Shorehammer Convention tomorrow!

Tomorrow I head out to the Shorehammer Convention in Ocean City, Maryland! I'm very excited—last year's event was spectacular, and the convention organizer told me that this year's crowd is double last year's! The Warhammer crowd has some of the nicest gamers I've met and these guys are also extremely serious about their hobby. To call it a hobby is almost a disservice, because it's more like a dedicated passion: these guys put so much into the game and into their armies--their miniatures are painted with impressive detail and quality that must have taken weeks or even months to complete. I deleted about 100 photos from my phone just to make sure I have room this weekend to fill it up with Shorehammer pictures! The amazing battlemats, painted cities and terrain, and massive scenarios are incredible to see, with gamers marching their armies through them, measuring distances and rolling dice to determine their fates. I'm honored to have been invited to be a part of this awesomeness, and I hope that Solar Echoes will be a fun addition to the convention for those that are taking a break between tournaments! 

http://www.shorehammer.com/

A Glimpse of Operation: Broken Citadel

I wanted to share a small piece of art I put together that gives a hint about what to expect from the upcoming mission, Operation: Broken Citadel. This adventure is about survival, because just about everything in the mission is threatening to kill you in some way, whether it's the environment or really hostile aliens! You'll have to think fast, too, because there's not much time to stand around and plan your strategies—if you don't keep moving, you're not going to make it. This might be one of the fastest-paced missions I've written so far, and if your team likes to stand around and debate, your group will quickly realize the importance of leadership and fast decision-making, with destruction raining down all around you. Broken Citadel is going to make you realize what kind of person you are in a panic: Fight? Or flight?

Return from Chessiecon

I'm back from last weekend's Chessiecon, and though the event was a little smaller than I remember from a couple years ago (where my table was full with players from 10am until 1am!) I still was able to run a few games, the biggest game going for a 7 hour marathon! I saw a couple familiar faces and a number of new players as well, some which jumped in for a couple hours and then were joined by others who wanted to try the game. As a result, the team fluctuated a little with characters changing (added a Chiraktis to the group, later lost a Krissethi, and then another Archaeloid joined), but the game still ran well and it was awesome trying out the new Broken Citadel mission. I was impressed with how the players handled the scenario, and they all worked together really well...but one of the Archaeloids on the team did make some questionable choices for a Union Guard officer (on the side of the law) that affected his character's “karma” negatively. It was all good, though, because everyone adjusted and there were a lot of laughs and tons of fun. One of my favorite moments in the mission was seeing how the group handled the crossing of an acidic lake, hopping from one island of crystallized magnesium sulfate to another while trying not to step in or fall into the acidic waters!

Cyber Monday Solar Echoes Sale!

There are less than 24 hours left to save 17% off everything! Head over to RPGnow.com to take advantage of this sale:

Solar Echoes Cyber Monday Sale

Happy Thanksgiving and Solar Echoes sale!

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving! I enjoyed some sushi instead of turkey this year, yum! Today is Black Friday, and there are some nice deals for Solar Echoes products going on at RPGnow.com, so if you're doing some online Christmas shopping, this is a good time to take advantage of the deals, from today through Monday. I'll be at Chessiecon this weekend, too, so I hope to see you there!

 Solar Echoes SALE at RPGnow: Black Friday through Cyber Monday

Physics Questions During Mission Writing (part 2/2)

There were a few other factors I had to consider when writing Broken Citadel. Some were quickly and easily solved; a physics major pointed out the obvious problem with the GT Gun firing anything in space, saying that the explosive kinetic energy used to propel the magnet away from the gun would also—in zero gravity—propel the user in the opposite direction as well. I told him I'd already accounted for that and designed the gun to electromagnetically fire the magnet, like a mini rail-gun. Yet other issues were a bit more difficult to write into the mission. For instance, what happens when someone is exposed to the vacuum of space? We all think we know because of what Hollywood has shown us, but after a lot of research, I learned that NASA has a few strong theories based on a single incident of a man being exposed to the vacuum without a spacesuit. I have a sidebar in the mission that details what happens in game-related terms, and I also added that “your head does not explode, your blood does not suddenly boil, and your body does not freeze within seconds of exposure.” You'd die from lack of oxygen long before freezing or experiencing the effects of radiation. There were also other considerations in writing the Broken Citadel mission that involved things like fighting in zero gravity, falling when gravity is restored, damage from flying objects during the decompression of a hull breach, and more. Let's suffice it to say that the time you spend on a crumbling space station is inversely proportional to your chances of survival!

