If you have followed this blog for a long time, you are probably aware that many of the players in my Sunday game never carefully read the Microlite74/Microlite81 rules. I have a couple of players who admit they have never even skimmed the free copies I give them. One of the nice things about old school gaming is that mastering the rules does not really help much in the game as the game is not about using the rules to the best effect. This also means that players who aren’t interested in “system mastery” don’t handicap themselves or the other players in the game — even those players so uninterested in “system mastery” that they can’t be bothered to read the rules at all.

While this is very nice and is one of the things I want in any game I’m going to GM, there are players who enjoy reading (and sometimes studying) the rules — even if that will not give them the advantage it does in games based around “system mastery”. While I have a couple of players who never read the rules, I also have players who want to read the rules. Last Sunday, at our last game of the year, one of those players told me that the best Christmas present I could give him was to finish putting the Microlite81 Expanded rules (which is what we are using at the moment) down on paper — at least to the “public beta” point.

I’m been mainly working on Microlite81 Complete the last few weeks because working on it covers lots of “new ground” and is therefore more interesting for me to work on. For those who are wondering about Microlite81 Advanced and why I haven’t even produced an early draft, this is why. Microlite81 Advanced covers a huge amount of new ground. If I started working on it, I’d likely only move back to working on other versions of Microlite81 if held at gun point.

However, I have taken up this Microlite81 Expanded challenge. I’m going to put Microlite81 Complete on the back burner for the rest of December and work on the Microlite81 Expanded rules. The plan is to have a version suitable for public beta (and use by the players in my Sunday game) around the new year. Even with the holiday season, this should be something I can actually do (if I push myself) because after today, my wife has no further doctor or physical therapy appointments until after the first of the year. As she has been having three (or more) a week for most of the last four weeks (and I’m her transportation), this means I will have more free time to work on Microlite81. BTW, this afternoon my wife has another steroid shot to the spinal cord to help relieve her back pain. Even with the local they give her, it’s fairly uncomfortable. (Okay, my wife says “painful.”) Prayers and good thoughts for her this afternoon would be welcome. Thanks.