Ongoing free-for-all Capes at my FLGS

[Matthew Glover]

I've been camping out at my local game shop and running Capes demos for anybody who'll stand still, as well as playing some short games with people.  The interest level is high, but it's just not a good atmosphere for an ongoing game.  Most of the people are really geared toward card games and board games rather than rpgs and they prefer pick-up games.  With that in mind, I started thinking about whether Capes would work for that type of situation.  Tony's Dreamation tournament thread sort of helped to get me thinking about ways to play that are even further from the traditional campaign.

I'm imagining a simple setup:  At then end of your game, you note down on your Inspiration sheet how many Story Tokens you have and put it along with your characters into the store's Capes folder.  At the beginning of the next game you play, you pull out your sheet and get going.  The only difference from your typical game is that anybody who plays at the store uses the same folder.  I'm thinking that in addition to Spotlight characters you may want another class of characters as well, characters that can be played by anybody but only while the creator is present.  I'm not sure about that, though.

I'd really like to hear what you guys think about this.

Matthew

[Matthew Glover]

Something else that just occurred to me is that you could reward Actual Play writeups on the FLGS forum with a couple of Story Tokens.  That should help to reconcile the narratives from the different games somewhat, if people take the time to read them and incorporate them.

[Hans]

I'm being dense, Matthew...I can't really see how this differs from our own Capes set up not at a store.  It seems just like normal practice for any Capes game (write down the story tokens on the inspiration sheet, save it for later).    I'm not really sure what you mean by:

The only difference from your typical game is that anybody who plays at the store uses the same folder.

Could you expand a bit upon it?  Do you mean that players somehow share story tokens and inspirations, or are these things till specific to a player?  The toughest thing is building up enough players who know the rules well enough and are interested enough that game play takes place when you are not there...at that point it becomes self-organizing.

I think what you may be getting at is that there is a Capes "box" (or briefcase, or accordion file), that sits behind the counter, and whenever people want to play Capes they grab the box, crack it open, pull their own files out of it, decide who starts the scene, and go!  I would not have high hopes for story continuity out of this, but something like a Wiki (see my own RPGNet Wiki at http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Capes_in_Missassauga or the one for the Krakatoa Capes game at http://random.average-bear.com/Capes/KrakatoaCapes) might help a bit at keeping things coherent. 

Story continuity is less important, though, if you think your FLGS Capes game as the equivalent of the DC Universe, or similar.  There will be recurring charactters, and different subgroups of the gamers will have their own favourite bits (some may like magic ala Dr. Fate, others street crime-fighting ala Batman), but the different scenes are like issues of different comic series.  The primary enjoyment will come from the events within the scene or scenes played in one session.  Over time maybe larger linkages will develop, primarily because the actual players playing at any one time will vary, and carry with them what has happened before.

I would be careful about handing out story tokens for this, though, becuase then you have to have someone in charge of deciding how much of a write up is enough. 

[TonyLB]

Wow!  That would be cool.

I may well try that at our booth at I-Con this weekend.  I think that instead of keeping a folder I'll print up some cards that people can keep with them, and then I'll try to keep a constant simmer of Capes running, and anyone with a card can join in at any time (bringing their resources from past games) while anyone who doesn't have a card can join in to get one.

There's clearly a critical-mass to be reached before that really takes off, but I-Con will give me a trial run, and then I can really unveil it in its full once-tested glory at DexCon.

Thanks, Matthew!  This is a terrific idea!

[Hans]

I may well try that at our booth at I-Con this weekend.  I think that instead of keeping a folder I'll print up some cards that people can keep with them, and then I'll try to keep a constant simmer of Capes running, and anyone with a card can join in at any time (bringing their resources from past games) while anyone who doesn't have a card can join in to get one.

Dare I say it...yes I dare.  This sounds a lot like the RPGA.  I do not mean this as a criticism.  Just an observation.  It seems to me there is the germ there of a worldwide Capes network...

[Matthew Glover]

I don't think you're being dense at all, Hans.  When you say "FLGS Capes game as the equivalent of the DC Universe" you hit exactly what I was was envisioning.   I'm sure the stories told will be chaotic and contradictory, but how does that differ from the various continuities that Marvel and DC give us?  Everything you said is right on the money.

As for handing out Story Tokens, I was thinking that there would be some sort of bare minimum for a writeup (like:  These people played, these characters were used, these goals were in play) and you get, say two Story Tokens.  Any further writeup would just be for fun.

As I was writing up the idea, I also considered the similarity to the Living games that the RPGA does, but I think I like the comparison to a comics company with a stable of writers better.  :D

Tony, I'm really looking forward to hearing about how this goes.

[dunlaing]

I may well try that at our booth at I-Con this weekend.  I think that instead of keeping a folder I'll print up some cards that people can keep with them, and then I'll try to keep a constant simmer of Capes running, and anyone with a card can join in at any time (bringing their resources from past games) while anyone who doesn't have a card can join in to get one.

Dare I say it...yes I dare.  This sounds a lot like the RPGA.  I do not mean this as a criticism.  Just an observation.  It seems to me there is the germ there of a worldwide Capes network...

Well, if you want to go the RPGA route, you'd need to have it on the Muse of Fire website, so that Hans can show up in Chantilly and start playing with his resources from Hamilton.

[Hans]

Well, if you want to go the RPGA route, you'd need to have it on the Muse of Fire website, so that Hans can show up in Chantilly and start playing with his resources from Hamilton.

I might purposely drive to Chantilly, wherever the sam hill that is (Virginia?  It sounds like a place in the South somewhere), JUST to use my resources from Hamilton!  I love this!  I want to be International Capes Association Member #0001! 

By the way, where is your FLGS Matthew, just in case I ever happen to be in the area?

[Matthew Glover]

Jackson, Mississippi, just 18 hours from Hamilton.  If you leave now, you could easily be here in time to play on Saturday!

[dunlaing]

Yes, Chantilly is in Virginia, Hans. Let me know if you ever drive down. I'll drive out there to meet you (I live in Washington, DC, a mere stone's throw from Tony's house)

[Hans]

It appears the former Confederacy has a lock on Capes.  I will remember both locations.

[Zamiel]

It appears the former Confederacy has a lock on Capes.  I will remember both locations.

Just to add fuel to the fire, I'm in Atlanta and will definitely be running Capes at Dragon*Con this year, so ...

What do you mean "former Confederacy?" We're still the Confederacy, we're just letting those Unionist batistas think they're running things. For now.

[TonyLB]

Have I mentioned before my theory that Capes is a game that plays well for people who have practice getting really passionate about lost causes?

[Zamiel]

Have I mentioned before my theory that Capes is a game that plays well for people who have practice getting really passionate about lost causes?

Careful there, that can get you lynched up that way near the Mason-Dixon. Be thankful its not Texas, where they'd just shoot you outright.

"Goal: Zamiel goads Tony into revealing news about Capes 2.0 ..."

[Matthew Glover]

Just to add fuel to the fire, I'm in Atlanta and will definitely be running Capes at Dragon*Con this year, so ...

That cements it.  My wife is from Atlanta and we were already considering whether to go to Dragon*Con.  Soooo... I'll see you there.  :)