What one man calls "art," another calls "trash." You being "desensitized" to nudity by lots of exposure to it, tells me a lot. I think nudity is not just adult. It's private and intimate in the culture I grew up in. I won't purchase a game/book with nudity in it.
@bluebotic2327Күн бұрын
I think that's fair. No one should buy products that they find offensive. And you're right, 'art' is subjective. I'm really just trying to get a sense of where gamers land on this topic that watch my channel. I think it's healthy to have discussions and debates about this stuff. Artists have been studying the human form for centuries--scrutinizing it, reproducing it, celebrating it in masterpieces. A lot of that art has been funded by powerful religious organizations. The Vatican, for example, has an impressive collection of art including many nudes. For instance, The Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel portrays nude human forms. Is that trash?
@preacherbeeman3437Күн бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 in a way, art is really a form of communication. In any format of communication, there are at least two basic sides. The source intent, and the receiver's interpretation. The two are not always the same. Was an old nude sculpture of David meant to be erotic? Doubtful. Could many "enlightened" people look at it and see nothing inappropriate? Sure. Many others, especially younger teens, would look on it a bit embarrassed and curious. A feeling that this isn't quite right. A bit daring and grown-up. A bit taboo. Culture has a lot to do with this too. What body parts do people in different cultures view as private, or sensual? It varies. For me, trying to desensitize folks to, or normalize nudity as a medium for entertainment, is not a good thing. This was the major reason I didn't jump on board the more recent "Conan" board game. Naked, or nearly naked, women in the art. That nudes art fits perfectly with the theme of Conan, but it doesn't have a place at my table.
@bluebotic232722 сағат бұрын
@@preacherbeeman3437 I agree with a lot of what you're saying. Artist intent and viewer interpretation often diverge wildly. First, I don't think children should be exposed to adult/mature content. There should be a rating system on print media and board games like there is on TV, film, and video games. I wouldn't want a TTRPG book with nudity to be mixed in with all-ages content and thrown on a shelf at a game shop. And stuff like this does happen in game shops, comic shops, and mainstream bookstores. I've seen it first hand and it's problematic. I think 'fine art' gets a pass (to a point). David can be David, and (American) children can be a little embarrassed when they see his willie. But should children be exposed to 'art' that pushes the boundaries of free speech/expression? No. I don't think so. I don't need my nephews' take on Maplethorpe. Second, I think there is a distinction between board games and TTRPG books in the context of our discussion. In one of the offline conversations I had, I even stated: 'I don't think there's a place for nudity in board games'. I personally don't want a box of cardboard and plastic depicting lots of naked people on my shelf or at my table. That's just me. That's just my line in the sand. But a book is a discreet, self contained artifact. I have a shelf (or two) for mature books, and as an adult, I read them and enjoy them and keep them away from my nephews. I don't have any TTRPGs with mature themes that 'do it right', so I've purged most of them. There's a level of skill, sensitivity, and taste needed to 'get it right'. An example would be the work of Gustave Dore. Masterful. His depictions of The Bible and the Divine Comedy are absolutely stunning, and do contain nudes. If a game designer was producing work of this quality, I'd be all over it. Lastly, 'Desensitizing' everyone to nudity is not my goal. I have done a lot of life drawing over the past 34 years because I'm always trying to become a better artist, and mastering the human form and anatomy is one measure of competency in art and illustration. It takes an army of art students toiling away on honing this skill for countless hours to produce a single Michelangelo. Most of us realize that we will never be the next Michelangelo, and so we find our lesser places, but the process is important. I haven't been tainted by my journey in life drawing. It's just one tiny part of my life. I'm very happily married. I spend exponentially more time out in nature (trail running, mountain climbing, hiking with my wife) than I spend drawing naked people. This is an art blog so everything I talk about is from the perspective of an artist that is always trying to hone his craft. That's why this conversation interests me. I'm trying to determine how much of my understanding of art can or should apply to game art. I appreciate your perspective.
@preacherbeeman343722 сағат бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 I appreciate your perspective. I think one of the things I struggle with is the un-needed use of nudity in the entertainment industry, in general. How many movies/shows have I watched where a nude scene pops up that does practically nothing to make the story any better, from my perspective. It's a solid story unfolding, interrupted by needless nudity. Somebody thought it was needed for some reason. For me, it gets in the way of the story being more accessible. It doesn't seem more adult. It seems more childish, immature, and a weak way to gain views. Almost a lazy way to be controversial. I recognize that this seems to be a long way from the discussion of nudity in fine art, but I also think this history gives me a bit of bias against nudity in any form of media. From my personal religious perspective, the nude human form is a beautiful gift from God that was meant for us to enjoy gazing upon and dreaming about and enjoying within the proper bounds of marriage. This is where another bias forms for me against nude "art." Again, from my religious perspective, man has a habit of taking good things we are given, then twisting them just a bit away from what God intended, and using them to our own ends. That started a loooong time ago. Given that personal understanding, I recognize that this also biases me away from being accepting of fine art or game books which include nudity. I certainly could be wrong on the issue of fine art and nudity. I do see the beauty of creation in the forms fine artists have been able recreate through different media over the years. Proper warning labels on products would be a must, for me. Again, thanks for sharing your perspective. You got me thinking a little deeper about the issue than I have in a while. I think that is the real value in these types of conversations. Have a great day!!! Keep up the good work.
