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This blog details how my career as a Starcraft pro-gamer helped prepared me to design a game.
![[image loading]](https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2949101_md.jpg)
There’s a definite fear among progamers and fans alike that when progamers retire, many will be stuck in life due to a lack of practical skills or experience. We spend years sitting behind a computer screen, often heavily isolated from the world. While progamers do fail to develop many skills, the ones required to be a progamer are amplified magnitudes beyond what would be produced in all but the most demanding jobs. While these skills do not produce a tangible product, they instill in each pro-gamer a strength of spirit and mind that is unmatched.
One of the most valuable lessons I was forced to learn early on was the ability to take criticism and keep rolling. While I had many fans, I often felt like I had even more haters as their voice was much louder. When I lost an important series there were always posts about how poorly I played or calls for me to retire. It was disheartening to read, but eventually I realized that that is just reality.
Imagine going into your job, making a mistake and having twenty people tell you that it was time to retire or that you were worthless. Now imagine that this happened frequently. Like it or not, this is your world when your work is seen by so many people. The world of progaming is fast and unforgiving. Little mistakes snowball into big problems and missed opportunities. The only way to keep up is to keep going. To succeed, you can’t afford to let the naysayers bog you down with their hate.
![[image loading]](https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2957417_md.jpg)
I’ve become tempered to criticism and have learned how to improve without taking it personally. As a game designer, many of the decisions I’ve made have been initially wrong. When testing a new idea, it’s important to to acknowledge that initial imperfections are necessary in order to create something better. Iteration is the key to eventually making something great, which necessarily entails starting with something not so great. When showing a product in development, there will be many bugs and issues. Being a progamer taught me how to take criticism and make myself better for it.
![[image loading]](https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2961709_md.jpg)
There is no progress without failure. After failure comes inspection and with inspection comes improvement. The very nature of development requires that we delve into the unknown. If we could delve into the unknown without making mistakes, then that ‘unknown’ wasn’t really unknown to begin with. This journey into uncharted territory is not a one step process. You don’t get to discover one new thing and then retreat to the familiar. To stand above and apart from competitors, it is required that you immerse yourself in a world that you know better than anyone else.
Designing something primarily in another’s world means living more in imitation than in innovation. We cannot truly succeed if we only work in the shadow of others. In my best Starcraft moments, I used strategies that started and ended inside my own head. I theorized about different openings and consistently brought unexpected tricks to my games. Although my Starcraft skill faded, my creative spirit has only become more energized with this new world I’ve created in Aeon’s End.
![[image loading]](https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2957416_md.jpg)
The absolute core of the gameplay in Aeon's End is that of a deck-builder. Those familiar with the genre will find something they recognize here. The rest is an amalgamation of ideas borne from a spirit who embraced failure and the lessons it taught. There were months where the game barely functioned. There was a week where I apologized to every single playtester I subjected my game to because of how incoherent it was. Those lowest lows stemmed from my willingness to test ideas that I barely understood. From those ashes, I built something unique, something entirely my own because I wasn’t afraid to swim in unfamiliar waters. In search of something greater, I refused to retreat to what I already knew. Starcraft taught me that in order to be great, we must lead the charge into the unknown. Starcraft's champions changed the way we understood the game.
![[image loading]](https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2961895_md.jpg)
Creating something new is a long and involved process. Persistence was critical to coherently wrapping each idea together. When my efficiency dropped, I took a break to recharge but I never gave up. I came back, week after week, constantly refining and improving on my journey to make the best game possible.
![[image loading]](https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2948820_md.jpg)
My spirit had already been tempered by my time as a pro-gamer. The lows that I felt during my time with Starcraft allowed me to view current problems with an unusual perspective. Nothing in the development process has ever compared to the feeling of stepping off the stage in front of thousands of fans after a loss. The problems that I face now are incredibly minor compared to the heartache I suffered time and time again in pursuit of my pro-gaming dream. In reflection, I see each tournament as a stepping stone. Each event was a test. Rather than wallow in what I was not, I needed to persevere toward what I wanted to be. This is what I do now. Each day, I make a plan that ensures the game I test tomorrow is better than the game I test today. For a long time, I did not know when the game would be done, but I had faith that if I continued long enough I would find the end that is now in sight.
