The importance of merging storytelling with gameplay mechainics.

Making sure that the mechanics of Lifeship feel real is incredibly important, if we describe a brilliant weapon or enemy then that’s only half of the picture. We need to make sure that that feeling carries over beyond the story and into the gameplay itself. Not only is it excellent worldbuilding but it also helps provide stakes by giving an emotional connection between the characters we love from the story and the figures we play with on the board. 

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Xeno-Spiders are a great example of this, they are described as unsettling and dangerous and we can carry this through to the table with staggered movements and bizarre abilities. Playing against a Xeno-Spider has them move in sudden bursts of dangerous energy, putting you on the back foot with their devastating attacks. This feeling only becomes enhanced as you travel farther from human space, where Xeno-Spiders learn new behaviours and special abilities that keep you on your toes while still preserving the basic template of a spider, that being a few large bursts of activity coupled with immobilizing and paralyzing attacks.

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Nowhere is this more important than with the characters you play. The way you meet them, their backstory and their retirement must all reflect a single nuanced character and the way that character interacts with the battlefield cannot be any different. For example if your character has a motivation of self-sacrifice then their abilities and equipment will encourage you to act as your character would, to put your team and the lifeship first. Conversely if your character is known for curiosity then their abilities will encourage you to take risks and discover secrets that others will not reach for. This means that when you select your character based on either their mechanics or their backstory you’ll end up enjoying the character. It also means that you can tell a cohesive story about your journey with that character in particular, because everyone’s story will be different!

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Maps are difficult to get right, especially on the first try. Making sure that when you fight somewhere it really feels like you are fighting somewhere. Every place is different and not every fight is an even playing field in an open space. This was quite difficult to achieve while maintaining simplicity until we had a breakthrough, Environment Decks. This allows us to really describe the effects of a space without complicating the board, simply by using the pre-existing intelligent enemy system. Importantly this can better simulate a changing environment better than any board could as the weather turns for the worse or the reactor primes itself to detonate. Environment decks can also be used to really feel like the enemies have a homeground advantage, just as they do in the story as you travel into increasingly hostile territory.

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By integrating the story and the gameplay we have made Lifeship such that if you enjoy either stories or mechanical rigour you will thoroughly enjoy this game.