Join the Ashcan Front!

[Justin D. Jacobson]

At Gen Con last year, Paul Czege and Matt Snyder started something called the Ashcan Front. They had a booth in the exhibit hall, but more than that, it represented a new way of thinking about game development: the ashcan. It was an unqualified success. They are having another booth at GC this year. I’m joining up, releasing my Bullseye ashcan, and I thought I would post here and encourage other designers – designers who might be unlikely to visit the Forge – to give it a look and think about joining. I’m proof positive that this is not just for hippie/indie designers.

What is an ashcan? Basically, it is a way to package your game that captures attention and inspires playtesting. It's a way to get outside your group of "go-to guys" and the dynamics of internet when those avenues aren't working for your design problems. It’s a way to connect with folks out in the wider hobby. But to find the right folks you need to express your vision in a way that inspires their interest. And that's the ashcan. If you decide the ashcan makes sense for your game, you publish a tangible product for people to buy with the specific idea of participating in and helping with the design of the final product. From the FAQ, this product, the “ashcan”, is a printed RPG rulebook with the following qualities:

• The rules have been playtested and are 90% solid, but the game isn't quite delivering on the design goals, i.e., it’s not “fully baked” yet.
• The text is written not like a finished game, but with the specific goal of provoking playtesting and feedback toward the design goals.
• The text includes spells out what the design goals are and specifies the mechanics that need validation or refinement.
• The text invites the purchaser into conversation with the designer.
• The book has a hand-assembled or copy-shop aesthetic, or in some other way is clearly not "store ready".
• The book has a price of around $10; bring around 50 copies.

From the designer’s standpoint, the ashcan is a way to get feedback from someone who is interested, invested, and engaged. From the customer’s standpoint, the ashcan is a way to expose yourself to new games before they hit the market and actually participate in the design process, helping to shape the final product.

The buy-in for the booth is $120, plus $65 for an exhibitor’s badge. (That’s right, you’re an exhibitor now.) You need to commit to a couple of hours per day at the booth itself. If you’re interested, just post a reply in this thread and tell us a little bit about your game and what design goals or issues you want to address with your ashcan. If you want some more info, you can read the FAQ or post your questions here.

 

[Justin D. Jacobson]

Someone asked me off-line: Why are you doing the Ashcan Front? I thought I'd post my response here.

As I said above, I signed up to release an ashcan of Bullseye, which is the final evolution in my d20 design odyssey. (Passages being the interim step.) Bullseye has been in development for more than two years now, and it's roughly 90% done. A couple of years ago, I would have just hammered out the last bit, done some playtesting and pushed it out the door. When I heard about the Ashcan Front last year, I was really excited about the prospect of doing an ashcan for Bullseye. I have three main reasons: First, as a multi-genre system, it would be best served by playtesters who are invested in the playtest process; they are more likely to do what I envision the system to do, i.e., allow players to build their own settings. Second, the commitment serves as a great motivator for me to finish the design. Third, the focus of the ashcan has forced me to think about specific design issues I might not have otherwise considered.

That last one is important: The act of participating in the ashcan process has improved the design of the game itself.

If you're unsure if it's right for you, post here with your questions or drop me a line.