The Benefits of Play Testing

One of the greatest experiences I've had on this journey called game design is the value of play testing your game as you develop it.  When I first decided to take a stab at creating a game from the ground up, I began by researching game design and trying to find as much information on the subject as possible.  That led me to a LOT of horror stories about games that appeared to have little to no play testing before being released.  Being new to the whole process, that scared me into a possible overreaction, as this game has been in play testing since its inception.

My last post was about a change in the Fudge Ladder.  At the time, it seemed to be the easiest way to give the game a little head room to allow for more character development and campaign-style play.  However, extensive play testing revealed that a simpler fix was to keep the standard Fudge Ladder and just adjust the default level for untrained Skills.

The only thing that frustrates me with almost daily play testing is that it can become very confusing to me and my players from time to time.  Thankfully, I've been lucky enough to attract some amazing and patient role players.

So, with all of that said........

.......the original Ladder is back! The change we're currently working with is to raise the default rank for untrained Skills from -4 (Abysmal) to -3 (Terrible).  The current allotment of Skill Group Points and Skill Points will remain the same..........for now. :)