Hey everyone, Charles here, and I want to tell you about my personal thoughts about Kingdom & Command, and, of course, where it is in terms of development.

My thoughts on the game

In the past few weeks we've been running a playtest, and it's been a lot of fun. It's our longest playtest yet, and I've discovered that in addition to being a game, it's essentially writing a short story together. Just like game of D&D is creating and experiencing a story together,  this is writing one together.

It suits Arthur and me well, given that we're both writers (or at least like to think of ourselves as such!), and world creators in RPG games. Both of us have laughed, gasped and teared up from this game.

Developments on the game

The game is meant to be played by letters. However, to speed up playtesting, we decided to play this game by email. We will faithfully report below what we learned from this, but we nevertheless suggest playing by letters for the physical elements, explained in the first bullet point:

• The game plays perfectly via email instead of letters. Although one cannot use wax seals, letter folding or tea stained paper, the game retains all of the drama and story-based elements, which is the core part of the game.
• Just like with letters, swapping drawings is still totally doable. In fact, it means we could have one "master file" of a map that we exchanged with each letter, and here it is:

Continuing with what we learned:
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• A "Stuff Tracker" is useful for - you guessed it - keeping track of stuff in the game. As with the map, both Arthur and I would add it to with each letter and send it back and forth:
  

What's next for the game? Not much:

• Commission a graphic designer for a front cover image.
• Finish off a few photographs for the book, just to spice it up, as with the images below.
• Edit in any desirable changes learned from our current playtest.
• Finish the playtest: just one letter left!

Oh, you're still here?...


Okay, I'll tell you one more thing about what makes this last letter special:

I'll be honest here, I'm a little frightened of how it might turn out. It's not just the end of a playtest game, but the end of a story.

Both Arthur and I have become invested in the lives and trials of characters we created together. Although I have creative license to direct the story and its ending, I believe fellow story writers can relate when I say that if a character becomes alive enough, they are no longer in your control.

I don't know how the story ends, but regardless, I adore the feeling of creating a vivid world, and I want to know how it turns out, even if I myself am the one to write it, and this is the feeling I want to share with the players of this game.

Tensions and rivalries in camp rise with the latest letter in the playtest of our new game, Kingdom and Command.

This is the third letter, from Rivas, our mage character. In it he details the reaction of the camp commander, Lucius Sextus Galvanus, when Rivas walks into his Galvanus' tent with a snake (of which Galvanus is deeply phobic) and demands the respect and command-position warranted for himself, a prince of the realm.

Persilious Grimm (Arthur) reads the latest news "with thorough joy".

Below is the map charles drew for an overview of the strategic situation.

Rivas tells of how a rumour in camp quickly and inadvertently turned to bad morale, which escalated to a brawl and an armed standoff.

To avoid inter-camp bloodshed, Galvanus and the young prince Rivas were forced to split their forces, exposing both to the hostile Formonians to the North. Additionally, Galvanus controls the religiously/magicly important ancient grove, while Rivas has all the mages on his side.

For now we await news from Persilious, who is facing off against the Formonians, their summoned 8ft ogres, and searching The Caves of Carras for the Sword of Mystery.



Transcript of Rivas' letter:

​Dear brother, I took your advice, and what change it has brought! I took your advice: found the mage in question, and persuaded him to part with a snake (Galvanus needn’t know it’s docile). Marched into Galvanus’ tent and left your note to him on table (he refused to take it within arm’s length, haha!). Allso demanded my rightful place in command tent, to which he angrily agreed, if no snake.

Since then everything changed quickly! A rumour spread that I had demanded supreme command (not true!). The next day officers and men came to my tent and pledged loyalty to the crown (I thought it kind). In the next few days I saw increasing indiscipline of all sorts, but mages are with me of course. A week passed and whole camp divided (even tents moved!) Two cohorts brawled yesterday. Weapons drawn, standoff, but no blood shed. Galvanus and I interceded, but he was furious. Told “rebels” and myself to leave and re-manoeuvre to new position.

