So... yeah. Weird times we're living in right now.
While 2020 didn't exactly have the best start, I never imagined that we'd end up with a worldwide pandemic. And I had no idea how much something like that could affect how everyone lives their lives. How much it could affect the world's economy. How much it could affect interpersonal relationships. How much it could affect everyone's mental health.
And, of course, how much it could affect the board game industry.
But life, as always, seems to have found ways to adapt. Board gamers are typically an innovative bunch, and it seems like we've found a new outlet for getting games made.
The Internet.
Sure, there's been lots of ways to playtest games without having people be there in person. There are many online play services out there with an enormous library of games available for play; some free, some not. (Manaforge has been available for online play on Tabletopia and Tabletop Simulator since around when it was published.) There are also several services available for doing voice chat with friends, and games can even be played using a few videoconferencing services.
But now, since gathering in groups is not a good idea at the moment, use of those services for board gaming has gone from a novelty to a necessity. And, all things considered, that's not so bad.
Sure, playing games online is more awkward that normal; there's often more setup involved, there are technical glitches that might disrupt games, it's sometimes hard to learn a new gaming interface, it's takes more effort to see everything that's going on, and simple movement of game components takes extra work.
But for every downside, there's an upside. You can play games with friends on short notice instead of having to plan a time and place to gather. You can play games with people from around the world. You can play games with people you've never met before (and would never let into your home or meeting place). You can play games without having to find a sitter for the kids. You can even play games in your pajamas if you really want to! (Because who cares what you're wearing if they can't see you? :)
And, most importantly for game development, you can get a new set of fresh perspectives on your game. While it's nice to have a dedicated group of friends to help test your creations, a larger pool of testers equals more perspectives equals more opinions and ideas and identification of flaws in your games and how they can be improved.
And that's the new normal for right now. And I'm happy that it's helping to push Nebula forward.
Nebula Online
In order to keep in touch with a lot of my gamer friends, both for playing games and for playtesting, I've been using Discord a lot. Discord is a great service; just about anyone can set up a server and invite their friends. The voice quality is good and it's not particularly difficult to use. I now have a ton of servers that I'm connected to and it's great for keeping in contact with the various groups.
One group in particular I've been in contact with is a group of game creators and playtesters located in New York. Due to the virus outbreak, they've ramped up their online testing, welcoming anyone and everyone into the group. They are a fantastic bunch, full of good game ideas and good feedback. I've playtested several games by other players, and so far I've gotten Nebula to the virtual table once, with more to come soon. My playthrough was very informative, with lots of suggestions for mechanical improvement and streamlining. (Of course, I'm not going to implement everything that was suggested, but a lot of it was very good feedback and I'm incorporating a pretty good sized chunk of it into my game.) Can't wait for the next time I'm able to get my game out there.
BTW... if you're interested in joining the group, it's still open to everyone! Use this link: bit.ly/join-rem-play. You will be taken to a short document to read, followed by a questionnaire to make sure you actually read and understand the document. (The info in the doc can be summed up as 'how to not be a dick'... it's just some info on etiquette and such.) Even if you're not making a game yourself, you're still welcome! If you like playing new games, the games you'll find on these playtests haven't even been published yet, so you're guaranteed to be able to try something new! :)
Virtual Game Conventions
One other thing to have grown out of the current gaming climate is the rise of online conventions. Since so many physical conventions and events have had to cancel due to the virus, a few enterprising individuals have stepped up and created virtual versions of the conventions. Gaming areas, playtesting rooms, vendor halls, artist alleys, discussions and panels... all the perks of being at a convention without leaving your house. (And without having to put up with the smell of sweaty gamers and heat from poorly air-conditioned rooms.)
Since I'm a member of the Indie Game Alliance, I feel I have to mention their upcoming convention. It's called "Play Unconventionally" and it aims to recreate the convention experience as much as possible. There have been other such conventions announced, but as far as I know this is the first one. If you're interested, take a look here: www.playunconventionally.com
And that's really all that's been going on right now. Stuck at home with plenty of free time means I get to keep hammering on my game. With luck, I'll have something publish-worthy by the end of the year. Here's hoping!
