Playtesting improvements

Since last week's launch, I've rolled out a bunch of improvements based on feedback and observations. I'll list those in a separate post shortly, but here I want to highlight playtesting improvements in particular.

The reason to single these out is that playtesting is so foundational to the site, and an area where I feel RPG Lab can have an especially strong impact. At the same time, it's a surprisingly complex topic.

Think about the many different ways designers might playtest their games. To list just a few of the more important dimensions:

• Who runs the sessions: They might run playtest themselves and collect feedback directly from players. Or they might have other GMs run the game for their respective groups and report back.
• How are sessions scheduled: They might recruit a roster of playtesters first and then figure out scheduling together. Or they might schedule one or more sessions first and then recruit players based on their availability for either session.
• Run the playtest once or multiple times: They might run the same playtest only once or multiple times, for different players.
• One or more sessions for the same group: They might run a single session for a group of players, or they might run multiple consecutive sessions for the same group.
• Rigid vetting or not: They might open the playtest to everyone, or they might have a rigid process for vetting potential playtesters (perhaps because they are looking for people with specific experience).
• Live or async, in person or online: They might run the game live (either online or in person) or asynchronously, for example as play-by-post.

This means that the playtesting functionality needs to be flexible enough to accommodate all these permutations. At the same time, it needs to be easy enough to use for both designers and players - a tricky balancing act.

While the initial playtesting functionality was mostly solid, I recognized a lot of potential for improvement once the first few playtests starting showing up on the site. So here's what I changed:

Better messaging

Playtests already had limited messaging functionality. Specifically, each playtest has a group chat with the entire roster. I added two additional types of message threads:

1. Messaging a playtest applicant: Players sometimes write questions in the message box when they apply for a playtest. Previously, there was no way for the designer to follow up with individual playtest applicants. Now there is. This is also helpful for other logistics, e.g. to ask them if a particular schedule works for them before accepting their application.
2. Message thread per session: A common use case is to run the same playtest multiple times, with different players. It was already possible to attach multiple sessions to a single playtest, but until now, there was no way to communicate with just those players. Now each session has its own message thread, which is helpful for sorting out logistics - sharing a Discord room for the session, etc.

Better handling of scheduled sessions

Previously, the experience was more optimized for recruiting a roster of playtesters first and then figuring out session scheduling together with them. But it's equally common for designers to schedule one or more sessions and let players apply based on which session they can make.

Now, designers can add one or more sessions to a playtest, and (optional, but recommended for this flow) assign each of them a limited number of seats. When players apply to such a playtest, they can choose which of the sessions they can make ("Not sure yet" is also a valid answer). When the designer accepts them into the playtest, they can assign them to a session based on their preferences.

Minor UI improvements

As part of the changes above, I've also made minor UI improvements, to make the experience as clear and intuitive as possible. Better help text, making it clear when the playtest-level seat limit is relevant and when not (i.e. when sessions have their own limits), and more.

What's next

I really want to get the playtest functionality right. So please reach out if you bump into any friction based on your playtesting workflow. Leave a comment here or reach out by email using the contact info on the About page.