Don’t know if I was commanded, banished or if it was only peaceful solution at standoff. Took ca. 40% of his men, am told. Both Galvanus and enemy is within two day’s march. Officers tell me we must watch both. Very strange situation, but got my wish for command tent, haha! Have you ever faced similar?
White Horses is now barren: fog and rain, but when clear has long, beautiful sunsets across plains. Foragers from three forces have picked area clean. Scouts tell me Galvanus’ tents shadows them at sunrise, and we see our shadows cast on his scouts at sunset. Formonians to North, no movement from them in force yet, apart from skirmish at runes, now defended only by Galvanus + without mages!

Yes, I know Freeden. Skilled mage, bookworm who didn’t return books. Threw one in anger once when he kept nagging. Regret now my harsh words.

Please keep me informed! Am intrigued by sword of mystery (enchanted weapons in tower only rarely demonstrated), and spirits are known to be knowledgeable of such things. Ogres are amazing! In mage’s tower they are 7ft max! Fascinating that these are larger! Advise to follow most, biggest and meanest into caves. Sword may have amplified Formonian magic, but Formonians could also be seeking sword, or they may simply have discovered caves as magical and convenient place to summon ogres. Do not let them get sword!

The latest Kingdom and Command letter has arrived! Arthur has upped his game with nice paper, drawings, in-game stamps, and a longer letter than last time, showing that a roleplay correspondence game can be as tactile as rolling dice and moving miniatures.

The roleplay lesson
In the Kingdom and Command rulebook we encourage players to pick two positive and two negative traits for their characters. A great way to show traits is to put your characters in situations where they're forced to make choices that hinge on their values and characteristics.

As you can see in the transcript at the bottom of this post, the summoned martial spirit prefers to act through an item of power and that Persilious "in his naivety" did not bring one. Consequently, the spirit sealed The Caves of Carras, but Persilious already has a plan to clear the rubble.

Persilious is inexperienced but intelligent, and with the above, Arthur created for his character a problem, a character-based solution, and even sets up content for his next letter.

The story telling lesson
In Kingdom and Command two players create the world and narrate its events as they pass, but how to do it effectively? Take the following line from Persilious' letter, where he responds to Rivas' complaint that Rivas' commander, Lucius Sextus Galvanus, will not allow mages (that means Rivas) in the command tent:

Summary
Both Arthur and I are writers, gamers, world creators and history lovers, and with the Kingdom and Command game we want to provide a game for similar people.

In this game you can give your stories a tactile nature, experience the joys and lost art of letter letter writing, and enjoy a roleplay game that doesn't require you to meet up somewhere weekly.

Pssst, it even merges with D&D, and is great for Covid-lockdowns.

Transcript of Persilious' letter
Dearest brother, high mage of the council and may I remind you, prince to the throne,

I start my letter by offering thee my copper hobnails from my winter walking shoes. Since I shall be wearing my heavy boots for the for the foreseeable, I do not see my needing them. Above is an image of the nails in question, with instructions to “dull” the spine to your liking. When I first wore hobnails I found the “nail” element a little too prominent, and being that you’re likely still wearing your mage sandals I thought an additional dulling might encourage wear, comfort and overall usage.

On the topic of Lucius, yes, I recall him. I actually met him before last year’s festival, on the training ground for father’s fiftieth celebration. A real elitist man. I feel it prudent to inform you that he has an insane fear of snakes, and that to my knowledge one of the magicians in your company always carries three with him. I imagine, with your own affinity for animals that if you were to carry one with you a day or two he would quickly grow an irreversible respect and fear of you, as so he should, being that you are his superior in blood.

Furthermore, I will include a letter to him, though I shan’t mention why, that he ought to accept the council of all in his company, even the lowly cage maker. No man’s word is below the standing of another, only titles are they.

Does White Horses boast the beautiful diamond it once did? Or has the enemy painted its skies with grey and dark magics?

