Game Changing

Hello,

Welcome back to the Purgatory BLOG. So much has happened in the last few weeks since we last posted that it might just take up the whole screen. Just kidding. (But it might)....

So what's happened since we last wrote?

• Keysha is finished. The model which was sculpted by Fancagne Didier of Kaha Miniatures was completed in last January. The model is now over at GRX creations and will be available in the next 2 weeks. We can't wait to get our grubby little mitts on this Disco Diva.
• Hannibal, this Apostle from Murder Inc. is on the table with Lux Thantor (sculptor of Death and St Peter) and is 95%, I've seen the proof of its existence. With his mighty, yet quite tiny, elephant alongside him, this guy offers something different to the gaming world.
• Bobby B, this is the limited edition character for Soul Train. This event only model is 95% done and is being completed by the aforementioned Lux Thantor. This guy will be on sale at Salute and will be available on the day only to people online, so set the date as a reminder for your diary. Bobby comes with an event only playing card so don't miss out.
• Erishkigal has just been started. If you follow the newsletter you will see some more updates on this lady later today. This is the fabled Host from the Soul Train and is the 2nd angel to feature in our world. This model is being sculpted by Gautier Giroud and will be available to buy in the lead up to Salute and on the day.

And that is not all....

• The game rules are now at version 2. Yep, if you are following Purgatory then you will know that we are now playing live games. The rules are in place and Soul Train are taking on Murder Inc. with growing frequency.
• Beasts of War are following our project alongside Tannhauser Gate Studios and the Hairy Bikers which is fantastic news for the project and we are extremely grateful for their continued support.
• Items are starting to drift in for Salute, tables, banners, leaflets and fliers are all starting to arrive and it is getting very exciting with less than 2 months to go.
• 30 Gift of the Gods cards are in design with 3 artists
• A comic strip especially for Salute has been commissioned
• Gangbangers are in the final stages of the design process
• Refugees of Religion are out there and ready for some love!

Game Changing:

If you have been following these posts since the beginning you will see quite the journey. Having never gone through the process of designing, sculpting, producing and distributing models it was quite the eye opener but we have all taken it within our stride. Making a game however, that is intense and it's quite the learning curve.

When you make a game, you have to give it an identity. Doing this is especially difficult given that there are a multitude of high quality games out there already as well as up and coming. There is a big danger here when trying to establish your own identity and that is to make something so intricate or complex that actually you end creating a monster, or something very complicated to play. Which can ultimately turn people off.

Side stepping this Mario Kart sized banana was the most integral part of our design process and we believe we have done this well. The key to Purgatory as a game was not to create something absolutely box fresh and hot off the press, but to refine existing core mechanics, making them personal to Purgatory but also add that little bit of flavor that makes it our own.

But why?

A goal of Purgatory is for you to be able to acquire the knowledge swiftly, to enable you to quickly process the mechanics, turn sequence and character identities so that you can immerse yourself in a game quite early into your investment. We buy table top games so that we can play them with friends, not to let them sit on the shelf and gather copious amounts of dust.

With that in mind we have used some existing mechanics in our approach so that there is a familiar feel to the game you are going to play. Most gamers have played some of the longstanding traditional systems and as such they have a bedrock of understanding that helps them translate new rules or gaming systems as they come out. It's like you guys have a skeleton key, you just need to work out which way to turn the lock.

The edge...

The game flows smoothly thus far (famous last words), the turns work and actually there is enough going on to keep you interested. With most battles being at around 500 points, it's looking like you can get between 6 and 10 models in your contingent which means, it's not even a huge investment to play a game.

What adds more flavor and a certain edge is the synergy between hosts and the cohort. Because in Purgatory you can field absolutely anyone alongside your host, finding that balance adds some depth and flavor to your contingency selection process. The discovery of certain synergies may lead to the creation of very competitive contingents being fielded when the game goes live.

Add to this, the Gift of the Gods cards that you draw each game turn you have some variety that can see a winning position swiftly turn on its head if you use the card in the right way.

An adult theme!!! 18 Rated?

It's not quite that bad, in fact it is not at all. But Purgatory does have an adult theme. For example, what would be called Psychology in other games is quite simply 'Scary Shit' in the world of Purgatory. There are some moves that have an adult theme from some the female characters, though when used they are blended with a humorous tone that brings a smile to the face instead of a frown.

We can't have a world where angels are murdering people by the thousands and mankind is waging a gutter war amongst itself without having a darker side to it. This is what Purgatory as a game portrays.

So what next?

Well alpha testing will continue for the coming months, bringing Parlour Tricks, Refugees of Religion and Gangbangers online to test against the first two contingents and we can't wait to show you the results.

Thanks for coming back and following this project and we would love to here your thoughts.

All the very best and watch out for angry Angels in a sky near you.

Team Purgatory.