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I was hospitalized for a few days and spent the rest of the week in recovery at home.  I needed an extension, and I'm passing that on to you.

The new deadline is the last second of March 14th.

YANFLY has been the gold standard for MV and VX scripts.  Here is his MV library.

He now works for Visustella, which has released their own suite for MZ that you can find here.

Post any resources for RPGMaker you think would be helpful for the participants!

I do plan to finish if nothing else the introductory adventure.

I've run into snags, and may not complete this by the end of the jam.  I do think I'll have something useful by the end of the month, though, and will show you what I've got at the end of the jam.

Update.  Did some outlining and talked to my friend and frequent cowriter and graphics design wizard R. Malsin.  I also set up the project page.

Hello all!

This year I'm going to try something different - making a sourcebook for the game Valor, based on my existing  story Isekai/Online.  With it, you should be able to run the same kinds of adventures that the I/O books are about - high anime fantasy action as a counterpoint to the extistential questions brought up by VR tech and isekai stories.

Making a tabletop RPG where you level have a theme of growth isn't hard, nor is it hard to find growth in stories about self-discovery when you become who you pretend to be.  So that's covered.

In August, we plan to:

• Add a Tabletop Simulator mod, available for $5+.
• Polish the art of the old decks and the rulebook.
• Add a third deck, the Elemental/Psychic deck Faerie Fire.
• Begin crowdfunding efforts to finish the 5 starter decks, the 55-card supplement, and eventually a full 270 card set in digital and print-and-play formats.

In September, we plan to:

• Continue polishing and playtesting.
• Add a fourth deck, the Numinous/Wyld deck Knightly Hunters.

In October, we plan to:

• Continue polishing and playtesting.
• Add a fifth deck, the Psychic/Cthonic deck Crushing Undertow.
• Run sealed playtest tournaments.  Break our stupid game, win our stupid prizes!  Note: winning deck may be nerfed.

From November-February, we plan to:

• Continue polishing and playtesting.
• Add a 55 card supplement.
• Test a Draft format.

From there on, we're going to expand the initial card pool to something around 270 cards, and then and only then start planning to crowdfund for a proper print run.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for this, let us know!

• In general, to quote Wheaton, "Don't be a dick." 
• We're here to have fun and play card games.
• The moderators and regulars here are well left-of-center, and our patience is limited. We tolerate tolerant views including many streaks of conservatism and libertarianism, but not alt-right, neo-nazi, enablement of the previous two, racism, sexism, hatred of GLBT people, or religious hatred. 
• Do not attempt to use the rule against religious hatred as a shield for other unacceptable views. 
• Do not backseat moderate; report it to a moderator and leave it. 
• Do not delete offending posts; let moderators do that. 
• If you think you were wrongfully kicked or banned by a moderator who isn't Talia, ask her; she has right of overrule. If you think Talia wrongfully kicked you, feel free to ask another moderator. 
• If you're being a dick about protesting your kick or ban, it's final even if it was a mistake or improper application of the rules.

Please post your post-playtest notes here!  We're eager to see how well this works.

Game Title/URL: Quintessence: Beyond the Watchtowers CCG https://taliaellib.itch.io/quintccg

Pitch/Info: A children's card game inspired by games from the 90's Japanese CCG boom, particularly Duel Masters.

I'd Like Feedback On: How well it plays, how comprehensible the rules are, any rules issues, any broken cards (too good/unplayably bad).

By receiving your critique I will play your game to give feedback!

And we're up with a playtest edition!  Some assembly required.

Game Jam Playtest Edition 0.1

Known issues:

• Assets are not properly placed upside down on the bottom of the card.  Sorry!  It's a limitation of Magic Set Editor. 
• Some cards have CARDNAME instead of their name or "this creature."
• Some cards refer to Units instead of Creatures; treat them as saying Creatures
• The manual does not number the parts of a card or have numbered example cards, yet
• The manual does not yet list keyworded abilities, which I'll be doing here.
• Per-card artists credits are missing; the Strike Engine proxy template has no room for them.

Keyworded Abilities so far:

• Asset - as a resource, this card produces this Rune and 1 essence when exhausted.  Every non-token card has this.
• Flying - only flying and ranged creatures can directly attack this creature.  (Other creatures can BLOCK it just fine.)
  
