Towards Tribute Alpha

If you've read this post, you know that I plan to create two versions of Tribute- a simple version called "Alpha", and a more detailed version called "Omega".  The primary difference I expect Alpha to have is the lack of the 12 Function Elements. Effects will be more freeform than they will be in Omega. 

Writing these two versions isn't a matter of just writing a simple game then making it more complicated- if I want them to be compatible, I need to have Omega done first, so I can simplify it for Alpha. I need to know how I'm handling things so I can generalize the rules. 

In the coming posts, I plan to start putting up the Element rules I'm working on for Tribute Omega. Each of the current (34) Elements will have its own post containing only its rules, which I'll try to keep to one page worth of information (in 9 point Font).  As I write each of them up, I'll make each Element's entry in the Summary of the Elements post into a hyperlink to its rules page. Each entry will serve as a reference that will be edited in the future if and when it needs to change.

I expect this process to create a lot of changes to what I've previously explained regarding the Elements. I will be trying to make things more elegant, and shore up issues as I find them. I may need to change, combine, or alter the Elements, so be warned. It might get messy.  

I'll continue to post about other game issues throughout the process as they come up.

Thanks for reading.

Quick Update-Alpha and Omega.

Just a quick update to let any readers I have left know that I'm still working.

I'm currently reexamining some of my core mechanical assumptions, which if I were to post about them prematurely, might just lead to frustration to anyone reading. I'd likely have to recant anything I posted now.

I will say that I'm working on a way to build a simplified version of Tribute, possibly without Functions. This would likely work as a Basic version of the game; you'd add Functions for the Advanced version of the game. This would allow the basic version of the game to use plain English for Effect descriptions if I can pull it off.

I'm toying with calling the basic version "Tribute Alpha" and the advanced version "Tribute Omega". I know that Alpha tends to mean "Work in progress" in software circles, but I like the pairing.

I'm not sure if I can pull this off, honestly. It will require some significant changes to how the numbers work. I know I haven't really gotten into them on the blog, but I have always had a basic idea of how they would interact, and things like what kinds of ranges I'd need. All of that would have to change if I went the way I think I might be going.

For example, it's looking like Powers will have to have Ranks- or maybe not. I have a lot of thinking and discussion with game design friends to do.

There may be some dead air on the blog for a while, or it might come to me in a flash. I'll have to wait and see.  But trust me when I say that I'll be working on this set of problems constantly.

Thanks.