@feuerstrassen9446Күн бұрын
Things americans ask themselves.
@bluebotic2327Күн бұрын
Yup. Europeans have had this figured out for centuries. Americans are still really hung up on nudity, but embrace ultraviolence.
@Genghis-PawnКүн бұрын
Interesting question. I think the sexual vs non-sexual nudity distinction is likely a red herring, but I am of two minds as to why. From a practical perspective: Maybe you're asking about this not (only) because it's an interesting question but because you're trying to determine either (a) whether you might begin to consciously "filter" that art you put into your games to avoid nudity, or (b) whether there might be some niche market specifically for games whose art contains ("non-sexualized") nudity. Here I think the distinction is a red herring because while you may not _intend_ to draw sexualized nudes, once you circulate them it's no longer up to you whether they get sexualized by viewers/players. (The same goes for clothed figures, fwiw). And likewise, one viewer/player who doesn't sexualize the images cannot necessarily ensure that folks they show it to will follow suit. There is perhaps a tacit acknowledgement of this in the replies you received prior to posting the video. Players who don't themselves sexualize nude art might refrain from sharing it with others either because they don't want to be put in the position of defensively "protesting too much" that they don't sexualize it, or because they don't want to see someone else sexualize it. And players who don't see nudity as especially thematically relevant to (their playing of) the game might object that it serves no purpose other than as potential fuel for sexualization. What's notable is that the audience for the game would likely decrease even if you didn't intend the art to be sexualized and even if nobody playing it sexualizes the art. So I imagine there may be good practical reason to generally avoid nudity in your games (and, I might guess this is why it is in practice often avoided). From a design perspective: I could imagine the broad outlines of a ttrpg whose world and theme make non-sexualized nudity truly relevant. There is no shortage of cultures/societies/settings throughout human history where this would have been the norm, and a game exploring these (and similar) worlds might appropriately feature non(-intentionally)sexualized nudity. Of course, the same might be said about overtly sexualized nudity -- and so again, I think think the sexualized/non-sexualized nudity distinction is a red herring. From this perspective it boils down to what you're trying to accomplish and ensuring that the art fits; then the question of nudity or not is no different than, e.g., are there ray-guns or whatever. If the goal is to get the design out, regardless of audience size, then everything is on the table.
@bluebotic2327Күн бұрын
Your response is very thought provoking. I think you've cut to the heart of the matter. And I think you're right about the red herring of sexual vrs non-sexual. It seems obvious in hindsight, now that you've said it. There will likely be some amount of sexual tension even in non-sexual nudity. And the consumer will always decide how much there is, and how much is too much. And it's all subjective. Impossible to quantify. And yeah, why am I even posing this question? Testing the waters? Trying to understand the mind of the 'indie game consumer'? Looking for permission to uncensor myself? Looking for confirmation that I should censor myself? Unclear. I think mostly, I'm just curious about the sensibilities of Indie TTRPG game consumers these days. BUt probably all those other things too.
@Genghis-PawnКүн бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 If what I said was useful, I'm glad. Me personally, I am most interested in games where a single designer (or small team) carefully craft the whole game (art, components, rules, layout, etc.) with one unified vision of what they're trying to do -- even if they don't announce to me what that vision is. I might actually prefer "cryptic" games where the intention is not entirely clear. If I were to encounter a game along those lines that looked interesting, whether or not there was nudity in it would likely not be decisive for me.
@bluebotic2327Күн бұрын
@@Genghis-Pawn yeah that’s exactly how I am too. I prefer small, internally consistent art and games, and I usually gravitate toward ones that sell to a niche audience.
@4141releeКүн бұрын
The problem is many people do have a problem with nudity, sexuality and vulgarity and many don’t want their children exposed to it. So everyone’s interests are satisfied, products with adult material should have clear labels defining content. Imperfect but helpful.
@bluebotic2327Күн бұрын
@@4141relee I think an official rating system for print media would be great. I’m surprised at how much mature / adult content ends up on general audience shelves at bookstores and comic shops. It seems like tv, film, and video games have all adopted rating systems. But print media seems all over the place. Frankly, music is all over the place too. I hear gangster rap with ultra violent and sexual lyrics playing in coffee shops and family style brew pubs where children are eating. It’s been normalized. And it sucks that children have to listen to that shit.
@wishiwere2 күн бұрын
Nudity itself is neutral I think. The reception depends on the context & the delivery combined with the viewer's personal projections. Sexuality can be something beautiful or something turned grotesque. A clothed or semi-clothed figure can be vulgar while a nude innocent. There's a ton of female nudity from female artists and I often see distateful figures from them as much as in male artists' work. Neither male or female POV is more valid than the other & both can be as biased. There's no black and white here as usual, just a greyscale. So explore what comes naturally to your project and take into account the feedback you get if it's useful for what you're trying to do. You have a mature and nuanced point of view and it should be respected, not manipulated into being censored. Which you explained well in the video anyway. Stay authentic. Thanks for the great update! Love that Codec book! [ EDIT: grammar and a line that was beside the point ]
@bluebotic2327Күн бұрын
Hey thanks. yeah, I think nudity can be used in many different ways to achieve many different results. I'm not sure I even have a problem with vulgar imagery, as long as it's clearly labeled as such and not easily accessible to children.
