The Dresden Fi les Cooperative Card Game Prototype History IthasbecomeabitofatraditionnowthatIcreatethehistoryofthenewgame’sevolutionaspartoftheKickstarter.Thistimearound,thegamedesignprocesswassolongthatIdon’tremembereveryphaseofitwithcompleteclarity.Idon’tevenentirelyrememberwhatIwasthinkinginsomecases.However,Iwilldomybest.

EarlyFumblingAround

Onethingalltheseearlyprototypeshaveincommonisthatyouwon’tseeDresdenFilesthemingonthem.Atthispoint,wedidnothaveacontracttodoaDFgame,sowedidn’twantinternetchatteraboutthepossibility.

IoriginallyhadsomeideasabouthowtodoaDresdenFilesgame,thatallwentoutthewindowwhenFredandChristoldmetheywantedittobeacooperativegame.Sotherewereafewmonthsoffumblinginthedark,tryingtogetanideaforacoremechanictobuildagamearound.Imadealotoffalsestartsthateitherdidnotwork,orweretooderivative.Theaboveimageisoneofthem,althoughIdon’trememberexactlywhatwaswrongwithit.Herearesomeothersbelow.Don’taskmewhatIwasthinking,becauseIdon’tknowman.I’mnotsureI’llevergetoverMachoGrande…

AtsomepointearlyonIexperimentedwiththegamehavingaboardthatwouldbeamapofChicago.Ithoughttheremightbeeitheramajoritycontrolelementtothegame,orperhapsarequirementthatcertainquestscouldonlybeperformedbyacharacterinaparticulararea…whichisjustlikePandemic…whichiswhyIgotridofthemap.

IalsoplayedaroundwithadesignthatwouldhavebeenlikeacooperativeversionofDon’tTurnYourBack,withaboardthatwasaseriesoflocationsforplayingcards.However,withouttheelementofcompetitionthatmechanicjustdidnotseemtohaveanyrealutility.

TheFateEngine

IeventuallystartedlookingatFateAcceleratedanditsconstructstoseeifIcouldrepresentthemincardgamemechanics.GettingaholdofFred’sFATEdingbatfontwashelpfulforprototyping.

SinceFateisagenericroleplayingengine,Istartedthinkingaboutadaptingitintoagenericcooperativegameengine–insteadofthinkingsolelyintermsofaDresdenFilesgame.ADresdenFilescardgamewasbynomeansadonedealatthistime.Ibasicallyhadtodesignthisonspec,hopeitpleasedEHP,andthenhopeJimButcherwouldgivethemtheOKtoactuallydoit.TheyhadagoodrelationshipwithJimfromdoingtheRPG,butyouneverknowhowthesethingsaregoingtogo.SoIlikedtheideaofhavingtheabilitytorepurposethegameassomethingelseincasethedealfellthrough.IfiguredifIhadakindofFateCooperativeGameEngine,EHPcoulduseitforDFCO,oracooperativegamebasedononeormoreoftheirFateWorldsifthedealforDFCOfellthrough.

BythistimeIwasalreadythinkingintermsoftheActiontypesofFateAccelerated:Attack,Defend,Overcome,CreateAdvantage.Iwasalsothinkingaboutarowoftaskcardsandahandofplayercards.Ican’trememberwhenexactlyIcameupwiththeideaoftworowsofcards,butthatwasoneofthegreatleapsforwardinmakingthedesignwork,aswellasmakingitmoreoriginal;althoughtosomedegreeitborrowsrangeandreachmechanicsfrommypreviouscompetitivecardgame,Armorica.

Ithenmovedalittlefartherawayfromtheultimatedesign,asIexperimentedwithsomeotherformats,includingmakingeachcardcapableofcontributingtoeachtypeofaction.IthinkIwasthinkingabouthavingmultipleplayersthrowincardsonthesameaction,butIdon’treallyrecall.Whateveritwas,itworkedpoorly.