![[image loading]](https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic2948848_md.jpg)
Aeon’s End is a co-op deck building board game. It’s game for a group of friends to come together and immerse themselves in a new world. The end of everything looms tall and near. You are fighting in a world where humanity has been driven underground by the monsters that will never let you live in peace. You must come together and defend the city, Gravehold, and subsequently humanity, from imminent extinction using your wits and skill. Success in Aeon’s End requires teamwork, cooperation and flexibility.
For me, Aeon’s End is so much more. It’s a testament to what a determined individual can do. It’s a testament to why risks are worth taking. Without taking risks, dreams remain nothing more than their name. By pushing past your limits and adventuring into the unknown, dreams can soar. I hope you enjoy playing Aeon’s End as much as I did making it. There were times where I didn’t know if it would be worth it, but now that the project is nearly complete, I know deep down that it was all worth it. Every ounce of flesh and blood that I put into this game was worth it. Finally, I understand that my time spent with Starcraft gave me something special that I could not have received anywhere else.
Unfortunately, strength of spirit is not enough to produce a game. All the art and gameplay are complete, and now all that remains is to find enough people who also believe in my game to make it a reality. My kickstarter is live here. I hope that you can help me finish this last part of the process so that many more can enjoy it.
 
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1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL22272 Posts
ooooohhh i like the art
click click
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dayum the art look cool man
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Looks like a really nice game! Initial gameplay thought is that it looks like a spin on Dominion and Eldritch Horror. Artwork is really beautiful.
I think that having the randomness from the turn-order as opposed from the deck shuffling is really nice design decision. My only hesitation for this game would be that the strategic depth is a bit of a turn off for some of my friends, but I hoping for the best.
Good luck with everything, really looks awesome!
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I'm not much into card games but what you have here looks incredible. As others have said the art is great, and the gameplay and design seem very realized and detailed. You're already 50% funded and have 30 days left so I'm very optimistic you'll make it all the way. Hope to see this dream of yours succeed!
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Just bought a copy and I can't wait to try it out.
And at this rate, it looks like it will be funded within the day.
Good luck!
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On April 06 2016 03:36 emperorchampion wrote:
Looks like a really nice game! Initial gameplay thought is that it looks like a spin on Dominion and Eldritch Horror. Artwork is really beautiful.
I think that having the randomness from the turn-order as opposed from the deck shuffling is really nice design decision. My only hesitation for this game would be that the strategic depth is a bit of a turn off for some of my friends, but I hoping for the best.
Good luck with everything, really looks awesome!
Thanks for the support. There is a lot of meat to this game. What I've found is that basically anyone who likes games will enjoy it as long as they're willing to give it a chance. There's a lot going on in the game so having someone on hand who is a bit more experienced definitely helps get past the initial learning curve, but there's no particularly complicated concepts that will take a long time to grasp.
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Rock it! So great to see you putting your ingenuity and creativity to use in another way that other people can enjoy!
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Looks like garbage.
User was banned for this post.
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seems like you're gonna have to start preparing some new stretch goals 
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Looks awesome. Glad to see the result of what you've previously blogged about.
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Backed it all the way. As a boardgame aficionado plus a long-time watcher of SC2, I couldn't think of a better thing to support.
Plus you seem to have glowing reviews 
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this game looks awesome. can't wait to play
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This is your best article to date!
I've always felt inspired by how you follow your dreams and make them reality.
In my life I've always had a vision of the reality I would create for myself, while I've made many things happen, I as of late I feel stuck and behind where I wanted to be.
While I feel stuck I can't give up, and reading about other people making their dreams come true is inspiring to say the least.
I feel inspired on many levels by your creative spirit and willingness to make the world in your vision.
I will be buying a copy.
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How did you go from prototype to a kickstarter phase, and join something like Action Phase Games? I have playtested my game at a local board game shop and with friends, but have no idea where to take it from here. I'm assuming I would have to put a decent chunk of cash down for the art and such, or did you have a something that Action Phase Games decided to invest in?
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Congrats man. (It should be initially funded by tomorrow.) I'm glad it all came together and I hope it's a smashing success for you.
May you hadoken the gaming industry the same way you did IM. (Still my favorite live-watched SC2 moment.)
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The game looks very nice, great artwork. How long does it take to play an average game? Do you think people who are not that used to boardgames could enjoy this? Or is it more for a hardcore audience?