@wishiwereКүн бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 Oh absolutely, speaking in the context of the video and adult media. The rating and content labels should be clear for parents.
@Genghis-Pawn2 күн бұрын
love me a good ramble. Also I am that weirdo who would love to see a video about font design. I'm sure I could find one somewhere else, but I'd be interested in your take.
@bluebotic2327Күн бұрын
Maybe I'll do a video on some of the font design and layout stuff. I'm sort of figuring it out as I go, and I'm kind of a hack, but it's not as daunting as it seems.
@Genghis-PawnКүн бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 We are all hacks! FWIW the "I have no specialized skill in this but here's how I started figuring it out" perspective is the one I'd find most interesting.
@red8332 күн бұрын
I personally do not have a problem with nudity or gore within games or any media. But I find it interesting that most women who read romance book which most often these books depict, or have pictures half naked men on them and they’re OK with that. but when it comes to female nudity women seem to have a hatred or discuss feelings toward this form of art. Thank you for the interest in discussion. 👍
@bluebotic2327Күн бұрын
I don't feel qualified to comment on this because the only person I know that has read romance novels with those types of covers is probably my mom. Ha! And she seems pretty neutral on nudity in art. But I appreciate the sentiment. I do think men and woman both dabble in double standards against each other, especially in matters related directly to gender and sexuality.
@Talliesyn2 күн бұрын
For all it's worth I wish designers put more emphasize into adult side of the hobby. And I do not mean just nudity, but mature content overall. I do not think the nudity is the peak of what's achievable here. It is painfully absent in the narrative games. But I guess it's a niche within a niche so hard to anticipate this to fully bloom, realistically speaking. I am looking forward towards your final product. Really curious what it is going to be! I am working on my own game, but am a rules guy. Love art but can't do it myself. Must be very liberating to be able to design the whole thing yourself! Keep up the good work.
@Talliesyn2 күн бұрын
And to answer your question: well it's complicated. If the theme is mature then I'd personally have no problem. I would even go as far as to expect those things. That the author does not strain from it. But it certainly, as you've mentioned, drastically decrease its exposition. I'd be a lot more descreet. Also must be done tastefully, not just to sell the product with sex. Personally I love art from Gerald Brom, Patrick J. Jones, they do not oversexualize, they make it look natural, but also very eerie.
@bluebotic2327Күн бұрын
@@Talliesyn I think there is a lot potential in the over-18 game design space. Not even in the realm of overtly sexual content, but just in the realm of not-for-kids.
@nightbirdgames2 күн бұрын
I have no issues with nudity in media, especially as art. I appreciate candid expressions of life unfiltered. My next RPG will feature nudity, inspired by 70s comics and adult animated films like Heavy Metal and Ralph Bakshi's Wizards, which introduced me to nudity in these genres during my childhood. Growing up, I came to see nudity as a normal aspect of life and honestly beautiful, thanks to my parents who never shamed it or tried to block my view when it appeared on TV or otherwise. Certainly some media will include nudity gratuitously to bring views or attention towards itself (sex sells, and this is increasingly evident.), but I fully support its inclusion when it enhances the narrative and feels organic especially. Your witch or siren is tasteful in my opinion and feels organic to the lore you are describing. It's interesting how many characters typically have exaggerated features in media. I'd love to see more media that embraces diverse body types and celebrates natural forms. Love handles, small breasts to sagging breasts, even genitalia. As a man of course I find the exaggerated features exciting to look at, but I appreciate the more natural (not to say their aren't people out there that look like they just walked out of a Frank Frezetta painting). I love the sketchbook illustrations and the book itself. There's something special about aged leather-bound books. The more scuffed and aged they are the better. Makes me want to start drawing again.
@nightbirdgames2 күн бұрын
I want to share an example of what I found absurd regarding nudity in films. As a fan of horror movies, I grew up watching many, and nudity is often a common element in slasher films. However, the 2009 remake of Friday the 13th went overboard with it, which detracted from my enjoyment of the movie. While I appreciate Jason's portrayal in this version, the excessive nudity and ridiculous sex scenes negatively impacted my enjoyment of all things blood and gore. This serves as an example of tasteless media that, in my view, failed to utilize nudity as an organic art form. If you've ever seen it or will watch it you'll probably understand what I mean. Don't get me started on the later Wrong Turn movies...
@nightbirdgames2 күн бұрын
However, a recent slasher/grindhouse film called Candyland by John Swab did do it tastefully and organically imo. Also treated these flawed characters like real human beings. Good movie I think. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqWTomWYfaetmpI
@bluebotic2327Күн бұрын
@@nightbirdgames Thanks for the movie rec. I'll check it out. I can't remember if I've seen that remake of Friday 13th or not. I may have tried to watch it at some point. I did see all the original slasher films in the 1970s-80s. I agree that there was likely a better sensibility about sex and nudity in media back then. I sort of wander to what extent the pervasiveness of internet porn has damaged artists' instincts toward nudity and sex in art and media in recent times. I also think ultra-violence in media is embraced by most Americans, while nudity still seems like a complicated topic. I know people that let their young kids play GTA and Call of Duty but shield them from bare breasted imagery in public art. That dumbfounds me.....
