[Power 19] The Republic of Cambrai

[tombowings]

Alright, I'm finally done sketching out my power. I have the ideas for the game pretty set, but am having some problems getting the mechanics together. Any help, criticism, and/or comments would be appreciated.

The Republic of Cambria—Power 19
1.) What is your game about?
Loosely based off of 1001 Nights, the Republic of Cambria is a role playing game based around the futuristic society of Cambria, and, more specifically, its ruling council. The game is centered around the domestic (not enough school) and interplanetary issues of the planet-spanning republic.
There are two phases of play: The Assembly and the Reception. During the Assembly, the representatives of the many Cambrian political parties congregate to discuss the issue at hand, which is usually something simple, such as trade routes. Throughout the Assembly phase, the representatives discuss the issue at hand and either come to a decision or break to Reception, where the representatives are free to establish, chase, and pursue their personal lives and goals

2.) What do the characters do?
   Each character is a representative for one of the many Cambrian political parties, advancing their chosen party's agenda during Assemblies and perusing their 2-3 personal goals during Receptions. However, each repetitive has between 2 and 3 secrets or weaknesses, which can be exploited by other players to make representatives vote on certain sides of issues.

3.) What do the players do?
   The players, there is no GM, portray a single representative on the council, trying to further the goals of their political party and pursuing their own goals during Receptions. Additionally, players will try and figure out each other's secrets and/or weaknesses in the hopes to exploit them.

4.) How does your setting (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
   The setting is still extremely sketchy. Each planet in the solar system is the equivalent of a different country. The decisions the council makes will have consequences based other planets in the system for their own benefit.

5.) How does the Character Creation of your game reinforce what your game is about?
Character creation is almost completely fluff. Create 2-3 secrets/weaknesses and 2-3 goals. Write each of them on your character sheet, answer some basic questions, something like the five senses from 1001 Nights, and your character is complete.
After that, write your character's name and each secret/weakness and goal on a small slip of paper. Put those slips of paper into a hat, mix them up, then pass one to each player. Save the rest for later.

6.) What types of behaviors/styles of play does your game reward (and punish if necessary)?
   The object of the game is to complete your characters goals and further your party's agenda (not sure how that will work exactly yet). When your character has enough money/favor/whatever to retire and you, essentially, win.
   However, to reach your objective, you're going to have to give out information about yourself, which can be exploited by other characters (informing your party about your secrets, weaknesses, and goal).

7.) How are behaviors and styles of play rewarded or punished in your game?
   If a character looses enough favor with their party, they can be replaced, in which case the player looses. Additionally, sometimes characters can get themselves into situations where they are no longer able to further their party or complete one of his or her goals, circumstances change very quickly.

8.) How are the responsibilities of narration and credibility divided in your game?
   All narrations are done by the players, as there is no GM. I haven't thought it out completely, but there will be a way for the players to introduce events (someone drawing on of your character's a slip of paper out of the hat, mentioned previously?).

9.) What does your game do to command the players' attention, engagement, and participation? (i.e. What does the game do to make them care?)
The player's will be able to see the progress of Cambria based on the decisions of the Assemblies.

10.) What are the resolution mechanics of your game like?
   Resolutions are put to the vote during the council. 2/3 majority passes a resolution. I'm not sure how the mechanics of political favor and goals will work just yet.

11.) How do the resolution mechanics reinforce what your game is about?
   Voting is a system that is system that is used in most modern day governmental bodies.

12.) Do characters in your game advance? If so, how?
   Characters advance by gaining (or loosing) party favor and achieving their goals. Cambria and other planetary bodies advance based on council resolutions and player introduced events.

13.) How does the character advancement (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
   The lack of mechanical character advancement keep the focus on the characters rather than their character sheets.

14.) What sort of product or effect do you want your game to produce in or for the players?
   Honestly, fun. It could be a good party game as it is quite episode.

15.) What areas of your game receive extra attention and color? Why?
   Color will be supplied by the character's personal secrets/weaknesses/goals and the parties' inherent differences.

16.) Which part of your game are you most excited about or interested in?
   Players exploiting each other's secrets to force decisions in the Assembly.

17.) Where does your game take the players that other games can't, don't, or won't?
   RoC puts almost everything into the hands of the players. There will be very few predetermined functions in the rule set (maybe a letter-sized page a pure crunch).

18.) What are your publishing goals for your game?
   Haven't given this much thought.

19.) Who is your target audience?
   Causal RPG gamers.