Crows, James Introcasos MCDM Dungeon Crawler RPG

[Mannahnin]

Got my curiosity, for sure.

 

[Retreater]

Draw Steel was a bit too crunchy for me. I don't think I'll ever play it. I will wait and see what the new dungeon crawler RPG looks like. I'm not as eager these days to throw money at a company just because it's not WotC, so I doubt I'll buy it sight unseen like I did Draw Steel.

 

[Tigris]

Interesting! I really liked what they did with Draw Steel and the community engagement. I say that even though on reflection, I think the game is probably not for me. My impression, which may be wrong, is that it’s very tactical almost skirmish war game-like. But I am enjoying their success and really curious to see how this one develops, especially if it’s a bit more grounded.

Well I would say more that it is good at giving the impression that it is tactical. So it is more about "feeling tactical" than really being tactical.

Of course game feel can important, but I prefer games which focus their gamedesign solely on being tactical, and not on feeling tactical. (But this depend a lot of people).


Of course there is an overlap of feeling tactical and being tactical, but other games (like Beacon) focus on the tactical aspect better in my oppinion. (While completly streamlining the game and not adding elements to make things "feel more different" than they are).

 

[mamba]

I wonder how profitable the game design aspect of Draw Steel has been for them. It seem so have helped to keep their patreon subscriptions high.

it helps that you get the full digital releases if you have been a patreon long enough to cover the price (i.e. if the product costs $24 digital, you need to have been a patreon the last three months, as the patreon is $8 per month).

If they stick to their timeline this gets you all PDFs from their current KS for less money than backing the KS at that level would have been...

 

[overgeeked]

I'm interested in their take on dungeoncrawling, but...

I get why they would go for something like Draw Steel. Matt's an outspoken proponent for D&D 4E and that kind of crunchy combat-focused play. I don't get a similar "dungeoncrawling is awesome" vibe from either Matt or James. And I'm really not sure what they could do that's not already actively being done by scores of other dungeoncrawlers. The hook for DS was obvious, almost no one else was doing anything like it. The hook for Crows...basically everyone is doing dungeoncrawlers. Not saying MCDM can't or shouldn't, just curious how they will distinguish their game in a frankly overcrowded field.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm interested in their take on dungeoncrawling, but...

I get why they would go for something like Draw Steel. Matt's an outspoken proponent for D&D 4E and that kind of crunchy-combat focused play. I don't get a similar "dungeoncrawling is awesome" vibe from either Matt or James. And I'm really not sure what they could do that's not already actively being done by scores of other dungeoncrawlers. The hook for DS was obvious, almost no one else was doing anything like it. The hook for Crows...basically everyone is doing dungeoncrawlers. Not saying MCDM can't or shouldn't, just curious how they will distinguish their game in a frankly overcrowded field.

I expect whatever they come up with to probably look pretty similar to what's out there now, but with a twist or two. That said, there are a lot of great dungeon crawlers that are already essentially just that. MCDM may come up with a new twist or two that resonates with a lot of people -- look at how Shadowdark succeeded with "5E, but make it OSR."

 

[HatWearingFool]

I’m fairly confident there is room for innovation in dungeon crawlers. Most. Of the current ones generally feel the same and play the same when looked at from afar.

I would have pointed to Dungeon Crawler Carl as something interesting in the space but someone else is creating that. I find it hard to believe a game could feel like the books but I’m interested to see what they come up with.

 

[Tigris]

I'm interested in their take on dungeoncrawling, but...

I get why they would go for something like Draw Steel. Matt's an outspoken proponent for D&D 4E and that kind of crunchy combat-focused play. I don't get a similar "dungeoncrawling is awesome" vibe from either Matt or James. And I'm really not sure what they could do that's not already actively being done by scores of other dungeoncrawlers. The hook for DS was obvious, almost no one else was doing anything like it. The hook for Crows...basically everyone is doing dungeoncrawlers. Not saying MCDM can't or shouldn't, just curious how they will distinguish their game in a frankly overcrowded field.

There are more and more games inspired by D&D 4e with tactical combat, with different levels of streamlining:

Strike, Beacon, Wyrdwood Wand, Trespasser, Shadow of the Demon Lord (a bit less 4e inspired than others), Lancer, Bludgeon, Gunwat Banwha (even PF2 has copied half of its systems from 4e and 13th age as well (but thats wihtout a grid)).


So Draw Steel is by far not alone. Also in Draw Dteel one can really remark that the lead designer was no longer Matt Colville but someone with more 5e (and PF2) experience.

 

[gnarlygninja]

I'm interested in their take on dungeoncrawling, but...

I get why they would go for something like Draw Steel. Matt's an outspoken proponent for D&D 4E and that kind of crunchy combat-focused play. I don't get a similar "dungeoncrawling is awesome" vibe from either Matt or James. And I'm really not sure what they could do that's not already actively being done by scores of other dungeoncrawlers. The hook for DS was obvious, almost no one else was doing anything like it. The hook for Crows...basically everyone is doing dungeoncrawlers. Not saying MCDM can't or shouldn't, just curious how they will distinguish their game in a frankly overcrowded field.

Before they mostly stopped talking about 5th edition, dungeon crawling came up as another example of a playstyle that 5E isn't very good at supporting. It also came up when MCDM was setting expectations for Draw Steel as an example of something it wasn't designed to support. It's not that surprising (to me) they'd be trying to make a game that does.

 

[zakael19]

Trespasser

A very interesting game since it matches pretty grimy low-power play with grid-tactical combat.

Curious where Crows will go! I'd be interested in seeing something that would also work for like, grimdark-ish Black Company mercenary style stuff. Tactical but grounded, almost the polar opposite of where DS! ended up.