Now onto my failures.

I had the magicians in the expedition lay out the rune as informed. None had heard much of the spirit but they proceeded with caution due, as advised. At the entrance to the caves on the break of day they drew the rune in the sand and summoned the spirit. He arrived in "style" on might say, bursting into the air with a heaven’s fanfare. The air burned and with it the trees. Sadly also one of our magicians caved to the elemental magic. His body stood, just a pair of boots in the clearing.

The noise brought forth the ogres, before we had much time to convene upon a plan the spirit fought them with might unheard. A crack of thunder broke and he rode his chariot among them, slicing necks and pouring their life upon the ground. As he left, he warned us that we had failed. Though we knew not how he told us that the magicians fate sufficed his summoning but that he wanted recompense for the violence.

The old tome failed to mention that though he is a martial god, he is not one of violence per se, preferring to act through an item or items of power. In our naivety we did not supply such an item, and as he left, he sealed the caves, our only pass through the mountains. He informed us that within the caves lay a sword of great mystery and if we can retrieve it he would forgive our trespass upon his slumber. Though we know not how to clear the caves of rubble left in his wake we have a rough plan and I will report on this soon.

Thank you for your assistance. The magician who died was called Freeden (son of Farnon), do you know him? He spoke of you once, though it seemed in fear and regarding something about the time you "threw a book" at him? Knowing your nature I presume he was "pulling your leg".

Kindly and with care,
Persilious.

Our first two letters have landed and lo' and behold: the game works. Not only does it work, it's a pure joy! Odd really how a game that details the trials and tribulations of war can be described as joy, but the game is a fantasy one...

The first two letters detail much and being inside the mind of the rulers of this kingdom is exciting indeed. Already in these first two letters you can see character and personality of each ruler coming out and showing face. 

So far the game seems to work really well. Not only does it make sense, it's easy to think of a return response even before using the "topic generation grid" to finesse it. Charles made a really fun and interesting decision to play a "prince" and his chosen characteristics of "gullible and sheltered" come out in his letter. It shall be really interesting to see what happens moving forward. 

I have drawn a card, rolled my dice and flipped a coin for my return letter, and I can tell you this: I don't think it's going to go well for Pesilious this week...

Come back for more soon.

Many big and exciting decisions have been made for the new property "Kingdom and Command" and we believe it possible to reasonably speed up the process so that people can play this awesome game with us, sooner than later. 

Firstly let's share a picture of the "you will need" section of the book. This details the necessary items to play the game and write your letters. Note our attempt at humour...

We have done extensive work in late-night shifts, hacking away at the topic generation grid (which we have partially concealed to maintain some mystery about the process). We made the decision to use 3D6 instead of 1D20 (3 six-sided dice, instead of one 20-sided die) for the selection process, and this means that the game is more accessible to gaming newbies and also means that everyone can play it as soon as they receive their copy.

We also decided that the card drawing system should be simplified and we are trialing the "sibling death" for the joker cards, which adds an intense and fearful element to drawing the card. Of course you don't have to use the selection system at all to even play the game, however if you do choose to then it really does add drama. No one has drawn a joker yet...thank gosh!

In our games we like to use "designer notes" wherein something is best explained from a personal point of view rather than a practical one. Below you can see the explanation of the "character trait" selection process. Since people are so different in real life, we think it pertinent to explain that when choosing character traits a difference in opinion is good and encourages drama within the world.

The "meta letters", or as we think we may re-label them "explanation letters", are small and snippy letters that a player may provide "out of character" to explain something in their main letter that it may not benefit to explain at length, due either to narrative or space constraints. Below you can see the two examples we created to demonstrate this.

This morning I received Charles' first letter (or "Rivas", as his character is called) and it was a DOOZY! We have decided to share the letters online, especially since the actual playtest creates new ideas and finesses the system. This way people can see the game grow as we water it's infant roots. 

Come back tomorrow to see that post!