Mere Anarchy: Design Goals & Upcoming Projects

So, I have a lot of content that remains from my 100 page game that was shrunk into Mere Anarchy. The goal was always to create an elegant and concise set of rules around a page in length. And having accomplished that I feel like it's a shame to leave the rest of the written work sitting in the confines of forgotten folder on my hard drive (goodbye elegance). So, I have begin releasing supplemental pieces for the game, each a page (front and back) in length. This feels nice to me and my design approach to this is provide players with content in separated forms so they can pick and choose what they want and don't want in their games. With each additional rule added the game becomes more complex so I am not interested in expanding the rules so much as I am to provide randomness that generates content within the confines of the rules.

For example, the Monster Book which provides random generators for making monsters does not add additional monster rules but rather the guidelines to easily build procedurally generated monsters with a few dice rolls. I actually think this could even be more elegant in its design and further simplified (and eventually that might happen as Mere Anarchy is a work in progress). 

While I have no intent in changing the core rules of the game as I think they are sound and accomplish what I want them to accomplish (fast, loose, descriptive play that allows for quick pick up games, convention play, low bar of entry for new gamers), I do plan to release content in the form of mini games directly connected to Mere Anarchy.

For example, the World Builder is its own, self-contained mini game that allows players to work together to build a history with people and things set within a map, all at the macro level, all narratively created by the players through a series of dice rolls and conversations. While none of these things are reinventing the wheel, that was never my purpose in the first place. I really wanted a fun, quick little fantasy game full of randomness and little systems that allowed for various types of play, whether that means going on an adventure or building a world or fleshing out a kingdom and watching it collapse. 

So, with all of this rambling, what is on the horizon for this system? First will be the release of a magic book, The Book of Arcane secrets that has a spell generator using descriptors and effects, and a bunch of other charts centered around magic (caster titles, symbols, critical failure results, etc.). As it is a standalone booklet, players and GMs can take the pieces from that book and add to their game or leave it at the side and stick to the core rules. 

Following the The Book of Arcane Secrets will be the Kingdom Builder which allows players to create a narrative around the rise and collapse of a kingdom in their world. This simple little game is very similar in tone and scope to the World Builder.

After these two I plan to release solo rules with oracles (a small deck of print and play oracle cards for Mere Anarchy), The Book of Violence which provides players and GMs with some guidance on how to narratively make combat more interesting (and violent). Then a small booklet of hex maps. 

This is where things stand for now. I feel energetic and I am enjoying the community that has been engaging with Mere Anarchy. After coming off he writing of Far Away Land: Adventures in the Materiosphere, I need something light and simple. Mere Anarchy is a sort of palette cleanser. 

- Dirk