• Ranged - this creature can attack flying creatures directly.
• Sentinel - this creature Readies after attacking.
• Crisis - this creature gets +2/+2 for each Wound it bears.
• Reinforce - choose: either heal one Wound from target creature (removing it), or give that creature a +1/+1 counter.

We have the playtest materials ready!

Come on down, try it out, and please - take video of it, give us feedback.  There are known issues with the manual.

For now, we're all taking a break from the hard work, and letting our graphic designer celebrate her birthday today.

After the jam, we iterate.

Art is as done as it's going to get for the jam and we made a comprehensive database of cards that we've sent to Bii.  First, quick and dirty printable proxies; then a proper deck!  With three days to spare I like our chances.

Update!

Card game fans, could you look over this rulebook and tell me if anything seems not to make sense or is missing?

Read the comments, too, some of those are meant to be in-character asides that will be included in the final rulebook.

We're working on final proxies that we're sending to graphic designer Bii!  Once that's done, she'll make playtest-ready cards.

This slaps like a goblin with a drumset.  I'm keenly interested in seeing where this goes.

Originally I was going to push for this update yesterday, but, well, it seemed tastless given the circumstances.  I gave everyone an extra day, including myself.

Today, I started on the manual and did proxies for both decks, including the new art.  I'm passing these on to our graphic artist Bii to turn into more final cards, and will talk with the Strike Engine discord about doing a Tabletop Simulator set for playtesting.

Playtest proxies and rules should be ready sometime in the middle of next week.

Did another proxy deck today, including some art by QV.  Keep in mind the frames are a work in progress and not final.

From top to bottom: 

• Cost in Essence, threshold (you need to have this many Assets of that Essence to play this card, but don't need to spend Essence specifically from those assets: this costs 2 Essence and needs one Numinous Asset), card name, subtitle, set marker (currently on the default, Strike Engine).
• Art and typeline.  This is a Monster, indicated by the typeline and the heart symbol.
• Rules text.  This creature is Flying, which makes it impossible to attack unless it attacks first, and a Sentinel, which makes it ready up after attacking so it can block.  For this reason, it's a bit understatted for the cost (by default, monsters have about double it's cost in stats and one HP).  Note also the Asset marker - in the final card, this will be upside-down and on the bottom of the card, but you can play any card as an Asset of the Quintessence required to play it.  If there was room, I'd add lore text beneath this in italics.
• Statline and subtypes.  Final card may move up the subtypes, but it's also fine as an extension of the lore text.  Attack and defense work the way you think they do from Power and Toughness in MtG, but when a monster loses a fight (would be destroyed in MtG), it takes a Wound instead, marked with a counter.  If it has as many wounds as it has Hit Points (lower right), then it's Knocked Out and placed in the discard.

Working on the rulebook but this is essentially ready for playtesting next week.

Update.  Made proxies for 15 cards and 3 tokens.  Going to make the other 15+3 proxies tomorrow.

The art team assures me that they'll have some stuff this weekend; a lot of them were celebrating Canada Day yesterday, or are working.

It's presently t-16 hours before the jam and I'm getting things in place to make a children's card game.

Hi, I'm Talia, and I'm one of two game designers for team Quintessence for this jam.  Our goal: Make an analogue card game for the jam, starting with two (2) structured starter decks with 15 unique cards each and a game manual, our actual goal for the jam, and expanding outward, first to three (3) additional decks and then to an actual whole set.  

By an astonishing coincidence, both of the decks we're using, as well as a third, have a healing subtheme to support huge, multi-HP creatures.  That's the theme covered!

This involves a LOT of art, and I'm glad we've got some great artists - QuodVide, Dr. Nemesis, MakioKuta, and Cerise, along with Bii doing layout work.

We'll probably make a Tabletop Simulator mod with the help of Silly Rookie, who made the Strike Engine we're using for the card chassis.  We'll be playtesting more or less continuously.

I've got the art document and a rough skeleton of every card in the five starter decks.  I've got Magic Set Editor, and am installing the Strike Engine mod.

I think we're ready for this.

