In case you weren’t aware, I’m a geek. I know! Shocking, right?
So, you can imagine my glee when this offer hit my inbox. How gleeful was I? So gleeful that I’m actually using the word “glee” to describe it! I mean, come on – no one says “glee” anymore unless they’re a fifteen-year-old girl, and unless the word is preceded by “OMG I so totally watched the new episode of”.
What’s this all about?
The Project: A new table-top strategy game called Exile Sun has been in development for a couple years (not by me). It’s a sci-fi game about space exploration, inter-faction struggles, and the search for pieces of a critical device. Not long after its first beta version, I briefly helped play test the game. Not only was it incredibly fun, but the combat system was by far the best I’ve seen in any table-top game. (If you know gamers, they can tell you about the importance of a great combat system.) The game’s development has grown by leaps and bounds since my tiny involvement.
My Part: What makes a great game even better? A great story! Since the beginning, the developers have built around a core concept and a basic storyline, but have focused more on building gameplay mechanics (as well they should). Now the time has come for the story to be fully developed, and guess who got the call? That’s right, yours truly has been asked to co-write the story for Exile Sun! I’ll be working on the game’s back-story, history and characteristics for factions and key NPCs (non-player characters), the progression of story-related events during gameplay, and various short stories set in the game world.
Don’t worry, my novel will still be getting the attention it needs. But I’ve loved table-top games since I was a kid, so this is a huge wish-fulfillment! I’ve already started working on some ideas, and I’ll post major milestones as they happen. In the meantime, check out the Kickstarter for Exile Sun! I’ve posted the link below. Watch the video, leave comments, and support the project if you have the means and feel so inclined. Thanks!
Ohhhhhh… SO exciting, Ryan! Seriously! What a fun project! I can’t wait to see what you come up with and how it translates into the game! You are extremely talented and I’m stoked to hear/see all of your adventures! 😀
Thanks, Morgan! I can’t wait for everyone to get to play the game. It’s going to be awesome!
Super congrats, yo! That’s super exciting.
Thanks, Shesten! Always thought doing something like this would be fun, but never in a million years did I think anyone would ask me. Sometimes being a geek really pays off 😀
Also, thanks for backing the project. That means a lot!
This is totally awesome. How did you ever score such a cherry gig?
Right place, right time, and they liked my writing. It was actually that simple!
Ryan, I am very happy to hear that your skills will be applied to the Exile Sun story-line. As a result I’m certain that the quality of the game just leaped!
Appreciate the kind words, Gabe. I’m stoked to be working on it. Eric and I talked and came up with some good ideas, so I think this is going to be really cool!
Aren’t you the talented guy! I’ve played the Sim 3 game to no end. I’m looking forward to this, knowing the writer is someone I know! 🙂
Haha well, the project combines two of my favorite things: writing, and being a geek. Thanks for stopping by the blog, Kim!