Game mechanics for a swashbuckling Rpg (Lost Eden)

[Mattias]

b]Hearts:<Spades: <Clubs: There is an opportunity to use another skill then the default skill, i.e. you quote a poem to the lady(with the knowledge skill instead of social skill), you head-butt the jealous husband instead of using you saber etc.

Diamonds:Spades: <Clubs: There is an opportunity to use another skill then the default skill, i.e. you quote a poem to the lady(with the knowledge skill instead of social skill), you head-butt the jealous husband instead of using you saber etc.

Diamonds:

[Simon C]

That's a really interesting game! I like the way you use the suits of the cards.  That's a good idea, but I think you can do it a little better.  I'll try to use simple English, to make sure we are understanding each other. 

I think that "Clubs" has an advantage over other suits.  It lets you use a different skill.  That's cool, but I think it would be better if every suit had a small benefit. 

Hearts - Maybe every scene could have an "Aspect" of the environment, which you can use for a small bonus when you use a heart. Like, a ballroom could have a big stairway, or a ship could have rigging (ropes overhead).  You can only use each "aspect" once.

Spades - You could use a similar "aspect" system.  Maybe every character has a secret weakness or vulnerability.  If you can invoke that, you can get a bonus for one card.  Like, the lady is maybe trying to protect her father (if you offer to help her father, she'll like you more), or the cliff has a small crack that makes climbing easier.

Diamonds - Maybe each character could have an "Aspect" as well, which they can use for a bonus if they can describe it in the scene.

These are just ideas, but I think it's good to reward people for using the extra value of the suits.

I think you might need more clear rules for deciding how many cards to use in a scene.  It seems like there might be a tactical advantage to using more or less (skilled people want more, unskilled people want fewer).  That's not bad, but it means that there'll be some conflict over deciding how many cards to use. 

I the player want his description to have a game effect he use a card to do the  Jumping-on-the-table-to-distract-the-opponent action and a separate card to thrust his saber. In that case the jumping on the table action will give the opponent a negative modifier equal to the card value on his next action.

I'm not sure what you mean by this, but it seems like you don't need this rule.  Jumping on a table and thrusting a sabre can be one action, using one card.  One card should be an abstract amount of time, however long it takes to do one interesting thing in the scene.  I think it would be better to let any bonuses from using scenery, good description, or whatever, apply to a single card, rather than holding from one card to another.

I think this system could support very descriptive play, with a light tactical game.  You need to make the different suits mechanically beneficial, and you need a better way to decide how many cards to use.  This will make your basic mechanic more robust, and support more tactical play, while not detracting from the descriptive style you want.

This is an interesting idea, and I hope it works out for you!

[Mattias]

i]I think this system could support very descriptive play, with a light tactical game. <

[Mattias]

b]Does this make sense?

Having said that, I like Simon Cs  suggestions because they do not refrain from these issues that I have with rewarding creativity, but they do make the descriptions have different mechanical meanings.

You need to make the different suits mechanically beneficial, and you need a better way to decide how many cards to use.  This will make your basic mechanic more robust, and support more tactical play, while not detracting from the descriptive style you want.<
Does this make sense?

I think that "Clubs" has an advantage over other suits.  It lets you use a different skill.  

Well my thought was actually the opposite.
For example when they use any other suit than Clubs in an trying- to- convince- the- lady- to- dance- Conflict the players would be free to use any skill they feel could be applicable (singing a song, quoting a poem etc). On Clubs you would have to use a different skill.

None the less youre (Simon C) comment is correct in the sense that clubs is different than the other suits (which is what is important) it actually has a mechanical effect (which i did not think about). I need to work this out. 

Another problem is,  if Clubs meaning that you can or have to use another skill, how do you decide which is the default skill, and which is other skills?


<beer What is the pros and cons of using the suits as merely a way of encouraging creativity compared to also giving them a mechanical effect?

As I see it the pros of giving them a mechanical meaning is that players feels it more worthwhile and more fun giving a description if it also have a mechanical effect. 

Thanks for reading, cheers
Does this make sense?[/b]

Having said that, I like Simon Cs  suggestions because they do not refrain from these issues that I have with rewarding creativity, but they do make the descriptions have different mechanical meanings.

You need to make the different suits mechanically beneficial, and you need a better way to decide how many cards to use.  This will make your basic mechanic more robust, and support more tactical play, while not detracting from the descriptive style you want.<
Does this make sense?

I think that "Clubs" has an advantage over other suits.  It lets you use a different skill.  

Well my thought was actually the opposite.
For example when they use any other suit than Clubs in an trying- to- convince- the- lady- to- dance- Conflict the players would be free to use any skill they feel could be applicable (singing a song, quoting a poem etc). On Clubs you would have to use a different skill.

None the less youre (Simon C) comment is correct in the sense that clubs is different than the other suits (which is what is important) it actually has a mechanical effect (which i did not think about). I need to work this out. 

Another problem is,  if Clubs meaning that you can or have to use another skill, how do you decide which is the default skill, and which is other skills?


<beer What is the pros and cons of using the suits as merely a way of encouraging creativity compared to also giving them a mechanical effect?

As I see it the pros of giving them a mechanical meaning is that players feels it more worthwhile and more fun giving a description if it also have a mechanical effect. 

Thanks for reading, cheers

[Simon C]

More cards versus fewer cards:

If someone has a greater skill than someone else, on average, they'll win.  With more cards, the odds become closer to the average result, favouring the character with the higher skill.  With fewer cards, the odds are less predictable, less average, and this favours characters with lower skill.  If I'm better at fighting than you, I'll want to use as many cards as possible, so that luck plays a smaller role in the combat.  If I'm worse at fighting than you, I'll want to use just one card, and hope I get a good one. 

This effect is more pronounced with cards than with dice, becasue drawing cards ensures that once you've drawn the whole deck, you'll have a completely average spread.  Rolling dice, you can get a non-average result no matter how many dice you roll. 

Does this make sense to you?

[Mattias]

Does this make sense to you?

Absolutely thanks a lot. I will dump that idea however i would still like to make it possible for players to choose how long they want to make a conflict. So i will continue working on that idea. If anyone has any ideas in relation to this comments are welcome.


Thanks again