I'm not making a boardgame - I'm going with a in some ways less ambitious card game - so I couldn't tell you!  I'd imagine it would involve printable boards and paper pawns.

Hello all!  I'm just curious how many other teams are doing analogue games - that is, traditional board, card, and roleplaying games.  Most people doing this jam are making digital games, but there's always a couple of us!

My team is working on a card game inspired by the wave of children's card games from Japan (that's not a Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged joke, those games actually skewed to a younger audience than Magic).  I know someone else is doing a TTRPG.

Let's chat about analogue designs!

Thanks! When we're ready to playtest, I'll drop you a line.

Is your project going to be an analogue (that is, pen and paper) campaign setting, then?

Because that rules, and I'll be here in analogue game solidarity.

1. Hi there! What's your name? Want to introduce yourself? 

My name is Talia B., and it's a pleasure.

2. Did you participate in the last jam we held? If so, what do you plan on doing better this time? If not, what's your reason for joining? 

I did 2020 - I skipped last year!  I plan to do more tight coordination with my team.

3. What games are your favorites? Did any of them inspire you, or made you want to make your own? 

Wing Commander, Final Fantasy 4/5/6/7 and FFL 3, Magic the Gathering, Duel Masters/Kaijudo and VS System are all standout games;  I'm drawing inspiration mostly from the latter three.

4. Do you have experience with game development? What did you do/with what engine? 

Most of my experience is with Ren'Py and various versions of RPGMaker; I'm a writer, designer, art director and producer.

5. Tell us about something you're passionate about! 

I love renaissance history and 'what-ifs' so much that I set my isekai story in a fantasy age of sail where an analogue to Zheng He kicked things off early by starting 'Chinese' sea trade with Africa and the West.

6. What are your goals for this game jam?

I plan to make an analogue card game - or at least two playable decks in it!

7. Any advice to new participants?  

Scoping and preproduction is your friend.  Know how many assets you need and how many you can fake.  Remember, it's a jam: look for a minimum viable product and make that.  If you finish early you can always polish and expand it later.

8. What can the admins do to improve your jam experience?  

I'm pretty satisfied with what the admins do already, but I am interested in them curating some games from the jam that they thought were worth mentioning!

9. What are some of the past works you've made for the jam? Show off your favorites!  

There's Isekai/Online: Beta Test Blues, which I had to strip down to one fight and one conversation tree: on the other hand, actually having it out the door gave me the courage to expand the story into a novel and I'm working on a couple of sequel novels to boot!

10. Got any question suggestions? Let us know for next year!

A question about particular disciplines folks would want to branch into, like art or writing or production!

Well now I gotta continue.  (But this was from the LAST Game Jam, not the current one...)

The old devteam actually went off to do their own thing, so we might want to talk later.

Thank you for your candor!  

It is pretty overwritten right now; this is something we want to address going forward.  Right now it's almost all exposition that we can cut down on once the events the characters are alluding to actually happen on screen.  I have an idea of how to make it more naturalistic that I'll use for the eventual 2.0 release, which will also help tie it into the hidden variable tracking I implemented but didn't have time to use for path and romance routing; specifically, I was thinking that Deedee should add Ace to her party and go to the individual other party members around camp to address their questions.

All of the bizarre visual stuff is absolutely intentional and I will not be changing it, except possibly to add more animated strangeness.  Recall that the entire reason they were going to the temple of Io was because it was glitching out.  Having more areas to explore will make that clearer, since only the Temple of Io and some places that are the same level of bitrotted will have the same deliberately misplaced effects.

The tutorial could definitely be more natural and this is another thing to address and rewrite for the 2.0 release.

Presently we are using a more-or-less blank debugging and initialization room for the scrolling text; having it scroll on a parallax background was my intent but it didn't work in this version.

Thank you again!

