So last night was another game night at the gameLab offices, though this time it was a tab bit special. Eric and his crew had everyone playtest a new game which they plan to unveil at this year’s Game Developers Conference (which I sadly will not able to attend).
It’s a card based role-playing game in which parties of three face off against monsters. I don’t want to go into details since it’s still in development, and perhaps gameLab doesn’t want someone spilling all the beans, but I will say it was actually quite fun to play despite being a card based game, and I generally suck at those. Plus, I also find role playing games rather tedious, but the excellent use of group dynamics made the eventful throughout, even when my group (comprised of fellow SVA cohorts, Nelson and Sam, whom I invited along) was not doing so hot.
The game had some really neat things about, and some not to so hot aspects, but that’s why we were playtesting it in the first place. Most of the problems were related to, not surprisingly, character balance issues, which is always the toughest thing to deal with in any RPG.
At one point, it was rather clear that Nelson’s character type was a somewhat useless accompaniment to Sam and I, so he was tempted to swap his rabbi or an accountant; there was a lone, seemingly ignored accountant card right on the game table. But I argued that we had started the game as a trio comprised of a rabbit, space marine, and magical senior citizen, and it was only right to end the game that way. Plus, who knows how many other groups were eyeing the same card, ready to squeal on whoever wanted to take the advantage?
After the game came a critique session where we discussed what we each thought were the strengths and weaknesses, what we though was fun and not, and possible improvements with folks behind the game. As I said, the game was fun to play, but I found the whole playtesting aspect the most enjoyable. Whenever you create a game, you assume possible actions on the part of the player, and it can sometimes be fascinating (or never-racking) to see things happen that wasn’t intended, or that you worked your hardest to avoid in the first place. I guess that’s why I enjoyed myself so much; playtesting someone else’s game is always preferable since I find it so draining to do it for my own work. Plus, the copious amount of beer, pizza, and teddy grahams helped as well.
Afterwards was the regular play whatever board game you want, but after just two quick rounds of the Tetris board game, I headed home to get some rest; I got only four hours of the sleep the night prior and I was exhausted. Problem was, it was just as cold inside my apartment as it was outside.
I know I really sound like a broken record, but I really hate my fucking apartment. Like all Manhattan apartments, you can control the heat, which often results in my bedroom being a thousand degrees, so I have to turn on the air conditioning, even though its the dead of winter. But on the one night that I really needed the heat full blast, was it even on? Of course not, so I would guess that my bedroom was easily in the low twenties and teens.
Despite the fact that I come off as some angry jerk that hates the world, there are actually very few people I truly despise, but on top of that list is my building’s super (along with MTA employees and crackheads that hold up the ketchup pump at Wendy’s). I seriously do have to fight the urge to punch the guy in the face every time I see him. And he loathes me as well; as much as I can’t stand my roommates, I was totally outraged when I discovered that the asshole was making them, and numerous others in the building grease his palms to get anything done (my roommates, like many folks in the building, are rather new to the country, and this fact was severely taken advantage of). So once I informed them that such a practice was, above all else, highly illegal, it squelched his supplementary income and I’ve been on his shit list ever since.
Anyway it was 1 in the morning and I was lying in bed, trying to go to sleep while wearing five years, and still freezing to death, so I decided to call the rat bastard. Of course I got his machine, the fucker’s never home. Then I tried using the landlord’s home number for the first time. This number I had to strong-arm the super into giving up when no one responded when the bathroom ceiling caved in last winter, and guess what? It was a wrong number. Asshole probably did it on purpose. So I called 311 and filed a report on the bastard with the city. And I just know I’m gonna get more shit from this. Plus, the thing is, I’m not even on the lease, I’m just subletting, so this could get pretty messy…
Anyway, another game/art event tonight, this time a party being thrown by C-TRL that Raina (Lee) told me about. It’s some lan party with old school Macs I think. Despite the cold and fatigue, I might still make it…
