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We are not really in competition with the leading systems. Treasure is free and it is a graphic roleplaying game, which does not apply to other otherwise fully featured systems. You can buy a copy of another system and still have a copy of Treasure at no cost.

It is also fair to say that the game is aimed at a different part of the potential market for roleplaying games. Treasure is very quick to learn and nobody waits long for their turn. It is, perhaps, more of a pastime than a hobby in terms of short, intense play and the graphic options.

In keeping with that, the game offers an easy route to a strong focus on roleplaying and collective storytelling rather than a set of fixed rules. There will still be plenty of players within the current market that want systems with several rulebooks and detailed mechanics.

The position can be compared to recent events in the console market; where the XBox and the PS3 appeal to games enthusiasts who want 'more of the same' but with better graphics, while the Nintendo Wii appeals to a wider audience who want to try something a bit different. As a result, the Wii is broadening the whole games market to the long-term benefit of Microsoft and Sony. 

It may be too much to hope that the larger games companies will see Treasure as a way to open up their own specialised markets but we believe that the game presents an opportunity for them to expand. Even in the case of Collectable Card Games (CCGs). Treasure gives players everything they need to make, customise and play with their own personal 'collectible' card sets but that doesn't mean that people won't want the latest, glossiest, branded CCGs. It simply means that more people can try out CCGs and move on to try out other systems. It also means that people who could never afford a full system are able to play.

That was never the intention. Treasure gives players access to more fantasy art than other RPGs to help them to move away from artwork that is handed down and fixed. The idea is to make artwork available to and editable by every player. That principle carries over into the rules. Mark the headings, make notes in the margins, chose your own artwork and score out options that aren't in play; then print a new copy of any page whenever you change your mind.

Separating out the graphics or styling from the core 'rules' also makes sense when it comes to electronic publishing. Sending out smaller attachments, issuing more frequent updates and presenting the content in different formats is always much easier when style and content are kept separate at the outset. This should make a real difference at the stage when we can release a graphic/ visual version with images embedded throughout the text and tables.

We have certainly come across some excellent artwork and designs. It is important to distinguish between the playtesting process that we have gone through and any form of contribution. Playtesting did not, and in terms of future developments, will not extend any intellectual property rights to playtesters. Contributions, including feedback and artwork, are a different matter and it is important that you read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy before making any kind of contribution. Some artists and designers might feel that they would like to publicise their work through making it available for our use and we are very interested in seeing such work. We also appreciate seeing players' artwork but should add that we cannot provide the bandwidth to put everything up. Please check out the Downloads page for more details, as there is also the option of making artwork available through, for example, the Open Clipart collection.

There has been a lot of discussion about that. We considered an open source model but that could result in some of the problems encountered by Linux and Wikipedia in terms of multiple versions of the core 'rules' and a steady drift away from a common framework that all players can recognise. This seemed particularly important when looking at the icon or symbol sets used within the game, which would loose much of their meaning if changed and adapted at random. Instead the current plan is to retaining rights that allow us to standardise and refine play, while offering the core rules at no cost.

Our own plans to 'monetise' the game may involve extra content. During the design it was clear that parts of the content might be considered unsuitable for some of the young people who could play a game that is so easy to learn. There's plenty of action and bloodshed in the game but some special events, gruesome monsters, scenarios and artwork began to collect in a separate folder.  A lot of it might be of interest to players who like a darker game but you could play Treasure for 20 years and never need to buy any kind of add-on.

Until then we are asking players who want to see the game develop quickly to either make a donation through Paypal or to help to develop the game's collection of artwork.

That came up during playtesting. As a graphic roleplaying game Treasure presents a very wide range of development opportunities. However, we are not part of a large multinational company and it is a case of first things first for now. Our plans include releasing some limited commercial rights to all players and licensing may be an option.

We wanted to put the artwork directly into players' hands instead of relying on the imagination of the artists who provide the occasional illustrations found in most fantasy roleplaying games. The most important part of that was to find symbols with a clear visual identify that could be linked to a particular effect, while remaining easy to sketch or draw.

Beyond that we considered ideas from everywhere: heraldry, hieroglyphics, Celtic art, surfboard art, tattoo art, comic art, jewellery design, early Medieval art and figure drawing were all valuable sources. The glossy 'fantasy realism' that appears on many book covers and calendars was less of a concern, as it tends to be too fixed and detailed to be quick to work with.