The Otherworlds RPG is out already. You can start with 50 pages and $5 with the Quickstart or $30 for the full RPG from Vindicated Entertainment and the core rulebook.
This post has an interview with designer Vincent Baker about what it takes to create a game like Otherworlds, and it’s a look at the new Kickstarter.
Vincent and Vindicated are on Kickstarter to crowdfund the physical edition of the RPG.
It’s a tabletop RPG inspired by computer games and anime, a future fantasy setting, a 2d6 system with milestone advancement, explosive rolls, an Attribute+Skill Proficient task resolution, and Edges.
The core rules have 12 races, 12 classes, 12 sub-classes, hybrid class options, 24 themes, 85 friends and enemies, 34 enemy variants, 10 vehicles, over 150 spells and, importantly, 12 worlds.
That means there are over a million combinations of character creation.
The 12 worlds are possible because Otherworlds is, set in The Veralysis Galaxy, home to many.
An interview with Vincent Baker
What are your top five tips on how to make a RPG on a budget?
1. Playtest and pitch your game to several people, friends and otherwise. The last thing you want to do is invest your time and money into a project that nobody wants, and maybe even at the end of the day, that would include you as well. Really try and come up with your pitch to be a sentence or two and see if people’s faces genuinely beam with excitement and if they ask follow up questions. If not, then maybe reconsider your pitch or approach. With people being excited at the idea, it should be easier to get players on board, whether it’s friends, family, local game shop attendees, or convention goers. As you show the game off and play it, keep an open mind to those who may be talented or know people who can help you in other ways for your tabletop RPG (whether it’s illustration, graphic design, etc.)
2. Kiss – Stands for “keep it simple stupid.” As a game designer it can be incredibly tempting to keep adding, but really your core game is finished when there’s nothing left you can take away, not when there’s nothing more to add. Keeping it simple will also mean less work… which means less cost. Make a game and get it out there. Remember kiss!
3. Okay, you’re going to need somewhat of a budget. Once you playtest, you have your pitch, people are hyped. Invest at least a few hundred dollars into a piece of art that stands out and represents your game. Feel free to talk the concepts out with your friends and make sure they resonate with it, but this promotional art will do wonders for marketing your game and making it feel more real to others.
4. Video. Videos are becoming more and more popular and social media is prioritizing them above all else. Luckily most phones have ample cameras for delivering a decent video (don’t underestimate it). Just be sure when you record, you do so straight ahead and not at a weird angle where it’s from bottom, giving you a butt chin. Keep the energy fun and don’t be too rigid. It’s nothing to take too seriously, just be you, the best you can and don’t be afraid to scrap it and start again another day if you need to.
5. Art, design, layout are all going to be your biggest cost. Luckily for you it’s also one of the last steps you need to worry about and if you really have to, you can go to Kickstarter with your test game, written material, promotional art (+ bonus art), and videos to acquire the funding to fill out the rest of your book! You may also know someone in your life that you can partner with or use a plethero of sites, such as FB groups, Fiverr, Deviantart, etc. to find someone who fits your needs. Just remember to be respectful to the artist you’re working with and clearly lay out and detail exactly what you need. If you have them change things, once they’ve already moved onto coloring, don’t be surprised if they up the charge (and they should), BUT every artist you work with should also give you a chance to approve the art before they get to that point.
As with anything, it’s a learning process and the only way to really learn is to put your feet in the fire and move forward.
What three things would you tell your young game designer that you know now?
1. Really make sure you figure out the core identity of what your game is supposed to be and who it’s supposed to appeal to and triple down on that constantly.
2. Use popular channels like DriveThruRPG when you can. You’re only hurting yourself by not doing so.
3. Have fun. Making a game takes a lot of work and can be stressful, but we’ve got one life on Earth, so let’s make it count and enjoy the journey.
What are common game design on a budget mistakes and how to do you fix them?
I think a lot of people come at it from a similar place that I did, which is, “I want to make this really big, awesome game, that fits my taste 100%, regardless of how anyone else feels.” Doing that can feel a bit at odds when you start getting pulled in a lot of different directions, because maybe your game doesn’t fit neatly into a box of what people expect and so it can be a big struggle. You may also just be all over the place since you don’t have a clear focus and change art styles, genres, directions, etc. and with each change it’ll cause confusion, loss of attraction to your game, and more expenses for you!
I’d recommend people’s first game be very small. Learn the ins and outs, start to finish, on a small project. Think as small as you can get and keep it there. When you get comfortable doing a small project, then you can expand to something bigger. I’ve now released over a dozen games and expansions, and my first game was Otherworlds, which is by far my largest… probably not the best idea from a practical sense.
Last but not least, it can be hard finding a good artist, let alone many to work with. It can even be awkward if you’re working with a friend and they’re not being professional about it. Best you can do is find a rising artist who has a proven track record of doing art, but not quite at the level to be working with Blizzard, Riot, or other big name companies. “Rising Artists” at this level tend to be highly professional and understand that you’re not a giant company, being more affordable to work with.
Otherworlds Kickstarter
People become Otherworlders for many reasons—knowledge, power, freedom, you name it. They’re only about one out of every thousand people, so not just anyone is cut out for the job.
Backers who can pledge $1 are buying themselves into the add-on options for later on.
At $25, backers get a digital copy of the core rules, and my research suggests that’s good value.
With worldwide shipping options, backers who pledge $45 or more qualify for both a PDF and a hardback.
So far, the $55 option is more popular, which adds a digital copy of Otherworlds Anthos.
The Vindicated Entertainment team estimated delivery this August.
Quick Links
- Kickstarter: Otherworlds RPG
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