National Library, New WashingtonThe Art of Game Design
May 1, 2008
Happy May Day... I know in the US it has no meaning. Still, this day can be a seed for a role playing adventure. It has been celebrated across the world for over a hundred years as a day that celebrates work. It is also a day that remembers event in Chicago, the 1888 Haymarket Affair.
Of course it also is a celebration going further back in western history and has nothing to do with Workers, or workers rights. May Poles were commonly used in the middle ages during this day.
In other words, a common day like today has multiple meanings, as game designers, as well as writers, use things like this as inspiration.
Anyway, have a great May Day...
March 28, 2008
Well, yes, I have been taken my time to update this part of the website. I do have some good news for you folks though. I put the last polish to the FIRST DRAFT of the Halla Technical Readout. I can tell you right now that it has more vehicles, spaceships and fighters. You will also get hints of the timeline and the internal and external conflicts in the Future Nexus World.
There are some other goodies in there, such as civilian vehicles, that will help to populate the world and give you more choices for equipping players.
In the next few days I expect to edit this looking for major inconsistencies and adding prices to some of these goods. I also will point out that the first short fiction piece for the Fantasy Setting has been posted, and I hope you like the story. Suffice it to say that if you chose to take your future nexus characters into a fantasy world, you will be able to. The world of Kir is getting more development, both as I write the core book and the novel, war of the gods.
Enjoy.
March 2, 2008
Well, I did get the Hallas Technical Readout out of first draft last week. Of course, having come home means that I have the time I didn't have before to work on these things. There are a couple vehicles that I will add. For instance, a Tug for space yards needs to go in. Is this the most sexy vehicle? No. Do I expect many player characters to become system tug pilots? No. After all, it is a very utilitarian vehicle, and one that few players would see as a "sexy" thing to pilot.
Let's be honest, now many folks would be willing to admit to pilotiing one of these things unless... it is a way to get out of a long and dreary life.
So, why are you including this in there? Well, this is a realized world, and like our world it does have tugs, garbage collectors, and other dirty jobs (Sorry Mr. Rowe), that keep the rest of the place going. They are the kind of technology that GMs may feel a certain glee when creating a scenario for their players. I mean... who hasn't used an ambulance in a scenario for exactly what it was not meant to do? (And do not get me started on real life). By the way, this tug... there are so many uses that I can think off that are far from their intended use... the kind that make me get that evil GM grin in my face
:-)
February 16, 2008
Many of us do not realize the marvels of technology until...we are in another country updating this website. You see, I came to help my mom with my dad, and indeed I am in Mexico City. Yet, here I am, updating this through the wireless I installed at her place.
Now, what's up with Deist Games. If you have read the Writing Blog you will know my dad had an accident, so for the past two, almost three months, I have had no time to work on anything to do with the game... well except this website. So the other day I had time to think about it, and decided that a long equipment guide would be very difficult to produce. Instead I am already working on the first of a series of guides. They are short and concentrate on companies of the Empire, the Confederation, the Astrac, etcetera.
These guides will have profiles detailing the major characters of each company, with character stats, as well as their main products. The first is the Hallas Group. After all, young Alessandro would love to kill Duke Malthus, in revenge of his father. Oh did I mention Hallas Industries is one of the major suppliers for the Tashkeni Military? Yep, supply problems are now occurring. After all the pesky Duke is also the Fleet Admiral of Allied Forces, and why would Alessandro concern himself with pesky things such as... sending parts for interstellar drives the fleet needs to deploy to Tal Space? After all, his need for revenge is far deeper than survival of humanity...
Oh and price wise, I will try to keep them under ten bucks... and that way you can get the ones that catch your fancy, or all of them...
Welcome to the fourth version of the website.
Readers will quickly spot changes in both web design and in content. I decided that it was high time to advance the timeline. This may seem like a trivial thing, but it is time. Moreover, I have had to get this website in-between family issues, which have placed quite a bit of strain on the time I have to do this. Yes, I know, excuses….
Anyhow, the story line is now in the year 3502, and tensions are high. After all, peace can and is dangerous for many a Traditionalist confed, and for the Tal…the only view is that of a single defeated Ranger. Humans really don’t know much of the dreaded Tal, except that they made a mess of things at the Kesmai system. Kir, they know more, mostly due to all the captured Kir that will now fight on the side of humanity.
Of course, there is more. I am considering transferring the future nexus ruleset to the world of kir. Fantasy should work well with the system, and that will give you more options. They will be fully compatible, so for those folks who like to play games where you can move from fantasy to sci fi, you will be able to. And Kir is on a real system, Cancrii 55.
During this family emergency I have been working (in snippets) on a book of weapons and other goodies, as well as the website. Working on a novel while taking care of a sick parent is not easy. Still, I figured you’d like to know that work has not stopped. In fact, there may be a non-fiction book in that one, but that is neither here or there…
Enjoy