Here’s some play advice: the instinct to hold on to your best ideas so you can “properly set them up” or do “big reveals” is a trap. Get to the goods.
The goods will beget more goods. If we spend three years leading up to meeting a player’s evil twin, that’s gonna be exciting. But you know what’s way more exciting? The fourth time that evil twin shows up. You can’t get to that fourth time and all the baggage, betrayals, double-crosses, and oaths of vengeance that come with it without going through the first three. So just get started.
If you don’t cut to the goods now, you might never. Holding onto good ideas is the best way to ensure that your group falls apart over the holidays before you’re able to make them happen.
Don’t be season 3 of Lost, spinning your wheels not knowing how long the network is going to make you drag this show out. Be a soap opera, kicking someone in the emotional nuts as hard as you can with every scene. Whatever sounds fun, just do that immediately. You’ll probably be right.
I think this advice holds true in design, too. Don’t edge your players with sick mechanics that don’t kick in until epic tier. If your game is an action adventure game about people being special and looking cool (D&D 5e), just let people do the cool shit.
Why can a Druid not wild shape an unlimited number of times until 20th level? Why make them do that extra bookkeeping? And did you know that level 20 paladins can just turn into angels? That’s sick, why can’t they do that at level 1? Why can’t I do something as cool as “Time Stop” before 9th level spells?
Do you even know anyone who’s ever gotten to 20th level? Why hide all this stuff up there?
Not every game is about looking cool and being epic, true. You don’t want to give protagonists the ability to fly and shoot lasers in a horror game about experiencing helplessness. But whatever it is that your game is about, cut to the quick. Don’t make me wait around to feel helpless unless the waiting is the point.
Get to the goods. That’s the good part.