The core mechanic behind Rogueship is calculated risk; randomness that can be gambled against. Randomly generated galaxies, fluctuations in the commodities market, and the vicissitudes of weighted encounters are how gameplay keeps the wicked hand of chance grasping the player.

Shrewd trading at favorable prices, while preparing for inevitable misfortune, is the simple recipe for success. Whether it wins out for a given round remains a balance of player resourcefulness and a few turns of luck.

A game of Rogueship lasts only 60 turns before the player is victorious or dead, and games are autosaved every 15 turns. Taken together, these mechanics mean that Rogueship is designed for pick-up-and-play. Short bursts of devious starfaring, and an interface simple enough that anyone can grasp the decision making process.

While random content in the game ensures replayability, it also serves another purpose as well. By essentially assembling a story from sequences of chance events, Rogueship encourages the player to imagine the greater story themselves, passively filling in the details and continuities which tell of a star captain’s harrowing career.

Both mechanics – the trade system and the sort of storyboard random encounters – are a throwback to an era of games that were played at a pretty high level of abstraction. And that’s the experience I want Rogueship to create.

Read Part 1: Design Foundation
Read Part 3: World Foundation
Read Part 4: Commodities
Read Part 5: Combat
Read Part 6: Events