[Fragile Minds] My new Game

[Matt Gwinn]

Well, I finally motivated myself to start working on a new game.  It's called Fragile Minds and it's a 2 player game about obsession.  One player plays a Serial Killer and the other player plays the Detective assigned to capture him.  It's roughly based on movies like Se7en, 8mm and Silence of the Lambs.

The game is still pretty rough, but I think it's playable.  I need to work out the end game mechanics which will end up being similar to end game in My Life with Master with character and game traits dictating what kind of final scene each character gets..

A few questions while I have your attention:

1)Does the framing table idea work?  I really like it, but I'm not sure if this is the right game to use it in.

2)Do the numbers work out right to end the game in a reasonable amount of time?  this will probaly take playtesting.

3) Does anyone want to platest it?

You can download it here  http://www.errantknightgames.com/fm.pdf

I'm interested in hearing what people think and am willing to listen to suggestions

,Matt

[Ben Lehman]

Have you played it?  How did it go?

[Matt Gwinn]

The game hasn't been played yet.  In fact, I just got it playable about an hour before I posted it.

,Matt

[Matt Gwinn]

Some constructive feedback would be helpful?

Is this something people would be interested in playing?

,Matt

[Adam Cerling]

Matt,

I skimmed the .PDF and I like how concise and focused it is. The interaction between the detective's stats and the killer's stats reminds me somewhat of My Life With Master.

I feel a bit skeptical about rolling the dice onto the chart and then examining where the dice physically fall. I'm not sure I understand why it is the best mechanic to use. Not to mention how my friends and I often have trouble keeping the dice we roll on the table, let alone in a little six-inch circle.

If you want playtesting, I suggest you find people yourself and playtest it! In the early stages of writing a game, I can't imagine that secondhand play reports would be more useful than firsthand experience playing yourself (or watching two friends play).

[Matt Gwinn]

The interaction between the detective's stats and the killer's stats reminds me somewhat of My Life With Master.

That's where I got my inspiration, so that makes sense.

I feel a bit skeptical about rolling the dice onto the chart and then examining where the dice physically fall. I'm not sure I understand why it is the best mechanic to use. Not to mention how my friends and I often have trouble keeping the dice we roll on the table, let alone in a little six-inch circle.

It may not be the best mechanic, but I think it's kind of cool.  I considered not using it t all, but I really like the way the play sheet looks.  if it doesn't work out I can easily replace it with something else.

As far as keeping the dice on the sheet goes... I designed the sheet to work best with those little six-siders that come in blocks of 36.  Dice that roll off the board don't count for anything.

Thnks for the input.

,Matt

[lumpley]

Hey Matt.

The PDF cuts off before describing endgame. I presume that endgame is where things like the victims score have mechanical consequence?

I like the chart.

Do I decide which kind of scene (investigation, personal, reflection if I'm the detective) before or after I roll the dice? Oh look, that's answered right in the rules: I decide after I roll. That's good.

-Vincent

[Paul Czege]

Hey Matt,

I'm thinking the game ends with the end of the killing spree. If Evidence and Victims are high relative to Obsession, it's a trial and conviction. If Obsession and Victims are high relative to Evidence, the detective takes matters into his own hands. If Victims and Compulsion are low relative to Obsession and Evidence, the killer goes dormant for years like the BTK guy did. Anyway, something like that.

Mechanically, I have some concern with the Personal Scene and Compassion Scene mechanics. The player has to achieve success rolling the trait they're trying to increase. I'd be worried about it becoming a death spiral. And it's two of the detective's three scene options that work like this. When I design these kinds of games I try to have it where the traits that fluctuate as an output of a roll are different than the ones being rolled. You have a plot points mechanic that randomly allocates plot points to the players, but it doesn't read like a player will ever be getting bonus dice on his own scenes, because he won't be spending plot points on them to interject. Or will he?

Paul

[Matt Gwinn]

I'm thinking the game ends with the end of the killing spree.

I was thinking the game always ends with the killer getting caught. 

If Evidence and Victims are high relative to Obsession, it's a trial and conviction. If Obsession and Victims are high relative to Evidence, the detective takes matters into his own hands.

That's pretty much what I was thinking.  I was also thinking something along the lines of if Cunning and Control exceed Stability the Detective is driven to take his own life.  If Obsession and Evidence exceed both Compulsion and Control the killer turns himself in.

If Victims and Compulsion are low relative to Obsession and Evidence, the killer goes dormant for years like the BTK guy did.

Based on my research, Serial Killers usually don't stop killing.  In most cases where the killings stop it's due to the killer being arrested for a different offense, dieing or otherwise being taken out of commission without his secret being revealed.  Killing Sprees are different from Serial Killings.  Take the Beltway Sniper for instance - he wasn't a serial killer by definition, he was a mass murderer.  The main difference is that Serial Killers feel a compulsion to kill, which is why they can't stop.

Maybe if Control and Compulsion are both lower than Evidence the Killer is taken out of commision without being identified as the Serial Kill.

How did you weigh out the end game options for MLwM?  I don't want to give too many options, but I want to offer enough end game options to have lots of different endings over multiple games.

Mechanically, I have some concern with the Personal Scene and Compassion Scene mechanics. The player has to achieve success rolling the trait they're trying to increase. I'd be worried about it becoming a death spiral.

As it's written now the player doesn't lose anything after a failed roll, so I don't really see a death spiral happening.  If anything it will go in the other dirrection with the Trait continually going up because you continue to roll more dice.  However, I tried to set it up so the Killer can use scenes to reduce the Detective's traits to prevent that from happening.  I think some playtesting might make things clearer.

You have a plot points mechanic that randomly allocates plot points to the players, but it doesn't read like a player will ever be getting bonus dice on his own scenes, because he won't be spending plot points on them to interject. Or will he?

Since you roll both black and white dice when framing a scene, both players can get Plot Points (depending on the color(s) of the high die).  You can only spend Plot Points during the other player's scenes (but you can save them from scene to scene). 

There's no way to give yourself bonus dice.  When you spend a plot point it's your opponent that gets the bonus dice, not you.  Since players have complete control over their own scenes from the get go there should never be a need to spend a Plot Point on your own turn.  The Mechanic is supposed to grant a player momentary control over his opponent's scene at the expence of increasing his opponents chance of success.  Does that make sense?  Kind of like in Conspiracy of Shadows.

I hope that all makes sense.

,Matt