[Way of the Agent] Introduction to the first draft

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

[Way of the Agent] Introduction to the first draft

Way of the Agent

Heroic vigilantes.  Explosive conspiracies.  Bad one liners.

So, that's the idea.

I'm in the middle of design and things are looking... fair?  The only thing is, I'm wondering if I'm on the right path.  If you read this, can you consider if it excites you, bores you, repeats something done better?  There'll be more questions later.

Briefly:

The Game
Mission Impossible + Kung Fu

The PCs
Vigilantes sanctioned by the 'Temple of Heroes' to seek out justice.  Blah blah.  What does that mean?  Spies with a sensei, sort of like a kung-fu, CIA franchise.

Game play
Traditional RPG, with a GM in charge, but narrative switches to PCs in moments of triumph/serious failure (like InSpectres I suppose).

Setting
Modular.  GMs can set the 'Dojo' wherever they want.  Technology is 80s, more or less.  Government is intensely bureaucratic/corrupt.

PC Generation
3 Principal stats (Esteem, Flair and Vigour) which filter down like a triangle to their subsidiaries (Attributes [like Allure, Intelligence or Privilege] and Arts [like the Art of Attraction, the Art of Logic and the Art of Opulence).  Arguably a skill system with silly names.
PLUS, you choose a genre (Action, Heist or Sleuth).  This choice dictates which of the Paths you go down (Way of the Gun, Way of the Cobra, etc.), what kung-fu moves you get (Carnival Whirlpool Kick, Fist Punch, etc.), which silly feats you can do (Instant Replay, Last Minute Action, etc.), and other bits.

How to Play Well
Experience Points are called Deeds.  You get them from doing good things.  To spend them, you do a 'Montage'... So, do good deeds and get rewarded.  Also, Named Bad Guys cannot be killed unless the player says a one liner.  Go to Arnie/Stallone/Connery/Willis school before the session.

System
There is a conflict system for social encounters and pursuits.  I think I'd bore you with an explanation of that.  I'll cover these system bits in more detail another time.  Combat uses 'Moves' and 'Action points'.  I'm steering clear of complex grappling, counterattacks, etc.  I just want flashy moves, dodges, fluidity.  Needs loads of testing.  I'm scared it'll be weak.

Advancement
Get Deeds from doing good things, spend them in Montage sequences to build up skills.  Convert spent Deeds into Genre Points which are used for 'Sensei Master Classes'.  Here you get more moves, more feats... basically more Bam.

My Favourites
Feats like 'Strategy':
If you are nominally in charge of a strategic movement, you may use this Feat to increase its effectiveness.  Roll the Art of Command and add your rank in Sleuth... (Ed - Rules stuff)... See below.

Example:  You plan to storm the building of an enemy force.  One character will try to woo the guard at the gate while another will try to shoot his supervisor through a window at the same time.  Later, somebody will base jump off the top to safety.  You roll and achieve a Boon.  This gives you 9 points to allot to particular rolls in the plan.  You give 3 points to the wooing character, 4 points to the sniper shot and the last 2 points to the base jump.  When these rolls are made, the characters receive these bonuses according to the plan.

I also like 'Dojo Advances' which are a sort of XP, which add descriptors to your moves as they are customised.  So a weak 'Fist Punch', could end up becoming a 'Leaping Monkey Iron Fist Punch' with enough Dojo Advances.

What's New?
Nothing.  It's all a re-hash of what's already been done.  But I hope Way of the Agent does it differently, in that it's a little more Indie, a little more contemporary.

Goals
Have one person I've never met talk about it to someone else.

Anything Else?
This is not Manga.  It's not Kung-Fu action.  It's Hollywood.  Octane and so on.  Big ass budget.  It's also Vigilantism.  The Hooks system in character generation is all about getting the players to want to do good.

Lastly, it's designed as a pick-up game.  Low GM investment.  Like Spirit of the Century (but probably not as good).  I'll post about the pick-up bit another time.

SORRY.  That went on too long.  Power 19.  I thought I wasn't going to use it, but I did.  Must be the nerves.

Anyway, questions:

What's the biggest problem with using moves in combat (as opposed to standard attacks, etc.)?
Am I re-inventing the wheel?
As a title, do you prefer

• 'Way of the Agent'
• 'Action Fu!'
• 'Action Fu! - The Way of the Agent'

I've got lots of issues with micro-elements of the rules, but those questions aren't suitable yet.

That's all for now.

Kind regards,

Sebastian.
http://www.cobwebgames.com/

[HeTeleports]

Hey there, Sebastian!
I have to say I'm a little excited.
"Named Bad Guys cannot be killed unless the player says a one liner.  Go to Arnie/Stallone/Connery/Willis school before the session."
Brilliant stuff. It might seem gimmicky, but the color of the rest of the system reinforces it. It's good.


