Truth time. I have been struggling these past few weeks with my latest writing project. For several reasons that have everything to do with some personal issues, as well as the gaming landscape (both locally and out on the 'net), I have run out of steam trying to get the Sword & Sanity book completed. I was chugging away nicely just before the holidays hit (almost up to 80 pages), and when I returned to the book the first week of January I hit a brick wall. And I have struggled to find direction ever since.
What are the reasons for this? I think it is a combination of a lot of things. The main one is the amount of work I am having to do molding a class-and-level-based system to my needs. I think I have known this for a while now, but put blinders on and tried to plow ahead anyway. In my quest to create an authentic sword & sorcery feel for my game I have reached a point where I feel I can achieve this better, and more efficiently, using a classless system. From the beginning of the project I have wrestled with designing classes that capture the feel I am looking for, and so far I have not been satisfied with my efforts. I have come close to reaching that satisfaction when I all but eliminated classes from the game, but who wants to play a D&D influenced game sans classes? Not many people I would guess.
I am also a big believer that a guy blogging and writing about a certain style of gameplay should actually be playing the games he is blogging and writing about. Back in April I moved to a new city, leaving behind my longtime friends and game group. These past nine months or so I have not had the opportunity to play D&D, Labyrinth Lord, Castles & Crusades or any other type of old-school class-and-level-based games. I have played Call of Cthulhu, Mouse Guard, a few Sword & Sanity games powered by the D6 System, as well as vs. Monsters. Why is this? Well, the one Labyrinth Lord game I found in town was being played on a night during the week that conflicted with my schedule and I just couldn't work it out to join in. I had hoped to drum up some local interest in helping me playtest the system I have been putting together, but I am sorry to report that I failed to find enough players who were interested in the project. Other than that I just have not been able to find a game group interested in any form of D&D other than 4th edition or Pathfinder, and I am sorry folks, those just aren't options for me right now.
So what does all this mean? I am still trying to get my head wrapped around the answer to that question. I have considered turning my attention to another system for the project. In all honesty, it seems there are enough Cthulhoid D&D projects out there to choke a Gug! I stand firm in my assessment that there can never be enough Lovecraftian influence in gaming, but I can't help but feel my efforts might be better served releasing a game that is not tied to a D&D retro-clone or the d20 system.
As mentioned above, I have been doing some gaming of late, but in doing so I have had to adapt to the local gaming scene. This is not a bad thing at all. And in my participation in these games I have rediscovered a few system I thought I had all but long abandoned. The D6 System, BRP/Call of Cthulhu and vs. Monsters are the games I have been thinking about the most lately, simply because these are the games I have been playing. Am I ready to tether my ship to any of these games? Maybe.
If I developed for any D100 system out there it would be for OpenQuest. Its a lite system that is deeply rooted in the Open Gaming License (OGL) and I like a lot of things about the game. It reminds me of RuneQuest 2 and Stormbringer, but with some modern sensibility to the system. I admire Newt Newport and his approach to gaming, and I know I could count on him for all the support I would need from a developer. The D6 System I am not so sure about. The jury is out on this one. If I decided to go this route I would use the Mini Six system, because I like it and it seems to cut the D6 System down to its most essential components. As for vs. Monsters, I like the hell out of this game. It is as rules lite as they come, but the game just exudes flavor, and I have been scheming away at the possibility of developing for the system (it too is OGL) for some time now (actually, even before I launched this blog). The problem is I am not sure how many people play the game, much less have heard of it. But in a strange way I find that appealing, and it would be cool to champion a game that deserves a hell of a lot more attention.
So there it is, laying out there for all to see. Does this mean that Swords Against the Outer Dark: Sword & Sanity Roleplaying is dead? Hell no. Just dreaming, if you will. That is until I decide in which direction I want to take things. I am hoping it will not take long for the winds of change to blow me in the right direction. I am sure I will have additional thoughts to share very soon.
18 comments:
Alas! Swords Against the Outer Dark has been highest on my list of anticipated Old-School-Gaming-meets-Lovecraftian Horror products. But of course, "that is not dead," &c, so hopefully we'll see the project gaining momentum again soon. Good luck in whatever form it takes.
How about traveller ?
What makes more sense then the emptiness of space and lovecraftian monsters.
You would have six basic professions and from there,
your INVESTIGATOR of the paranormal would add new SKILLs.
check out ty beard's stuff - he has laid out some brilliant groundwork.
Follow your heart, man. From reading your offerings over the last 8 months or so, I'm very interested in whatever product you eventually come out with. And, of course, the best product will be the one your passion is driving you to produce.
No matter what system you finally choose, I am sure that Swords Against the Oter Dark will rock ! Choose your system and go...I will follow.
Hang in there Shane and go with your gut feeling. I think a switch to OpenQuest might be very interesting. I know about the gaming scene woes. Since I've moved overseas, it is next to impossible to put together an old school gaming session. If folks want to game, they want to play 4e or Pathfinder. That's OK, I just need to find a couple of gamers willing to take a chance and I bet I can win over more.
At any rate, I think you've got a very interesting thing going with Swords and Sanity and I for one can't wait to see what you come up with!
I'm a firm believer that a Lovecraftian sourcebook should be started with inspiration but completed with rationality and cold thought.
However, since you wrote 80 pages and hit a brick wall AND you still are very driven and inspired -- it does seem that your subconscious and your conscious mind are telling you something.
