Let's do a small update, shall we?

Pocket Journeys is, I'd say, about 40-55% ready to have a playtest release. The big thing I got done recently is character creation is basically done, along with index card sized character sheets for Pokemon and Trainers. I also formalized some traveling mechanics, to help give options for adding adventure to traveling from place to place. A revised version of the "playtest" roadmap will pop up after the image of the character sheet I made.

Playtest roadmap, bolded means complete:

• Flow of Game
  • Downtime actions
  • Session Flow
• Character Creation
  • Character Sheets
  • Step-by-step guide
• Character Classes
  • Classes definied
  • All starting Moves
  • All Level-up Moves
• Adventuring Mechanics
  • Basic Move list
  • Traveling Mechanics
  • Battle Mechanics
  • Pokedex Mechanics
• Pokemon Rules
  • Player-side generation mechanics
  • Player-side Evolution
  • Player-side Movepool generation
  • Gaining Bonds
• Tags
  • 10+ Tags w/ unique mechanics
• GM Guide
  • GM-side Pokemon Generation
  • PBTA-style principles/guides
  • GM Moves
• Doc Organization
  
  • Organzing "Ultimate" Doc

The GM's Guide portion needs the most work, but that can come once all the Player stuff has been written out. After that, it's Class stuff. I have all but one character's starting Moves finished, about 2 Moves per Class. I have a handful of level up Moves made as well, but Moves ideas either come to me really quick or take forever.

The Pokemon creation thing has been really interesting. Because this is a game that puts almost no stats on the Pokemon, just your Bonds number, I'm trying to make sure every Pokemon feels unique in other ways. That's where the "Tag" system comes in, where I'd like to have lots of Tags to provide mechanics but also you could simply look at a list of Natures or other generic adjectives and add those to a Pokemon. 

One other thing to mention is that I've been messing around and making a Texas-based region for the final version of this game. I don't want it in the Private or Public Playtest Editions, but it's a nice way to break up dev sessions. Work on a section of the game, then spend some time making the Texas region. Speaking of, did I tell you it has a name? It's called the Tayha Region, and it has a map now!

Some interesting things: Instead of Highways, you have "Bikeways" which are just "what if instead of making cars the dominant for of transportation, it was bikes" for Highways. No names on this map, but the City/Town names all have a sorta Space theming. 9 cities here, which is 8 Gyms with the Elite Four doing their thing in the capital. If the sense of scale seems weird, that's fine! Just imagine the whole region is smaller than Real Texas.

Anyways, that's it from me! If you have any questions about the game, feel free to let me know! I love to talk about this stuff!