However,beforeIabandonedthatidea,ItriedrevisingitasawayofrepresentingtheApproachmechanicfromFateAccelerated.IeventuallydeterminedthattheApproachmechanicwasn’tusefultome.Iwasalsodoingsomeopentheming,whichprobablymeansInevertestedthisprototypepublically.Iseecostnumbersintheupperleft,soImayhavecomeupwiththeFatePointsystembythistime.IseeaFateDieinthisprototype,butIhadn’tcomeupwiththeDFCOdicemechanicyet.

SlouchingTowardsEdinboroughtobeBorn

Bynowyouarestartingtoseesomethingthatlooksmuchmorelikethefinalformofthegame.Thereareacoupleofinterestingthingshere.Onthecardtheupperleft,youcanseethatthegameusedaD6insteadofFateDiceatthistime.Ididn’tinitiallyseeanywaytomakeFateDiceworkaspartofausefulgamemechanic,becausetheythrowsuchanoddcurve–likeaZscore.AlsonotethepresenceofAspects,anotherFateAcceleratedconcept.EventuallythesewouldevolveintotheTalentandConceptthatthegamehasnow,butthatwouldtakeawhile.

Notmuchdifferenthere,exceptthatyouarestartingtoseemoretexteffects,includingsomethatdidnotultimatelymakethecut.Also,IhadgivenuponmakingagenericFateEngineatthispoint,andwasjustmakingaDresdengame.

YoucanseeatthispointIwasplayingwithmorerandomeffects.Iwastryingtomakethegamehavealevel-upsystem(hencethe1,2onthecards)andsoIwasneedingtofindwaystoweakenthelevel1cards.Isucceededtoowell,theywereweakasMisteronCatnip.Eventuallyitwouldbecomeclearthattherewasnoeffectivewaytomakecharacterslevelupwithinagameenginethisstreamlined.Youcan’talwaysdowhatispopular–butyouhavetodowhatisright.

BythistimeShannonAppelclineconvincedmethatIhadtofindsomewaytouseFateDiceorpeoplewouldrejectthegame,andsoeventuallyIworkedoutthesystemthegameusesnow–whereacertainnumberoffatedicetackontoabasevalue,creatingcustomizablecurves.See?Idon’talwaysblowoffpopularity.The[brackets]weretheoriginalconventionforshowinghowmanyfatedicetoroll.Thismechanicmadeitmucheasiertocreatecardvariety,somethingthatwouldbecomevitalasIrealizedhowmuchcontentEHPwantedthisgametohave.

Atthistime,insteadofagamebeing1book,agamewouldhave3rounds,eachofwhichwasthesizeofwhatafullgameisnow,hencetheA,B,Cdecks.PlayerswouldneedtoleveluptodowellbytheCdeck.TheyleveledupbyacquiringmoreAspects(seebelow)

Inthisprototype,playershad3kindsofAspects,2ofwhichleveledupoverthecourseofthegame.LikeIsaid,itdidnotworkwellatall.Itcreatedhugeswingsfromeasytohardonafairlyrandombasis.YoucanalsoseetheearliestmanifestationofwhatwouldbecometheShowdownhere.Atthistime,itwasgoingtobethedifficultysliderforthegame.Strongfamiliar,easygame–weakfamiliar–hardgame.IinitiallydidnotdesigndecksaroundBoborMouseinpartbecauseIwasgivingthemthisroleinthegame.ThatmechanicwasmyplaytesterJonSpinner’ssuggestion.Cleveridea,butitwasn’tultimatelyrightforthisgame.

