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Gaming Zone – Black Metro Digital Release!

Commencing operation . . .

Overview

It is time! I am proud to announce the digital release of Black Metro the board game! Consider it a gift for the New Year. If you haven’t already read my previous post, consider doing so, as this is a follow-up.

Digital Release

After some consideration, I have decided to release the game on both Tabletop Playground (TTPG) and Tabletop Simulator (TTS), as I understand most people have TTS and are happy enough with it, and therefore may not want to purchase TTPG.

The TTS mod is an old prototype I was using for my earlier playtesting throughout the pandemic. I have updated the image files but otherwise I do not plan on maintaining the mod, as my focus will be on updating and improving the TTPG mod. The TTS mod is functional and playable but lacks the sleekness and finesse of the TTPG mod. It is however free to play, so give the game a go on there if nothing else.

The TTPG mod is also currently free, however mod.io is planning on allowing monetisation for indie game developers to try and earn some money from their games. They have said that this functionality should be available somewhere in the first half of 2023. When that time comes, I am planning on releasing a new version of the mod which will be monetised and continue to receive updates, while the existing TTPG mod at that time will still exist for free, but will no longer receive updates.

The journey so far . . .

I started this project 30 months ago, in the summer of 2020. It began with a board game that after the first playtest required an overhaul of over half the mechanics! Around 6 months into the game development, I had a tonne of lore behind the universe and setting of the game. I had originally planned to weave the lore into the rulebook, but soon realised I would end up with several hundred pages worth of storytelling in the rulebook!

I decided that the best course of action would be to create a separate novella that details the Black Metro universe, the main cast of characters, and the storyline that leads to the Black Metro tournament; the setting of the board game.

For those of you who want to learn more behind the universe of the game, that option is available, but it is not necessary to enjoy the board game. For those who want to use their imagination and create their own story behind the conflicts surrounding the dark city, that option also exists and is one of the benefits of separating the story from the board game, albeit there is a fair amount of lore still scattered throughout the rulebook, just not hundreds of pages worth!

Anyway for the next year or so, I bounced between developing the game and writing the novella, to keep my mind fresh and prevent boredom and monotony from creeping in. In spring 2022, I made my debut at the UK Games Expo which was one heck of an experience to take the lead in promoting Black Metro.

I also entered a couple of online board game competitions but did not do well at all in either of them; I’m talking near literal bottom of the barrel levels of bad. I think the main issue comes down to my lack of ability in conveying my pitch to a digital audience, as I have had little problems with selling the game to people face to face. Judging from overall feedback, the game isn’t ‘bad’, so it’s not as though I’ve designed a poor game, just need to convey things better; a task which I can work on in the future.

The remaining half year or so was spent on finalising the mechanics and presentation of the game, and then completing the rulebook and digital mods, which was incredibly intensive. The past few months have especially been exhaustive: that last 20 percent takes just as long as the first 80, but I made it to the end; crossed the finish line!

What’s next?

The plan is to start promoting the hell out of the digital release. I am hoping to release tonnes of content (likely videos) on strategies surrounding Black Metro, as there is a lot going on in the game. Just to give you a potential idea of the type of content to expect:

  • Intro videos to learn the game
  • Overall gameplay strategies
  • Candidate + technology strategy guides

I will probably open this up to the users in my discord server to voice their opinions on what they would like to see as well.   

On top of this informational and promotional content, there is still a lot of cool stuff I want to implement into the TTPG mod, so hopefully with the connections I have; I will aim to continue to upgrade the features of the mod to improve the overall experience for you guys. And I am sure there will be bug fixes that crop up which will need to be addressed as and when they arise.

Conclusion

My resolution for this year was to become more socially active; a goal I believe I have achieved with my various ventures. I’ve attended numerous expos this year, visited various game clubs, and befriended a fair amount of people through these experiences.

My goal for 2023 is to improve my digital communication skills; specifically with promoting the Black Metro digital release. Give the game a go and if you have any feedback, you can comment on my discord server or shoot me a message. Happy new year and bring on 2023!

Mission complete – Overlord Drakow signing out.