@chronixchaos708116 күн бұрын
Instead of using numbered chits as timers, how about using dice, where the player sets a die on the object/character/condition with the starting time number face up representing the number of turns the condition lasts. At the end/beginning of each turn the die is turned to show the time reducing. When the die reaches zero it is removed and the condition is therefore removed.
@bluebotic232716 күн бұрын
Yeah someone else suggested that too. Good idea. I could just include 4 to 6 red dice etc for tracking stuff...
@andrewgibson418919 күн бұрын
where did you get the Gustave Dore book?
@bluebotic232718 күн бұрын
@@andrewgibson4189 I first saw it in a bookstore while I was traveling abroad but didn’t want to have to carry it around for a week, so then I searched for it when I got back and found it on Amazon. The Fantastic Gustave Dore hardcover 2023. There are a bunch of thinner softcover Dore books floating around at used bookstores all across America for cheap too. His Divine Comedy is great. Dante’s Inferno etc. Paradise Lost is great. His bible illos are great. You can find all this stuff out in the world pretty easily. I do love this massive anthology though.
@DanWebb_BoomerManDan19 күн бұрын
Very cool to see your brain journey!
@mikewice360819 күн бұрын
Gustav Dore is one of my favorite artists for inspiration too! Great taste. Really enjoying watching your progress on your game.
@bluebotic232719 күн бұрын
@@mikewice3608 thanks alot.
@lucasg951620 күн бұрын
Awesome to see the sketchbook that has your original artwork for the game! While it's tough being in that "doom loop" of development, I've heard that a game never feels finished (something I'm experiencing with my own game development)...what have your playtesters been saying about the updates? 🤔
@bluebotic232719 күн бұрын
I haven't opened the new design for broader playtesting yet. I want to get it mostly worked out with my own playtests then open it up to my playtesters. The first two rounds of broader playtesting (Beta and then RC1) produced an enormous amount of useful feedback, so I'm very excited to get this new version into the hands of my playtesters.
@bluebotic232719 күн бұрын
I should add that I have gotten some emails from some of my playtesters and the comments from them about the new design are mostly positive. But I also appreciate the negative and brutally honest feedback I get, especially from people that have contributed a lot of their time and energy to playtesting this game. I guess it's also worth noting that this redesign was driven in large part by my desire to fix a lot of issues that playtesters (including myself) were having with the game.
@ironartur20 күн бұрын
I always enjoy a Low video update! It's really weird to dream about book layouts 😂 but they really look great
@bluebotic232719 күн бұрын
It's totally weird. How does the brain imagine complete works in great detail like that.....it makes me wonder how many solutions are already locked inside our minds to questions we haven't even asked yet. Like maybe the problems we come up with are derived from the future solutions that already exist on some quantumly entangled level. And dreams are just snapshots from the future, or one possible future if we choose to unwrap it.
@nightbirdgames20 күн бұрын
Welcome back. Everyone needs a break creative break every once and awhile. Your sketches are very imaginative and inspiring. Really cool stuff here.
@bluebotic232719 күн бұрын
Hey thanks. I've got more to say on your project, coming soon!
@communis_20 күн бұрын
LOW update 🤘 Thanks for the catch up vid, Rich. Make the amazing game you'd want to play, dude. Happy creating
@bluebotic232719 күн бұрын
Hey thanks man! I'm a total hack. So all I can do is keep hacking away!
@communis_19 күн бұрын
You're killing it! Hack away ⚔️
@styler78020 күн бұрын
You have great taste in your inspiration materials. Could you please put the names of the Dore/Frazetta art books in the notes. I'd love to check those out :)
@bluebotic232719 күн бұрын
Hey thanks. Here are the book names (the Dore work is blowing my mind, I've seen a lot of it but neve rin one place like this): The Fantastic Gustave Doré Hardcover - May 9, 2023 Frazetta Book Cover Art Hardcover - January 3, 2023
@thumperhunts625020 күн бұрын
What a process. Im doing it also. Power to you.
@bluebotic232719 күн бұрын
Thanks!
