A very, very narrow concept: The Bridge/The Drop

[Bullbar]

I'm not entirely sure if this is the right way to go about it, but I hope so. I've come up with a concept for a game set entirely between the moments a man leaps to his death from a bridge and when he hits below.

The whole experience is supposed to be... his way of sorting things out in his head, his life flasing before his eyes. Each scene represents a fundamental issue of his life or of the human experience, with the various players taking on the roles of figures from his past or life.

At this point I'm thinking that the first scene is 'Why did he do it' and the last is 'What comes after death?', but in no way do I have a solid or even vaguely approachable idea on how to do this.

So I have to ask, is this concept workable? How would you approach this? I want some reasonably solid mechanical reinforcements behind each scene, but only to drive them forward and give them substance.

I apologise if that makes very little sense.

[Arturo G.]

From my point of view it makes sense.

At this point I'm thinking that the first scene is 'Why did he do it' and the last is 'What comes after death?', but in no way do I have a solid or even vaguely approachable idea on how to do this.

I think it could be much better the opposite way. I would let the players develop 'why did he do it' during play. Probably only getting the answer in the last scenes. And I would not be worry at all about the 'after death'. I don't think it will fit with the rest of the game, but you may surprise us with something unusual!

Some people may argue that the idea may become a little depressing, as the character has no way to redeem herself and avoid the death. But it may be a fun game anyway. If at any time you get concerned about this, just check "Death's Door", by James Brown (Blankshield Press).

[Bullbar]

From my point of view it makes sense.

At this point I'm thinking that the first scene is 'Why did he do it' and the last is 'What comes after death?', but in no way do I have a solid or even vaguely approachable idea on how to do this.

I think it could be much better the opposite way. I would let the players develop 'why did he do it' during play. Probably only getting the answer in the last scenes. And I would not be worry at all about the 'after death'. I don't think it will fit with the rest of the game, but you may surprise us with something unusual!

Some people may argue that the idea may become a little depressing, as the character has no way to redeem herself and avoid the death. But it may be a fun game anyway. If at any time you get concerned about this, just check "Death's Door", by James Brown (Blankshield Press).

I was thinking that perhaps there are several potential outcomes of the game, Salvation or Damnation, Transcendance or Oblivion or even a bungled job and living to see another day. That was it's not always simply that at the end of it he hits the ground and dies. He may go to a better place or somewhere else at least. And with the question of what happens after, perhaps even a supernatural or extra influence with people taking on the roles of potential figures from this man's perceived afterlife. Of course, whether or not it's real in the universe of the game or not is another question.

[Vulpinoid]

I'd even consider taking this idea from a simple one off game about a single man, and turn it into a character generation system for beings who have transcended mortality through the leap.

The type of character that comes from the session, their benefits, flaws and backstory would all be derived through the play of this first game.

It's probably not the direction you were thinking, but it's got me inspired...if only I had time to work on the concept.

V

[Bullbar]

I had actually considered a more mystical bent, with this jump being something of a transformative experience.

The concept of Axis Mundi had featured quite heavily in my musings, given that this man is suspended between heaven and earth, balanced at the point between life and death and is himself halfway between animal and god.

[Mikael]

I am not entirely sure where you want to go with this, but there is a certain purity of the concept if you keep it between the jump and the splat, real-world, man and his deeds. If this is the vision you have, please do not shy away from it just because you think others would find it depressing. I think the way has been paved by games like Polaris and Grey Ranks.

Perhaps you could start the first scene with an overt "why" of the suicide, but only get to the real reason in the last scene. A last scene on "what happens after" could be a powerful denouement, but it might just dilute the concept. Recommend playtesting.

[Bullbar]

I'm torn, because I really love the original one-off concept but the other variation is stirring up some interesting ideas. I think it's going to end up spawning two games, but the first one will be the focus for now.

[madunkieg]

I'm working on a game called Terribly Beautiful with a similar fateful ending (though it's disease, not suicide), so I can understand the power of the concept. Some things to think about:

Knowing the end tends to free one from risk, so the resolution mechanics need to work along a different axis than just success/failure.

Structure: right now your concept is very open, but it could suffer if it feels too much like staring at a blank page. There are two ways to go: give it more focus in terms of setting, or give a tight story structure that will help generate character history ideas. I think the latter will work better with your concept.

[Will]

You have ( I hope ) read An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" (sometimes called An Incident at Owl Creek Bridge) by Ambrose Bierce?

I can see this as a game with a set number of scenes, each one designed to challenge some aspect of the character. The characters stats could be their strengths and weaknesses with each called into play in a sort of weighing of the characters worth, values, and morality. The idea being to come to peace, or prove ones worth, before the game (and that character) ends.

If you are of a classically religious mindset it could be a game of redemption or damnation, or just a game of finding ones balance before dying. The suicide aspect of it could make it a bit more nasty on the religious side as you have to overcome whatever darkness drove you to that state.

[Bullbar]

I had been thinking that the issue of religion and damnation/salvation wouldn't be built into it, but could come up if the players chose to address it.

I'd like to have some sort of clear mechanical driving each scene forward or giving means of exploring the issues in question.

The other question is whether or not to have a set series of scenes, or to allow the players to develop the issues as they go.

I need to knuckle down and work some of this out.

[Bullbar]

You have ( I hope ) read An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" (sometimes called An Incident at Owl Creek Bridge) by Ambrose Bierce?

I have now. That's a perfect inspiration and captures the feel I want.

"Peyton Farquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently
from side to side beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge."

[Will]

I can see the scenes either being set ahead of time or more freeform, but the time limit feels crucial. You only have so long and even if that time can stretch subjectively it IS going to come to a very final end.

Maybe instead of a set number of scenes set a real world time limit on the game ala puppetland where you get as much in game time as you need but the game itself has a hard one hour rule (one hour is a bit rough and may be way too short for this, but it worked for puppetland). You get this amount of time to work through your characters issues or to avoid them.

[jag]

I think this would be very interesting to do in reverse chronological order.  The intro could be:

"What's your last thought just before you hit the ground?"

From there, work backward in a serious of impressions and flashbacks as to why the person jumped in the first place.  A structure along the lines of the sentence-by-sentence story (everyone adds a sentence to the narrative, one at a time) would allow it to evolve in interesting ways.

The question would be how to add conflict, to prevent it from being cooperative story-telling.

James

[RadiantWind]

Your idea is very unique, and I like it a lot. Taking into consideration all the other ideas, how about this one? Like others, the game would have flashbacks with people who play as people from the flashbacks, but how about the jumper's own thoughts about life after death? Players could play as what the man might see after he dies. Or perhaps a flashback in which forensics discover that the man was pushed off instead of committing suicide. I think that would be nice.