Physics Questions During Mission Writing (part 1)

One detail that I'd like to share about the upcoming mission, Broken Citadel, is concerning a new item your characters might want to acquire. It is called the Magnetic Tether Gun, or MT Gun for short, and this contraption fires out a long cord with a powerful magnet attached to the end. The magnet can attach to the side of a metal object in space and the user can pull himself to the object. This is a vital safety tool for anyone that might find themselves drifting in space away from a starship or space station. Designing this tool and making it viable in Solar Echoes was not without its challenges. I did some research and discussed the implications of this device with several people that hold degrees in physics. One of the problems was the drifting speed of the user: any force vector greater than 50 lbs would detach the magnet. The user would remain attached to the tether until there is a force greater than 50 lbs perpendicular to the attach point, but if the force comes from an angle off the perpendicular, the vertical (perpendicular) force would be less. In short, it would take a greater off-angle force to break away. Though Solar Echoes is a “space opera,” I do try to keep with more “hard sci-fi” elements of realism if I can. However, I don't want players to end up arguing over minutia and scribbling out trigonometry equations instead of playing the game. I ended up explaining the physics quandaries by describing the gun as able to “sustain a pull of up to 50 lbs of weight in zero-g and if moving at a low relative speed.” Of course, the GM can always make a ruling based on circumstances without the need for complex calculations.

Mission Update!

I've been busy writing the mission called Operation: Broken Citadel, and finished the first major part of the mission this weekend. I'm hoping to finish the rest of it before the Chessiecon this upcoming weekend, but it is crunch time, and with holiday and family obligations, it's hard to say if I'll achieve all my goals in time to release the mission publicly for sale. However, I am happy to say that the first part of the mission can be a stand-alone event, where players have to navigate the dangers of a failing space station and survive the many serious challenges of the scenario. I don't want to give anything away, because the scenario is the second part of a larger story, but I can tell you that there will be several types of danger to face: squad combat, players vs. the environment, and possible starship combat. The second half of the mission that I'm working on right now will have to remain a secret because of the plot content involved, but I will be trying it out with gamers at the upcoming Chessiecon Thanksgiving weekend. I'll be printing out a lot of full colored maps and icons this week to use, and I'll share photos of the event next week!

Skyrim VR so far...

I've been playing a little Skyrim VR today after I picked up my copy from Gamestop, and it is really engaging and fun! It's amazing to look around you and see this huge open world, go anywhere you want, and interact with NPC's and enemies in person! I actually found myself reading my dialogue choices out loud when talking with the NPC's, because they felt like they were right there with me. I sat at a table and had a discussion with someone, and the talking felt totally natural, like I was right there. A little kid was telling me she was going to forge her own sword someday on daddy's forge, and I found myself saying, "Yeah, I bet you will!" The enemies are really cool up close, and some of them a bit unnerving, like the giant spiders. Seeing a dragon fly overhead is something indescribable--you have to experience it to truly understand the awe. Fighting with different weapons is a lot of fun, and I even found myself advancing on archers that were shooting at me, holding my shield up when they'd shoot, then rushing at them as far as I could while they loaded up another arrow. After I bashed them with my mace, I was able to pull the arrows out of my shield and put them into my own inventory! Using magic is really, realy empowering--I love hosing my enemies with fire or electricity!

So far, my only complaints are: 1) the direct movement speed can't be adjusted, so it's always rather fast for VR--though after 1+ hours I still don't have nausea. Stealth slows things down a lot, though. 2) the graphics are dated and of course, this is VR on the PS4 so they're not as high detail as you might hope to see on a PC version. 3) I knew this would be the case, but I can't see my character in any way--no mirrors, no 3rd person view...honestly, I don't know what the point of character design was because I'll probably never see my character again? Other than those complaints, though, this game is incredibly immersive, and I can't wait to get back to it, right now. Bye! :)

Open Letters to VR Developers (part 4)

VR options need to be made available to players, because not all of us get nauseous when moving. It really ruins the game for me (ie, destroys my suspension of disbelief) if I have to teleport around everywhere, and one big concern I had with the upcoming Skyrim VR is the tunnel-vision system they appeared to be using during free movement. I am thankful that the developers provided the option for both free movement and teleport so players can decide for themselves, and I recently learned that there is also the option to turn off the tunnel-vision system during free movement. Developers have read studies that nausea during VR free movement can be reduced by eliminating peripheral vision, so a shutter-like circle closes in on your vision during movement, reducing the visual area to a circle that expands and contracts as you move, blackening the peripheral areas of the screen like you're looking through the sight of a sniper rifle. I've played other VR games that have this, and not only is it irritating and constantly breaks immersion, it has the opposite of its intended effect—it makes me nauseous! I've acquired my “VR legs” by playing free movement games such as Arizona Sunshine, and they don't use the tunnel-vision system, but Bethesda Game Studios is doing the right thing by making all of these options so you can fine-tune what works to reduce nausea. I guess I'll find out what works best for me tomorrow...

