It's been nearly a year to the month since the first post and request for playtesters. Following all that feedback (and a literal dissertation, plus a move to a new city for a new job...), I'm back with some pretty major game updates! I'm always watching, listening, and reading more about game design in the hopes of creating the best game possible. I hope you'll be able to see that reflected in some of these changes. Yes, I'm still here and yes I'm still committed to seeing this through. I truly believe I have something special and unique here, even if very few people know about it yet. If you're reading this, thank you.

On to the updates:

The Posture Board

I made the explicit choice to complicate the elegant Forged in the Dark system with a combat puzzle because I felt a world based on AtLA and Iron Age Britannia warranted "crunchy" combat scenes. I knew the puzzle needed to offer meaningful, compelling choices beyond just going for the biggest numbers. With the initial release, I was very happy with most of the system but there were a few wonky things.

Movement and initiative were targeted as weak points in the initial system because I was using "Strike backs" (you probably know them as Attacks of Opportunity) while attempting to create a simultaneous initiative system. After a lot of testing, I no longer believe such a tradeoff is feasible with the rest of the system as written. Instead, to better align with the goal of making decisions interesting and narratively compelling, I've created a Posture Board. It's a more granular way of doing initiative that also rewards players who perform actions that align with their character's behaviors and motivations. A Fire-based character has likely invested points into actions like Fight, Track, and Command, and likely want to use these actions aggressively. By taking the Attack posture, they are much more likely to gain the initiative but a changing battlefield may belie their intentions. 

Replacing "Strike backs" with "Opening", a reaction that costs you a card in hand, felt like a much more interesting tactical decision. Several Cause and Competency powers play off of this. However, it is no longer automatic that you should be punished for moving dynamically around the battlefield. Initial testing here is promising.

Competencies

One of the 3 C's of the game has received a sweeping pass. Competencies are intended to primarily supplement your character during a combat scene, as well as anchor your expectations for what your character is capable of at each Tier. Generating these in a balanced way proved to be a major undertaking. Many powers have been clarified and updated.

The character sheet generator file has now been updated to include the full text of the powers (including Combos!). New players using the sheet will be able to print off everything they need to know for their characters in a one-stop-shop! Hopefully this will make the game easier to get into.

Art

When I first discovered Midjourney in early 2023, I was completely hooked on it, blissfully unaware of the sausage-making. It was an absolute boon to be able to visually depict my ideas in a way that I never could have hoped to before. BUT....

The more I learned about the source of this wonder, the less I liked it. Already invested with both time and sheckles, I was reluctant to give up entirely on it but motivated enough to add a disclaimer to the first release of the playtest document. There, I vowed to only use human art for the full release of the game. 

I'm still committed to that. Now in 2024 though, I have benefited from numerous discussions with artists and others who find the use of AI art so distasteful that they refuse to support any product that includes it (no matter how minor, even free ones). I'm... not there yet because I'd rather have some AI art than nothing during these early draft stages. I no longer support Midjourney financially, nor do I ever plan to again despite the images of last year already looking dated, but the art I have now serves its purpose.

I have created a "NO ART" version of my playtest manuscript for the folks who like the game but not AI art. I've also removed the AI art from the banner and background of my itch.io page. I've also begun speaking to artists through Reddit and Fiverr to start quoting their services for my game. I hope to be able to slowly finance a humble offering of human-derived art for the rest of the playtest.