Aeon Flux?

[Daredevil]

Heya,

I'm a big fan of the Aeon Flux television series, authored by Peter Chung, and have recently thought about making some mechanics for game based on it. I'm wondering if there are any other fans of the show who might have some ideas to share.

There's several interesting things in the series.

I feel a quite heavy narrativist approach would be appropiate. In the show, even more so than most fiction, the surroundings and circumstances around the characters seem secondary to the motivations and issues of the characters. The setting is there to further serve the premise of the episode and not constrict it.

Death is rarely permanent for the protagonists and the heroine of the show typically dies in each episode. This is rather easily translated to the game, but the lack of death does pose a problem. There should be a price tag attached to having the character die, even though one could consider not being allowed to participate for the duration of the scenario as enough penalty.

The show has a unique, intimate feeling to it. Though the world is populated by a lot of people, the stories are usually about only a few. This implies to me -- beyond just running scenarios with fewer people -- a severe focus on personality mechanics that drive the game, but which can supply enough material to last a long term inspection. It seems a "Materialistic -3" flaw would seem out of place and inadequate as a descriptor.

I think the show has an ambigious moral attitude, which should translate into the game so that there is no emphasis on good or evil, nor judgement placed on the players by the system itself for doing "their thing".

Okay, I've thrown up a lot of vague ideas, but these are only my preliminary thoughts. I'd like to hear your analysis of the show's theme and premises, any ideas for mechanics and so on. Hopefully there's at least a few Flux-fans out there, but if not hopefully others can partake in this thread as well.

:: Joachim Buchert ::

[Joe Murphy (Broin)]

Heya,

I'm a big fan of the Aeon Flux television series, authored by Peter Chung, and have recently thought about making some mechanics for game based on it. I'm wondering if there are any other fans of the show who might have some ideas to share.

Well, like the Charlie's Angels movie, the characters are so good at combat that their ability in combat doesn't matter any more. They can do anything, and the more absurd the better. (There's an idea - make unlikely stunts easier than 'standard' actions). You're right, the combat should be very narrativist.

The bizarre, twisted relationships are where most of the story lies, and each character has very strong motivations, often dealing with topics like loyalty and betrayal. Thus, Kickers would be absolutely perfect.

You're right, though, there's no sense of good or evil. Or even of correctness. The political factions are all unappealing, fascistic and monolithic.

Y'know, I'm not sure characters even have *will* or determination. They mostly seem to be puppets. Or dolls. Perhaps a player would not necessarily have control over their character's likelihood to betray another?

Hmm. How about... each character must take two Kickers that are somewhat opposed. For example, the character has a love of beauty, but is also fiercely loyal to a grotesque boss. Each Kicker gets an assigned rating which is tested during play, to see which Kicker comes out on top. Hmm.

Joe.

[J B Bell]

Hm!  Interesting idea.

Given the focus on just a few people, the usual R-map stuff seems very appropriate.  I'd suggest tying combat bonuses to relationships, as I've heard Hero Wars does (I'm gonna get a copy of that when 2nd ed. comes out--it might save fantasy RPGing for me).

Just as players' knowing that their characters can't die tends to make them take more risks, so  does knowing they will die.  (As seen in Paranoia, at least sometimes.)  How about having the player specify how the PC dies, and what issues that resolves, as I've heard the Sorcerer supplement Schism does.  It's been pointed out elsewhere that heavily Narrativist games are actually more fun to watch, so dying wouldn't be so bad . . .

But how about this:  make it competitive.

* Maybe only one person gets out alive per adventure, by definition (scene resolution could facilitate this)
* Use "action point" resolution, where the crazy acts of derring-do a character can perform actually deplete a pool of some kind--then when someone runs out, they can die in a nice dramatically appropriate way
* Allow bidding or gambling among players with those action points

I guess what comes to mind that will help to clarify this is what you want a multi-player version of this to be--it's a bit tricky converting to a game since the movies (as I remember them) were strongly focussed on a single protagonist.

--TQuid

[Le Joueur]

Death is rarely permanent for the protagonists and the heroine of the show typically dies in each episode. This is rather easily translated to the game, but the lack of death does pose a problem. There should be a price tag attached to having the character die, even though one could consider not being allowed to participate for the duration of the scenario as enough penalty.

Most superhero comics eventually 'lack death' like this.  In Aeon Flux, I remember death usually being the ending of the episode (save for some denouement).  That could cause the scores to be tallied.  Outside of that, I don't think death should have a cost, at least not how I remember Flux.  (But then it seemed quite absurdist and self-aggrandizing, instead being deep as it was supposed to appear.)

How about a MAXX game?  The winner is the player whose character has the longest meaningless, yet sounding pregnant with meaning, soliloquy?

Fang Langford

[FruitSmack!]

I've been trying to hash some ideas for a AEon Flux type of game together myself.  I dont have time, at the moment, to put them up here, but if youd like to see what I've got, email me (below) and I'll send you what I've put together so far.  Some of the stuff already mentioned is very close to some ideas I've kicked around.

It might take a bit of time for me to reply (stupid, lousy job!).

FruitSmack!

prdeltoid@sluggy.net

[Mike Holmes]

I guess what comes to mind that will help to clarify this is what you want a multi-player version of this to be--it's a bit tricky converting to a game since the movies (as I remember them) were strongly focussed on a single protagonist.

As I remember it. Trevor Goodchilde was in most, if not all, episodes. And usually the story revolved around their relationship. I always felt that the point was just to show two characters, opposite in sex, yet sexless, in an ambiguous environment in every concievable plot variation.

I vote for no task resolution mechanics whatsoever. Just have things that the PCs want to do, and then rules for how they currently relate to each other. Make the mechanics about that. Definitely no combat rules. Basically, when somebody wanted to kill somebody else, they were successful unless there was some relationship issue left outstanding. Given the ambiguity of the setting, I'd say let players create elements at their whim. Probly doesn't need a GM, either.

Difficult subject matter to do right, IMO.

Mike

[contracycle]

It might have to be the first RPG to qualify as a controlled substance.