[Take1] New Idea?

[Jamfke]

Okay, this is my first post here at the forge.  I've lurked for some time now, and I have been working on my own game for years.  Well, I've had the idea for years, and am just now getting things written up.

Anywho, here's my idea.

Take 1.  This is an action oriented RPG that places the characters, who are up and coming actors/actresses in a position of survival.  They have signed a contract with a little known production studio and are locked into making an undisclosed amount of films over a period of five years.  The thing is, they go into their dressing rooms and find their costumes and props for their first film, and a bio of the character they are to portray.  Once they are dressed and ready, they step out of their dressing room into the film.  Seriously into the film.  It becomes their reality, and they must make it through the film in order to get paid in the end.

I believe this classifies the game as multi-genre, as each time they appear in a movie, it can be in a totally different setting.  Like going from filming a Western, straight to a Sci-Fi flick.

The mechanic is a simple 2d10 + skill level + attribute vs. target number.  The roll of 10s explode.

My questions:

• Is this idea unique enough to pursue?
• If so, is it something you think a lot of people would be interested in?
• Is the mechanic too simple?
• Or is it too much for quick resolutions?

I'd appreciate some honest opinions here.  Thanks in advance for any ideas!

[Trevis Martin]

Hi Jamfke, and welcome!
(My name is Trevis, what's yours?)

I think the idea sounds kinda cool, but I want to offer that "unique" is not a helpful concept in this or any other creative field.  There is nothing completely new under the sun.  It also matters not one whit whether people are interested in it and that's really an impossible thing to guage.  All you'll get is a bunch of scattered and non predictive opinions.  None of us has any way of knowing what 'a lot' of people will be interested in.  If the idea jazzes you, I mean you really feel it, it will jazz others.  The important part is that you communicate your own enthusiasm about the idea.

On the mechanic.  I can't tell if its too simple or complex or not.  The question of simplicty is pretty irrelevent.  The question is does the mechanic do what you want it to do? I can tell you that this type of mechanic has been used by a lot of games. A good recent example is the first version of Clinton R Nixon's Shadow of Yesterday.  If your goal is quick resolution I will tell you that Clinton's version of this mechanic goes pretty quickly. 

More importantly I don't know enough about your game.  Is there some way in which the mechanics tie into or reinforce your idea?  From what you've said (which is pretty brief so far) It seems like I could play your idea with any of the other role playing system out there, like FATE or JAGS or even the Solar System (Clinton's again).  Why should I use the one you've made up, what makes it uniquely suited to your idea?

What I'm saying is it seems like your mechanics should tie in closely to this idea of living in a movie somehow.  But so far I'm not seeing how.  Maybe you could expand a bit?

best,

Trevis

[Jamfke]

Sorry.  Name's Jim.

I think I accidentally double posted this one.  I responded to the other post earlier.  Thanks for the pointers though!

[Ron Edwards]

Let's close this thread and take all discussion to the other one.

Best,
Ron