Indie games don't playtest. That's pretty much the usual stereotype that's associated with most independent games. I have to unfortunately say that I can't really deny this. "Most" indie games (unfortunately) do not typically do playtesting or much analysis at all. Usually this is for a whole lot of reasons, lack of playtesters, lack of time, urgency to release a game (poor reason frankly) ... lots of things go through a designer's mind. Playtesting should be at the top of the list though. Big Iron Vault playtests our games continuously even after release. Any issues we find are immediately posted as an Addendum. A process we're quite proud of.
To make things more fun for us, we're looking into turning our playtest sessions into a webcomic. We're currently looking for someone to help us make this happen. Any artists out there?
Big Iron Vault Twitter page!
Update 16/04/2011
We've started the work on Atlas of Adventure, and we're pleased to show you a small thumbnail of the main map in this new sourcebook. It's a thumbnail because it's not yet ready! This map will form the basis for the detail included in the book. Each key region will be detailed with information
such as the region's environs, political climate, "day in the life", religious practices, population details, and much more to help you fill our your World of Lykarnia campaign.
Printed at www.rpgnow.com 16/03/2011
This is a really solid product that obviously meant a lot to the author. The layout is clear and easy to read. Character creation is explained logically and with lots of examples. There is a good balance of campaign background info, dispersed with game crunch, so the reader isn't overwhelmed at any time. The character "Paths" have refreshing twists to them that make them stand out from typical fantasy tropes. Character races, or "Cultures" are pretty predictable, but comfortable. Magic is handled in a tongue-in-cheek way, but still respects the power of the arcane caster. I wish there had been more spells, but I have a feeling that between fans of the game submitting spells and supplements (hopefully), there will be plenty in the future. Combat seems to lean towards the 'quick and gritty' stuff I love, and the resolution mechanic is easy to understand and based off of the 1d10 die roll.
Wrapping up, I like this product very much! The system is easy to grasp, allowing a gaming group to get started right away; there are many options, allowing for character growth and longevity; and it appears easy for a GM to add spells, gear and creatures of his or her own design fairly easily!
18/03/2011
And yes! Through our "contributions" approach to building our world, we encourage you to carve out a piece of Lykarnia for yourself. Perhaps one day it will be "canon" and will be enjoyed by many others! Our goal is to release The Atlas of Adventure by Q1 2012. Stay turned for more news!