[7:33 PM]Van Diesel: My name is Adam Collins and I’m a producer for THA Games (www.thehumbleapproach.com). I’ve been making board games and RPGs for about 8 years.
[7:33 PM]Van Diesel: We have a new project out on Kickstarter right now that is called “Deadline”.
[7:34 PM]Van Diesel: It is a game where players take their turn once per day and before the “Deadline” for the day
[7:34 PM]Van Diesel: The game features an instruction manual, player’s handbook (character sheet & reference guide), a map, and custom 3d printed markers.
[7:36 PM]Van Diesel: The goal of the game is to find the Captain as a party and eliminate them before the day counter runs out. The map is unrevealed as players start and only gets revealed the next day after they take their turns.
[7:36 PM]Van Diesel: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thehumbleapproach/deadline-2KickstarterAdam CollinsDeadlineA multi-day RPG style game where players make one move per day.
[7:36 PM]Van Diesel: done
[7:36 PM]Dan the GMshoe: Thanks, @Van Diesel! The floor is open to questions!
[7:36 PM]Dan the GMshoe: What is the game’s setting?
@Dan the GMshoeWhat is the game’s setting?[7:39 PM]Van Diesel: The game was designed without any setting in mind. The base items and what not would be middle-ages but it is very much built to provide the core mechanics with the rest open to creativity
[7:39 PM]Henry: @Van Diesel Play by mail, play by post and play by forum aren’t new concepts what is the new spin you are putting on this?
@Henry@Van Diesel Play by mail, play by post and play by forum aren’t new concepts what is the new spin you are putting on this?[7:43 PM]Van Diesel: This game was initially designed with an office environment in mind. Imagine walking by the board room each day and placing your move. As we created the game further, we realized it should be expanded to provide more opportunities to communicate. The main feature we liked (maybe it has been done before but unbeknownst to us) is the concept of the power of your abilities are based on the time of day you take your turn. Each player is given the chance to choose either morning, afternoon, or evening to enhance their moves/abilities.
[7:43 PM]Dan the GMshoe: That’s an interesting idea.
[7:44 PM]Dan the GMshoe: Do you consider this to be an RPG, and if so, in what sense?
[7:45 PM]Henry: I feel like you have answer my usual second question… Time is the currency of life. Why should people spend their time on your game? In a flooded market of RPG’s what does your game provide more than any other, what makes your game unique and why should people play it more than any other? So I will skip to my third Is your System unique to this setting? Is there even a setting at all implied or otherwise?
@Dan the GMshoeDo you consider this to be an RPG, and if so, in what sense?[7:46 PM]Van Diesel: The game is managed by the Director who receives and applies all of the player turns. The Director also creates an interactive story (some example scenarios are provided with the core game). One that Players can interact with NPCs, talk to bar patrons, etc. but albeit at a slower pace than your usual RPG. In testing, we found that it was commonly called the “In the night…” text that the director posted at the end of each day that was some of the most interesting interaction we found
[7:47 PM]Dan the GMshoe: Hmmm… So is a conversation held basically a sentence or two at a time?
[7:51 PM]Dan the GMshoe: I guess I’m wondering what counts as a “move”.
[7:51 PM]anth: Interesting… this reminds me so far of a way I have played Diplomacy with friends, and an RPG version of the “Scotland Yard” board game.
@HenryI feel like you have answer my usual second question… Time is the currency of life. Why should people spend their time on your game? In a flooded market of RPG’s what does your game provide more than any other, what makes your game unique and why should people play it more than any other? So I will skip to my third Is your System unique to this setting? Is there even a setting at all implied or otherwise?[7:51 PM]Van Diesel: Question #2 – one of the main ideas behind the game was that it was an easy way to keep our board game group connected throughout the week with only a few minutes each day required. Question #3 – the setting follows from the example scenarios provided, each a bit different. The core game comes with item suggestions, buildings, enemies, but all as generic as we could without being too bland. We wanted to leave it as open to using it for other RPG settings as possible.
@Dan the GMshoeHmmm… So is a conversation held basically a sentence or two at a time?[7:52 PM]Van Diesel: Kind of but the goal will be to maybe as a question or two of the person you met at the bar who may have heard where the Captain was last seen. In testing, we found the interaction lasted only until the next day
[7:52 PM]Henry: What mechanic do you think we can find in your system that we won’t find in another which is unique to your system?
@anthInteresting… this reminds me so far of a way I have played Diplomacy with friends, and an RPG version of the “Scotland Yard” board game.[7:53 PM]Van Diesel: I’ve never played Diplomacy however from what I’ve heard it is similar yeah
@HenryWhat mechanic do you think we can find in your system that we won’t find in another which is unique to your system?[7:59 PM]Van Diesel: I’ll be honest, I’m not the most experienced RPG or board game player ever. Most of the games we create are first born out of the desire to play something with our gaming group. Some of the main mechanics that I like the best and that worked the best in testing are: the fog of war element (unrevealed map) with the custom markers that reveal the space underneath, the simplicity of the core mechanics (combat, abilities, etc.) and how they can function with the settings of other worlds, the deadline and time of day you take your turn affecting how you might play the game. We found that in testing players would sometimes miss their timeframe enhancements and would have to re-strategize their moves based on the new abilities they were working with. We made sure to allow the players to pick their time advantage because some of us are morning people and some are not! (edited)
[8:00 PM]Henry: Do you have art for your game? Can you share some with us?
