Phase one of the graphic design for Manaforge is now completed. Yay!

The art for the box cover for Manaforge is completed!

This is actually a big deal, because this unlocks several other tasks that were waiting on this. First off, of course, the box cover itself is also completed, because it only needed the art to be complete. Second, the player mats will be using this same artwork, so with this done, those are complete as well.

However, in addition to allowing completion of game components, this art will also serve as a focus for marketing the game. I'm planning on incorporating this art into the tri-fold project boards that I use to advertise the game when I'm at conventions. And I want to use this art as the centerpiece of poster print; something I might include as part of the game. (Perhaps as a 'Kickstarter Exclusive' sort of thing?)

So, this is another milestone completed. One or two more and I'll be able to start having some playtest copies of the game professionally printed.

At this rate, I might actually complete this game. :)

In case you haven't heard, the virtual tabletop gaming service Tabletopia recently launched on Steam. Well, since Manaforge is available on Tabletopia, then by extension Manaforge is now available on Steam!

Just reached a minor milestone. Phase one of the card artwork is done. Yay!

Now when I say the card art is done, I don't mean all of the cards have artwork. As of right now, roughly 60% of the cards are illustrated.

However, what this does mean is that this is all of the card art I'm going to have done before I run the Kickstarter campaign. Every type of card is represented; I have illustrations on resource cards, engine cards, major point cards, and even character cards. All of the cards in the Dawn deck are completed, and all of the wand cards are done.

This is an accomplishment for me, because this is one of the tasks I had to complete before I do the Kickstarter. This shows any prospective backers what the game's art style will look like, and having that large a percentage done demonstrates that I'm committed to getting the rest completed before the game goes to production.

There is, obviously, a lot more to do. Graphic design. Box design. Prototype printing. Game reviews. Arrange production and fulfillment. Videos. Marketing. Set up retail channels. Stretch goals & KS extras.

But this is an important step done. :)

I haven't had much opportunity to post lately. In the aftermath of Prototype Con, I've been busy incorporating the feedback I received and making a bunch of minor changes to the game. No major game-changers, but a few minor balance tweaks and many graphical improvements. Since there really isn't a topic that stands out that I should report on, I figured I'd just lump everything together.

• Prototype Con: The convention was fantastic! A solid weekend of playtests for Manaforge, plus I got the opportunity to try out some other great upcoming games. Manaforge was playtested a total of seven times over the weekend, and each time I got some great feedback from the players. (Not to mention several people stopping by to say they wanted to play; apparently my game table was constantly full so a few people that wanted to play were unable to.)  Thanks to the SUP Guild for hosting, and I hope there's another convention like that sooner rather than later. :)
• Cart art: Phase One of my card art is almost complete. As of this writing, I have exactly one piece of art left outstanding. Now that doesn't mean that the card art is entirely done; what it does mean is that this is the last of the art before the Kickstarter. When this is complete, about 60% of the cards will be illustrated. The rest will have to wait until after the campaign funds.
• Box art: Work has started on the box cover for the game. The graphical design has already started; we already have a working idea and we're just arranging the bits and making tweaks. The illustration for the box cover is expected to start soon.
• Production quotes: While I am still gathering quotes for having the game made, I currently have one company that is standing out above the others as the one I'd like to work with. Without naming names (yet), this company has consistently provided me with prompt responses to all of my queries, given me a pricing breakdown by component, including extra costs for adding on additional components, and is very competitive as far as the exact pricing numbers. I'm hoping I can lock this down soon.
• Intro video: Without having any clue as to what I'm doing, I downloaded a video editing utility called Lightworks, and I'm currently messing around with that in an attempt to make a catchy video for showing of the game. Now, I expect this initial video will be more of an attention getter, heavy on style but light on substance, so don't expect to learn how to play the game from it. I just wanted something that will direct attention to my game and hopefully my website so that potential players can learn more. It's slow going, mostly because of my inexperience, but I'll eventually figure it out.
• Fulfillment: I'm starting to investigate how to get Manaforge from the production factory into the hands of backers and to retail outlets. I've heard a couple of company names thrown around that exist for this purpose, and I've begun looking into those.

Couple all of that with the craziness of getting ready to start a new job, and you could say I've been busy lately. Hopefully there won't be as long of a break until my next post. :)

Mystic Tiger Games announces that it will be demoing Manaforge at the upcoming Prototype Con 2016 event in Kissimmee, FL, on February 19 - 21.

Information about the convention is here: Prototype Con 2016

Manaforge will be demoed during Session 2, which is the time block between 9am and 1pm on Saturday, February 20th. We will also be available during the open gaming session on Friday after 6pm if anyone wishes to playtest then.

If you would like to attend, then you must obtain tickets in advance; tickets to the convention are not sold at the door. Tickets are $30 for the entire convention.

Hope to see you there!

So, I guess I've gone and done it. I've diluted my focus on Manaforge, at least a little.