@allluckyseven20 күн бұрын
Been missing your updates, man! On RPGs, I've been doing something similar. Not with OSR, specifically, but I've been keeping an eye on that too. Knowing that you follow some other channels that I follow, you're probably aware of Shadowdark (and that it got quite a few Ennies this year). Haven't read that one yet, but I'm looking forward to it. AD&D, Easley covers: YES, absolutely. He's one of my favorites, together with Keith Parkinson. Haven't taken any deep dives on any rules pre-2nd Edition, but I've spotted some fairly detailed stuff that's been missing from games, I think. Also, I've been hearing about the stuff that the Judges Guild put out in the late 70s, early 80s. I'm fairly positive that you would enjoy that. Doré, gahh... I got to know about his illustrations in college, but at the time I wasn't into that so I missed the oportunity to really take in that stuff. It's so awesome. I've also been hearing about CYOA type books, Fighting Fantasy style. I guess I may have seen them in Marco Arnaudo's channel. One's Ker Nethalas and the other isss... Cages of Fear. Didn't read those yet, but I've played the first book of STAKE, and that prompted me to try and come up with a CYOA system of my own. Worked very little on it so far. But that also made me think a bit of your RoS. I do think that you could have some cross polination between that and LOW, for sure. They could be things happening in different places or timeframes, but it would be neat to see things (even "hints") from one thing on the other. Cool seeing your sketchbooks again! To me it looks like there's something wanting to pop out from your mind after reading all of those classic RPG books. :D
@bluebotic232719 күн бұрын
Hey thanks allluckyseven. I have been keeping an eye on Shadowdark. I haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. Not sure why. But I've watched a lot of coverage on it. I've seen lots of positive chatter about Ker Nethalas. I should dig into it. I'm familiar with Cages of Fear. I might actually own it?! I bought several CYOA books when I was doing a deeper dive on the genre and got through some but still have a stack to look at. The CYOA space is still very exciting to me. Even my RoS/Low dream stuff has a CYOA component to it. I'm really curious what you're tinkering with in that space!! Yeah, digging into all the rulesets has ignited a fire in my coder's brain, and Dore has ignited my art brain, and the two fires are starting to collide. I think AD&D has a lot going for it in terms of level of detail. The Gygaxian language can be exhausting to wade through, but the underlying systems are interesting to me. OSRIC is a retroclone of AD&D 1E, and does a great job of making it more digestible. I think for multiplayer, I gravitate toward simpler systems (like Shadowdark seems to be) but for solo play, I really crave crunch and complexity these days. One example: you can start casting a spell in AD&D, and spells take multiple segments of time to cast, but depending on initiative and how the 10 time segments of a combat round play out, enemies can disrupt a spell mid-cast, etc. There's a lot of interesting mechanical nuance from which narrative emerges. The mechanics don't serve the narrative, they drive it.
@allluckyseven19 күн бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 I seem to remember that bit about spellcasting in AD&D 2e. It may have been one of the things that was kept (or adapted) from 1e. I definitely remember playing one of the gold box games from SSI (Death Knights of Krynn) and my spellcasters had their spells interrupted all the time. Of course I would try to do the same and stop enemies from casting their spells, so it became extra important to bring ranged weapons to a fight.
@bluebotic232718 күн бұрын
@@allluckyseven I think the most useful thing I learned in the past month is to take notes on things I read. Especially rulebooks. I was reading that AD&D DMG and thinking that I'll never fully process the whole thing or even be able to parse out the instructions from all the Gygaxian fluff. But taking notes made it very digestible. Active learning vrs passive learning. It's changing the way I think about consuming information. I guess i was doing that with some of the old Ares Magazine rulesets. And even Magic Realm. I'm remembering how useful notetaking is to the creative process.
@allluckyseven18 күн бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 I do some of that too, but should definitely do more. On my CYOA stuff, which I forgot to mention, it's very much in the embryonary stage and has no story at all yet, I'm thinking about structure, primarily. I have to do more research as I may be reinventing the wheel... But I want something more complex across the board. With shorter numbered sections and more options per section, different levels of connections between sections (not just number to number, but using conditional tags "if you got this item, if you're with this person..." maybe going deeper than that), and more complex, "AI" driven conflicts (not just physical).
@bluebotic232718 күн бұрын
@@allluckyseven that's awesome. I've spent a lot of time tinkering these types of CYOA engines. I think there is A LOT you can do with this type of thing. Simple codewords can add a lot of complexity. Those are basically yes/no booleans. 'Do you have the GOLDEN APPLE codeword: yes, goto page 10, no goto page 20'. You could come up with a 'scripting language', like: GOLDEN APPLE (y: 10, n: 20) Fabled Lands has extensive lists of codewords. But one thing I was playing with back when I was trying to write a CYOA was codewords with variable states, not just yes/no. GOLDEN APPLE could be any value from zero to whatever. And the game can tell you to set GOLDEN APPLE to a value. Or it can tell you to add a value to its current value. GOLDEN APPLE +=3. And I was even playing with some of these changing codeword values equating to page numbers. It makes cheating very hard. If GOLDEN APPLE > 0, GOTO page GOLDEN APPLE right now, otherwise continue. Anyways, LOTS you can do with COYAs that I never see anyone doing. You could write paragraphs that are functions. reusable snippets of logic. Flag your paragraph number then goto a function paragraph, possible passing into it a codeword or codeword value, the function returns a new value or codeword and you continue. Exciting stuff. Basically an analog software program.
