Jeff Z. wrote:
(I should note that I posted this to the ning forums several days ago, and have received ZERO responses or suggestions. I find that to be slightly upsetting, suggestive that either my questions aren't worth responding to, or that it's personal about ME.)
The Ning forums are still very new. It takes a while for a community to build to the point where discussions flourish naturally. Even this very list, which has been around in one form or another for roughly 19 years, sometimes neglects to respond. I wouldn't take it personally though; it's still the Internet. Regarding playtesting, the only way I've been able to get people to playtest my games is to grab people in person, mostly at conventions. Seriously, that's the only way that's ever worked for me. I know that not everybody can make it to Origins, but short of recruiting testers one by one in person, I don't know how anybody else does it. Regarding variants, if a game doesn't stand out strongly on its own, if its replayability and sticking power aren't exceptional, then it's a variant. If they all seem like variants, then maybe you don't have the base game yet. Jackson Pollock had something to say about this, but it isn't appropriate for a family friendly list. =^) Regarding the ethics of giving credit, I always like to give credit where it is due. Even if a game has developed far from its original concept, a little "Inspired by Game X" goes a long way, especially with the designer of Game X. -- Elliott C. "Eeyore" Evans eeyore@xxxxxxxx