thread: 2012-02-22 : Aw Heck With It
On 2012-03-05, Vincent wrote:
Ah, here's a thing I can say.
When I designed Apocalypse World, I started from principles. I took Rock of Tahamaat, yes, plus Dogs in the Vineyard, plus all the other games I've made, plus all the games I've played, stripped them down to their shared foundation, and built up to Apocalypse World.
The first playtests of Apocalypse World looked like an infantile, half-formed, embryonic version of Apocalypse World.
When I designed Murderous Ghosts, I started from Apocalypse World. I stripped it down not to its foundation, but to where Murderous Ghosts had to start. If that makes any sense. Then I built back up, along a different branch*, to Murderous Ghosts.
The first playtests of Murderous Ghosts looked like a gutted, ill-fitting, repurposed version of Apocalypse World, not like an embryonic version of Murderous Ghosts.
So that's a difference in my design processes for the two games. I believe that the closer process relationship between Murderous Ghosts and Apocalypse World survives in gameplay, too.
Holy crap! I have no idea if any of that made the least bit of sense. Somebody ask me followup questions.
* Also, sorry for mixing my metaphors there.
