Ghostlight Lessons Learned
The development of Ghostlight has been an experience, to say the least. Here are some personal reflections:
Building Atmosphere
Immersing myself in classic Gothic literature and dark academia tropes was essential for capturing the eerie essence of Ghostlight's setting. Drawing inspiration from things as disperate as Shakespeare, Dark Shadows, Pulitzer-winning novels, and Murder, She Wrote and making it all work together to fit the vision I had was a trip.
Encouraging Character Depth
Each character in Ghostlight requires a compelling backstory, motivations, and hidden secrets. Building that into the character creation process, especially when I know a lot of players just want big numbers and cool powers, took time and effort. Intricate layers of complexity will enrich the narrative, so encouraging players to dive deeper into their fictional personas will pay off. The trick is getting people to see that.
Balancing Drama and Intrigue
Maintaining a balance between drama and intrigue is the secret sauce to keeping players engaged. Making pacing a mechanical element, by alternating difficulty to reflect moments of tension and periods of respite, it a gamble that I know some folks will simply ignore, but I had to try it.
Respecting Genre Traditions
Respecting the traditions of dark academia and Gothic fiction was my top priority. The fact that not everyone who loves those genres agrees on a definition, or even loves the same elements, was nerve-wracking. I know some people will want more of this and less of that, which is why I repeatedly emphasize that my book is not your table’s canon. I dodn’t want to make it generic, but I also didn’t want to lock 100% of everything down and box out different interpretations.
Debuting a New Game System
Introducing a new game system with Ghostlight added pressure. I have played and run many games where I loved the setting but hated the system, and vice-versa. There are people that will undoubtedly scream and throw things because I’m moving toward yet another game system and away from the ones I already have in print. All I can do is assert that I’m doing this for a reason, and the reason is because I want everyone to have a better overall experience with my games going forward.
Iterative Design Process
Ghostlight's development was characterized by an iterative design process. Embracing flexibility and openness to change allowed for continuous improvement, shaping the game into its final form. It started out as a DoubleZero setting, then it was a playing card-based system for a while. What I never lost was my vision of the setting itself, the tone I wanted, the things I wanted characters to do and the stories I wanted to be able to tell. The system evolved to accommodate that, as well as other things I have planned.