@davidstevens1309Ай бұрын
Just discovered this! Amazing work. Please tell me it's going to kickstarter and not Game crafter. Shipping to UK makes everything unaffordable
@bluebotic2327Ай бұрын
@@davidstevens1309 sadly, V1.0 will be printed and distributed via TheGameCrafter. I realize this is not optimal (or even feasible) for many Europeans. I’d love to make this game available in Europe, but as a one man studio with little time or resources, TheGameCrafter is really the only viable option for me right now. But, maybe I can crowdfund a v2.0 and figure out fulfillment overseas. I also plan to release a print and play version for cheap or free. So that’s an option. And I’m seriously considering a roll and write / rpg version of this game as well. Which would just be a pdf and/or POD book VIA DriverhruRPG etc.
@davidstevens1309Ай бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 Hey, I totally understand. I'll continue following with interest :)
@JK-pg2qnАй бұрын
Why not poll people on boardgamegeek whether they'd prefer standees included or as an addon? As for card backs, I prefer the utilitarian approach: add some advanced rules, or any other game content.
@bluebotic2327Ай бұрын
I posted a survey here on my channel a few weeks ago (since this YT channel is really the only platform I'm on and it has more eyes on it than my BGG page). I got about 100 responses and they were split down the middle about standees as part of the core or as add-ons. It's interesting to see that half the people interested in LOW are totally cool with just counters. And half really want standees. Yeah, monster card backs should probably enhance gameplay in some way, and not just be eye candy or flavor.
@FlackonАй бұрын
Haven't checked up on the progress in a while. But it looks good! Nice work
@bluebotic2327Ай бұрын
Thanks!
@janzurek3384Ай бұрын
That was a great ASMR opening 😊 I'm looking forward to see your playtest video... By the way, I am in Ireland right now. 🇮🇪
@bluebotic2327Ай бұрын
Loved Ireland! Brought back Covid. But it was worth it. Playtesting has revealed some minor issues with discovery cards that I'm fixing now. Nothing major. I think the new system is going to be cool.
@SipsVenRantАй бұрын
Love it! Thoughts of counters vs dice?
@bluebotic2327Ай бұрын
Weird, just saw this. Yeah, good point. Dice could be easier, cheaper, and less noisy for tracking numeric things. I'm not crazy about tracking numeric values using dice. Rotating the dice, trying to find the right pip etc. But, it really is cleaner. I'll play test some using dice. Replacing the red numeric counters with a couple of red d6 dice could be an improvement....
@lostSUND4YАй бұрын
The artwork for this game is out of this world. Its dark and brooding but simple. I guess a bit like Darkest Dungeon. Those counters are probably the best looking counters i've seen, ever. And i play alot of wargames. This game, in my opinion, does not need minis or even standees. Hell, if there was a bunch of countersheets with just a large amount of random fantasy monsters/heroes/civilians i'd be all over that. I'd use them in all my fantasy boardgames and RPGs.
@bluebotic2327Ай бұрын
@@lostSUND4Y hey thanks I really appreciate the kind words. I have a philanthropic fantasy of someday producing a library of copyright-free fantasy art and making it available to all for free. A sort of gift to the fantasy tabletop gaming community. Maybe after this game ships I can think more on that. I need a reason to draw more.
@camboyrdee2 ай бұрын
So hype for play testing. Went back and played the whole playlist randomly the other day, then saw you uploaded! Game is looking amazing as always, brother!
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
@@camboyrdee Thanks a lot!
@ConnivingGooses2 ай бұрын
The standees look awesome and it would be great if they came in the core set but it would be a bit pricier.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Thanks. Yeah, I love that they exist. They are more fun for me than counters. I need to crunch the productions cost for the various options.
@ConnivingGooses2 ай бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 Yeah! Definetly figure that stuff out but I think they could also be integrated into the game in an easier, more cost effective way. Like, maybe since you already have cutouts organize them in a different way to fit standees too?
@MrMaltavius2 ай бұрын
Counters for different status effects could be done on the player-card track. Also, I'd recommend cutting 3 out of 4 corners on markers with number and characters on so that you can easily orient them the same way.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Good ideas. Status counters for all conditions will increase the counter count quite a bit so I may have to just use min cards.I think the printer I'm using for the final product does rounded corners on everything. I thought of using a black stripe at the base edge of numbers and letters too for easy orientation.
@TheDankFarmer2 ай бұрын
Solid video - that cutting was super satisfying, haven't heard of this game till just now - subbed for sure it looks great
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Hey thanks. Yeah, crafting paper and chipboard stuff is oddly satisfying for me. It's very meditative. I've been doing it since I was in elementary school so I think it tickles some very deep neural pathways in my brain.
@Genghis-Pawn2 ай бұрын
Always a treat. Keep at it. Can't wait.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Thank you!
@ike_d54022 ай бұрын
Just so everyone knows - this is exactly how every single copy of the game will be manufactured.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Ha! Very true...for the Print and Play version....
@jonanjello2 ай бұрын
Love the look of those cards, BB. Nice progress
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Hey thanks. They're coming along. I'll need to do one more art/design cleanup & copy edit on all of them. Right now, many of the cards are still using art from the counters which is too iconic and low res for cards. But the cards that I've upscaled and detailed in Photoshop look decent so I've got a process figured out. it's just gonna take some time.
@lucasg95162 ай бұрын
Great opening! I loved seeing the component creation process. Can't wait to see how playtesting goes! 🎲⚔️
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
I love crafting stuff. It's very meditative for me. I used to post a lot more videos that demonstrated process.
