Gamedec Updates, $102,606 and Counting

With three weeks still to go, Anshar Studios’ Kickstarter campaign for their cyberpunk detective RPG Gamedec is moving along at a respectable pace, currently sitting at $102,606 which more than doubles the initial $50,000 goal.

When it comes to updates, update #10 is dedicated to the game’s Aspect system, update #11 dabbles in a bit of cross-promotion, and update #12 announces a couple of additional stretch goals – at $115,000 the game will be translated into French and Spanish, and at $140,000 it will get an additional virtual world determined by a community vote.

Here’s what Gamedec’s Aspects are all about:

Hi there, everyone!

A few days ago, we mentioned that we are preparing an update revealing some more info about mechanics in the game. This time we want to say something more about Aspects!

When we started working on Gamedec, the idea of transferring pen & paper roleplaying experience onto the computer screen was one of our most important goals.What we aimed for was simulating the fact that your character, during p&p sessions, is a work in progress, defined by choices, with character traits emerging in most unexpected situations. That’s why we decided to go with the Aspects.

Aspects are elements of Gamedec’s characterization that cover many different sides of a character – some of them are typical traits, some describe assets in possession of your character, Aspects can also tell you about Gamedec’s background or skills. Think of them as tags, if you like.

Few of them we gain during character creation. After answering a set of questions, you are presented with a bunch of Aspects that seem to define your character best. You will gain most of them during your playthrough. Choosing a vicious answer during dialogue, or showing MacGyverish level of problem solutions will give you certain Aspects. Beware, because you may also lose an Aspect. For example: if you have the “Rich” Aspect, people from higher reaches of society will be more willing to talk with you. If you spend too much money, you will lose the “Rich” tag, and dialogue options available before will be greyed out.

This is where it gets interesting. Aspects, while describing your character further, are here for a different reason. They are used as a currency for unlocking different branches of the Profession tree. And Professions are – next to the Deduction system – your primary way of leading your investigations. Think of them as skills you obtain to unlock specific dialogue options or environmental actions. Want to manipulate your suspect? Professions are your answer – unlock a profession to be master in people skills. Locked door? Bypass the lock if you chose to go with a “Hacker” profession. There is still more to tell, but that’s a topic for another update.

How did you like our description? Would you like to know more?