I almost always start to work on my projects from a conceptual level. I try to find a thread that binds some ideas together or an over-arching theme that can be explored over time. Answer the big questions, flesh out the loose ends. Wrap it all up to a coherent entity, sort of. Like a bit of internalized world-building, done for myself before I start. I want it to have its own life, so it could stand on its legs, without it piggybacking on something else. The hard part is to separate it from existing games and inspirational sources, without losing any necessary heritage, and still give it a distinct feel and its own identity. Semantics matter.
In this case, Iron Facets was named after quite some consideration. But obviously, it is impossible to count everything in existence into that process. Both Iron and Facets were words representing something important in my story game; iron, as it was a valuable ore and resource in the times the game was set that divided nobles from commoners, as well as the living from the dead; facets, as the game’s mechanics were centered around character facets.
And just recently I came to think of a lovely game I didn’t want to piggyback on, named Ironsworn. The iron part of the name isn’t a big issue, really, but the fact it is a very nice game with a cool take on the PbtA framework, I didn’t want to get my project mixed up with it, or be placed in close proximity.
That is why I change the name for Iron Facets to Forged Facets.
Iron Facets was a project name for a game in the making, and while considering a name change isn’t ideal, it isn’t a big problem.
Forged Facets is a name that describe how the mechanics work, on many levels. The experience mechanics and character development are based on the levers you forge, drivers that create a player agency. How you chose to interact with your levers will, in turn, shape your character. Moreover, having a forge, much like owning iron in a medieval world, is a way of controlling production, and being able to prepare for conflict and war. By forging your facets, you’re in control of your destiny.
Does it make sense to you?