Perhaps it is a recognition of incongruity between the system and the reality you're trying to emulate. Perhaps it is doubt about the market for such a product or the need for it.
Or maybe you need to share it with other people who have a critical eye to give suggestions on what directions to take and can be very honest.
I'm not one of those people, but I'm sure you know some.
Good luck! Using BRP/Openquest with S&S would be intriguing, I'd say. D6 seems a little too wild n wahoo, but that's just me. Vs. Monsters has a card gimmick I don't care for personally.
'I had hoped to drum up some local interest':
Did you share your interest with non-'gamers'? That's how I got most of my players over the years. People gotta start somewhere! :-)
Thanks to all of you for the words of encouragement and support. I does mean a lot right now. I see I even picked up a new follower this morning, which is always encouraging.
@Clovis - Traveller is always an option, and one I have considered many times. Something else to consider for sure...
@Ka-Blong! - these are all good points. I honestly do feel like my inner self is at conflict with my efforts of late. I have already reached out to a few friends for some guidance and advice.
@Velaran - I have developed a few alternate resolution systems for vs. Monsters, including the use of dice and one I am working on using tarot cards. The beauty of the vsM system is the fact that it is so simple it is easy to hack and mold to your needs.
More thoughts and comments coming soon guys. Please be patient with me...
I thought you wanted the challenge of forcing D&D to fit the S&S genre, but if it's making you unhappy then by all means switch rules. Personally, I've long wanted to see a S&S game made for the D6 System, and I just bought Mini Six and think it's great. However, you don't seem as keen on that game, and truthfully it's the most easily customizable system out there, you hardly need genre books for it (though they would be nice!)
It sounds like you realy want to use OpenQuest, which seems like a good fit. Whatever you decide, I hope you do eventually release a game, because your take on it is different enough from some others that it'd be a shame for it to never materialize.
Hang in there. I agree that your world is more essential than the system. I don't know much about vs. Monster, but it seems to capture the atmosphere you're aiming for. On the other hand, I'd have say BRP/Openquest is pretty old school :-) So it's a win-win.
I really dig OpenQuest, and BRP in general. Indeed, it looks like my gaming this year will be entirely BRP-focused (OQ, Call of Cthulhu, and Mongoose RuneQuest II).
I certainly would be interested in checking out anything Lovecraftian that you might produce for OQ.
Good luck! :)
Any time you do something on this scale, you are going to hit brick walls. Break through them. It is always better to put out something that isn't perfect, than to have that perfect dream that never gets realized into anything.
If I were you (and I'm not, so make up your own mind), I'd do one of two things:
#1. I've put in too much work. It is time to make the class/level system say uncle.
I think you can make it work for S&S. All you really need is 2 or 3 classes (sorcerer, fighter, and maybe thief). The fighter could branch off into different abilities/bonuses as they level. The caster could be illusionists (save real magic for NPCs only). As the illusionist progresses, the boundary between illusion and real magic gets blurred (like the shadow spells in 1E).
#2. The other option is to do something super simple that can be completed in a matter of days. Do something like a souped up TWERPS. Your game is all about the feel. A game with extremely simple mechanics would do just that, make people focus on the feel of the game. Plus the mechanics would be so simple, you could teach non-gamers in minutes how to play.
Well Shane, you know how I feel. Sometimes one has to go with their feelings and not be a slave to the grind. Whichever direction you choose, I support your endeavors for what that is worth and look forward to seeing your work in print, regardless of the system.
Shane,
I've been working on the same project for over two years. I've had countless revisions and rewrites, some of which have been cause for a sense of futility, particularly when you realize that the 20,000 words you wrote over a 2 week period are wrong and need to be deleted. It happens, and so does burn-out. During the development of my project, three times I have stopped writing the project to focus on an adventure. During each such instance this meant a 2 week break from writing the main project. I also stopped for a month at one point to work on a 7,000 word short story. What I'm saying is -- keep writing! It's okay to switch gears and focus on something else for bit, then return to the larger project with a fresh perspective. Well, it works for me, anyhow. YMMV.
Cheers,
Jeff T.
@Steve (ancientvaults) - thanks, man! Our recent correspondence has been very helpful, and has helped me begin putting together a plan of action.
@Jeff - you pretty much read my mind. I have been concentrating on setting material this week, which could turn out to be the best thing I can be doing with my time right now. I think I became so obsessed with publishing my own set of rules I forgot the main reason I began the blog in the first place. I am getting back to basics, and am retiring from the retro-clone writing business for now. Who knows, maybe I will return to the Big Project refreshed and ready to try again. Or not. Time will tell.
I can't help but vote for OpenQuest. I love Chaosium's CoC, but I always wondered if there was a way to use Sanity in a more direct/simple way (you know, something like a saving throw). Also, I own a copy of CoC Dark Age, which is a terrific resource for medieval yog-sothothery, and includes one of the best adventures I've ever read (adventures, not campaigns).
You could heavily work around the magic system to make it a little less complex.
Good luck with SAtOD, I can't wait to see it published.
@II Male, OpenQuest has a Santity Mechanic almost exactly as you suggest, incidently written by a Cthulhu Keeper of many many years of experience ;)
I just discovered your blog and like what I see.
Lovecraftian S&S seems like a great match for BRP and its various relatives. But... then, it's my favorite system... so bias on the sleeve.
I'll be interested to see the result regardless of system though.
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