"But I hope Way of the Agent does it differently, in that it’s a little more Indie, a little more contemporary."
There's nothing wrong with covering familiar ground.

"Way of the Agent" sounds fine (I'm eyeing the abbreviations: WotA, AF:TWotA,AF). I don't dislike subtitles, but they're largely an alliteration/assonance issue. If all one's color fits *just* (or *merely*) in the subtitle, it's not enough color.

[Ken]

Sebastian,

I will agree with you that the rules are pretty standard stuff, BUT your love for the genre and its source material is apparent and makes the idea stand out. Some of the terminology and mechanics you've chosen are very cool (Deeds, and character advancement montagues), and forwards the feel of the game. Keep that up; one of the things I love about indie games, is the freedom to throw out safe marketing ideas for creative marketing ideas.

Plenty of games measure the physical attributes of characters, but are these the most important traits for a cinematic action hero? I liked the characteristics you've listed so far (Esteem, Flair, Allure, Privelidge, etc.), keep down that path. Also, like the character paths a lot. Personally, my advice would be to make sure that every element of char-gen and play pushes along the feel and intent of your game; a high-octane cinematic action game would suffer if the rules and mechanics don't offer explosive and instant gratification.

In my signature is a link for Sync, my one-pager. I don't quantify the characters power level so much as the power level of the story they are in. Check it out. I remember watching Predator and thinking that if you have a plane full of bulked up mercenaries (Arnold, Carlo Weathers, the Honorable Jesse Ventura, etc.) who are all pretty much the same, why bother with stating them out at all? The only thing different about them is there weapons; stat those out!

Listened to your dice webcast. The rules aren't terribly original, but they are solid. I like the bit about who narrates based on success or failure. The narration of minor set back during normal success was a nice touch, and can make play very rich if not overused.

As far as the name goes, I like Way of the Agent!

Running out of time, so may post more thoughts later. Hope my points have been helpfull/encouraging. Like what you've got so far; keep it up.

[Jason Morningstar]

This is a fun premise  It has been done a million times in various flavors, but don't let that stop you.  Make it your own!

So what does play look like?  It seems like building and improving your character is central - how come?  How does reinforcing that also advance your central premise - doing good.  That's what you are rewarding, but many in-genre heroes are really anti-heroes, amoral, or even villains.  Why that choice?

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

HeTeleports, thanks for your comments (and the Private Message which had good, no, great ideas).

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

Ken, I like your idea on the power level of the game (Sync).  I'm working on another project that will benefit from that kind of style.  It's an interesting question.. If everyone will be equally matched, why bother measuring?

Genres
To separate this project, Way of the Agent, from that kind of stat resolution, I'll explain more about my intentions.  In Way of the Agent, characters are chosen from one of three 'Character Genres': Action, Heist and Sleuth.  But the genre of the game remains the same.  It's still going to be stylish cheese.  Nevertheless, the kind of character that's going to get involved in this cheese is up to the player.  So... you've got the big fellas, of course, but there are also the swashbucklers, the getaway guys, the gamblers, the inventors, the smart alecs, the spirituals, the skulkers, etc.  I like the mix of specialist agents with the kung-fu thing, even if they shouldn't mix.  E.g. Why does the hacker know how to backflip?  How come the detective can break boards with his fists?  Why does that ex-pirate use rope-fu like Jet Li?

Specialists
In other words, I expect characters from crazy backgrounds, with crazy specialisation to exist, because that's going to improve the spectacle.  Specialisation means choice.  Choice, for me, for this project, means a skill system - with appropriate names and new stuff.

Thanks
Ken, you have been encouraging.  Thanks.  I've found your comments useful.  I need to revise character generation somewhat, because it needs a little more focus on the Big-Budget (I won't bore you with the details).

Furthermore, the swapping of narrator based on roll results needs to be credited to Jared A. Sorenson for his work on InSpectres.  It's pick-up heaven.

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

Jason Morningstar, thanks for your poignant questions.  I'll answer the questions in REVERSE...

Goody Goody
Doing good is fun.  Doing bad is fun too, but it tends to the ephemeral, at least with my kind of gamer.  Good PCs, even if they are flawed, who try to make a positive change, tend for better friendships with one another, which tend for lasting games, which tend for lovely gaming experiences.  I want a game that makes my kind of gamer happy.  So I want a game where the players are the good guys, even if they're on the wrong side of the law, even if their methods are questionable.  They are the people's heroes.

Now, if you take that idea and squish it through the Mission Impossible Action Adventure template, you might actually find that the two are kind of the same shape.  Heroes in the movies are pretty often the do-gooders, despite their bad press.  They seem amoral, nasty, mean and rude, but they're still the good guys in the end.  Most of the time.  Right?

