[Neo-Cops] Inverse game design

[sabbatregent]

Hi there again. Perhaps you remember me from my time traveling queries.

Now that I have than beast (almost) tamed, I would like to talk you about my idea for a game, tentatively called Neo-Cops of the Omega Point. I'm going to use the FATE 3.0 ruleset to create this game about time traveling cops that ride through history correcting it and avoiding time loops. Why FATE 3.0? This is where the 'inverse game design' come in. Instead of deciding on setting, themes and creative agendas, I thought I could take the exact opposite approach (and I'm sure someone here has already done that before): to take an existing ruleset, see what themes, setting and creative agendas suggest themselves from the system, and work up form there. My design 'ideals', so far, are as follow:

-- To seamlessly integrate the mechanics and the setting. In SotC, for example, a lot of the mechanics are meta elements; fate points and aspects do not exist in-game, but only as mechanical elements. In Neo-Cops fate points an Aspects are real constructs in the imaginary world, and the same thing could be said about Stunts.

--To extend the core mechanics and then use those extensions as imaginary world facts.

So, what do you think about this approach? Could you provide me with examples of other games that use this approach? All suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Mikael]

Interesting. I certainly do not know of a game that would have taken this approach, and I am keen to see what you come up with. I was going to say something like "what? the stat numbers are also going to be in-game constructs?" but I guess FUDGE has already taken care of that for you.

Are you expecting the "what your game is about?" to be an emergent property of your translation of the rules into in-game concepts?

[sabbatregent]

Yes, I do. I already have some ideas about that:

Aspects, for example, are an excellent way to express: This is who I am, this are the things that I hold dear, and these are the things I want to do with my life. So, they suggest a: what makes a person unique? or a: what is the essence of an individual? theme. However, aspects change in the course of time, so: does this means the essence of the person changes, or is there some core aspect that truly define you. Enter time travel: If I could change your personal history (and therefore your Aspects) would you still be the same person?

I was going to say something like "what? the stat numbers are also going to be in-game constructs?" but I guess FUDGE has already taken care of that for you.

FATE relies a lot more on language than FUDGE, so I think the game is also going to focus on language (as a vehicle of thought, as a vehicle of culture). It could draw on Paul Ricoeur's idea of time existing only because its a necessity for narration, going along with both the time and language themes, and drawing on the fact that the FATE is a system designed to provide consistent fiction, or narrative.

What do you think of this?

[matthijs]

Sabbatregent, you seem to be approaching this from a "design aesthetics" angle. Have you considered what sort of experience you want the players at the table to have?

[Mikael]

Matthijs obviously has a good point there, but even if you're never going to let any actual players close to your beautiful design, I must say I like the questions you've come up with, especially the last one - and that's coming from someone who's usually rather wary about time travel, as it too often seems to be just a gimmick.

[sabbatregent]

Matthijs, I would be glad if you could clarify what do you mean by "design aesthetics". I'll try to understand your query, however.

I already know what kind of experience FATE delivers to the players at the table, and I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel there. The project is the opposite idea: to take the wheel and see what vehicle would fit better on it.

In Neo-Cops, player characters are the (police) agents of Fate itself. They travel through history enforcing fate and preventing time-loops and fighting time-criminal: those that would like to twist fate to their own ends. They are aware of time-culture constructs [Aspects] and the flow of causality (fate points) and thus can use them more consciously and consistently than those that are not aware of them (but still use them).

Here are two sample system ideas to explain my points:

You can travel anywhere in time there is an intersection with Fate, but in order to avoid being swept by the time-stream (the time as a river analogy) you need to anchor yourself in that timeframe. To do that, a character must take an Aspect related to that timeframe (if not already from it). You could take an "enemy of the king", "loving wife" or "best-seller crime author" aspect, anything that ties you to the culture or society of the timeframe.

Characters could have the ability to manipulate the time-stream (using fate points). Besides the usual uses of fate points, this could means they could create, change or remove Aspects from other people (think Dark City, but maybe a lot less powerful) to suit their needs.