[8:02 PM]Van Diesel: One thing we focused on, and I touched on it a few times, is that we made the system as simple and adaptable as possible to encourage non or new gamers to try it out. Again, back to the office setting. Lots of people may be up for trying something but if it is too complicated it shuts the door of interest. We did make sure to keep it open enough to allow more advanced gamers to stress the core mechanics
@HenryDo you have art for your game? Can you share some with us?[8:02 PM]Van Diesel: best place to have a sneak peak would be on the KS page. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thehumbleapproach/deadline-2KickstarterAdam CollinsDeadlineA multi-day RPG style game where players make one move per day.
[8:03 PM]Van Diesel: Anything in particular you’d like to see?
[8:03 PM]Henry: usually the thing that sells your game the most
[8:03 PM]Dan the GMshoe: Do you have a character sheet that we can see?
[8:04 PM]Van Diesel: We have an artist lined up (if we reach the stretch goal) to create a PDF artwork booklet. It is beyond my graphical abilities to do so, so that is why it is a stretch goal at this point. I can give you an example of his work from a previous game.
@Dan the GMshoeDo you have a character sheet that we can see?[8:04 PM]Van Diesel: Sure, one sec.
[8:07 PM]Van Diesel: This is only a draft but this is the Player’s Handbook. The goal is to have everything a Player needs to play the game in this one document (x1 double sheet of paper folded in half is all you need per player). We are in the editing stage right now so it is subject to change and we may use more room for reference info.Players_Handbook_-_Character_Sheet.pdf42.31 KB
[8:08 PM]Van Diesel: You can see by the style that it is meant to be generic and simple
[8:08 PM]Van Diesel: Here is a draft map tooMap.pdf282.40 KB
[8:09 PM]Van Diesel: The map uses a key system of letters (for the non-artist) or symbols.
[8:09 PM]Henry: The question must come, why not 5e and if not 5e why not one of its well-known competitors? Such as Power by the Apocalypse, Savage Worlds or Fate? Why put in the massive work that is making a unique system?
[8:11 PM]Van Diesel: Honestly, for the simplicity. With our games, we always have the idea of introduction to gaming in mind. We’ve found that there are so many people that get lost before they even get started in the RPG world that we always strive to create for the introductory gamer. It is delicate balance of also making it complex enough to keep all interested. It is a line we walked with “The Hike That Binds Us” and it paid off well on that game
[8:13 PM]Dan the GMshoe: Aha! That explains why you don’t have a “newbie plant” next to your name.
[8:14 PM]Henry: What is your least favourite aspect of Deadline?
[8:14 PM]Dan the GMshoe: Can you describe how task resolution is handled?
@HenryWhat is your least favourite aspect of Deadline?[8:16 PM]Van Diesel: Probably the art style. I wish I had the ability to be a better graphics artist. We sometimes have the budget to delegate a project to a designer but this one was limited. We are currently on a kick to release and fulfill 5 projects on Kickstarter this year (Deadline is the Second).
@Dan the GMshoeCan you describe how task resolution is handled?[8:19 PM]Van Diesel: All players interact through a common chat room (discord is perfect for this although we used Messenger for our testing). The Director receives the turns throughout the day and at the end of each day applies the turn in the order they are received. You might think that that is a huge advantage for the early birds but there are few conflicts amongst players as they tend to spread out and it is usually played as a cooperative game.
[8:21 PM]Van Diesel: Players use a code system that looks something like this as an example: “ABILITY, MOVEMENT, COMBAT”. Ability is the ability they choose to use this turn, Movement is the location they wish to land on (if moving), and Combat is used for attacking, defending, healing, etc. An example turn will look something like this: “DETECT, L4, ATTACK (+3)”
[8:22 PM]Van Diesel: Any story text, etc. is in addition to this command and usually placed after (depending on circumstances)
[8:22 PM]Van Diesel: Great questions folks! You always have good ones! (edited)
[8:23 PM]Henry: Imagine Deadline has gone triple platinum, people no longer say I am going to play D&D they say line instead. People cosplay as characters from your game and people wear merch about Deadline like Nirvana T-Shirts. Minecraft and fortnight are looking at you with envy. Imaging that. 1. How does it make you feel? 2. What is the thing that gets you in trouble? 3. What is the one thing you loved from your game that now makes you cringe?
@HenryImagine Deadline has gone triple platinum, people no longer say I am going to play D&D they say line instead. People cosplay as characters from your game and people wear merch about Deadline like Nirvana T-Shirts. Minecraft and fortnight are looking at you with envy. Imaging that. 1. How does it make you feel? 2. What is the thing that gets you in trouble? 3. What is the one thing you loved from your game that now makes you cringe?[8:26 PM]Van Diesel: Love it! 1. Recognized for all the hard work I put it. I work full time on top of making games, have two kids and am always there to put them to bed at night so my free time is 1-2 hours a day max (zero on weekends usually). 2. Deciding whether or not to work more on the game or more projects. 3. The artwork I guess
[8:27 PM]Henry: What is the one thing you wished people asked about Deadline but haven’t yet?