Open Letters to VR Developers (part 3)

VR games that are built from the ground up are usually much better than adaptations of existing games. Skyrim VR--which hits retail on Friday--looks like an exciting and immersive game, and I am looking forward to picking up my pre-ordered copy. I'm glad that Skyrim VR will be one of the first full-length VR games available, because so many of the existing games on the market are short experiences. However, I'm also not expecting Skyrim VR to fully showcase the potential of VR games—already, I've seen previews that show the old menu system is still in place and there are disembodied floating hands instead of a full-body avatar. There are a lot of missed opportunities here, especially for an RPG, which is the genre of game that I think can really make VR shine. Wouldn't it be cool to stand there during character creation and see yourself as a reptilian Argonian, looking into a mirror as you adjusted the features on your own face, turning your head to the right and left as you moved the slide bars to change your appearance? Imagine adjusting your height and seeing yourself lift away from the floor as you “grew” taller? Maybe it's just me, but character creation is my favorite part of any RPG, and doing it in a VR environment would be incredible!

Open Letters to VR Developers (part 2)

Maybe it's because I love role-playing games, but I think it's incredibly fun to pretend I'm someone else in VR. Having a full-body avatar in a virtual environment helps me get much more “into character” than a pair of floating, disembodied hands. Let me play someone really tall, or short, or super-strong, or someone who can jump incredibly high or fly like a super hero (Megaton Rainfall, thank you!) One of Sony's “Playroom VR” games lets me be a cartoonish Godzilla-dinosaur, and it has a built in voice-changer that makes my laughs and growls sound like I just inhaled all the helium in a party balloon. What if RPG developers allowed me to not only make my own VR avatar, but change my voice to fit? I could be a gruff, muscular viking warrior with a low, rumbling voice, or a tall, thin, dextrous elf with a light-hearted and devious childish laugh. I'd like to see my avatar's appearance change with the equipment and clothing I acquire, so I can actually look down and see that new pair of boots or my shiny suit of chainmail armor. And what if I'm not even human, but an alien monster with tentacles and wings? I want to see it, and if you're not going to put virtual mirrors into your game, at least let me press a button and check out my cool alien character in 3^rd person!

Open Letters to VR Developers (part 1)

VR has been available for a couple years now, yet few game developers seem to be taking advantage of the potential of VR. The majority of VR games available seem to fall into one of two categories: games we've played before but now get a more VR-ish camera angle, or some variation of a first-person shooter (FPS.) Don't get me wrong, these games can be fun, but I often encounter elements of a VR game across different games that I wish would all be brought together to really take advantage of the potential. VR is a chance to be someone different and do things yourself, which usually requires a lot more skill and practice than button-mashing. There's something so satisfying about reaching over and virtually picking up, manipulating, and using an object in a game. Interactive and destructive environments that I can literally demolish or alter if I choose are something missing from most VR games so far. Developers, please make me feel like I'm able to interact with your game world instead of making me feel like your VR game just has an altered visual perspective and is only an on-rails version of something I've played countless iterations of before.

Solar Echoes in November (part 5)

This November at Chessiecon and also early December at Shorehammer I'll be making 3D-printed Solar Echoes miniatures available for sale. Although they can always be ordered online through Shapeways.com--which prints and delivers the mini's to your doorstep—you can pick out your favorite alien character in person at the conventions. Depending on how sales go, I might make this a regular thing and print up more inventory to bring with me to future conventions. Right now, I have a limited supply that I'll be bringing with me as a trial run, so if you're interested in getting your hands on your own Solar Echoes mini, stop by Walt's Cards and Games at Chessiecon or see me at Shorehammer. For more information on these conventions, visit their websites at http://www.chessiecon.org/ and http://www.shorehammer.com/

Solar Echoes in November (part 4)

Although it isn't until the first weekend of December, I wanted to share that Solar Echoes is going back to Shorehammer, the Warhammer convention in Ocean City, Maryland! I've been asked to give a presentation again, and this year, instead of talking about Game Design, I'll be talking about Designing and Running Solar Echoes Missions. This talk will include all kinds of useful information for writing your own mission, figuring out gameplay balance, designing and acting out interesting characters, running combat, pacing the game, and more. Of course, I'll also be running games at Shorehammer, and players will get to try the new Operation: Broken Citadel. The convention was a ton of fun last year, with some of the nicest gamers around, so hopefully I'll see you there!

