Fiction informs function — to paraphrase Keith Stetson in his excellent game, Seco Creek Vigilance Committee — was the guiding principle when I decided to tear down Nocked’s existing game structures for the desktop release, salvage the good, and rebuild the rest from the ground up.

Previously, I had 1 resource pillar (gold, renown, men), 1 counter-pillar (bounty), and a tacked-on sideways mechanic (Grace) that nevertheless left a player with the distinct possibility of losing the endgame (and only the endgame). This might be seen as a challenge for some, but  for others it’s just frustrating, and I want to ensure a satisfied - if thoughtful - feeling of accomplishment when the credits roll, whatever the outcome.

From the ashes of the old, Nocked now has 3 resource pillars - granular, regional, and structural - that feed from the story, to the story, and between each other. I’ll take an in-depth look at those, as well as the triumphant return of Grace and The Sheriff Strikes Back in future posts.