Talk to me on Twitter:
Or send me an email:
It would be really awesome if you'd sign up for my newsletter! It's the easiest way to keep up with the site. It also makes my day extra special when I get a new subscriber notice.
Thanks!
My life has been consumed by Hedeby for the past two weeks. I've literally lost sleep because of this game... and that's a good thing! It was the reason I didn't update last week because I really wanted to wait until I had something substantial to show... well, guess what... I still don't have anything substantial to show, but I'm really close! Hopefully I'll get everything set up this weekend.
Prototyping
The problem with designing card games is the prototyping. This game started with just a deck of 54 cards... then I added buildings and it became 108... then I added Favors which took it to 126... then I added more buildings and upped the main deck... and reference cards... oh my. The game comes in now at 174 cards.
If you have followed me for any time at all, you'll know that I like to make things pretty... and yes, pretty is a relative term. When I decide to change something to a game of this scale, that means cutting out a new set of ~180 cards. Every time. That can be a daunting task... but I'm always up for it. I've cut close to a thousand cards these past two weeks.
Playtesting
We've playtested Hedeby... a lot. My group has tested it four and five player. I've tested it two and three player with my family. Online friends have tested it with their friends and family. I'm pretty sure, this is the most tested prototype I've ever done. I've got slews of notes which really helped me put this project together quickly.
This is in part due to my immense excitement for the project. Normally, I spend weeks and months on something before asking others to look at it and this slows me down. My group only meets once a week and it is very difficult to tweak and balance a game playing it only once or twice a week. With the help of some awesome playtesters, Hedeby has been put through the wringer already and has turned into a much better product in a very short period of time... I'd even venture to say it's approaching stability quickly as I am now down to minor tweaks and balance issues.
VASSAL
Finally, the most exciting news!
If you aren't aware of what VASSAL is, it is a cross-platform game engine that allows you to build board games and play them live on the Internet. I have looked at it many times in the past as a platform to prototype on, but it has a very steep learning curve. Last weekend, I was procrastinating on writing for the website and I decided that my time would be better served by learning VASSAL...
And I did! In under seven days I have taught myself the engine and built a VASSAL module for playing Hedeby online! It is now possible f-or me to find testers worldwide and at any time! I'm very excited about the possibilities of this. Once you download VASSAL, and my module, you'll be able to play with me, your friends, or complete strangers without having to cut a single card! I may finally have a way to promote playtesting of my games without asking people to commit hours of manual labor... and I don't have to feel bad when I make changes to cards!
The Next Step
Well, about 90% of the work is done. I'm now finishing a rules-rewrite for the new set as well as a how-to for the VASSAL module. Once I've completed those two things, I'll put everything online for you to enjoy. Don't worry, I'm going to make the print and play files available also for anyone that's interested. When will this happen? Hopefully this weekend. I have a few family obligations, but thankfully this is not a huge pile of work to accomplish in the next 48 hours. I'm going to push hard for it and if I can't hit a Sunday release, I'll make sure it's up before my Wednesday test session.
I am so excited for this game!!!