Unpub Preview: Dawn Sector
BludleOne of our upcoming events is Protospiel-Milwaukee (and Mid-West Unpub.) This is not an event I will be able to attend, and it is being managed by James Mathes of Minion Games. Games coming to Protospiel-Milwaukee register through a different entity, and by doing so don’t get a page here on Unpub.net. This is our first time with this type of partnership and we’re testing these policies out. One way we can support the games and designers coming to this event is through these previews. So, today we continue our series of previews of games coming to Protospiel- Milwaukee.
Grant Rodiek of Hyperbole Games has been a friend and supporter of Unpub.net for a long time. He's been a friend and supporter of game designer for even longer. If you're not aware of the work he's doing with the Prototype PenPal Program you absolutely should be!
Of course, the reason for this post is to make you aware of the game that Grant is exhibiting at Protospiel- Milwaukee. Dawn Sector is an area control war game that Grant has been improving over the past several months. The game continues to evolve and get better with his hard work, diligence and play-tests!
Grant will say it best, so let's allow him the chance to talk...
What was your inspiration for Dawn Sector? Many of my favorite war games: Memoir '44, 1812: The Invasion of Canada, Risk Legacy.
What is your favorite part of Dawn Sector? Different factions that really make every game different. Also, the game is very player driven -- there isn't a great deal of randomness.
To your knowledge, What do other people find most interesting about Dawn Sector? People really like some of the more wily factions like the Militia or the Yorkans. They like how the tactics let them do lots of things to vary the state of the game.
What has been the most challenging part of designing Dawn Sector? My biggest problems have been addressing the game's pacing and learning curve. I finally solved the pacing issue a month or so ago and I think I'm 90% there with the learning curve.
What advice would you give to players attempting Dawn Sector for the first time? Read through your tactics and spec ops and ask questions! Don't ignore powerful stuff!
What has surprised you most in play-tests of Dawn Sector? Just how difficult it can be to learn faction based gameplay. When you involve 4 players with 4 factions and replace dice rolls with guaranteed abilities -- it can be overwhelming.
People who like___________ will like Dawn Sector. Why? Summoner Wars (faction gameplay), Shogun (Area control with conflict), Risk or 1812: Invasion of Canada (conflict driven area control).
What do you hope to accomplish at Protospiel-Milwaukee (and Mid-West Unpub)? I've been working on Dawn Sector since April 2012. I've tested it over 70 times, including blind tests and at GenCon. I'm hoping for validation that the game is close to being finished. Or, worst case, I get great input on how to get it there.
Tell us anything else you want to say about Dawn Sector that I haven't asked or you haven't said already. I've been working very diligently to iterate and improve the game based on player feedback for almost a year now. I'm really excited to put it in front of my peers at Protospiel.
So look for Grant at Protospiel- Milwaukee. I'm sure he'll be controlling an area somewhere playing Dawn Sector from...well, dawn to dusk or even later!