Advancement & The Theme
A trickier question is the issue of advancement.  Although the game seems quite episodic, particularly from the brief outline I've given so far, the theme of the game is vigilantism / revolution / 'la resistance'.  SOoooo... If the mood is Mission Impossible + Kung Fu, the theme is Corruption + Hope...  The story of the emerging hero.

That kind of theme, what might be thought of as 'setting' in Way of the Agent - though I hope to keep that pretty modular - benefits from long term involvement.  Players start their Dojo as neophytes battling a great conspiracy, and end up, through many montages, successive tiers of bad guys, and investigations, facing the great villain.  It is something that players may find fun, as they unlock cinematic stunts, new moves, advances and skills.

Oh-oh...
I suppose the issue here is the disparity between the vigilante, mission impossible, kung-fu, knock your lights out cheesiness and the undertone of corruption and badness in the rest of the world.  I thought these two elements would oppose one another to get players hooked into saving the world, but perhaps that was a mistake.

I've got to think about that.

The box
You say that building and improving your character seems central.  Perhaps because that's where all the rules are going right now.  Perhaps not.  Perhaps I'm thinking inside the RPG box, the one that I've lived in for eons.  Maybe I need to think more freely and see if I need this whole character thing at all.  It feels right, but maybe it's not.  I should look at that.  Thanks for pushing me.  It's good exercise.

Please could you re-phrase?
What does play look like?  I'm not sure what that means.  Could you ask that question again assuming I'm a very, very stupid person.  Like, really stupid.

[Jason Morningstar]

Call me Jason!  I really like the fact that you've got a clear idea what you want.  That's so important.  You know who you are writing for - "your kind of gamer", which is great. 

A good exercise is to play out a scene in your head and write it down - what happens?  When do we go to dice, and why?  Who gets to decide what?  You talk about player narrative control, but when andhow much?  What does the GM do, and why?

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

Jason,

Now I'm very encouraged.  I'm so glad I started posting in the Forge.  It really gets you thinking, doesn't it?

This exercise you've advised looks like it will become one of those trappings that I'll wonder how I ever did without.  I've pencilled it into my schedule for Monday (pencils it in as he types these words).  I'll do it very properly the first time, so it will need a bit of time.

As for narrative control, I mentioned it briefly in my podcast, so that's where Ken got the reference.  Briefly:  Players describe the consequences of their actions if they succeed or half succeed.  GMs describe the consequences if they fail.

The GM is there to interpret the rules, run the story and keep the pacing.  Often the GM will play the game as adversary, especially for combat (wow, big deal), but also in generating the plot.  I haven't got much time before I have to go to work, so I'll have to leave the GM as adversary bit for another time.  Essentially, however, the GM is important for pacing, antagonism, rewards, and plotting (though this is assisted by the pick-up rules).

Must dash. Sorry to cut this short.

[Ken]

What's the biggest problem with using moves in combat (as opposed to standard attacks, etc.)?

You may already know the answer to this, as least as it relates to your game. Have you experimented with both? If so, what were the pros/cons of each. I only ask because I think the answer to your question could vary widely depending on the game (and by this I mean the whole game; setting, resolution system, char-gen rules, etc.).

One issue I see (though it may not be big, and may not be a problem) is shopping. Picking moves could be as time consuming and harrowing as picking your next spell or super power. Are there development tracks? Are there prerequisites for moves? Do I have to have Chipmunk Claw before I can buy Flying Weasel Kick? (I'm being silly, but I think you get my point.) And if so, is that what you want players doing? Is that going to detract from the action?

Without knowing too much about the game, my knee-jerk reaction would be to use both. I'm not really a kung-fu enthusiast, but I enjoy action. An extensive list of kung fu styles and their various moves (along with combat and strategic significance) wouldn't mean that much to me, and may even scare me away as a player. But, I may not be your target gamer anyway, so what do I know? Safest thing may be to include basic moves for those who can fight without the fancy kung fu (this would at least cover NPCs).

I'm assuming that some characters don't use kung fu, and that those who were proficient in it and had lots cool named techniques would be like magic users in a fantasy game, while your less esoteric characters would just back some killer heat (and use there deed points to be really good at that).

Also, I know you keep mentioning Mission Impossible, but every time I think about your game I think of the Matrix (without, you know, the uh...Matrix) do you have a list of action movies that specifically inspire you and think of when working of the game dynamics? If so, share.

Keep it up!

Ken

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

What does the GM do, and why?

I've been thinking of removing the GM from play, like some other, Brilliant, independent RPGs.  If I can create the atmosphere without a GM, why use one?  So now it's time to ask myself, what do I want the game to achieve, as far as mood, and can it be achieved without a GM?

