I’ve taken a break from writing to work on other aspects of the project’s concept. The brand is starting to have more identity, which will be important when we start marketing in earnest. In the very first version, the game itself also bore more resemblance to D&D, with larger HP numbers and the traditional six stats (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma). In the current version, HP and stats are mechanically simpler, but more flavorful.
As I explained in another post, when I started this project there wasn’t a well-defined setting. The storyline was adapted from my homebrew Pathfinder campaign, so I kept a vague D&D feel to the world.
Now, we not only have a world called Veiled Age with an introductory document, but we also have a growing number of discussion threads about it. As of now, these are just a back and forth between me and my friend Dan. I gravitate towards weird and fantastical elements, while he’s into history, politics, and geography. So it works out well.
All that is to say, I think it may be outgrowing the name “Mage Hand”. I still like the name, but it’s a bit abstract, not to mention a direct reference to the D&D spell of the same name. After mulling over a few names, I think the best may be the name of the world setting: Veiled Age. I think it gives an impression of a fantasy world with a hint of mystery.
The world itself has become clearer for me, and I’ve settled on the phrase “Cosmic Medieval Fantasy” – think low tech but high concept and weird. Here’s a visual representation of the atmosphere: just a mood board combining Alice’s character art with a bunch of images that seem to fit what I’m going for visually and conceptually. Regardless of the name, I’m feeling good about the creative direction.
It may seem clumsy to post my unfinished branding thoughts like this. Writers tend to want to keep everything to themselves until it’s perfect, but something I wanted to do with this project is to lay the creative process bare from the beginning, complete with experiments, retcons, and bugs.
This month, it’s time to get back to editing the second adventure, and possibly adding a very sneaky secret feature. Stay tuned.