Post by: Grant Rodiek

I have so much on my plate right now and it’s really an exciting time for my designs. I like being busy as it focuses me. GenCon 2013 was a really good refresher. I have two games being considered by really great publishers and I think a few years worth of networking is really starting to pay off. The key is, though, to make sure I’m designing games that take advantage of those relationships.

If you read this blog, you know I have a lot of ideas that I throw out and abandon, though really, these are ideas I just re-factor, re-purpose, or return to in the future. You must strike while the iron’s hot and tackle the things your mind is churning towards.

Here’s my current task list in priority order:

1. Blockade Scenario Design: I took a content light version of Blockade to GenCon. I did this to really nail down the mechanics and make sure the foundation was secure before I pressed forward with scenario design. With the post-GenCon tweaks designed, I now need to focus on scenario design. My initial goal is to design 3 scenarios. These will be individually compelling AND will be sequentially tied together. It’s still a goal that these scenarios tell a campaign.
2. Build Flipped. This is an idea I’ve been working on in my mind for a while. I’ve long wanted to design a light euro-style game and Flipped is that. It’s a game about urban renewal. On the way to Germany I designed two variants of it and picked one.  More on this as it’s built. Tested. Killed. Revived. And so forth.
3. Rules and PPP Prototypes: I’m helping some folks with their rules and their prototypes sent via the PPP. This takes up quite a bit of time and isn’t as simple as you might think. Whenever you want to know why a publisher hasn’t responded yet with detailed feedback on your submission, know that it takes time. So much.
4. Research Operation Fortitude. This is one of those amazing stories of World War II. Before the Normandy Invasion, the allies spent months misleading the Germans with fake landing sites, inflatable tanks, fake army groups, and more. I want to make a historical game to appeal to certain publishers, but don’t want to craft another war game. I’ve made 2 combat games lately and I don’t know how to stand out in the crowd with a historical combat game. Fortitude gives me the space to craft a historical game about espionage, logistics, deception, and grand planning, without being a war game per se. I’ve purchased two books and have begun reading them. I’m very excited about this game. I have some neat ideas, but want to let them stew and research it all first.
5. Design something for my Classic Game Remix Design Competition. I’m the judge, so I probably shouldn’t make a game, but I want to. In fact, many of my ideas for Norcal are a part of my idea for this contest.
6. Revise Drafty Dungeon. This one’s low on the list, as you can see. That means I’m not working on it, but I like it, so I might at some point. The problem is that it’s a neat idea, but not a unique one. It’ll take me a lot of time to craft something a publisher may not want. That makes the opportunity cost here a bit pricey.

What are you working on? Anything fun? Did your priorities change as a result of GenCon? #6 on my list would probably be #2 if GenCon hadn’t gone through. #3 and #4 might not exist at all, either.