Solar Echoes in November (part 3)

Another exciting development for Solar Echoes is artist John Fell has recently finished another project for me. I'm really looking forward to using this new artwork in a project I've been thinking about for a while now—a Solar Echoes video! This will involve John's character artwork, with text-conversation bubbles at the bottom while characters are shown in stills talking to each other. If you're unfamiliar, this classic style is commonly used in a lot of RPG video games, especially JRPG's (Japanese RPG's.) The recent project John finished was to add in various facial expressions to the existing character artwork, so now I can make each race (except the expressionless Omuls, of course) show emotions such as anger, sadness, happiness, frustration, and a few others. I'm looking forward to starting work on the video, and though you won't see it finished before November, know that it's underway!

Solar Echoes in November (part 2)

Before Chessiecon and Operation: Broken Citadel at the end of the month, there are a few other things happening with Solar Echoes to watch for. I have been in contact with Wicked Gaming Studios, and they have a very talented professional miniature painter that usually specializes in painting Warhammer figures. The owner of the studio has agreed to paint 3D printed Solar Echoes miniatures, so I've already sent him a high-res miniature of the alien insect race, the Chiraktis! He is going to begin preliminary coloration plans this week, so as things progress, I'll be updating you with the photos he shares of his progress. I'm very excited to partner with Wicked Gaming Studios to see the amazing potential of a 3D-printed Solar Echoes figure! Check out some examples of miniature painting done at Wicked Gaming Studios:

Solar Echoes in November (part 1)

Solar Echoes is officially 5 years old! Well, since release, it's actually 7 years old if I count the 2 years it took to design the game, establish Corefun Studios, LLC, get the Solar Echoes Trademark, etc. As you may have noticed last week, there's been a 40% off sale going on over at RPGnow.com to celebrate the 5^th anniversary. However, it expires tomorrow, on the 7^th! Other than the anniversary, though, what else is new with Solar Echoes? There are a lot of things brewing that I wanted to share with you, so lets begin! One thing that I mentioned in October is that I'm currently working on another new mission, called “Operation: Broken Citadel,” which is a sequel to “Operation: Void Hunter.” This mission will be a continuation of the Void Hunter story arc, but you can also play it as a stand-alone adventure if you prefer. My plan is to have it finished sometime around Thanksgiving—I'm going to run it for the first time ever at the Chessiecon Convention over Thanksgiving weekend, so if you'd like to be one of the first to try it, I'll see you there!

 Last Day of RPGnow.com 40% Off Sale

Game Replay Value (part 5)

I'm glad that there are so many types of games out there to enjoy, and I often do play through linear-experience-type games, once. But when it really comes down to it, I like to feel that my skills are improving at something, too, or that I can be creative and play the game in a wide variety of ways. The types of games that inspire and reward me the most for the time I invest are the games I've sunk many hours into (Starcraft, Chess, Destiny, Overwatch, Diablo, Eye of Judgement, etc). Of course, developers take a risk when pursuing this type of game, because if the right balance isn't achieved, gamers might decide it's either too easy or too difficult. However, the rewards to both players and developers can also be immense, because this type of game is the most likely type to be a massive success for a long time. Just look at Blizzard's Starcraft, a world-wide hit for twenty years!

Game Replay Value (part 4)

In a sense, the reason people enjoy sports is the same reason people continue to play the same game. The same rules, same setting, and same "controls" provide a familiarity that inspires a focus on skill itself. How many times have you heard people claim to be good at a linear adventure game, like the amazing Uncharted video game series? I certainly enjoyed playing all of the Uncharted games--they were truly fun experiences--but after I solved one, the only incentive to play it again was to unlock certain trophies I missed or gain a few extra perks or weapons. The thing about linear games is that, after you complete them, you have to ask yourself if you really want to go through all that again, or try something new. The focus of those types of games is more the journey and story than the skill of the player, like an immersive movie. But how many of us watch the same movie over and over?

Game Replay Value (part 3)

Another key factor in game replay value is variation. Some video game developers think that randomly generated environments will provide that, but often, this backfires because it prevents the gamer from developing specific skills. Variation that inspires replay is the kind that is the result of the gamer's choices and actions, such as in a game of chess. If the game feels that there are near infinite variations for the outcome of every action, it is very likely that gamers will continue to play the game because the experience differs every time. Real-time strategy (RTS) games like Starcraft are legendary and have even become popular e-sports because of the immense amount of variation possible with each game. First-person shooters (FPS) like Call of Duty or Destiny are also extremely successful, and these games involve a tremendous amount of player-inspired variation.