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What a Baller you are QXC! OMG I´m speachless Great Job!!!!!!!!!!
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Does the rules forbid writing down the order you play your cards or do you need crazy memorizing skills? Asking this becouse you flip your cards instead of shuffling while drawing from "empty deck".
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Cool, you've got art now.
Nice to see how far it's come.
I'll have to try this.
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Kevin, you are one hell of a guy!
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On April 06 2016 12:45 Hexe wrote:
How did you go from prototype to a kickstarter phase, and join something like Action Phase Games? I have playtested my game at a local board game shop and with friends, but have no idea where to take it from here. I'm assuming I would have to put a decent chunk of cash down for the art and such, or did you have a something that Action Phase Games decided to invest in?
Best advice is to go to a board gaming convention and cold pitch your game to as many publishers as possible. I think I pitched to ~10+
On April 06 2016 23:35 Piste wrote:
Does the rules forbid writing down the order you play your cards or do you need crazy memorizing skills? Asking this becouse you flip your cards instead of shuffling while drawing from "empty deck".
The rules allow you to play however you want in terms of remembering the order of your deck. Fortunately, due to the 'hand' nature of Aeon's End, it's only important which hand a card appears in most of the the time rather than the exact order of everything. After hundreds of games playtesting both internally and showing the game to new players, I've observed that remembering/tracking your deck order is not necessary to play and do well in Aeon's End. The basic thing you want to do is setup hands, IE: I buy money in my money hand so later I'll have an even bigger money hand.
On April 06 2016 16:12 FueledUpAndReadyToGo wrote:
The game looks very nice, great artwork. How long does it take to play an average game? Do you think people who are not that used to boardgames could enjoy this? Or is it more for a hardcore audience?
Your first game will probably be closer to 2 hours. As you become more experienced and familiar, your play time should be much closer to 45 minutes or an hour where higher player counts tend to take a bit longer than lower counts.
As far as difficulty goes, it's kind of middle of the pack. It's not an intro game in that explaining how to play takes a bit of time and actually playing the game presents a lot of interesting decisions / depth. That said, it's not a super complex game because no individual mechanic is particularly difficult to grasp. The primary obstacle for new players will be assimilating the various different mechanics which each influence how the game is played in a different way.
Having just one person who's more familiar with board games and/or deck builders in general will help the learning process, but there are also resources to help get past the initial learning curve. I'm confident that once someone has played a game or two of Aeon's End, they will have a pretty solid grasp of everything. Right now, there aren't a lot of videos showing others playing the game but I recommend watching Rahdo's review to get a better idea of how everything works.
Playthrough video:
+ Show Spoiler +
Thanks for all the support everyone. I really appreciate all the help in making my dream a reality.
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At the start I thought it's not going to go well for you with the board game but looks like you are doing great with kickstarter already being a success. I remember at the start this was supposed to be a 1v1 game? I much prefer co-op when it comes down to deckbuilders xD
Edit: Oh also I like watching Rahdo and seeing him cover your game is kind of cool 
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On April 07 2016 03:57 Nerchio wrote:At the start I thought it's not going to go well for you with the board game but looks like you are doing great with kickstarter already being a success. I remember at the start this was supposed to be a 1v1 game? I much prefer co-op when it comes down to deckbuilders xD Edit: Oh also I like watching Rahdo and seeing him cover your game is kind of cool
It started as a 1v1 game. Over the course of development we took the core mechanics and cards and transformed it into a fully co-op game.
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Katowice25012 Posts
Awesome read, game looks cool best of luck with it! Hope I get a chance to play it sooner rather than later.
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I will definitely give this a try once I can afford it, not because I liked you as a progamer/SC2 personality already, but it genuinely seems that this game is great.
Feels like this is the best compliment I can give you here. Great job!
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Who is this QXC guy? I think I may have heard of him.
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First time ever backing something on kickstarter but this game looks to awesome to not back it. Also qxc is a beast and I don't want to be on the receiving end of this ![[image loading]](http://www.teamliquid.net/staff/heyoka/GSTL/qxc3.jpg)
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I'm sad to see you stuck with this name rather than Discord.
I don't like the art aswell. It's to "sterile", looks way to much computer processed for my taste.
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This is really cool. Congrats on the successful Kickstarter and congrats on making your game, well done!
