After finishing a first iteration of our game concept we decided to first build a paper prototype of our upcoming game. This idea was inspired by the book "The Art of Game Design" by Jesse Schell (https://www.jesseschell.com/). Great book!
As the simulation logic for all citizens living in the world of Fata Deum will be very complex, it was clear from the beginning that detailed testing and balancing of the game could not be done via a paper prototype.
Nevertheless, setting up a paper prototype supported us for many reasons. Checking the design upfront and identifying open spots and general misdesigned aspects was most important. Furthermore, we were able to detail many aspects for the upcoming implementation phase and the first level design. In addition, playing the game that early by just spending some
days on paperwork gave us a big boost on motivation, as we have been able to enjoy the gameplay directly. The shown pictures display most aspects of the paper prototype (sorry, but it is in german). They include a detailed representation of settlements and their citizens (left side), a first map (top, right side) and calculation sheets to track the game progress during different gaming phases.
We can say that playing the paper prototype was already great fun and we are looking forward to get this game running!