I was originally going to do a YouTube video on this topic, but I figure that its more appropriate for this format.
So a few months back I shot my shot and found a publisher/editor for my game. The Pressure System is happening, but inside a shiny new world to breath life into it.
So how has this experience been? Terrifying and Exciting.
Levels of Feedback
Let’s first talk about the types of feedback you might get as a game designer. I am going to list out 3 levels here.
Level 1 - Look what I do!
The first level is not super helpful, but is the most common in the TTRPG space. You describe your game and someone then explains what they might do in that situation by referencing their own game.
“I like what you did here, but something seems off. In my system we use M&Ms for health, that way you are forced to eat them when you take damage!”
This is coming from a great place, and the person genuinely wants to help. But they are also stoked about their own system and opinions. Its’ cool to hear about other people’s games, but it’s not actually helpful for you.
Level 2 - The Questioner
The second level is much more helpful. You bring up something you want to talk about and the person you’re talking to starts to ask lots of questions.
“What sort of game are you creating?” “How does this fit into the lore/theme?” “What is the vibe you are trying to create with this?”
These can be wonderful because it makes sure you’re thinking about the overall process, and really getting to “what are your intentions?” A lot of time as a new designer you just want to create cool stuff and it’s easy to get way off track chasing some new idea.
Level 3 - The Mentor
The final level is a true mentor. This is a person who knows your goals, knows how you think, knows the business/hobby, and has accomplished your goal already in their own life to some degree. The result? Constructive personalized feedback with motivation attached.
This was a direct quote from my current mentor when I was waffling on a design choice. I brought it up and he said this. Simple sentence that meant a TON because of this individuals history and his understanding of where I am currently in my game. Let’s dig into this more…..
You need to find a Mentor
I’m the sort of person who has been hardwired for mentorship. Martial Arts as a kid, Residency and Fellowship in my professional life….I’m a strong believer in learning from those who have been there. But do you need a mentor when creativity is involved? To be a Creative you need to have the courage and confidence to say “this is the design, here it is”. True conviction in your own vision.
This is where having a mentor has been valuable to me. The first few months I was taking a backseat role. I would present my ideas then use their wisdom to find the voice within my work.
When I first presented Pressure System there it had a vague setting, with half baked ideas, and there was a 77 page pdf of rules that felt disconnected. Inspiring words about the parts that were inspired, and hard conversations about all the mess. My mentor was forcing me to stop waffling. Forcing me to commit to concepts. Forcing me to throw things out and start from blank pages. Giving me blunt feedback on when things were bad or not in harmony with other ideas. It was tough…very tough.
I had a lot of imposter syndrome during this window of time, and I was deferring a LOT. I would pitch an idea, receive a different idea, and then just go with the mentor’s suggestion. I was being over deferential, because they had the wisdom I wanted.
However, a solid mentor can see what you're doing. I was pushed again and again. I wasn’t let off the hook for my ideas, and especially my writing. I wasn’t allowed to just accept the ideas of the mentor. He stopped giving me direct suggestions. This was important.
Soon I was writing more concisely and with a voice of my own. Soon I was telling my mentor when I wanted to hang my hat on my own idea and not theirs’. And how did they respond to that?
“My Gut”. He was forcing me to trust my gut. He was slowly guiding and molding me to be more confident in my design.
Now, am I 100% confident all the time? Hell no, not even close. Am I becoming more confident and outspoken about my beliefs in my design process and system? Absolutely.
Playtest vs Playing
This was another early concept my mentor pressed on me that I want to throw out there for other would-be designers. Stop playtesting and just play.
The problem with playtests is that now all the players at the table are testers. That is a totally different mindset. You are inviting them to be designers. They are going to pick everything a part, and will probably become LEVEL 1 feedbackers. Bless their hearts, but this isn’t helpful for you. You are going to lose confidence in your design. You’re going to start throwing things out at random…it’s going to get messy.
Just play. The players are there for fun, it’s a normal campaign. You are introducing new rules and adjusting things based on what is FUN. That’s your guiding star. What is fun, what gets in the way, what adds friction, what reduces friction? Just play.
Go forth
That’s all for this newsletter on design. Go forth. Play. Find yourself a True Mentor.
-Jface