December 24, 2024

Learning and research - Devlog #44

Bug & Claw is special to me– a world I have thought about for years and something I want to have fun working on in subsequent editions and supplements for years to come. I've talked a bit before about how I want to be the best game designer I can be and how part of that is working on smaller games over at Monkey's Lunch, building skills, knowledge, and momentum to then aim at Bug & Claw. What I haven't spoken about much is the courses I've been taking, the books I've read, or other ways I'm trying to level up my game design (pun intended). So, let's do that now!

Courses

Bugs 101

I am just finishing what might be one of my favourite courses I have taken through any medium, and that's Bugs 101 through the University of Alberta on Coursera. It's so well done, of such high production quality, thorough beyond what I'd consider a 101 course, and of exceptional value (it's free). If you are at all interested in arthropods or bugs, I recommend this.

Obviously, with a game about mutant arthropods, it's going to be helpful to know a lot of facts about arthropods. Some of this will be painted over what may feel like familiar mechanics. For example, some mites in Bug & Claw, just like bugs in our world, might form beneficial symbiotic relationships with their hosts or harmful parasitic ones. This, in effect, could be similar to having an animated magic or cursed weapon. Other things I've learned in this course have directly inspired brand-new mechanics that I'm working on.

This course has 13 very informative modules:

  1. Module 01: Introduction to Insects and their Terrestrial Relatives
  2. Module 02: The Business of Being an Insect Part 1
  3. Module 03: The Business of Being an Insect Part 2
  4. Module 04: Insect Locomotion
  5. Module 05: Insects as Decomposers
  6. Module 06: Plant Feeding and Impacts of Herbivory
  7. Module 07: Pollination and Beekeeping
  8. Module 08: Insects and Disease
  9. Module 09: Sustainable Human-Insect Interactions: IPM
  10. Module 10: Sustainable Human-Insect Interactions: IPM (Biological and Cultural Control)
  11. Module 11: Insect Conservation
  12. Module 12: Insects in Human Culture
  13. Module 13: Bugs 101 Wrap Up

Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot

Bug & Claw isn't just a game; it's a whole fictional world. The Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot course via Wesleyan University had some great exercises that really helped me hone my approach to fiction. I've been improving my writing skills tremendously this year via courses like this, reading a couple of key books, and, most of all, writing more.

Introduction to Game Design

A short little course I did earlier this year was Fran Krause's Introduction to Game Design via Cal Arts on Coursera. I've been a fan of Fran's illustration for years, so when I saw he was teaching this course, I jumped at it. Fran and his puppet sidekick (yep) are hilarious and so much fun.

This course breaks down into four weeks:

  1. Week 1: The Simplest Games
  2. Week 2: Rules and Discovery
  3. Week 3: Tell a Story
  4. Week 4: The Friend and the Enemy

What I liked most about this course was how it helped me not overthink things. That's exactly the mentality I want to bring back to Bug & Claw. Games can have crunch and complexity, sure, but they don't have to have that. I think a lot of TTRPGs over-complicate things, which is part of what's drawing people to OSR and PbtA games that are easy to pick up, understand, and go.

As part of this course, I ended up making a little game called Starship Salvage. I hope you check it out!

Needless to say, I plan on looking into continuing with the subsequent courses in the series in the new year.

Books

I have been reading a ton. I like to read something non-fiction for every 2-3 fiction books I read. Here's what has been on the shelf the last couple years.

Blogs

Goblin Punch

No blog has inspired me more in TTRPG game design than this blog.

Other methods and conclusion

This list isn't exhaustive. For example, I've been playing as many games as possible the last couple of years, taking notes as I go for anything that inspires or annoys me. I collect all those notes into a central document that feeds into Bug & Claw's creation and my other little games and worlds.

I think the important thing I want to call out here is that I'm having so much fun researching arthropods, writing, and game design. Without inspiration and research like this, I didn't realize I was retreading ground others had already been through, and I've been able to improve the things I create vastly. Or I may have been applying mechanics I didn't fully understand yet or didn't know how to balance (where balance is important, anyway).

I hope you stick around and enjoy following Bug & Claw's game development, as well as the fiction that comes along with it, because I'm having a lot of fun fleshing out the world.

A crystal

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