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Archive-name: games/design-FAQ
Last Updated: 12/17/93
Version:      1.3

REC.GAMES.DESIGN list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

This list is posted monthly to rec.games.design, rec.answers, and
news.answers.

The list is maintained by Travis Casey.  Any ideas for changes,
additions, or corrections are exceedingly welcome, and should be
directed to:

     casey@cs.fsu.edu

Please put "rgd FAQ" or something similar in your subject line.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
-----------------

Section 1 -- General Questions

     1.  What is the purpose of this group?

     2.  I'm writing a computer game in the BOGUS language, and I
	 need help!

     3.  Is this group just for RPG's?

     4.  What is proper etiquette for this group?

     5.  Are there any books on game design available?

     6.  What is the address of company X?

Section 2 -- RPG Questions

     1.  What is net.rpg's status?

     2.  What is net.rpg, for that matter?

     3.  What is FUDGE?

     4.  I'm trying to design an RPG.  What advice do you have?

Section 3 -- Computer Games

     1.  What is FRUA?

     2.  What's the best language to write a game in?

Section 4 -- Wargames and Boardgames

     1.  I'd like to get a wargame published.  What should I do?

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Section 1 -- General Questions

1.  What is the purpose of this group?

     This group is meant for discussion of the design aspects of
     games--board games, computer games, role-playing games (RPG's),
     card games, or any other sort of game.  This is the place to
     post ideas for games, thoughts about systems, questions about
     how something should work in a game, or anything else about
     designing games.

2.  I'm writing a computer game in the BOGUS language, and I need
help!

     This isn't a good place to look for help with computer
     languages.  The main focus of this group is on *design*, not
     *implementation*.  Try the *.lang.* and *.programmer groups
     first, especially rec.games.programmer.

3.  Is this group just for RPG's?

     No.  As mentioned above, all sorts of games can be discussed
     here.

4.  What is proper etiquette for this group?

     It's basically the same as for any other group:  use informative
     subject lines, if you're posting about a specific thing, include
     what it is in the Subject: field (e.g. "FUDGE:" at the start of
     a Subject line for an article discussing the FUDGE game; see
     below)

     Don't get mad if someone doesn't like your pet idea:  listen to
     them and try to answer their points.  Remember, the purpose of
     this group is for us to discuss our ideas and improve upon them.

     Some of the things that shouldn't go here include announcements
     that you've made a new game (unless you're posting it up for
     review), questions about what a specific rule in a specific game
     is supposed to mean, announcements of things that don't relate
     to designing games (e.g., role-playing BBS's, FTP sites for
     games, etc.), and anything else that doesn't relate to game
     DESIGN.

5.  Are there any books on game design available?

     Some books that may be of assistance are:

     Crawford, Christopher; _The Art of Computer Game Design_
	  Osborne/McGraw-Hill.  No longer in print, but available
	  by writing the author c/o Osborne/McGraw-Hill.

     Dunnigan, James; _The Complete Wargame Handbook_
	  William Morrow and Co., ISBN 0-688-10368-5

     Dupuy, T. N.; _Numbers, Predictions, and War_
	  Hero Books, ISBN 0-915979-06-3

     Peek, Stephen; _Game Plan: The Game Inventor's Handbook_
	  Betterway Publications, ISBN 1-55870-315-2

     Perla, Peter; _The Art of Wargaming_
	  Nav. Inst. Press, ISBN 0-87021-050-5

     Prados, John; _Pentagon Games_

     Schuessler, Nick and Steve Jackson; _Game Design:  Volume One:
	  Theory and Practice_.  Steve Jackson Games.  No longer
	  in print, no further volumes were produced.

     Schmittberger, R. Wayne; _New Rules for Classic Games_

     Strategy & Tactics Magazine; _Wargame Design_
	  SPI, ISBN 0-917852-01-X

     Zocchi, Lou;  _How to Sell Your Game Design_
	  Gamescience (GS 10404)

     Note that these references have been garnered from the net, and
     I make no guarantee as to their accuracy.

6.  What is the address of Company X?

     Two lists of game company addresses are kept on Usenet, as far
     as I know; here's the info:

     The "Wargame Company E-mail Addresses" list is kept by
     jrboeke@uci.edu.  It is generally posted once a month to
     rec.games.board and rec.games.design.

     Johnathan Sari (sruge@buck.cqs.washington.edu> maintains a
     "Complete Role-Playing Game Companies List," with the snail mail,
     email, and fax/phone numbers of most RPG companies.  This list
     is periodically posted to rec.games.frp.misc.
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Section 2 -- RPG design

1.  What is net.rpg's current status?  [use net.rpg: in headers]

     Net.rpg is currently still under discussion, but little work is
     being done.  A net.rpg FAQ is regularly posted by Magnus; look
     there for more information.  (Magnus can be reached at
     magnus@hsr.no)

2.  What is net.rpg, for that matter?

     Net.rpg isn't really anything yet.  The idea is to try to hammer
     out a free role-playing game using the gathered game design
     talent here on the net.

     There was a large amount of discussion at first, but almost no
     one could agree with anyone else on what net.rpg should be like.
     Thus, after some time, the discussion died down.  The general
     consensus now seems to be that net.rpg is an impossible dream;
     you're never going to get that many game designers to agree on
     anything, unless you use some type of committee approach ... and
     we all know how good things designed by committee usually are!

     However, the net.rpg discussion did generate, and still
     generates, a fair amount of good ideas.