While 2020 didn't exactly have the best start, I never imagined that we'd end up with a worldwide pandemic. And I had no idea how much something like that could affect how everyone lives their lives. How much it could affect the world's economy. How much it could affect interpersonal relationships. How much it could affect everyone's mental health.
And, of course, how much it could affect the board game industry.
But life, as always, seems to have found ways to adapt. Board gamers are typically an innovative bunch, and it seems like we've found a new outlet for getting games made.
The Internet.
Sure, there's been lots of ways to playtest games without having people be there in person. There are many online play services out there with an enormous library of games available for play; some free, some not. (Manaforge has been available for online play on Tabletopia and Tabletop Simulator since around when it was published.) There are also several services available for doing voice chat with friends, and games can even be played using a few videoconferencing services.
But now, since gathering in groups is not a good idea at the moment, use of those services for board gaming has gone from a novelty to a necessity. And, all things considered, that's not so bad.
Sure, playing games online is more awkward that normal; there's often more setup involved, there are technical glitches that might disrupt games, it's sometimes hard to learn a new gaming interface, it's takes more effort to see everything that's going on, and simple movement of game components takes extra work.
But for every downside, there's an upside. You can play games with friends on short notice instead of having to plan a time and place to gather. You can play games with people from around the world. You can play games with people you've never met before (and would never let into your home or meeting place). You can play games without having to find a sitter for the kids. You can even play games in your pajamas if you really want to! (Because who cares what you're wearing if they can't see you? :)
And, most importantly for game development, you can get a new set of fresh perspectives on your game. While it's nice to have a dedicated group of friends to help test your creations, a larger pool of testers equals more perspectives equals more opinions and ideas and identification of flaws in your games and how they can be improved.
And that's the new normal for right now. And I'm happy that it's helping to push Nebula forward.
Nebula Online
In order to keep in touch with a lot of my gamer friends, both for playing games and for playtesting, I've been using Discord a lot. Discord is a great service; just about anyone can set up a server and invite their friends. The voice quality is good and it's not particularly difficult to use. I now have a ton of servers that I'm connected to and it's great for keeping in contact with the various groups.
One group in particular I've been in contact with is a group of game creators and playtesters located in New York. Due to the virus outbreak, they've ramped up their online testing, welcoming anyone and everyone into the group. They are a fantastic bunch, full of good game ideas and good feedback. I've playtested several games by other players, and so far I've gotten Nebula to the virtual table once, with more to come soon. My playthrough was very informative, with lots of suggestions for mechanical improvement and streamlining. (Of course, I'm not going to implement everything that was suggested, but a lot of it was very good feedback and I'm incorporating a pretty good sized chunk of it into my game.) Can't wait for the next time I'm able to get my game out there.
BTW... if you're interested in joining the group, it's still open to everyone! Use this link: bit.ly/join-rem-play. You will be taken to a short document to read, followed by a questionnaire to make sure you actually read and understand the document. (The info in the doc can be summed up as 'how to not be a dick'... it's just some info on etiquette and such.) Even if you're not making a game yourself, you're still welcome! If you like playing new games, the games you'll find on these playtests haven't even been published yet, so you're guaranteed to be able to try something new! :)
Virtual Game Conventions
One other thing to have grown out of the current gaming climate is the rise of online conventions. Since so many physical conventions and events have had to cancel due to the virus, a few enterprising individuals have stepped up and created virtual versions of the conventions. Gaming areas, playtesting rooms, vendor halls, artist alleys, discussions and panels... all the perks of being at a convention without leaving your house. (And without having to put up with the smell of sweaty gamers and heat from poorly air-conditioned rooms.)
Since I'm a member of the Indie Game Alliance, I feel I have to mention their upcoming convention. It's called "Play Unconventionally" and it aims to recreate the convention experience as much as possible. There have been other such conventions announced, but as far as I know this is the first one. If you're interested, take a look here: www.playunconventionally.com
And that's really all that's been going on right now. Stuck at home with plenty of free time means I get to keep hammering on my game. With luck, I'll have something publish-worthy by the end of the year. Here's hoping!
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