I recently got a request to complete the design on a silly game idea I had a while back. The item stems from a stray comment that someone made on the Board Game Geek forums. I don't even remember what the topic of the message thread was, but the comment was that some thing should not be named "Suicidal Cabbages". Well, somehow that name stuck in my head, and I took a few minutes to sketch out a game idea about heads of cabbage that are tired of life and are shredding themselves into coleslaw. And that was about as far as it went; just an idea stuck in my head.

Well, I recently had a request from someone on the Tabletopians' Discord server to actually make the game. I mentioned the idea, and that person really wanted to play it. So, I took a few days to flesh out the idea, including stitching together some downloaded images into cards, and uploading the whole mess onto Tabletopia for a few people to try out. Now, this is completely in alpha phase; I don't know if it'll go anywhere, and if it does then it's going to need a lot more work. But technically, it's a second game 'in progress' for me. I don't know if that's good or bad.

Gotta love the ease at which I could turn my idea into an online game. Didn't even need to use up a single sheet of paper or drop of ink; the game is entirely virtual, but no less playable. Tabletopia might still be kind of glitchy, but it's great for whipping up quick prototypes.

So...  who wants to be coleslaw? I always need playtesters, but now I have two games that need testing. :)

Aside from the usual cycle of managing artists and hosting playtests, the past week or so has also been a whirlwind of catching up on new-year business stuff.

For the past couple of weeks, my graphic designer and I have been bouncing ideas back and forth about a game logo. Now by logo, I don't mean a special icon or something like that, but just a stylized version of the game's name. Something that will be plastered across the front and sides of the game's box, put on the front page of the rulebook, business cards, posters, websites, etc.

Going into this having a logo for my game was not something I thought I needed. I figured just do up the game's name in some fancy font, maybe drop a shadow behind it, and done. But if you take a good look at a lot of the games out there, the way their names are depicted is so much more than that. Adding a thematic texture to the characters. Having a special backplate behind the name. Stylizing one or two characters in the name to look like objects...  a cup, a sword, whatever fits the game. Adding fancy glitters or swirly effects behind the characters. Anything to make the game's name stick in your head. Also make the game stand out in a crowd, something that catches your eye amidst an ocean of brightly-colored game boxes.

This has been a surprisingly difficult process, only because I don't really know what I'm looking for. I want some way to make the name stand out, and make it fit the theme. But I don't know what that effect will look like. I have to worry about the sorts of backgrounds the logo will be used on; will it always be light, or always dark, or do the letters need to hold up even on multicolored illustrations? Not to mention that the design for the game's box hasn't been completed yet; it must be able to look good there. (Answer: the logo needs to look good *everywhere*.)

What sort of pizzazz can I add to the lettering to make it look magical, while trying to represent the theme of forging items?

I'm wishing I had realized sooner that I needed something like this.

Tabletopia is awesome.

Hrm, no. That's not quite right. Let's try that again...

TABLETOPIA is AWESOME!

Much better.

In case you're just tuning in, Tabletopia is a website where players can meet up and play board games on a virtual tabletop.

Pros:
- Play board games without actually owning the game
- Tabletopia has a library of over 150 games, and that number keeps growing
- Play board games from the comfort of your computer, no need to travel
- Meet new people from other countries over board games
- Play board games at any time, even with people from other time zones
- Look at the game board from any angle, as close or far away as needed, without getting out of your chair
- Load a game and have the components already set up, no arranging or shuffling needed
- No cleanup afterwards

Of course the service is not perfect. Cons:
- No face-to-face interaction
- Miss the tactile feel; no rolling dice or cards in hand
- Sometimes it's hard to see the entire play area at once
- Interacting with game pieces is a little slower than the real-life version
- Service is still in beta; sometimes it's glitchy

However, there's one major advantage to Tabletopia. Manaforge is on there. :)

Tabletopia is a fantastic tool for developing a new game. The components are free; adding cards, dice, tokens, boards, etc., is a simple matter of uploading graphics and clicking a few buttons. No having to order parts or cut apart paper bits. Making modifications is quick and relatively easy.

However, the largest plus is the ability to attract playtesters to play Manaforge, at any time, from a huge variety of locations. I don't yet have any prototype versions of Manaforge to give out, and I'm not yet close enough to done to feel comfortable giving out print-and-play information. But players can still play, and I can observe and get feedback, which is probably the most valuable thing a developer can have.

In addition, it's now a lot easier to find players to play against. A group of players in the Tabletopia community have formed a group called the Tabletopians. They originally started out as a Steam group, but have moved into their own website, and have their own server on the Discord chat service. Anybody can log onto the Tabletopians Discord server and look for other people to play games with. And that includes playing Manaforge.

The future of board games is coming. Are you ready? :)

If you haven't already, check out the Games page. Instructions for playtesting, including getting onto the Tabletopians chat server, are there.