New Story chapters + Designer diary + Behind the scenes: how it was made
over 2 years ago
– Fri, Apr 22, 2022 at 10:50:42 AM
Storybook: 9-10. chapters
Here are the new chapters! Check them and you will see why "The Awakening" is the subtitle of the game, and you will find more about the characters too!
Click on the image to read it (you will find the actual questionnaire at the end):
If you are new here and you missed it:
Every ~2-3 days I will release new parts of the story, usually 2 chapters at a time. After reading it, you can test your knowledge with a questionnaire, and there will be a contest between backers. At the end of the campaign, I will announce the winner, “The greatest Historian of Drakia”, who had the highest number of right answers, and I will sign his/her copy. ;) It is never late to join! You can find the previous questionnaires in Update #2 and Update #3 and Update #7 and Update #8.
Designer diary
If you are interested in the game mechanics with more exact details, I wrote some posts about them on BGG. Check them to find more about the game and how it really works:
- Designer diary #1 - Introduction
- Designer diary #2 - Goal of the game - Magical barriers
- Designer diary #3 - Movement system and Resource management
- Designer diary #4 - Locations and their actions
Let me know if you have any questions or feedback!
How it was made
Legacy of Thracks was made by true passion and with so many years... but how all began?:
In 2014 I had a dream, I mean really a dream…I woke up, and the dream was about a game, with a very-very simple mechanic: there is a common figure which can be moved by every player, so the interaction between the players is very high, and where you leave the figure is critical. The goal was to move the figure into the other player’s home… That’s all. I have always liked to play games (computer and board games), and loved to create new things, so I started to work on this game as a hobby. I added elements and new mechanics, and during the 6 years, the game has evolved into a complex and balanced game worthy of sharing with the world. When hardcore geeks and board game reviewers said it could be great and they could see the next "big name” in the industry, then I thought, wow...ok…this is serious. So I started to work even harder…
Some very early versions:
First, it had a sci-fi based story. Then I changed it for a fantasy topic, and now there is a 60 pages story with deep meaning. I think (and based on other feedback too) this story is so engaging and interesting that it could become a book later, or even a Hollywood movie:) During the years, I showed the game to people who played and tested it. Many people tried it and gave me very useful feedback. When people who have seen many board games and are hardcore geeks gave me absolutely positive feedback, I thought it should be shared with the world, with the whole board game community, so everybody can enjoy the game and have this special experience.
So I decided to do a Kickstarter campaign for the game. I learned a lot about how to do it (articles from Jamey Steigmaier, James Mathe, and fortunately I have friends who had already created successful KS campaigns) so I did my homework. The process was very slow because I did everything personally. Prototypes, rulebook, some Photoshop, other project-related things (production, shipping..etc.), I even learned WordPress, so I could create the webpage for the game.
I made a lot of things with my hand: new map planning, dice, I 3D printed the miniatures...etc.
But my goal was to create a very remarkable game. I had no pressure, this is not for my living, so I was not in hurry. I tested it many many times with many people and it seemed it was a never-ending loop of changing and developing and testing.
There were a ton of iterations:
I wanted to create a game that gives you a memorable experience, has high interaction between the players, and an optimal amount of luck (not much, I hate when your "destiny” is not in your hands). You need to think in the long and short-term too, so make hard decisions, and also make sure the game has high replayability and a strong story behind it. I thought about people with different styles and attitudes, so that’s why it is highly asymmetric (and because of the story too). If you would like direct confrontation then go ahead…you can do it. If you don’t like to "hurt” other players, you can do that too with another character.
Me holding and checking the 1st professional prototype:
I learned the 3D printing, so I printed and painted the 3D components for the prototypes:
And now, after a huge amount of work and many years, it's here. I really hope you can experience this and enjoy Legacy of Thracks soon! ;)
Have a great day!
Balázs
