doing game design and I should probs get back to work!
Thanks for reading!!
Tweeting about game design is not the same as doing game design and I should probs get back to work!
Thanks for reading!!
