https://www.dropbox.com/s/2ee906vviqa18sf/Kosmos.pdf
That's Kosmos.
I tried my first online playtest this past weekend and immediately ran into a problem: option paralysis. Specifically with the "choose 5 images."
Granted, we were online, so "images" means "google." So there's a lot of options.
But even in a face to face game, I expect a number of cards available. Everway started with 90. I am hoping for more.
One option, of course, is to just create my very own image deck. But art rights are expensive, and I'm not WOTC.
Mike Holmes, my player, suggested a second option: utilize filters for google image searches (and thus assume that every player will always be plugged into the web).
A third option is just to embrace the potential option paralysis.
Another option, which I'm leaning towards, is just to shed the "use vision cards" process of the system.
(As an homage to Everway, it will still retain the world-hopping, and the Tarot-style resolution)
Are there other alternatives I'm missing?
You could provide a table with links to images, that you can roll on randomly? Could roll ten times, keep five of those, as a way of whittling down the choices, but still having some choice.
And I'm intrigued by adding a "hold some, pass some" element (as Hearts or some booster-draw CCG tournaments). Getting the group involved might help reduce paralysis.
I wonder if a medium issue is at work. My experiences with Everway suggest that people have no trouble instantly seizing upon five cards from a physical pile and saying "this is my father," "this is my enemy," "this is me as a child," and stuff like that.
Best, Ron
Indeed... I would suggest making a custom Vision deck, with physical cards. I don't see the issue with rights to the image, because it's unnecessary to publish a standardized Vision deck for Kosmos, or any other Everway remake — just tell players to assemble a Vision deck of their own as part of pre-play prep. Or use the original Vision deck from Everway if they've got it!