So I have a niggling of an idea where GM Prep consists of drawing up an R-map of the situation. The relationships on the R-map and maybe one or two little notes appended to each character (George, Prince of Egypt) are used in the game as the stats of the NPCs. Before I let my brain elaborate on the basic premise, are there any other games out there that implement something similar?
Hey Josh,
I don't know if this qualifies but a LONG time ago I wrote an RPG that used the R-Map as the central resolution mechanic. It can be found here:
http://www.geocities.com/devil_bunnys/Isolation.htm
I really should revisit this at some point. The major change I'd make is that I'd remove the restrictions on player behavior that are currently system determined and simply let the relationships among PCs affect the chances of success when characters try to team up.
Jesse
In this game (http://billwhite.blogspot.com/2006/07/technolust-by-dave-petroski-and-bill.html), creating the characters' social network is the chief activity of the game set-up. The rules specify only that players should "se a big sheet of paper in the center of the table to record all of the choices being made, producing a big social network that includes characters and their relations to each other and the things and places they care about." Now, some might argue that this is not technically an R-map, since it includes beyond even kinship/sexual relationships all sorts of connections to other people, places, and things. In fact, it's a kind of "heterogeneous network" (i.e., a network whose components nodes are of mixed types), which is apropo in a game that's supposed to be about a kind of technological horror. There's some other business that involves laying out cards and chips, but I bet that the R-map will drive play.
Hi, Joshua!
Perhaps this is not what you are looking for but it may be related.
I included a mechanism that uses the number of still alive relationships in a R-map to provide resource points in Disaster! (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=17531.0), my October Ronnies entry.
You may also check this other thread: [At the Threshold] Formalizing the Community (http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=18767.0).
Cheers,
Arturo