[8:27 PM]Dan the GMshoe: Does the game use dice? What is the task resolution mechanic?
@HenryWhat is the one thing you wished people asked about Deadline but haven’t yet?[8:29 PM]Van Diesel: Expansion ideas! We have a few in mind but are waiting to see how backers enjoy and use the game and plan on working them in after feedback. Probably a complete expansion on all core mechanics, combat, etc. but this complicates the game drastically, so we’d want to know there is a dedicated base first.
@Dan the GMshoeDoes the game use dice? What is the task resolution mechanic?[8:29 PM]Van Diesel: d6 is all you need! Everyone has one of those lying around so there should be no excuses for new gamers! lol
[8:30 PM]Dan the GMshoe: So to use the simple example we often use, how would you adjudicate someone jumping over a gap?
@Dan the GMshoeSo to use the simple example we often use, how would you adjudicate someone jumping over a gap?[8:32 PM]Van Diesel: There aren’t likely to be many gaps to jump. If the need were to arise, the director would likely ask for a simple 1d6 roll with any applicable item bonuses applied
[8:34 PM]Dan the GMshoe: So no PC abilities would apply?
[8:36 PM]Van Diesel: Character abilities are more for combat and travel. We didn’t want to get too hung up on too many other abilities because it gets complicated fast. Not that we couldn’t design it, more that it wouldn’t be as beginner friendly
[8:36 PM]Van Diesel: That is where an expansion would come it nicely
[8:38 PM]Van Diesel: unfortunately, I have to step away for a few minutes. My son is crying in bed and I must attend. Feel free to ask more questions and I’ll answer when I’m free next if that’s ok.
[8:38 PM]Dan the GMshoe: No problem! I hope all’s well!
[8:42 PM]Van Diesel: I’m back. Everything’s fine.
[8:42 PM]Henry: @Van Diesel I have asked you a few questions and I hope they have been helpful, so this is my… Final Question. What are people not talking about in the Roleplaying community that should be and why?
[8:42 PM]Van Diesel: Thanks for all the questions folks! I appreciate you taking the time and expressing interest in our game.
[8:43 PM]Dan the GMshoe: How do you handle combat?
@Henry@Van Diesel I have asked you a few questions and I hope they have been helpful, so this is my… Final Question. What are people not talking about in the Roleplaying community that should be and why?[8:46 PM]Van Diesel: oh, good question. I can only speak for myself, and as I expressed earlier, I’m not the most experienced gamer, so I’d say the varying time Players have to put into learning games. For example, I’m the guy in the group who has the least amount of time to read rules, character traits, backgrounds, etc. so it is hard to keep up sometimes when trying out new games. Not sure if that answers your question or not…
@Van Dieseloh, good question. I can only speak for myself, and as I expressed earlier, I’m not the most experienced gamer, so I’d say the varying time Players have to put into learning games. For example, I’m the guy in the group who has the least amount of time to read rules, character traits, backgrounds, etc. so it is hard to keep up sometimes when trying out new games. Not sure if that answers your question or not…[8:48 PM]Henry: its your answer and that is enough
[8:48 PM]Henry: I wish you luck with your game and I hope that this has been helpful
[8:49 PM]Henry: I leave you in the very capable hands of @Dan the GMshoe
@Dan the GMshoeHow do you handle combat?[8:50 PM]Van Diesel: Combat (in its simplest form) is Attacking, defending, Healing, and Reinforcing. As players explore the map they may come across enemies (or even the captain). Sometimes, this can be an unrevealed enemy attacking a Player for the first time or a Player knows an enemy is there and wants to defeat them. Players choose between ATTACK, DEFEND, or HEAL. ATTACK (with a roll) attacks any visible enemies in range. DEFEND (with a roll) defends against any known or unknown attacks by enemies, and HEAL allows a player to heal. There are simple roll equations with each option. Items and Abilities affect the roll result and create opportunities for strategy
@HenryI wish you luck with your game and I hope that this has been helpful[8:50 PM]Van Diesel: Thanks @Henry!
[8:52 PM]Dan the GMshoe: Take care, @Henry!
[8:53 PM]Dan the GMshoe: How is damage determined?
[8:54 PM]Van Diesel: Damage is calculated by the Director based on the Enemy stats and roll result. Attack damage is reduced based on the defender’s base stat or roll result (if they choose DEFEND on their turn)
[8:57 PM]Dan the GMshoe: Do weapons and armor factor in?
[8:57 PM]Van Diesel: Yes, those are treated as Items
[8:58 PM]Van Diesel: Unfortunately, I must head out (it is late for me!). Thanks again, Dan! And to everyone who asked questions. I’ll be free to answer anymore questions in the AM if there are any more!
[9:00 PM]Dan the GMshoe: Okay, take care! Can you give me a minute to post the log and get you the link?
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