BLOG: It’s never done

It was a couple of days ago. I was driving home and thinking about Crazy Karts. No idea why. Just the random stuff that comes to your mind when you are tired and drive a car.

The idea of introducing a change in the rules came naturally. Instead of two races with a trophy after winning the first race, we could have one longer race with a small trophy after finishing each board. Each board would have a checkpoint line, and when you pass it you get a small trophy. The race then continues. Instead of racing through 3 and then 4 boards, we would do one 5-board-long race. This means 4 chances to grab a trophy and the game would be even better!

Why haven’t I come up with this idea back in 2015, when we were developing Crazy Karts?

Because it doesn’t work like that.

***

I have a pretty bad memory, but this one stuck with me for a long time. I’ve just double checked it – it was a Polish review of The New Era published on a Polish website back in 2012. It really got me. The reviewer said: ‘Ignacy released 51st State, playtested it on thousands of players who bought a product, then fixed the mistakes and released The New Era.’

It hurt. A lot.

From today’s perspective, the reviewer should have later posted a sort of an appendix. It should be something along these lines: ‘Then, a year later, after the global playtesting of The New Era, he repaired the product once again and released a patch called Winter. Those who bought Winter didn’t know, however, that they were a part of a play testing operation. Ignacy was gathering worldwide results to build his Imperial Settlers…’

It doesn’t work like that.

***

We are creative people. We are designers. We come up with new ideas on a regular basis. That is why I have so many cool promos and mini expansions for Robinson Crusoe – I live this game and come up with new stuff over and over again. That process is never finished. The game is never done. The mind, the brain is working all the time and attacks you with new rules, cards, and ideas without warning.

Like the one with a finish line on each board of Crazy Karts.

***

This weekend I talked with Charles, the designer of Crazy Karts. He liked the idea. I believe we’ll come up with a few trophies and publish this variant here on BGG, so you guys can enjoy it. I hope you’ll have a great time with this small rules modification. And with any other variant I created after releasing the game. Like the solo campaign for Imperial Settlers. Like King Kong, Dr. Livingstone, or Treasure Island scenarios for Robinson Crusoe. Like the 10 heroes for Stronghold. Like a ton of promo cards for 51st State and Imperial Settlers.

Don’t blame designers for being creative.
Don’t ask them why they didn’t come up with that stuff a year before.

It doesn’t work like that.

The designing process never ends.