It's time: core rules in PDF!
about 3 years ago – Sat, Jul 03, 2021 at 08:47:25 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.

June Update (core rules are close!)
about 3 years ago – Sat, Jun 26, 2021 at 03:23:22 AM

It is, as they say, June. Construction on Stealing the Throne continues... 

Current status

• Core rules are in final review. The core rules are so close! Seriously, so close. I wrapped up my re-writes this month, and bounced them back to Dr. Melody Watson for a final look. She turned them around in record time - they arrived back in my inbox just this morning! As soon as I implement any final changes, they'll be ready to roll out.
• Early layout has begun. I really love doing layout. It's so much fun. When I sent the core rules off to Melody, I started tinkering with some basic design for the zine. I've sent my (very) early draft on to Jane Hermiston to get their preliminary thoughts, and I'm also talking with Galen Pejeau about how we're going to spice it up with interior art. 

I'm on a new actual play podcast!

Not Stealing the Throne-related (yet), but I'm part of a new actual play podcast and I'm very excited about it. It's called Black Armada Tales, and I'd really love it if you'd check it out. We'll be playing the latest indie RPG hotness, as well as some of our own designs. 

Our first arc is Apocalypse Keys, by the incredibly talented Jamila R. Nedjadi. We're two episodes in and I think it's off to a flying start - we've got a really fun, comfortable dynamic, and we're leaning hard into that juicy emotional drama!

(You can begin your campaign to get us to play Stealing the Throne now.)

What's next?

• Getting the core rules to you! As soon as I've reviewed Melody's comments I'll implement any final amendments to the core rules, and then get them to you so you can start playing!  
• Interior art development. Galen and I have started talking about interior art. Early days, but I'm currently hoping to preserve the clean, open layout while adding a bit of space operatic flair. As ever, I'm super excited to see what Galen comes up with. 
• Playsets playsets playsets. The design document exists! Playset writing is really happening! I'm thinking about what will make a good Throne playset, looking at my own playtests for inspiration, as well as games like Jack Harrison's Orbital, and Andrew Gillis' Girl by Moonlight. If you've got any suggestions for other things I should be checking out, stick them in the comments!

Time to fly. See you real soon folks!

- Nick

May Update (with plans!)
about 3 years ago – Mon, May 24, 2021 at 12:20:04 PM

Look! A giant robot standing in a river!  

(Why is the giant robot standing in the river? We'll never know. Let's steal it anyway.)

Current status

• Redrafting core rules continues. I've made good progress on Dr Melody Watson's edits to the Stealing the Throne core rules. The last few things outstanding require a bit of extra writing from me - Melody has some really excellent suggestions on how to make the rules as clear as possible so that everyone knows what they're supposed to do, and when.
• Clearing the decks for a big design push. May was always going to be a challenging month. It's a big one at my day job, and I've got an (exciting!) RPG freelance deadline in *checks calendar* seven days. The good news is that I was expecting this, so I factored it into my planning. Once the freelance assignment is in, it's straight back to finalising the core rules. 

Question: what would you steal?

I mentioned in the last update that Josh Fox at Black Armada Games is working on a hack of Stealing the Throne called Stealing the Stones. As far as I'm aware there's at least one other hack in progress out there, and this last week I've had a request for a Now You See Me-inspired variant. 

Here's a secret (it's not really a secret): I reckon the engine powering Stealing the Throne will work great for just about any ridiculous heist you can imagine. The bigger, the better. I once ran a game where the players stole the fabled Qimmerian Kestrel from Baron von Limberg's airship, high above the capital of the Ashen Empire. That could easily have been a Stealing the Throne hack, if the game had existed back then.

So here's my question for you all: what would your ridiculous heist be? What would you steal? Answers in the comments, or send me a tweet!

What's next?

• Finalising core rules edits. Once I'm done working through revisions, I'll bounce the text back to Melody for another quick review. Just to make sure any new words are good words.
• Drafting play sets. As soon as the core rules are finalised, the Throne playsets move into the number one priority slot. Which Throne should I start with? Tensword, The Burning Soldier, Justice Above, or Belly Laugh? Answers in the comments!
• Getting the core rules to you! No promises, but I'm hoping I can get backers a plain text version of the core rules in June so that you can take them out for a spin. I don't know about you, but I think it's about time we unleashed a wave of giant robot theft on the galaxy!

