Given the number of changes that outside influences have forced on everyone’s plans over the last 6 months, I have tried to come up with a new plan that will, hopefully, be more robust. While there are still many outside events and actors who could change things, these modifications should be more akin to dinosaurs evolving gradually than a dirty great rock falling out of the sky and killing them all one sunny Friday afternoon.

At the highest level, I’ve split my work into two main areas. There are a few odds and ends, admin, and whatnot which sit outside, but the bulk of my work now belongs to one or other of these two blocks:

• Game Design Mastery.
• My own IPs.

Game Design Mastery

This project aims to help game designers of all experience levels get the most out of their craft, and, with diligence and practice, to master it. It includes a series of books, the Patreon I mentioned, and a continuation of my consulting work.

Note that “mastery” does not mean that you will be a master, nor that I am one. I consider gaining a mastery of the art of game design to be a prerequisite for being considered a master, but not a guarantee. But that’s a whole other article.

I’ll be posting a more detailed exploration of this project and what to expect this Sunday.

My Own Intellectual Properties (IPs)

I’ve worked on many fictional worlds for other companies over the years. These are ones that I’ve been working on for myself, without the need to satisfy clients or management; in fact, without the need to seek approval outside my own head. I could argue that this makes them better, but all it really does is makes them more personal. Now that may mean that I’m more invested and so produce my best work, but you’ll have to decide for yourself.

There are several of these, and all are intentionally without a deadline. The foundations of a new fictional world are worth taking time over as getting them wrong can cause all manner of troubles down the line. Getting them right and making them solid will reward you later. So that’s what I’m doing. I’ve already written some short stories and games, and made some sketches, but nothing I’m going to share till its ready.

I mention these here not to tease you for an imminent release. That’s not where they’re at in my head. I just wanted to let you know that interesting stuff is going on outside the scope of the Game Design Mastery work, and that it will turn up in due course. When it’s ready.

Other Stuff

I’ve also been experimenting with planning more downtime into my schedule. I’m used to working 7 days a week, so taking days off is weird. I tried doing nothing at all and just flumping about wasting the day on YouTube videos and suchlike, and all I felt was guilty for wasting a day. It wasn’t relaxing at all. So, I’m being constructive in other ways, including learning how to use some new software, which is a lot of fun.

One last thought is about this blog. In the light of this latest revision of what’s possible, it’s going to have a slight change of direction. For the time being, I’ll not try to define it. Seems best to focus on the other things that are quite constrained and leave the blog to be what fits between those spaces. That would make it more a mixed bag of whatever happened to be on my mind or desk at the time. In a way, this is more like what I think FaceBook is intended to be, but in a longer form as you know me – I like to write. That, plus I really do not get on with FB.

So, lots of stuff happening.

See you on Sunday for more on the Game Design Mastery project