Embedded Files
Overview
Overview
Focus: Iteration on 15-20 min Tabletop RPG
Group members: Frazer and I
Prompt: Game Dev Studio Simulation
Summary: The player has been hired as the new manager of a moderately well-known indie studio, after the last was incinerated by the owner: a huge and terrible dragon, Tiamat the Destroyer. The studio has a game in development that was supposed to have been released already, but due to management mishaps, production has been severely delayed. The player has 20 minutes to solve the various problems and get the game ready for release before Tiamat loses patience and fires them. Literally.
This is further development of Prototype 4, which will be presented at Showcase.
Task allocation for this Prototype. It was much clearer this time how we split up the work.
This is our poster. I generated the background image using AI Image Generation, and Frazer added the dragon. We then used Photoshop to edit the image, such as blurring parts of the background and darkening the lower portion. I picked out the font we chose. Bec supplied us with the black outline and SAE logo, while Frazer created the QR code which links to our Itch.io page.
Research & Design
Research & Design
2. This is a reference page for the NPCs. I took the characters that I'd come up with for Prototype 4 and gave their personalities a bit more depth. I also switched from dot-points to a summary of their character and important traits. I wanted to have a degree of realism, so while they are essentially caricatures of particular personality types, each NPC has positive and negative traits that would influence how they work in a real life studio.
3. I identified our target audience as being primarily Thinkers (Julkunen, 2020) who will get the most enjoyment from strategically overcoming challenges (Yee, 2015).
References:
Julkunen, J. (2020, May 20). GameRefinery Player Motivations & Archetypes. GameRefinery. Retrieved April 25, 2023 from https://www.gamerefinery.com/gamerefinery-player-motivations-archetypes/
Yee, N. (2015, December 15). The Gamer Motivation Model in Handy Reference Chart and Slides. Quantic Foundry. Retrieved April 25, 2023 from https://quanticfoundry.com/2015/12/15/handy-reference/
Process
Process
1. Here is the game progression in a flowchart. At the very beginning of the game, the player rolls a d4 dice to determine what handicap will be imposed on each task. They are then given the first scenario, and a suggested NPC to talk to for additional information. Then, the player must find a way to resolve the issue, whilst taking into account the limitations of the scenario as well as the handicap (if applicable).
This part is open so the player can make a choice freely, rather than from a set of options. Once this decision is made, the handler will determine if the player has won or lost the task according to a correct-answer guide.
2. This is the info sheet that will be given to the player. We decided to let them have a summary of the plot, and then explain the rules verbally to allow questions. The other reason we chose to give the player limited information is because we don't want to overwhelm the player right from the get-go.
I used Canva to create this page.
3. This is one side of the handler's info sheet. It contains details on the tasks the player will face. The other side NPC info and the rules of play. It is double-sided to contain as much info as possible. This was because we are trying to limit how much improvisation the handler will have to do.
I used the same Canva template as before to create this.
Playtesting
Playtesting
Unfortunately, we didn't get enough playtesting for our initial table-top Prototype. As a class, we tested each others' games via Discord, but it was hard to get a proper feel for a TTRPG when playing online. Only one person replied to our feedback survey, which was a bit disappointing.
However, the player suggestion was to implement a kind of statistics mechanic. After some consideration, Frazer and I decided to have a dice-rolling mechanic in this Prototype that determines which handicap is imposed upon the player at the beginning of each task.
Due to the lack of player feedback and testing, we got to use The Art of Game Design (Schell, 2014) cards as hypothetical feedback considerations. The questions Frazer and I chose to answer were about communicating changes to the player, and the player's immersion in the game via their character.
We will have a physical hourglass/timer to show the player how much time they have remaining before they fail the task. The objective with this is to give the player a tangible sense of their progress, as well as to create a time pressure for added excitement. Additionally, we will have little tokens to symbolise which tasks are won and failed. These are primarily for aesthetic purposes, and will replace the need for a mental tally. While there is no function for player character customization, there are also no pre-determined characteristics or traits that the player must have. They can also make decisions however they want to, within the given limitations, so they have complete freedom to immerse themselves in the game.
Schell, J. (2014). The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses (2nd ed.). CRC Press.
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