I think it's safe to say that this is my first time truly trying to make a completely new system. 

I have had experience with homebrewing, running games, and having read many more. While I would say I'm only truly intimate with Fifth edition, I have run many other TTRPGs from (arguably) more complex mechanics, like Call of Cthulhu to simpler systems like Powered by the Apocalypse. I've tried non-dice systems (Dread) or hybrid dice plus-something-else systems (Paranoia, Gloomhaven). 

Call of Cthulhu one-shot based in 1950s Singapore 

That one Dread game I ran for Halloween (I know, not an “intimidating” set of jenga blocks, but I bought this the day before for $5)

This is the first in what hopefully becomes a series on how progress is being made, and the thought process behind this. 

Whether you're a Messenger fan, a budding TTRPG designer, or just someone who likes to look at the behind-the-scenes for things being made, I hope this provides a little insight and a form of viscerality to the eventuality that is the HOPE system.

When talking about how to make a game, it started from a streamer’s perspective. 

Vin and I had run 5e on our twitch channels before (www.twitch.tv/itsvin_ / www.twitch.tv/frieddiceparadice) and while it is the de facto most popular TTRPG system, it is by far not the most well-tuned for streaming. Thus began an exploration into the world of TTRPG game design. How could we make 5e work for streams? Heh, this seems like quite a few steps before making a new game altogether. 

I've tried creating commands that could be used in chat to pull up character details, story elements. Interact with the stream by triggering cards that would appear on the screen. More often than not, this led to looking at pages that were outside of the stream, and when it did involve the stream, there would some level of jank potentially. From watching Vin, he had explored creating visual novel style D&D games, in his world, and I feel that the granularity of 5e wasn't cutting it. Too many numbers. How much damage again? Was what I threw at the player too strong? Do I need to dial it down? What does that spell do again? 

Magic: The Gathering Inspired v-tuber style D&D game

Then came a truly important question that would solve all other questions; how can I avoid these questions. 

As a viewer, if I want to get into a show, I don't wanna have to know HOW the demon-killing knife kills demons during the show, I google that after. I just want to know that THIS IS the demon-killing knife, and the protagonist is gonna kill demons with it. I don't wanna know what number you have to roll higher than, I just wanna know if you succeed or don't. While I want to learn more about your character eventually, for now, I wanna be able to tell how your character would act within 5 minutes of watching the character interact.

How could we make a TTRPG stream/show more cinematic? 

How could we do this in real-time. I started thinking of shows that weren't just limited to TTRPGs. Of course, the most popular TTRPG shows came to mind first, looking at Critical Role, and Dimension 20, but we aren't trying to be them, so we had to look elsewhere as well, such as podcast shows, like Adventure Zone. These were ways to create a "cinematic experience as well". What made these shows entertaining, despite being in the rules-laden 5e system? 

Alien TTRPG game

There was a level of seamlessness. Whether it was cast members taking over lull periods in order to preserve the intensity, or stall for time, to great editing and post-production sound effects, it was the ability for the cast to go from scene to scene with virtually no pauses, and no breaking of verisimilitude. Now, that's a challenge. How do we make a game that is smooth as heck? 

Well, we'll figure it out. Over time. 

This is all for now, and if you're into this, do let us know, and consider supporting the Kofi to get more updates like these, and insights into the process. If you have any topics you want to know more about, feel free to let us know, and we'll definitely talk about it eventually. Thanks for reading, and remember, who's awesome? You're awesome.

JOSH
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DiceFried
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/frieddiceparadice