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Inactive Forums => Scattershot => Topic started by: Le Joueur on January 31, 2002, 03:46:41 PM

Title: Scattershot presents: Just the Mechanix
Post by: Le Joueur on January 31, 2002, 03:46:41 PM
These are Scattershot's Mechanix isolated from its Techniques. (See glossary for the descriptions of italics items throughout.)  The basic idea is the Techniques explain how to use the Mechanix.

SOLO PLAY - Solitaire Play is anything you do separate from the Group. You then make decisions and changes to only the things you are the Proprietor for. Dice usage (other than to generate Detail) is avoided.Creating/Evolving a Character - There are no limits on Development Points for initial Persona creation. Players may elect to set their own starting limits, either independently or by Group Consensus. These can include things like development-point challenges, thematic bias, limitations arising from Genre Expectations, or et cetera. The Gamemaster is not allowed to place starting point restrictions on anyone other than their Regular Characters.  Later points are purchased using Experience Dice.  When joining the Group, relevant activities that occurred during Solo Play will be shared.  Any efficacy overlap created during this Play should be negotiated before shared Play begins.[/list:u]GENERAL PLAY - During General Play no Mechanics are used. Ratings are treated simply as guidelines used mostly when unusual or notable. Whatever the Speaker says is what happens in the Game at the moment they say it. Play passes between Players in no formal order and at no specific time interval. The Speaker is the Proprietor for any element they introduce into the Game (unless they pass it to someone else, like the Gamemaster). A Speaker should be careful when affecting anything another Player is the Proprietor of (no permanent changes are allowed without at least the tacit approval of the Subject's Proprietor). Specific Play may be called for any time there is disagreement over the direction the Narrative is taking or to suggest Challenges.

©2002 Fang Langford and Impswitch
Title: Specific Play
Post by: Le Joueur on February 08, 2002, 11:55:57 AM
SPECIFIC PLAY - In Specific Play, the Mechanics are infrequently used, mostly to create Detail, to support tension (by the introduction of uncertainty), to negotiate contended Narrative direction, or for other Players to offer Challenges. Play still passes between Players in no particular order or rate.Ratings - These represent the capacities for Action.
Title: Mechanical Play/Rewards
Post by: Le Joueur on June 21, 2002, 03:49:56 PM
MECHANICAL PLAY - This is the most rigidly formalized type of Play. It is most often used for combat, but not always, other possible uses include things like generating Detail with the strict timing of events, for tension, and the ever popular chase scene.Turn Sequencing - One of the main features of Mechanical Play is rigid sequencing of how Players take their turns.

Scope/Duration - always keep in mind that Mechanical turn sequencing is most appropriate for Immediate Durations on the Individual Scope level. Shift the Scope up at least one level if the number of Characters equals or exceeds twice the number of Players.

Combat Initiative - Melee does not begin with the first 'swing.' Whichever Player makes the decision (during General or Specific Play) that Melee is unavoidable calls for the shift to Mechanical Turn Sequencing, and their Persona takes the first Turn (even the Gamemaster. This often precipitates hasty in-game battle preparations and the like, but these then occur during the early parts of Mechanical Play. Whoever seizes this initiative might be ready first.

Rounds/Turns - Each Player may conduct 2 Immediate Actions (or some Involved Actions) for each Turn of every Persona they have. After the each Player finishes all of the Actions that they wish for all their Personae's Turns, Play passes to that Player's right. After every Persona has had their turn, Play 'completes' the circle and returns to the initial Player who takes their Personae's next turns. Once around the circle of the entire Group is called a Round.

Immediate Actions - These are the units of activity for the Characters during Mechanical play. Each listing for a Rating defines what kinds of Actions may be performed with it. Most Characters may move up to 7 yards running as an Action. Other Actions are usually resolved with MIB rolls.

Free Actions - These do not really count as Actions. They don't weigh heavily enough on the time requirements for Actions and often occur simultaneously with them. These include things like Looking Around (Invoking an Observation roll), Dropping an Item, Falling Down, Moving a few steps (about a yard), making a Soliloquy, Changing the application of a Special Abilities already in use, the Last-Ditch Dodge (at a -2 penalty), or any other act accepted as 'Free' by the Group during Play. A Character may perform as many Free Actions as the Epic Index* number during each round. Except in Cinematic Games, no more than one of each kind may be performed each round by a Character. These may even be performed during another Character's turn. If desired, an Action may be expended specifically to restore the full capacity to perform these Free Actions a second 'cycle' during the round.

Forfeiting - When another Persona Engages yours on their turn (and your Persona hasn't done this twice already), you may forfeit one of their upcoming Actions and perform a Reactive Action. This may lead into a series of Following Actions.

Following Actions - During Melee an Engaged Persona may perform an Involved Action that works like a series of attacks, defenses, and movements but only count as one Action. Each included attack is treated as a separate Engaging Action where necessary. Such a Flurry of Actions continues (along the lines predetermined by the ability 'scripting' it) until an attack 'hits' (from either Engaged combatant) or there is an Interruption. A Flurry can last for no more 'Actions' than as many as the Epic Index* number of the Game.

Combat Advantage - The Detail of some Actions (and some Free Actions) may create an Advantage for one combatant in Melee. Because these are too diverse to list, we divide them into three categories: you can Seize, Hold or Check an Advantage. Each significant Advantage you hold against your foe (up to a maximum of the Epic Index* in number) is a continual Residual penalty (after the Action that resulted in it) of 1 to all of the Subject's rolls. Each Advantage Checked by foe eliminates 1 point of this penalty. Changing who you have Engaged in combat with erases any Advantage you hold against others.

Title: Glossary
Post by: Le Joueur on June 21, 2002, 03:52:52 PM
GLOSSARY:
Title: Small Change - old
Post by: Le Joueur on June 21, 2002, 04:05:46 PM
I have deleted references to Ron's essay on the GNS.

Fang Langford
Title: Missed Mechanic
Post by: Le Joueur on June 21, 2002, 04:22:10 PM
I forgot to put in the "Couldn't Get Any Worse" exception to the RMIB calculation.  (RMIB = Actor's MIB - Resistor's MIB, unless Resistor's MIB is negative; Then simply use RMIB = Actor's MIB.)

Fang Langford
Title: More Updates
Post by: Le Joueur on August 01, 2002, 04:00:03 PM
I've changed some of the terminology based on playtest results.  Now a player character is known as a Persona and a non-player character is known as a Regular Character.  I've also added the Damage and Armor Mechanix and modified some of the text on Squad Level Scope.

Fang Langford
Title: Rewarding Genre Expectations
Post by: Le Joueur on September 11, 2002, 06:12:43 PM
I finally got around to adding the revised rewards and Experience Dice text.  I hope it becomes clearer how they are actually the 'heart of the game.'

Fang Langford