Assamites achieved! Up next: New Trait art!
about 7 years ago – Thu, Apr 20, 2017 at 04:46:39 PM

Hi, Rose here. ^_^

Having passed $36,000, we'll be adding the stealthy Assamites to the deck!

Up next, at $41,000 pledged, we will commission new art for the remaining Trait cards all at once, so that we can make the deck look even more beautiful before the end of this Kickstarter.

Thank you for your support!

In the Nick of Time: A Special Add-On!
about 7 years ago – Thu, Apr 20, 2017 at 05:07:44 AM

Hello Prince's Gambit backers!

RichT here:

We have added a very special Add-On to the project just now, here within sight of the end of this fantastic Kickstarter.

Our friends at Dog Might Games have designed a Deluxe Prince's Gambit Carved Wooden Card Case to hold your Prince's Gambit deck, and even the prototype below is quite the beauty!

Here are the specs:
- White Ash with Ebony finish
- Red felt interior
- Custom Prince's Gambit sculpt and counters
- Holds unsleeved cards

You can add this on to any pledge containing a physical deck for an additional $90 (plus shipping) by manually changing your pledge to add the $90. We don't expect shipping to dramatically increase because of this case, and the case will ship with your deck(s).

Obviously, these aren't for every backer, but if you were looking for something to make your Prince's Gambit deck really special, then this is your chance!

Thanks for your support!

Ravnos achieved! Plus: Justin Q&A!
about 7 years ago – Tue, Apr 18, 2017 at 04:54:38 PM

Hi, folks. Rose here. ^_^

Having reached $30,000, we can add the Ravnos to the deck! Up next, at $33,000, we'll add new art for the Social 3 trait card, and at $36,000... it's time for the deadly Assamites!

Last week, you submitted your questions for Prince's Gambit designer Justin Achilli, and he sent us the answers. I can't help but think that one or two of you were trolling, but here are his unexpurgated responses! :D

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Justin

1. What other games did you play or look at that inspired how you designed Prince's Gambit?  

I've spent several years looking at various games of social deduction, from tabletop games to computer games. Obviously, there's Mafia/ Werewolf, and its various incarnations. I liked that The Resistance/ Avalon had no player elimination while the game was happening, and I definitely wanted to have that as a feature. The choice is Intrigues was inspired by Shadows Over Camelot, as the various knights undertake their own quests, but I wanted to have guilt by association, so multiple players undertake single Intrigues at any given time. And Battlestar Galactica's skill system was the inspiration for how the Traits are used.  

2. Do you think we could play Prince's Gambit with a couple of the same Clan in the group (say, two Brujah)?  

Hey, knock yourself out. We never tested it that way, but if you find that it works (or is especially broken), that's interesting emergent exploration.  

3. What kind of shorts are OK to wear at the office?  

Is "the office" a soccer pitch in this case? Because otherwise this question doesn't make sense.  

4. Do yo have designer tips for winning PG?  

Think like a vampire. Play the long con. Spend several games building up a reputation for honesty. Then, when you really, really want the win and are willing to sacrifice your reputation to seize the victory, stab the entire table in the back.  

Make sure you call attention to it. "I'm playing several cards of the appropriate Trait!" makes a show of how honest you are for several games before dropping a treachery bomb.  

5. How did your work on the Werewolf VR game affect or influence Prince's Gambit, or vice versa?  

One of the big differences in video games is that the CPU can handle a lot of the rules adjudication and guarantee that secret information remains secret. One of the big challenges in tabletop game like this is designing it to preserve the secrecy of things that need to be, but give enough "stuff to argue about" that can be proven. If it's all speculation around the table — say, if the player resolving the Intrigue simply said "pass" or "fail," players wouldn't know that a given hand had some mismatched Traits in it, so they wouldn't have enough information to make their decisions. Tabletop games are great at having physical artifacts or components that can be used for purposes like this.  

6. What's the biggest difference between creating RPGs and computer games?  

The number of people involved and the specialty of their skills. As a designer, I write game rules, but I don't write the code. That is, I write the rules, but not the rules that make the computer let the rules rule. That needs an engineer. Sure, one person could theoretically do it all, but for a commercial game, those super-doers are like hens' teeth. Producing computer games is at least an order of magnitude more complex than tabletop games design because they're built to be functioning state machines with art and other visual elements that communicate them and change on a second-to-second basis. In fact, a lot of times, we build tabletop games to prototype computer games, as a sort of inexpensive first step in proving the validity of a system or concept.  

7. What are you drinking these days? Like alcohol.  

Bourbon and beer. Current favorites are the Four Roses Small Batch and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.  

8. Do you have a favorite project from when you worked at WW?  

V20 capped it off really well for me. It was something that I loved making, and something that I think a lot of the long-time players really enjoyed being able to have. Very satisfying creatively, and I think it sparked some hope for Masquerade rising from its too-long torpor.

What is the Camarilla?
about 7 years ago – Sun, Apr 16, 2017 at 06:58:21 AM

Hi, Rose here. ^_^ As we're getting backers who are new to Masquerade's rich lore, I thought it'd be appropriate to look at important parts of that lore. Today, we're examining the Camarilla.

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Born in the fires of the Inquisition, the Camarilla is a worldwide alliance of vampires. It upholds and maintains the Masquerade, the great lie which protects vampires from mortals.  

According to the Camarilla, all vampires are welcome as members... in fact, they already are, whether they like it or not. As such, it often clashes with both the reforming Anarchs and the savage Sabbat.  

Cities under Camarilla dominion are mostly self-sufficient, ruled by a local Prince and that Prince's advisors. The greater Camarilla's judges and enforcers report to the sect's Inner Circle, who meet once every 13 years in Vienna.

Reddit AMA at noon EDT!
about 7 years ago – Sun, Apr 16, 2017 at 06:58:13 AM

Hi, folks! Rose here. ^_^ We're going to be hosting an AMA on /r/rpg at 12:00 PM EDT. Onyx Path staff will be on hand, and Prince's Gambit designer Justin Achilli will be joining us later.

If you can't make it, just comment on this post with your questions, and we'll round them up and answer them.

Hope to see you there!