Thisisaboutthe15thor16thprototypeofthegamewithitscoremechanicinplace,dependinguponhowyoucountthem.Hereyouseethegameinprettymuchitsfinalformmechanically,justnotwithasmuchcontentasitwouldeventuallyhave.Ioriginallydesigneditwithjust4characters:Harry,Karin,ThomasandMolly.Itwasalsoa3-4playergameatthistime.IthinkthisisapproximatelytheversionthatFredplaytestedforthefirsttime,althoughmaybeitwasaslightlyearlierversion.ItwasatthatpointthatFredandIstartednegotiatingaboutexactlyhowmuchcontenttoIwastogenerateforthegame.Hewantedmore,Iwantedless–wesettledonthemiddle-Fredwardside.Fromamarketingstandpointmorecontentisbetterofcourse.Fromagamedesignstandpoint,morecontent,morevariablecontent,andfewerelementsthatareconstantineverygame,makesbalancemuchhardertoachieve.Overall,Fredmostlygotwhathewanted.Imorethandoubledthecontent,andeventuallyextendedtheplayerrangeto1-5.

SomewhereinthiswindowIalsowentback,andredidallthemathofthegametogetthebalancewhereitneededtobe.IttookmequiteawhiletoworkoutexactlyhowIneededtomathoutbalance.Iessentiallyworkedouttheamountofhits/clues1charactershouldhavespreadacrossallhis/hercards,theaverageamountacharacterwoulddrawin1game,therangeofamountsoffatetheycangenerate,theaverageamountofhitsandcluesagroupofeachnumberofplayersshouldbeabletogenerateoverthecourseofagame,andthenredidtheoverallpowerofthebookdeckssothattheamountofhitsandcluesneededtowinwaswithinthemarginoferrorofwhatagroupofcharacterscouldprovide.ThereisalittlemoretothemathIdidthanthat,butyougettheidea.Ikeptreworkingthepointssystemunderlyingthecardsuntilthegamewasalmostalwaysclose.

YoucanalsoseeStormFrontinsomethingclosetoitsfinalformhere,withallthetexteffectsIusedtorepresenttheactionofthenovel.Thosebookcardeffectsenabledmetocreatetheme-mechanicrelationship.ItwasFred’sideatoconvertMinionsintoCases,andDefendintoInvestigate;thatmadeperfectsensethematically,IwasjusttoocaughtupintryingtostickclosetothemechanicsofFatetoseethatpossibilitymyself.

Ihadtotaxmycreativityprettyseverelytokeepfindingnewkindsofpuzzles,andmakingthemfittheactionofthedifferentstories.However,creatingnewbookdecksisactuallymyfavoritepartofworkingonDFCO.Playersgetveryfocusedonthecharacterdecks,becauseitissomuchfuntoenvisionyourselfasHarry,orMolly,etc.However,Ireallythinkthebookdecksarewherethegamelives.WhenItistimetodoanewDFCOexpansionafterthisKickstarter,IthinkIamgoingtooutsourceacoupleofthenewcharacterdeckstoEHPfolkswhohaveexpressedaninterest–Fredinparticular.HoweverIintendtohogallthebookdeckcreationformyself(exceptforGhostStory–FredcandoGhostStory–IreallyhavenoideasforhowtodoGhostStory).

Afterthat,itwasjustmakingmorecharacters,morebookdecks,andthentestingtheFortingilloutofeverything.Ican’ttellyouhowmuchplaytestingIactuallydidoverall,butIcantellyouthatIgot4friendsover,madethemtonsoffood,pliedthemwithbeerandgotthemtodoabout30playtestsin1day.ImappedoutawholeseriesofstructuredexperimentssoIcouldestablishwhetherIgotthedesiredwinratioinmostofthebookswithallofthecharacters–andthenexecutedthatseriesoveracoupleofmarathonsessionsandseveralnormalsessionsoftesting.Tookmaybe6months?I’mnotsure.Totalnumberofplaytestswasinthelowhundredssomewhere.

EHPofferedtosendoutcopiesforremoteplaytesting,butIjustcan’tworkthatway.Icannotlearnanythingjustfromareport.Ihavetoseehowpeopleareplayingthegamefortheirfeedbacktobeinmeaningfulcontext.

Thatisthehistory.Ihopeyoufounditinteresting,inspiteoftheholesinmymemory.