Hi,

Steampunk World has been going though the mill of playtesting and rework, and I've been learning what the process of producing a game is really like. 

While many parts have proven sound, I don't think there's any part that hasn't been reworked or at least tweaked.  Concepts, playbooks and whole sections have been abandonned; major areas have had extensive overhauls (some of them several times) and there are others I still want to revisit.  The process is taking far longer than I expected, but the improvements are worth it and the game is finally starting to convey the flavor and style of play that I'd envisaged for it - what started as a Steampunk/Sci-fi cross over is finally turning into a true steampunk game. (It's also, much to my surprise, now got a following of nearly 100 people on Google+!!!)

Anyway, here's the link to the current basic moves and playbooks (va0.80/81): https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BzRDxotrnPmTfmNGWkxmSm4tSTlLNllFSEdjUS1IX3NtRDVqQmp4eE5aS3NPNklyOEFGdmM&usp=sharing

If you want to follow progress directly, the G+ community is at: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/108439627279414945168

Would love to know what you think and any feedback, comments or suggestions you might have.

Meanwhile, it's back to playtesting, gathering feedback, writing, rewriting, revising, more playtesting, more feedback, more...

Hi Wambly,

No problem, that will fine.  PM me if you want the Word text.

Michael D

Just opened the Steampunk World community at https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/108439627279414945168

Still getting the draft of Steampunk World into a credible shape for critique and playtesting - will get that out as soon as I can.

Beyond (previously Adventures in Hazardous Space) is going to Steampunk!

Hi, here's the latest version (A1.71) of Beyond: Adventures in Hazardous Space (vA1.71)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzRDxotrnPmTT2dHRU9LT3dfeEk/view?usp=sharing
Everything has had work! Key changes are:
- new, more comprehensive setting creation
- new group and character story rules
- changes to Basic moves and several new Universal moves
- new 'assistant' mechanics
- 4 new classes, 1 new race, changes to all the existing classes and races
- lots of clarification and playtesting tweaks

There's some work on using ships and bases, more classes in he wings, however the biggest thing that's coming is Beyond is taking a sideways step into Steampunk!

My long term plan for Beyond had been to do sci-fi first then expand it into steampunk (I love both genres and the rules are designed with that in mind).  However with relatively empty sci-fi PbtA space suddenly filling with great games like The Sprawl and Uncharted Space, rather than thread on their toes, I've decided to flip things around and focus on steampunk. 

What you have here, therefore, is possibly the last sci-fi version of Beyond for a while (though I may roll out the ship/base rules and sci-fi versions of new classes just for the benefit of anyone who's using these rules).

As for Steampunking this, apart from needing a more steampunk name,  there's a bunch of flavor to change and social mechanics to add, new classes, revised races, etc.  (No, I won't just be putting gears on it!)

I would still love any feedback you may have on the sci-fi version.
And, if you're interested in joining the Steampunk journey I'd love to hear from you.

- Michael D

I think of Campbell's monomyth not as a track to follow, but as a rhythm which good stories flow through, each in their own unique way. 

Instead of "What's the next step?", the question becomes "What does the story need or want right now?" the answer to which is often something from the monomyth.
E.g: The characters are daunted by the obstacles in front of them => push a potential mentor across their path, or have an existing NPC drop some helpful advice into the conversation. 
E.g. The NPCs have been playing it straight for a while => might be time to throw a Trickster into the mix to stir things up.

NB: the answer may also be something much more mundane like giving richer descriptions, making sure everyone is playing the fiction not the rules, or weaving n a story thread that has been lying around.

The other thing that I find helpful sometimes is recognizing which phase of the monomyth the players are in and responding accordingly.

Can you build a game out of this - I'm not sure.  The monomyth is broadbrush meta-game stuff (e.g. Hollywood uses Campbell's work to critique and improve potential scripts, rather than write them from scratch), which makes it better suited to GM tools than player mechanics.

But if you can work out how to weave the monomyth into the character end mechanics of your game in a way that's fun to play...

Uncharted Worlds is now on Kickstarter and has raced past its funding target already!

Check it out/support it at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/278368114/uncharted-worlds-a-space-opera-roleplaying-game

Great question, kdtompos.
(Sorry to take so long to get back on this - wasn't getting notified of replies, but hopefully that's sorted now.)

In the upcoming version (out in the next few days), instead of an injury reducing one of your Attributes, you can choose that it knocks out an (I)mplant instead (provided it fits the fiction, of course).  There are advantages to putting that extra hardware in your body after all. :-)
- (P)ossession (moves) can be loaned to others; can be disabled or lost
- (I)mplants can be 'injured' instead of you; can be disabled but not lost
- (N)Natural moves cannot be disabled or lost?

Wow, just realised the last version released here was A1.33.
Just knocking the final edges off A1.60 atm. Major improvements to setting creation; character personal story added (replaces the earlier shadows place holder); all classes and races have had work, and most if not all moves; new Soldier class; new Plant race; Harm track reworked; lots of playtesting tweaks.

p.s. Great to see that Sean Gomes has got his Uncharted Worlds out on Kickstarter.  If you haven't already, check it out/support it at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/278368114/uncharted-worlds-a-space-opera-roleplaying-game