@kkantele2 ай бұрын
Looking good!
@kkantele2 ай бұрын
I really like the map cards back!!!
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
@@kkantele thank you!!
@SandorHQ2 ай бұрын
Maybe the hero card setup instructions would work better on a separate sheet, so the player could reference the sheet while putting stuff on their hero cards? I favor having either splash art or alternative versions on card backs. During gameplay I think it's better not have to flip cards to look up something. Flipping works perfectly with the monster counters, since the flipping represents state change, so it actually has a game function. Absolutely love your secret passage counter idea! As for numeric counters, if the numbers are low, perhaps small beads or cubes could be used alternatively, allowing more flexibility and reuse (e.g. when you need four 4 counters, but you only have three). And I'm staying *very* tuned to see the first playtests! :)
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Tiny cubes for numeric counters is not a bad idea. I can see a case for going that way. if there were several 'shapes' they could even be used as UID pairs. Instead of two 'A" counters, you'd have 2 'Cylinders'. Sounds expensive. But that would also get the game down to 4 slugs of counters from 10. I'll look into it as a thought experiment. In most cases, the numeric counting will be low: 1-5-ish.... I thought about that issue with Hero Setup rules on card backs. But, for the most part, the rules will be instructing the player to grab a bunch of minicards: spells, potions, ingredients, equipment, and powers/skills. The very last instruction could be: now turn this card over and place the 3 vital stat counters on their starting positions of the stat tracker. And these values are listed on the side of the card containing the stat tracker.
@johnmiddleton42912 ай бұрын
Looking good. I wondered how this project had been coming along and it looks like I actually missed a few updates. That's youtube trying to get me to watch random stuff rather than subs. That looks like a lot of cards.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Thanks John! Yeah, I think it'll be about 100 mini cards. Not horrible. And my home built card stock id slightly thicker than the actual card stock, so this stack looks bigger than it is... I hear you on youtube's 'algorithm'. I've just been trying to watch less and less youtube. I've even scaled back on channels that I love and even channels back on Patreon. Drowning in content. I'm still very addicted to YT...
@thehyena90092 ай бұрын
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but is this a precursor to a kickstarter or is this just a fun little passion project?
@johnmiddleton42912 ай бұрын
It will sold on Game Crafter when finished.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
John's right. Version 1.0 of the game will be available in two formats: Print on Demand at TheGameCrafter.com, and Print & Play via a downloadable PDF. It is just a fun little passion project. But I want to make it available to anyone that wants to play it. If I'd kickstarted this project, by now I'd have a mob of angry backers demanding results and/or refunds due to how long this game development has taken me. I see it all the time. Entire channels devoted to shaming crowdfund game devs. Maye v2.0 could be crowdfunded since it'd just be minor tweaks and bug fixes. but even then, I'm just not sure it's the right platform for me.
@kosterix1232 ай бұрын
Monster backs can hold information on random secret passages. The more you defeat the more likely you find a secret passage along the path you discovered so far. Characters: usually female/male versions. Rare items: items should be tiered, and 2 copies of common vs 1 copy of rare. Doesn’t cost you more design to add copies. As long as you keep counter pairs (matching position with detail) distinct in form and color it should be fine. Lands of Galzyr does that well.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
yeah, I have considered male/female hero card sides. But I'd need more counters and standees to represent these opposite gendered heroes.
@thumperhunts62502 ай бұрын
Whats the name of the corner cutter?
@johnmiddleton42912 ай бұрын
It's from Oregon Lamination. You can get it in various radii, but this one is probably 3mm.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Yup. OL. This one has lasted for 7 years, 2mm, I think..... Thousands of corners. I probably need to get it sharpened.
@jurgenvalksvalkie71702 ай бұрын
Very nice!!
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
thanks!
@KyawThurein2 ай бұрын
It's getting better and better.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@KostikSaint2 ай бұрын
Can't wait to play this!
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Me too!
@nightbirdgames2 ай бұрын
So far, I think this is my favorite opening to a low update. Cool just to see the prototyping in progress. Everything is looking real good. The discovery deck could possibly be used to create secret passages.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
That's a great idea. I did consider adding icons to some Discovery Cards. And one of those icons could mean: you may search for a secret passage here. I like the idea of secret passages being counters that can potentially provide passage from any walkable space, through a solid wall space, to another walkable space (even between map tiles). That would make secret passages way more valuable. But also rare, constrained by the number of counters. Man, I really underestimated the cognitive load of all the travel and made zero progress with Ferryman. But now that I'm back and my update is posted and we're entering a holiday zone I will finally play it.
