Realms of Aundora began in 2013. It is a tabletop roleplaying game utilizing d20 mechanics. Its first version was a rules heavy, extremely crunchy game that focused on tactical fighting. After playing and running tabletop games for almost 15 years, I decided to set out making my own. Little did I know that I would make a game that revolved around mechanics I didn’t use when playing. It became a passion project that focused on making combat engaging, and entertaining, keeping everyone involved during every turn. It turned into an extremely crunchy, record keeping mess that slowed the gameplay to a crawl during combat. Even though it kept players engaged, and gave weight to their choices, it felt to slow, and placed to much of a burden on those playing to keep it honest.
I then spent a couple years developing ROA’s setting, lore, races, and inner workings. This is what has lead to the first 9 playable races, and their part in this foreign world. Even though I had stepped away from the mechanical side of gameplay, my love for the world and those who inhabited it led me down a rabbit hole of creativity. I paired up with an amazing artist I found on deviantart, and saw my vision slowly come to life. It was sometime around 2017-2018 that I abandoned the project all together. Without the desire to play it and seeing the flaws in its mechanics I then began dedicating myself to understanding what I wanted out of a tabletop game. I made game after game focusing on mechanics. I dabbled with dice pools, gambling, narrative, and free form mechanics thinking I would find what I was looking for. While I probably spent to much time developing these games, navigating through their inner workings, and describing new settings and races. I learned a lot of valuable things from this process. I learned maybe a little to late that the randomness and swingability of the d20 was the fit for me, and so I set out to perfect a system that blended the randomness, with player agency, and the freedom to define exactly who you are with minimal restrictions. This leads us to early 2020. After making over 2 dozen table top games exploring all my options, I decided to try one last time. If I was going to make the game I wanted to play, I needed to revisit Aundora. With the experience I gained over the years I set out turning the game I hated to play into what I consider to be my masterpiece. The new Realms of Aundora is still run with a d20 but takes a different approach to gameplay. Modifiers are smaller. The emphasis on customization and player creativity is larger, and the shackles placed on combat have been removed, making it a freeform experience that encourages the player to experiment with their abilities. This game is set in the highest of fantasies, and my motto during its creation has always been “why not.” After all if people at the table aren’t having fun, then why are we playing. Throughout my recent playtests, this mentality has so far made the game more fun and engaging for my players. Long story short, I have finally found the game I want to make, and in truth I have been making it this whole time even if indirectly so. Soon I will begin sharing more about the game, diving deeper into its mechanics, setting, and lore.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorArchives
April 2024
Categories |