As always, you can find me on twitter nattering about all sorts of game-related stuff. Recent highlights include a mini-review of the excellent Apocalypse Keys, which is a game you should definitely key an eye out for.  

Drop by and say hi!

- Nick

April update (with editing!)
about 3 years ago – Sat, Apr 24, 2021 at 07:39:07 PM

It's April! Sunshine has miraculously returned to the UK, and so naturally our thoughts turn to stealing giant robots...

Current Status

•  The core rules are back from editing. Dr Melody Watson has worked her magic, and a lovely annotated document arrived in my inbox last week. I really enjoy this part of the process - good editors make everything better, and I can already see Melody has done some top-notch work. 
•  Playtesting continues. I've had some excellent playtest games since we last spoke, with two crews of elite pretend-criminals. More on those below, but they've reinforced one thing for me: Stealing the Throne is a blast to play!
•  Dreaming about Throne play sets. I'm in the fun phase of developing the Thrones, where it's all wild ideas and playing around. Some general shapes are starting to coalesce, partly inspired by playtesting (what feels like it would be useful? What would add to the fun?).

All the mechs I've stolen...

If you'd like to hear about a couple of games I played this month, this is the section for you! If not, skip ahead to find out what's coming next.

THE TIME HEIST 

I always start a game of Stealing the Throne by reading out the introduction. To set the tone, you know?

A thousand years ago, we built twelve giant mecha to fight a cataclysmic war. We called them Thrones. Each was unique, unmatched in its battlefield role. Turtle Sam was destroyed defending the Dyson Walls surrounding Epsilon Eridani. Heavenly Thunder disappeared when the Starbridge fell. The remaining ten survived, their pilots hailed as the saviours of humanity...

I went into this playtest thinking we were going to steal The Burning Soldier (one of the surviving ten). When I got to the end of the intro, one of the players asked: "So we're going to steal Heavenly Thunder from the Starbridge a thousand years ago, right?"

Folks, I did not see that one coming.

What followed was a truly ridiculous time heist, in which historian and master of disguise Jaeger Engstrom sacrificed himself during the getaway so that Colonel Hendrik Zarr could lead Heavenly Thunder back through the time stream to resurrect the once-great House Zarr, only for ace hacker Valeria Quicksilver to reveal at the last moment that she'd been a secret agent of arch-rival House Asphodel all along!

It's not often that one of the crew turns out to be a traitor, and it's even more rare for the traitor to emerge victorious. This was one of those games!

THE SECOND BURNING SOLDIER JOB

The Burning Soldier stands in eternal vigil, guarding a gate through which Things from the Outer Dark threaten to invade the galaxy... or it did, until our masterful crew managed to steal it with barely an alarm raised.

This was one of those games where the getaway came together perfectly, each stage of the montage building towards an epic finale. Eldon-0, an artificial intelligence built to pilot Thrones, opened the very gate The Burning Soldier had been guarding. Dr Jenkins, expert in dangerous warp travel, used their experimental tech to reverse the gate's flow, and daredevil pilot Artemis Lance threaded the needle through, igniting the Throne's Entropy Acceleration Drive at the last moment to shut down an entire armada in pursuit!

Two heists, two completely different outcomes. I was really pleased that each session delivered high-quality giant robot action in a comfortable two hours - it never felt rushed, and never outstayed its welcome. Ideal for online or con play!

STEALING THE... STONES?

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking "Stealing the Throne works great for stealing giant robots. I wonder if it would be good for other ridiculous heists?"

My friends, the answer is yes. A thousand times yes. And Josh Fox at Black Armada Games is going to prove it. In fact, if you sign up for the Black Armada Patreon you'll be among the first to experience the other greatest heist in history!

What's Next?

•  Reviewing edits. Now that I've got Melody's edits in hand, I'll be reviewing them and making changes to the text of the core rules. Once that's in a good shape, I'd love to share it with you all so you can get playing.
•  Drafting play sets. It's almost time to put pen to paper on some first draft Throne play sets. Maybe even experiment with some optional rules? Who knows! Once I have those drafts, it'll be time to put them through their paces at the tabletop.
•  More games! I've stolen a lot of giant mechs, and it's still a blast every time. If you get a chance to try the game out (it's still available in the December 2020 issue of in*die zine), remember to let me know (here in the comments, or on twitter). Heck, tell everyone about it!

Catch you in a month and stay in touch!

- Nick

March update (with art!)
over 3 years ago – Wed, Mar 24, 2021 at 01:51:45 AM

This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.