I still remember when you signed my pass at MLG Anaheim in 2011. You struck a heroic pose with your "I'm qxc, you probably already heard of me" sign. I used that awesome pic for my Starcraft article at Ars Technica:
![[image loading]](http://cdn.arstechnica.net/2011/08/29/qxc_silly_pose-4e5bd32-intro.jpg)
You'll always be a hero to me.
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Grats on the success of your kickstarter!
Question: Have you ever though of digitalising Aeon's End into a mobile game?
e.g Clash Royale is essentially a digitalised card game and because it's mobile it is super accessible to the world.
Very curious on your thoughts on this
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On April 10 2016 23:53 aLt)nirvana wrote:Grats on the success of your kickstarter! Question: Have you ever though of digitalising Aeon's End into a mobile game? e.g Clash Royale is essentially a digitalised card game and because it's mobile it is super accessible to the world. Very curious on your thoughts on this
We've always wanted to just take this project one step at a time. It's not impossible that a digital implementation could happen eventually but we have no plans for it right now.
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Sweden33719 Posts
Yo, a suggestion: make the kickstarter link bold - I almost couldn't find it in your post
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On April 11 2016 23:21 Liquid`Jinro wrote:Yo, a suggestion: make the kickstarter link bold - I almost couldn't find it in your post
Jinro speaks and we listen. To be fair, every single picture is linked to it as well. Just need to have that itchy trigger finger.
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Every day I'm excited to see that number go higher and higher on Kickstarter! I'm really hopeful that most, if not all of the stretch goals are made. Congrats on the success of the game already! Looking forward to getting the game and expansion in November!
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It would seem as though you absolutely obliterated your kickstarter goals. Congrats qxc, I remember meeting you during MLG Anaheim 2011 right after you allkilled MVP LOL
I'd always admired your playstyle and spirit, and I'm glad to see you're doing BIG things! :D
KEEP IT UP BUDDY
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This looks AWESOME! Did it evolve from your other deckbuilder?
I am REALLY digging the idea of a deep / replayable deckbuilder that is COOPERATIVE, since it will be so much easier to get a good game in with various levels of old/new players. And I'm going to love playing this with the gf.
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GLHF!
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On April 14 2016 04:47 EatThePath wrote:
This looks AWESOME! Did it evolve from your other deckbuilder?
I am REALLY digging the idea of a deep / replayable deckbuilder that is COOPERATIVE, since it will be so much easier to get a good game in with various levels of old/new players. And I'm going to love playing this with the gf.
Yea, I took the core of that first game and turned it into a cooperative game. Many of the mechanics and initial cards are there, but all the co-op elements and additional 'stuff' that fits with the co-op formed the bulk of the development ~October and onward.
As far as stretch goals go... I don't think we're ever going to run out. We made a lot of extra content <3
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Seems like a cool game. I would be interested but my group likes sci-fi flavors more so I'm passing on this but I'll definitely keep following what you come up with. Congrats on hitting so many stretch goals :D
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Cool ideas with lots of potential but I think the only way you'll reach that potential is with an online client.
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thats actually really impressive. i agree, an online client would do wonders and open huge possibilities.
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On April 17 2016 16:33 xtorn wrote:
thats actually really impressive. i agree, an online client would do wonders and open huge possibilities.
Making the game digital would be a whole other project. It's not impossible that it could happen eventually but certainly not in the near future (1-2 years, at least I would guess).
This was a really good first step into the world of design, regardless of how the road goes from here.
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That kickstarter is going awesome.
Have you moved it around online communities? What´s the PR like? Are you personally involved, or is it all on ActionPhase?
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Congrats on the successful campaign, lookin forward to playing the game!
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backing the kickstarter, good luck QXC. glad to see you have almost $200k in support for the game
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Finally got my copy of the game 2 days ago in the mail! Its been amazing, played it a couple times with friends already. The only real complaint that I seem to have is that it is a tad bit long and it can take a while just to set it up. But that's pretty minor. I will say though.. even though it is a rather longer game (even for tabletop standards), it doesn't let up on the action. Every time we have played we constantly have to fight for our win; It doesn't sizzle out half way through where you already know if you are going to win or not.
Excellent excellent job for your first game design! I look forward to future projects in whatever you do!
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EPT
