Suspense & Decision - A PBM Magazine for the 21st Century!

[admin]

I'll try to write something new on 3rd Cycle Alamaze: The Choosing and some of our other developments by the end of the weekend.

I am pleased Grim is giving it another go.  We just seem so isolated otherwise, I mean, I can't even tell you if Rick Loomis of Flying Buffalo is still doing business.   That's not a slight if he is, but without some vehicle like Suspense & Decision, we just don't know.

And I'm not fearing players reading about the competition.

Rick Loomis is still very much in business.

He recently raised over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars on Kickstarter to create a new edition of the card game Nuclear War.

[Ry Vor]

Hmm.  I'm working on a card game.  Mine is closer to Alamaze than Nuclear War.  I think that's a plus.

[Jumpingfist]

For a card game Nuclear War was a good one. Simple to learn and easy to play. Who does not like Nuking someone.

[Atuan]

I like nuking avalon!!!

[Ry Vor]

I respect Rick Loomis as sort of the Father of PBM.  I met him at both Origins conventions I went to for Alamaze and Fall of Rome.  I spoke with him several times and corresponded with him several times regarding his interest in keeping the PBM Game of the Year award going. 

I just don't think much of his games.  When I saw the Star Web (the first PBM game) rules at two pages, with four actions available in the entire game you could take, I was as stunned as he was when he asked me how Alamaze could possibly have been programmed in Symphony.  We come from two opposite ends of the spectrum. 

The potential Rick McDowell designed card game is a challenge in as much as I don't have computer code in which to hide the complexity and alleviate it from the players.  I don't want it to be as complicated as Magic the Gathering with its timing rules, et al.  My normal issue with design is restraining from not making it too complicated: its complexity and learning curve certainly restrained the growth of Alamaze as severely daunting to most casual players, and by that I mean the inherent nuance, not ill begot rules like in Jim Landis' "Legends", where an entire turn could fail from the lack of one quantity of "by-product".  Sorry Jim. 

As I think all that have worked with me on Alamaze and in other business ventures would agree, I can be pretty fussy on keeping the atmospherics where they should be, but I'm fair and responsible.  I keep my word, and as I grow older, I'm kind of happy with that as a defining characteristic.  And as we (as in the community) have had our disagreements, some hot, but I think where I have held my ground, such as with the 3rd Cycle "blooded" concept, players generally come around and appreciate it.  For example, looking at turn results with a few Elite brigades, a couple Warlords, the ability to "barrage" with the Dwarves or flank with the Amazons, the game has a deeper impression and expressiveness than if those were cheaply come by. 

I just can't get interested in a game with little nuance or subtlety, or even, complexity.  I'm proud we have dozens of Alamaze players that have played for 20 years or more, and all the while, have never came close to being bored.  That means a lot.

[Jumpingfist]

At first I was thinking why would I want an Alamaze Card game but after thinking about it I am sure it could be fun to play. Have you thought about making your card or board games into Apps?

[Ry Vor]

At first I was thinking why would I want an Alamaze Card game but after thinking about it I am sure it could be fun to play.  Have you thought about making your card or board games into Apps?

I really was well on the way to a complex Alamaze board game, that would require lots of components and would be expensive.  For those that go to say a Barnes and Noble, see the game department, these big box games go for about $70, weigh about 7 pounds. 

Then I thought that would be egotistical as a first foray into physical game design.  So I am trying to scale everything down.  I'm also trying to understand the market better.  For example, I originally concluded a card game is doomed as MtG owns the market.  But now I am thinking a little lighter but more thematic card game could succeed, if we can get that diversity of play styles that Alamaze provides into the card game.

I think Alamaze players will recognize the card game, should it ever be published.  Current thinking is it would be a pretty flat box, with four kingdom specific decks, one "generic" deck with the PC's, some characters, artifacts and events, and a set of dragon dice to settle various events. 

My potential publisher has been very patient but interested and I think hoping (duh) for a hit.  So as I can't these days just sit down and create for 10 hours, its taking time.  Meanwhile I should also be working on the Alamaze tutorial (The Road to Alamaze). 

So I am hoping, without knowing the potential distribution channels, etc, that the card game can be deemed a success, and then perhaps with some earned name recognition, go to grander designs like the aforementioned board game.

[Tomag Ironfist]

I'd be thrilled for an Alamaze card game! I think if the card game players got acquainted with the name and came to appreciate the card game, that the online game would be much more appealing to them to try out! That paired with the new player tutorial, you'll have a pretty solid market!

[admin]

Issue #13 of Suspense & Decision magazine is out!'

Grab your copy, today!

The download link for Issue #13 of Suspense & Decision magazine can be found here.

[unclemike]

Was issue 12 skipped? I can't find it on your site.