Added version 1.2.0, which fixes a softlock and adds a tutorial! https://taliaellib.itch.io/isekaionline-beta-test-blues-mfgj-summer-2020-edition/devlog/165360/version-120-the-glory-of-scherzo

A new version that fixes a softlock, and introduces a tutorial, is up!  I also took your advice and removed Ace's Compulsion, replacing it with Uncoordinated (for those who don't speak valor, she has an Evasion debuff). https://taliaellib.itch.io/isekaionline-beta-test-blues-mfgj-summer-2020-edition/devlog/165360/version-120-the-glory-of-scherzo

Ah, you encountered a softlock!  I've since patched that out, here: https://taliaellib.itch.io/isekaionline-beta-test-blues-mfgj-summer-2020-edition/devlog/165360/version-120-the-glory-of-scherzo

Including Meatball Parade specifically was definitely me meming - specifically, a lot of the MMO specific comedy was inspired by the misadventures of Drakanous, GoldenTot, and their free company NEST in FF14 (links frequently NSFW).  I thought you meant a sound effect.  

Fun fact: I actually wanted to ask Drak to voice Hikaru, before I realized that I should probably offer Hikaru's voice to someone else for reasons that aren't in the game yet.

Game Title & URL: Isekai Online: Beta Test Blues

Pitch: A proof of concept for an RPG about a party of disaster queers that were translated to another world as their MMO mains, intended to be a pitch for adapting the tabletop game Valor for a future full game with the same characters and setting.

I'd like feedback on:

• The writing
• The combat engine
• What we need to include in future tutorial/starter levels
• Any bugs you find or features you'd like to request
• Your thoughts on the characters.

The game we have is mostly exposition; the fact that the writing carried it anyway is one of our proudest accomplishments, and I'll pass that praise to Hannah.

A better tutorial for the combat system is on the short list of changes on the Road To Being Able To Charge For This.  As mentioned, this was an attempt to adapt the tabletop RPG Valor: Heroic Roleplaying to RPGMaker as part of a pitch to license it for I/O, with mixed success (and I'll address that in the postmortem; this is going to have serious post-game changes).  If you enjoyed the combat in this, please consider taking a look at the vastly superior source material! 

I don't know what you mean by "the meme sound at the end."  Could you get me video of what you're talking about?  It's possible you encountered a bug, particularly if you weren't on Windows.

Oh, we absolutely plan to expand the plot - first to the actual end of the quest with an epilogue in town, and then backwards to the planned start of the full game.

This is a FANTASTIC bit of poetry and you're doing yourself a huge disservice by not including the description above in the description in the links.

Interesting little ludic poem.  The art and music do the heavy lifting and is very good. Well done.

Played the first level.  Have some thoughts:

The good:

• I like the lowpoly sprites with their Tomb Raider pastiche quality.  The character and enemy designs are particularly strong.
• You have a great set of verbs - run, jump, ranged attack so that melee isn't frustrating, and what you get from the succubus pickup.  This last one is a strong game design on it's own, and forced you to have interesting level design.
• Music is good too.

The bad:

• There's no audio and very weak visual impact when you or an enemy takes a hit.  I wasn't even sure if I was dealing damage to the succubus. Suggest a flash or flicker effect as well as damage SFX.
• Are you supposed to run into the dead succubus, or...?  Replace them with an item or something else equally dramatic to make it clear, because it wasn't.
• No way to quit out other than refreshing the page.
• Music restarting when you die and just being thrown back in is obnoxious on the second level; recommend you make it so you have to press a button to continue and that the music doesn't restart.

This is great work for 14 days.  Looking forward to further development.

This has potential, but is in way too much of an unfinished state for me to comment on the gameplay.  Good to know that you will make chests mean things, and Atk/Def matter.  Maybe they could have weapons (+ATK), shields (+DEF), gold (experience) and potions (HP)?  Make them need keys to open, so they're a bit of a risk/reward mechanic?

You nailed the GB aesthetic, I love the simplified monster, knight, item and door sprites.  Maybe have later levels use more and different music tracks?

I'm too much of a baby to play this, which does mean you nailed the aesthetic!  I'll pass this along to people who are more into horror.

These are some very, very good playbooks with great evocative Moves.

Perhaps the weakest basic move in vanilla apoc world (god it feels weird to call Apoc World vanilla) is Act Under Pressure, and there it flew because the rules spelled out that it was 'under pressure,' and not any other circumstance.  Consider carefully whether you want to keep it, and if you want to keep it as-is.

I can't really comment  on the rest of it because this is in such an unfinished state, but I am very much looking forward to more playbooks and the campaign/situation creation rules.