The rough draft of the HoneyComb Engine handbook is now available online at www.honeycombengine.com.

Any and all feedback on the clarity of the manual would be appreciated!

If you're interested in running a test session using the system, I'd love to observe and would happily provide you with some extra resources in addition to the site. Just send me a message and let me know.

Any chance of getting that in a pdf? I can understand if you don't want to put it out in that manner just yet of course.

From the rough draft of the HoneyComb Engine handbook...

[The Honeycomb Engine] is also designed to reduce the amount of math the storytellers must deal with during storyplay. This is because the portions of our brain that deal with math are separate from the portions that deal with language and trying to juggle complex math negatively impacts our ability to tell stories.

This paragraph has given me a lot to think about.

Corvus, I've only looked at the first few sections, but I felt like I wanted a copy of the character sheet to look at while I read sections of the manual. Is there a page that has the character sheet I can print, or at least have open in another window simultaneously?

Jim, there's no PDF of the handbook for general distribution at this point. We will be selling a PDF once the handbook is finalized.

Michelle, there's a LifeWheel character sheet PDF on the Downloads page towards the end of the handbook.

Hmmm....if different parts of the brain control math and storytelling, wouldnt that LESSEN the cognitive overload?


I dont follow your logic.

I think the logic is that we use different parts of our brain for math than we do storytelling. When we calculate math in our brains we are using the left side. This is the hemisphere of the brain that controls linear processes. The right side of the brain is the creative side of the brain. When we tell stories we are accessing the right hemisphere.

It can be a challenge for the brain to "switch-up" at a moments notice. When we are solving math equations, it can be a challenge for most humans, to simultaneously be drawing, or being creative. There a few that have mastered this, but it is not common.

I think what the Honeycomb engine is trying to accomplish is being able to have conflict resolution that does not require such a heavy work load for the left side of the brain, while still accessing the right side for creativity.

I recently read a fantastic book about art that really explains it a whole lot better than I can.

Link in image below:



I think the biggest challenge the Honeycomb Engine will have is overcoming the status quo. What I have read is fantastic, but it is certainly a paradigm shift for table top role players who are used to the story-telling/math combo. We Dungeons and Dragons players have had several years to master this. I think the biggest draw will be to folks that are turned off by the "math" of our hobby. My girlfriend loves the artwork of my role-playing books, but when I try and convince her to play, she takes one look at the "math" involved and runs the other way.

I look forward to seeing the evolution of this project.

Sorry about jumping in their Corvus...just thought I'd throw my two cents in.

No apologies needed! Particularly when you did such a good job of explaining what I mean.;-})

And you're right about the status quo, although there seems to be a niche audience very hungry for a system like this. I've already got a teaching variant and a LARP variant in the works, as well as a non-linear storytelling handbook (which will hopefully be of interest to non-HCE gamers as well).

Additionally--this handbook is going to undergo a pretty major revision over the next few weeks. I had my first in depth session with my editor and I'm meeting with a typographer/designer this weekend. The next edit is going to heavily feature gameplay examples in a more narrative format and I think it will be much easier to parse.