Author: Sean Nittner

Thinking about factories in Coalridge from the perspective of the people working there.

Working conditions have got to be the worst. Cramped (to make more room for the work), hot (because of all the machinery), dark (minimal electroplasmic lighting), dangerous (tons of dangerous machines, jagged edges, open flames). I can imagine old Skov songs being sung to lighten the conditions and Akorosi foremen afraid the songs were insulting them (probably true) reacting poorly.

The wages. Silver slugs or something that forces people to stay in the area like food and rent vouchers? Better or worse pay if your Akorosi or Skovlander? Differences in pay for adults vs. children? Based on gender? Affected by disabilities (I imagine a lot of injured workers who have to work just the same)?

Working hours. How long is a slogger’s shift? 12 hours? 16? I think the work shifts probably are named after the hour they start, yeah? Sixes and Pearls maybe? Fours and Thread?

Do folks work every day? I’m thinking there is a break, not out of any kind of sympathy for the workers but because they machinery gets too hot, too greasy, too irradiated by the low grade electroplasm that they use to power the machinery? I’m imagining four or six days of work and one day of cleaning? Maybe just one shift of cleaning? Seems like a lot of ways to game that system.

What about the work itself? We know they’re working on repairing leviathan hunters. Also that there is a design facility for the sparkwrights. I’m sure they also did steel work to support Gaddoc Rail as well. But other products of industrial factories were textiles (a big one, both cotton and silk), glass making, agriculture, mining, building supplies, steel processing (to remove impurities), batteries, matches, waterproofing, and probably a ton of others that I’m missing. What all do you think is produced in Coalridge?

Thoughts on game design, from a publishers perspective. Thread:

https://twitter.com/SeanNittner/status/969723982478901248

https://twitter.com/SeanNittner/status/969723982478901248

Heya, anyone working on a supers game forged in the dark?

Sean

Tales from the Cantina

Apologies in advance for ALL THE YELLING. IT’S BECAUSE I’M SO DAMN EXCITED!!!

Set the scene: Gen Con, years ago, late at night, invited as a guest (the kind of “you’re my friend, so be cool” guest) to a party, and asked what kind of whiskey I liked. This was before I had gained any kind of taste for the stuff, when it all just tasted like ow-ow-it-burns and why-am-i-killing-myself-like-this to me.

And then the magical Whiskey Wizard John LeBoeuf-Little asked me a few simple questions. I swear it was like that way they figure out where you fit on the Myers-Briggs spectrum. He asked me things that had nothing to do with whiskey (which was great because I knew nothing) and yet somehow divined form the tea leaves of my answers exactly what drinks to give me to try and in what order.

I have no idea what I actually drank that night, but I remember John. His kindness, his patience, and his wizardry. I also own him for the many improvements made to my personal bar!

Flash forward several years when I get an email from John Harper asking if I wanted to play in the Blades in the Dark promo game for the Kickstarter. Hell yes I wanted to play in it! And in that game, the man who would soon become my fellow Bloodletter, was Stras Acimovic.

I knew Stras was the consulting designer for Blades, but I didn’t know what that title really meant. I found out. He was the OMG I AM SO HYPE ABOUT THIS GAME, I’M GOING TO PLAYTSET THE HELL OUT OF IT AND GIVE YOU SO MUCH INSIGHT INTO HOW IT PLAYS AT OTHER TABLES AND HELP MAKE THIS GAME SO MUCH BETTER consulting designer.

Fast forward just a bit more when I realized that Stras and John LL were working a project together.* A Forged in the Dark game before there were Forged in the Dark games. It was part of the Blades stretch goal list but unlike most stretch goals it was being designed AT THE SAME TIME!

They were designing a game using the wonderful Blades in the Dark system, but full of space faring scoundrels, water dwelling xenos, way bending mystics, ancient ur artifacts, and of course, a overpowering galactic hegemony! Or in other words…

ALL MY STAR WARS AND FIREFLY DREAMS COMING TO LIFE ON THE DAMN PAGE!

Since then I’ve seen a lot of Scum and this game has not disappointed! I had the pleasure of playing it with Stras, Andi Carrison, and Jory Bowers on Actual Play (you can find the videos over yonder: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNuXiEYyM4isWCFlCmywChngKTaP5Gcx5) and the adventures of our Stardancer have been a blast!

I’ve also seen behind the scenes and looking over the rules and the text itself, which Stras and I have talked about till the wee hours of the night. The game, the setting, and even the upcoming art, are all just so good.

That is why I’m so happy that Evil Hat is officially going to publish Scum and Villainy! Happy dance!

You can find the product page over yonder: https://www.evilhat.com/home/scum-and-villainy/ And make sure to follow John LeBoeuf-Little and Stras Acimovic closely, as they’ll be releasing more sneak peaks as it get closer to release!

PEW PEW

* Projects, not project. I know.

WHAT?!?! The 354 page text complete draft if Scum and Villainy is out!

Yep, Stras Acimovic and John LeBoeuf-Little have a text and layout complete version of Scum and Villainy out now. This is happening!

Also! Since art is still in development, we can help make the game better by reporting any errors we find over yonder: https://goo.gl/v7W7t2 (I’m going through it right now!)

How to get a hold of this beauty?

* If you were a Blades Kickstarter backer, you should have just receive a backer update with a link to it.

* If not, you can get the Digital Edition Early Access over on DriveThru here: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/198681/Scum-and-Villainy-Digital-Edition-Early-Access

On the first day of Bladesmas my gang gave to me…

…a spectre in a dead tree.

Celebrate Bladesmas with the Wobbegong Crew in at 6PM PST. Can we hurt the Hive to get in with the Unseen? All to pay our debts back to the Wardens? Join Judd Karlman, Pete Cornell, Jason Bowell, and me to find out!

https://www.twitch.tv/actualplay

Making a game Forged in the Dark? Looking for a publisher?

If so, ping me. Evil Hat is interested in publishing more games that are based on the Blade in the Dark ruleset, i.e. Forged in the Dark.

What we’re looking for:

– Complete or near-complete games that have been thoroughly playtested.

– Game manuscript in plain text format (not in layout).

– Setting/genre that would fit in Evil Hat product lines.

– Some mock ups of character and crew sheets as a point of reference for the graphic designer to work from.

– Ideas about layout and art aesthetic (including artists you have in mind).

– A willingness to work with us on all aspects of the game as we go through the editing, layout, proofing, art direction, and indexing to get it ready for print.

– A partner in marketing the game along-side us by playing it online, at conventions, with local groups and generally building the excitement that comes from play.

Services we provide:

– Finishing (we have a stable of talent to do editing, layout, art, proofing, indexing, etc).

– Project Management (we’ll work with you as well as all the staff assigned to the project to complete the game and make sure it meets our standard of production quality, which is pretty damn high).

– Marketing (this is co-operative aspect. EHP will use our marketing engine but the most ardent fans will always come from you).

– Manufacturing (developing the print spec, getting quotes, proofs, and working with the printer to complete the book).

– Fulfillment (delivery to wholesale, direct vendors like IPR, and backers/pre-order customers, along with the customer service and ongoing inventory supply management needed).

We’ve worked with John Harper to publish Blades in the Dark and we couldn’t be happier with what a great game it is. We want to work with you to make even more of them. In fact, we already may be working with some of you now 😉

Ping me and let me know if you’re interested! seannittner at gmail.

Questions about Blades in the Dark licencing

Check out all the info about using the Blades SRD here: https://bladesinthedark.com/licensing