thread: 2011-02-17 : Ben Lehman: Playtesting: Stop
On 2011-02-17, Tyler Tinsley wrote:
ben I like you, but...
By this point I have started and stopped writing this comment a few times tyring to find the right way to put this. It is now an embarrassingly long reply.
TL:DR
making games is really hard. Play testing is an important tool but it must be used with skill and inside of a functional development process.
While I can tell you have put a good amount of thought into your arguments. I think I'm having a disconnect because the development process your using and seeing used is vastly different from other genres of table top games.
I will outline my process and you can tell me where we differ. My process is what I have been able to learn from board game designers and figure out on my own
Concept
Each game has a unique spawn point, lately I have been fairly existential, I only want to make a game exist if it's going to do something other games don't yet.
Goals
I quickly write out my goals, sometimes this is in the form of ad copy. If I can get the pitch down then all I need to do is deliver on that pitch.
Notes
I write notes and outlines of how the game will play, nothing at this time is what I would consider "final text", it's mostly to remind myself of the rules at the table. these notes are developed and researched, math and other things found out.
Initial build
This is when I make everything required to play the game, for storygames or rpgs this would be a character sheet a rules outline and whatever scraps of setting i think will help. for other games it's decks of cards, boards and bits.
let me again stress how important it is that nothing at this point is considered "final text".
Playtest
I play the initial build with my group, I know them very well, I understand their tastes and styles and know how to frame their feedback and make it useful.
I do this because it's almost impossible to recreate the brain space and atmosphere of an actual game. This stress of play always finds things that can be adjusted.
Development and playtest cycle
Any changes I feel necessary are made to the outline and components. At this point I play test again. I do this enough until I get what I want from the game.
Initial draft
Few games ever make it here. Once the game is where I want it, I start writing final stuff. Expand my outline and write rules into a book and generally prepare the game for consumption as well as I can.
product testing
I hand the game to a few people who have yet to play it and see what they think. Their feedback still must be filtered but these few people will still catch the most glaring errors in the presentation. I revise a little at this point to make sure the presentation is effective. When i'm happy i release the game.
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The process I have seen many story game and rpg designers use is for lack of a better word total bullshit. I know this because it was the process I used when I started. Process outlined as such.
Make a game
write your first draft of the rules, with diagrams. Make all the components and everything necessary to play.
Play game & change stuff
Crap! it sucks! change stuff. repeat until the rules document is completely incomprehensible because your constant edits have trashed it.
for some people this step is optional.
release the game
At this point you have the choice to internalize or externalize your failure. It's either "they don't get it" or "your terrible and should stop making games". The truth is neither.
GAMES ARE HARD! no harder then you thinking, they are REALLY HARD! I make games because WATER COLOR was too easy. Failure is required, a necessary step. The key is what you do with it.