@nightbirdgames2 ай бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 Yeah that sounds like a great idea with the icons. No problem! I actually been making some quality of life changes. Some reformating, which probably wasn't a problem before but the more you look at something the more you think maybe it sucks lol. Adding some more options to some tables and streamlining. The only big change is how missions are handled (no more rolling for where they are located, now there are mission sites all over the map you can go towards to complete missions). I added a little star icon to represent these. Also, roaming threats are tracked with a simple token, cube, etc now instead of dice flipping each turn. I missed my Kickstarter date because of a problem with the lighting in my playthrough video. Looked great on camera but the actual video is blown out. Looks like it's under questioning for murder. Probably leaning towards mid August or early September now. The Kickstarter page is looking fantastic though, short and sweet and grimy. Perhaps it was a good thing since I did think of the streamlined mechanics. Also Microsoft updated and messed up some formating in publisher so I had to go through and fix that. I'll send you the updated version when it's ready, so if you want to hold off to play with the mission and roaming threats updates that'll be totally fine.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
@@nightbirdgames I would love to play the updated version! Definitely send me a link at your convenience. The changes you describe sound really good. I do plan to shoot a playthrough once I get into it. I find that natural daylight is the best for shooting board games on tables. I prefer to set up my table or use one that is near a window and preferably that window is perpendicular to the camera so the lighting is coming from the 'side'. If the camera is facing the window, you will get glare or washed out color. And the soft shadows that a side facing window casts help convey dimensionality of the game components. I like to put a piece of chipboard down on the playing surface for two reasons: it has a non-glossy & diffuse surface, and it's a mid-tone neutral color which helps keep your game component colors from getting 'color corrected' by the camera. It just seems to produce the best colors and contrast. I use zero lights when filming most of my stuff. You can see the results of this method in some of my old Ares Magazine videos, like Citadel of Blood how this all comes together. That's about when I figure this stuff out. The black cutting mat that I use in some of my videos produces worse color and worse contrast. And when fail to put down a diffuse mid-tone substate, my tables are too glossy and that also ruins the color and contrast. I only do right about half the time.
@brodieswift30612 ай бұрын
This is looking great, slow and steady! Do you print these play test assets yourself? They come out so good, what printer do you use?
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
@@brodieswift3061 it’s an Epson 7720 or something. Inkjet. I’ve had it for a while. It’s an affordable workhorse. I rear feed strathmore Bristol board for card printing. One sheet at a time. The counters are printed on my HP laserjet printer. And spray mounted onto 0.040 chip board. You can also just go to kinkos etc.
@COOPFORTWO2 ай бұрын
Looking great.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Thanks!
@hubyxreds2 ай бұрын
You know you can take someone seriously when you see them using an Olfa knife :P It's great that the project is still alive, it seems that it has been a long road. I think the card upgrade was a great idea. I'm a little lost on how the game works currently, are you planning on publishing any updates to the rulebook?
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
The rulebook and the quest book will have to be completely re-written. I hope to start doing that after this round of play testing. I think in general, the core rules and the quest rules will be shorter and more concise since both are more modular due to the use of cards.
@AymericGA2 ай бұрын
Yes I agree, I would love a video on how the game works with the new system
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
@@AymericGA if the play testing goes well, I’ll shoot and post a session.
@allluckyseven2 ай бұрын
Extended rules for the monster backs sounds great for us players because it's "more game!" But it will take more dev time too, so... This doesn't have much to do with your game in its current state (I'm sort of just writing it down here), but I've somehow misinterpreted "condition" cards when you mentioned them, I was thinking instead of "conditionals"... And now I'm thinking if those kinds of things could be added to cards, like, different options for quests or some other thing, that would alter the game. If X happens, then use this procedure, if not, then use this other procedure. Standees as add-on would be the right the way to go, I think, if every component would fit into the base box, them included.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
I love the idea of writing quests that have conditionals. Quest 1 sort of has one conditional at the end. But I could see really leaning into that for some more advanced quests. Yeah, advanced monster rules = more work. And I am really starting to budget dev time so that I can finish this game in this lifetime. Anything but generic monster cards backs is going to eat up lots of time. Even splash art. 14 monster types. Let's say 4 hours per illo. It's a lot....
@allluckyseven2 ай бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 Then again... That sort of thing is really fun to do (IMHO!) Both creating new rules/options and creating art. The painful part is implementation. Putting that stuff you've dreamt of into the cards, having to cut stuff out because it doesn't fit, etc. And, well, sure, balancing. If that's desirable. Creating new rules would be like making 50% - 75% more monsters... But coming up with options like alts for monsters where they get different attacks with wider effects once a certain condition is met (think of a "bloodied" monster that gets more aggressive, those options would be on "side B" of the card)... that's the cool part of making games.
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
@@allluckyseven 100% this is where game dev should really start to get fun. I need to lean into these things that could make the game better. Maybe way better. By tweaking existing assets and available real estate.
@litendavid2 ай бұрын
@@bluebotic2327 As a (very fair!) compromise, couldn't you use the same art as on the front but turned 90 degrees (so portrait orientation)?
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
@@litendavid I'm not sure it'd hold up at the bigger scale. I'd need to do illustrations at a higher res with mroe detail. Which would probably be the most fun part of this entire game dev process. But also time intensive. I have considered releasing an RPG or roll and write version of this game, in which case I'd need better art for all the monsters anyways.
@Luchiop2 ай бұрын
Monster card back could have optional random modifier for the current battle?
@bluebotic23272 ай бұрын
Hey Luchiop! Yeah, I've considered variants and/or modifiers.