3.  What is FUDGE?  [use FUDGE: in headers]

     FUDGE is one of the products of the net.rpg discussion; not THE
     net.rpg, but a net.rpg.  FUDGE stands for Freeform Universal
     Donated Gaming Engine.  It's author is Steffan O'Sullivan, who
     semi-regularly posts a FUDGE FAQ.  (sos@oz.plymouth.edu)

4.  I'm trying to design an RPG.  What advice do you have?

     1.  Don't think you're going to make money.  Chances are you
	 won't.

     2.  Don't think you're going to sell it to any established RPG
	 company; most of them don't want to dilute the market even
	 further by releasing yet another game.

     3.  If you are trying to create a game for sale, don't make it
	 too much like any established system... there are already
	 far too may AD&D look-alikes out there.  Try to come up with
	 something different.

     4.  Do make something *you* like... chances are that if you like
	 it, someone else will too.  However, if you try to listen to
	 the "experts" and follow their advice about how realistic
	 the game should be, how long combat should take, etc. and
	 end up with a game you don't like a lot, chances are no else
	 will like it too much either.  Besides, if you're going to
	 spend months or years writing something, shouldn't you have
	 fun doing it?

     So, what does that leave?  Well, if you're doing it for your own
     use, or your friend's use, go right ahead.  If you're trying to
     break into the RPG business, you'd probably do best writing
     articles for RPG magazines and sending them in to them.  The
     industry is pretty close-kni about
     who does good work (and does it on time!).

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Section 3 -- Computer Games

1.  What is FRUA? [use FRUA: in headers]

     FRUA is short for Forgotten Realms Unlimited Adventures, a
     program from SSI for creating computer adventures like their
     AD&D series.  FRUA is not shareware or freeware; you should be
     able to order it from just about any software store.  For more
     information, see the FRUA FAQ.

2.  What's the best language to write a game in?

     That's a complicated question.  It depends on several things:
     your knowledge of computer languages, what kind of game you're
     writing, what computer you're writing it for, and what tools you
     have access to.

     My first advice would be to program it in a language you are
     familiar with, and the more the better.  There's nothing worse
     than spending most of your time looking in manuals instead of
     writing code.  Second, go with something widely used (e.g., C).
     The more widely used your language is, the better the chance is
     that you'll be able to find someone who can help you if you need
     it.

     With the preceding in mind, if you're writing a game for PC,
     Unix, or Macintosh platforms, I'd recommend C.  It's a powerful
     language, good implementations exist for all three of these
     platforms, and there are large numbers of C programmers out
     there who can help you.

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Section 4 -- Wargames and Boardgames

1.  I'd like to get a wargame published.  What should I do?

     Here's some advice from Kerry Anderson, quoted without
     permission, as I never received a reply from my email to him or
     her.

     ---- QUOTED TEXT BEGINS ----

     From: kanderso@nofc.forestry.ca (Kerry Anderson)

     I've published three games through other companies.  These are
     MARINE:2002 (Yaquinto,1980), MOONBASE CLAVIUS (Taskforce, 1982),
     and CLASH OF EMPIRES (Wargamer issue 58?).  It's not easy and
     you're at the mercy of the company if they decide to publish.

     The first step is to write the best letter you can to these
     companies, giving the impression you know what you know what
     you're doing and that the game suits their line and that it will
     be a hot seller.  Expect to get no answer from some, "thanks but
     no thanks" from most, and "yes, send us a copy to evaluate" from
     a few.

     If you get the chance to send in the game, put every effort into
     producing a polished, final copy.  Give them the feeling that
     you are a professional and that you know what you are doing.
     Put great effort into the graphic quality of the game to catch
     their eye.  Write and edit the rules to death and print up the
     final product on a laser printer.  You must make the game as
     appealing as you can.  If the game is poorly put together, they
     might not want to bother trying to figure it out and reject it
     immediately.

     If the game is accepted, expect the worst in the final product.
     Let me describe my experiences:

     MARINE:2002 was my first game and admittedly was poorly put
     together.  They accepted it, but changed it inside and out.  I
     got bumped from "game designer" to "game concept".  Admittedly,
     it was a slick product when they finished it but it doesn't
     always turn out that way.

     MOONBASE:CLAVIUS was a polished game.  I got someone to edit and
     type the rules.  I sent it to Avalon Hill (who, by the way,
     rarely look at unknown designers) and it was rejected.  I sent
     it to Taskforce who immediately accepted it.  After about a
     year, they put it into one of their pocket games and decided to
     throw in a few changes like reversing the sequence of play to
     fight-move.  It destroyed the game but what could I do now?

     AUGUST 1914 was left virtually intact.  They even used my rules
     for the final text (with a couple of small changes).
     Regrettably, The map was abysmal and the counters hard to read.
     It drifted off into obscurity.

     As you can see, trying to sell games to other companies can be
     disheartening.  Expect a lot of rejection.  While I do have
     three games published, I've had several of my games rejected,
     such as VIMY RIDGE (for being too realistic) and THE BATTLE OF
     ARMAGEDDON (for not being apocalyptic enough) by XTR - both game
     prototypes UNPLAYED (am I bitter?).  You may be better off
     trying to do it yourself.  This is something I'm seriously
     thinking about now.

     Kerry Anderson

     ---- QUOTED TEXT ENDS ----




-- 
Travis S. Casey  		 		   <casey@cs.fsu.edu>
FAQ maintainer for rec.games.design
No one agrees with me.  Not even me.