Liberating Design Constraints

I was listening to a Third Floor interview with Cezar Capacle (#211) and they were talking eloquently about designing within the constraints of the systems they lived in and the constraints of the users, and the way they phrased it really resonated. The limitations of the production are just another design constraint. 

That got me really thinking about my disability as a design constraint rather than a pain in the ass limitation. Obviously my blindness puts limits on what I can do, but reframing it as a design constraint means that I think about it in the way I think about a wide variety of other design considerations, and not as an impediment. 

While I am still operating in highly visual media, one without much thought towards accessibility, I can compartmentalize those, in a way, so that my frustration is not grabbing the wheel of the design, nor is it a roadblock. My frustration can be separate, and the design can just be the design, with a set of constraints, like any work.

Sky and Steam Miscellany is Live!

The holdup was mostly a confidence issue, with a large dose of logistical shenanigans and waffling. I started off thinking I was going to sell physical copies online and ship them, but then realized this was probably more ambitious than it needed to be. So I stopped working on the Shopify site and switched to just PDF sales and zine exchange with interested folks. I did make one such exchange this first week! Hooray! I hope there will be many more to follow. 

At any rate, it is all happening over on dodocahedrongames.itch.io

Do The Eyes Have It?

We are all getting very used to high levels of capability and output in visual and information design in ttrpgs. Graphic design suites, even those that are free, enable large groups of people to produce things, books, pictures, cards, and other game ephemera that are, by all reports, gorgeous. Doing it really well is still hard, but doing it medium well seems easier.

Most of those tools are inaccessible to me, as are the products. There is a huge focus on art and art assets in game production, a similarly large value placed on graphic design, information design, and the user experience from a visual perspective. There is nothing wrong with this!

What I am bumping up against is the perhaps false idol of producing objects that fall into the high value categories in this space. I can produce good writing, interesting ideas, new takes, etc. Is that enough, I ask myself? Don't I need all the art, the design, the visual appeal? I'm not sure.

Hand in hand with this is the creative urge to produce pieces myself. Working with a designer or artist on corners of projects is fun, and I deeply appreciate the folks I work with, however, there is a part of my brain that questions why I would want to include elements or processes I cannot fully partake of myself. 

My solution at this point anyway is to try to produce what objects I can with what abilities I have. That pushes me into interesting territory, as the solutions I arrive at may not translate into a popular modes. I am playing to see what happens.

Odd Skills

After the last session of a Season of the game I run at my FLGS I asked the group about system preferences. We have played fantasy using Knave, then Mausritter, back to Knave, and then ITO in my steampunk hack Sky and Steam Miscellany. Bouncing genres and systems.

The answers were mixed. They generally like a roll to hit (aiming high!), stat saves, diegetic and non mechanical skill descriptions, leveling,and story over systems. Oh, and firearms. It was good feedback! 

So, I had already decided the next Season was Corny Grón, and it seems like the ITO chassis is a good fit. I thought that Craftwork framework would be a good fit as it has the skill system built in as well as levels. What tweaks seem appropriate?

One - Levels as Bonus in Combat 

Since we typically get through a handful of levels, it seems like we can eliminate proficiency and just use levels as the bonus number for a roll to hit in combat. Level two with a skill in riflery? +2! Target number is opponents dexterity. Roll high. The rest of combat, damage etc is per ITO. Done. 

Two - Other Skills

These will mostly be handled diegetically. If you have the skill in lock picking, then you are picking the locks. If a skill seems appropriate then give a bonus to a stat for a save. Otherwise saves are as ITO.

Three - Craftwork & CG

As in Salt Palace, I'll pick six crafts to match the CG backgrounds and adjust some skills to fit. The beauty of Craftwork is that it is super fast to adjust and very flexible.

Anything I am forgetting?