Taking some things out, for now.
As im writing the rules for my game, I am noticing there are some things that I think are great. but becuase I do not have enough options for those mechanics, they are just to clunky and hinder things. I think im going to leave out for now, the character life path system, and the group roles. Then next thing that I have been thinking of is what kind of game is this exactly.
I know its not 100% of anything right now, but my game is a bit story game, and a bit everything else. I like the story stick type games, but for me I don’t see how they last long at all. There are not enough rules to guide through some things, like combat or other conflicts. I like that the player can use what ever descriptors for his actions, but I think there are so much left out.
Now its kind of hard for me to explain, but when I play those games, I cant really imagine my character working in an actual world. I see my character but he is floating in a formless void. Mostly because my choices that I make still have no meaning at all. While, in a D&D game, I can see the character and the world. Everything in those games are set and theres is not much left for you to imagine.
The game I want, is a mix between the two. You and your character are in a formless void that is the universe. There are things in it, the univers is still set. But only imagin that as your blank canvas. As you make your choices, that adds things onto your blank canvis. The more choices you make the more you fill in the canvas. The more you make the universe around you. As you progress with your group, the choices are clear because you have created them.
Its like going from a sandbox game, and then creating a linear system, but the players create it. Once, I have my rules reviewed and ready, I will play test them, and then see about having game play recorded.
Tags: Game
April 2nd, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Think about what the role of the Player is. Not the player’s character, but the player himself. The player’s role could be to drive the plot in his desired direction. The characters could almost be disposable. So, an episodic game may use several very normal people that have been cast into a world shaking situation and it is a question of whether they step up to the challenge or shrink away.
Assuming that the important thing for the player is that the plot gets driven in his desired direction, for example he may want a specific technology available later, then he can be very heroic in his attempts to aid that cause. Sacrifice is likely and probably encouraged, but if your character doesn’t succeed in his mission, that sacrifice would be in vain. Mechanically speaking, in an episodic game like that, you need a very fast character generation method. Perhaps even a generation on the fly type character where he has two minor traits that are not defined until he needs them and one greater trait, also not defined. Then you cash in these traits to gain advantages in the situation beyond the baseline abilities. Alternatively, you might deal out a poker hand and the cards are then played during the episode in some manner or as a whole hand. The suits of the card could relate to some aspect of the character or the situation while the value tells you how good you are.
Anyway, the idea there is that character generation is accomplished in seconds or even on the fly.
April 8th, 2009 at 10:24 am
This is a very valid point. The original idea of roles was that in D&D and other similar systems, you can find someone with maybe not as high of a skill in diplomacy take the role of diplomat. I know its usually happens because someone has better rolls that someone else.