* Explosions
* One liners
* Kung-fu
Suspense
Conflict
Consequence
Hope
Corruption
* Heroism
* Fluidity
*** Fun

The asterisks mark the issues I think players can easily solve on their own.  Let's look at the rest:

Suspense
GMs can hold things back, sow seeds, drop red herrings, etc.  Is that easy to reproduce with a set of rules?  I guess I could incorporate the template system (see below, the next post) to generate these kinds of things on the fly.  But would any random system be able to mimic these facets if the players knew how they operated?  Could it be done using a transient GM status (like the dealer in a game of poker)?

Conflict
Not combat, nor contest, but arcs of narrative conflict.  Jilted lovers, competing agencies, shadowy conspiracies.  Motives that conflict and generate tension.  Let's say that can be done without a GM, but can it be done consistently and fairly?  Player generated conflict, that is conflict generated by a mixed group without a mediator, that isn't egocentric can be duel-esque, where PCs take turns in a sequence of ripostes, digging one another into deeper pits of opposition.  It's great fun, but biased, and it can get out of hand.  Or is there a way to curb it?

Consequence
How can consequences be measured successfully by a group of players?  My good experiences of GM-less games have returned amazing, funny, memorable one-shots.  Way of the Agent isn't intended as a one-shot RPG.  So how are rewards given, allies and enemies recorded, and deeds recognised in a long term game without a GM?  Can the game world be sustained by committee?

Hope & Corruption
Various rules could be put in place to hit on the themes of hope and corruption.  I'm not sure what they'd be, yet, but I'm sure it would be possible.  Maybe the Art of Bribery could be a commonly used skill in the game, with rules for bribing in most situations.  Once players see the value of bribing, and bribing becomes commonplace, the corruption theme would settle on the game session pretty quickly.  As for hope, I suppose there would have to be some mechanic where dead-end NPCs are given hope by the PCs.  Perhaps there could be an in-game cut-away rule that describes the attitudes of the people in the slums / news reports of hopeful young activist groups / interviews with the obvious political enemy getting frustrated over the PC's efforts.  Again, if it was a rule, it could lend to the mood.  But wouldn't that all be better done by a GM?  Or perhaps a sharing of the workload (Rules + GM)?

That's that for this post.

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

I mentioned a template system above.  I'll describe it here.  Briefly.

Template System

Threat Level * Dojo Rank = Crises Points

Threat Level is the level of danger of the mission... How many Deeds (that's experience points) are going to be awarded.

Dojo Rank is the in-game rank of the PCs.  PCs start at 1, and progress according mission successes.  It's not XP driven, but NPC driven...  You won't go up a rank if your sensei is pissed, but you might if he thinks you're ready for Greater Things - despite your history of failure.

Crises Points are points spent by the GM on the creation of an adventure, much like the creation of a character.  He spends Crises Points on Mission Templates.  As an example, here are some of the templates:

The Mystery
Henchmen
The Twist

Each template has rules about how many Crises Points it costs to implement, and how the PCs get to interact.  For instance, The Mystery costs 1 Crises Point for each Tier of Discovery - sorry about all these capital letters - which roughly translates as the number of details the PCs must find before they discover the Big Clue.  The idea is that the Big Clue is decided upon before play, or at least before the template is put into action.  It could be 'Mario killed the Mayor's Daughter' or 'The Barber Works for the Mob'.  How the PCs arrive at this is through a mix of declaration and coasting.

Templates are either bought on the fly, bought at the beginning of the adventure (GM prep) or bought according to a quasi-random structure.  The latter offers a cinematic structure with a fixed beginning, a pen-ultimate and ultimate scene, but leaves the middle open to chance.

That's it so far, more or less.  It's an optional tool to reduce workload.  It's part of the Pick-Up tool set for Way of the Agent.

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

Ken

If you've followed along so far, thanks for keeping up.  Lots of boring stuff to read through, eh?  Anyway, thanks for your questions.  Got me thinking...

Have you experimented with both?

Actually, no.  Wellllll, I did start Way of the Agent without the kung-fu, and it was good.  Once I added martial arts, by sandwiching two games I had designed separately, I thought I was on to something better.  But now you mention it, is it important that I have a move based combat system?  I need to think on that.  Really, really think.

Picking moves could be as time consuming and harrowing as picking your next spell or super power.

Good point.  New moves happen once every two or three sessions, and you'll only be able to choose from a maximum of four moves.  SO I don't foresee a huge problem with new moves.  More time might be spent on the modification of old moves though, so I better be careful of that.

Safest thing may be to include basic moves for those who can fight without the fancy kung fu (this would at least cover NPCs).

Agreed.  There's a basic set of moves for everyone.  These include things like drawing a weapon, shooting, a basic punch, kick and throw, etc. 

There are separate Scared Forms for unnamed NPCs too.  These are the handy things you'd have at the end of the book or on the GMs screen.

I'm assuming that some characters don't use kung fu, and that those who were proficient in it and had lots cool named techniques would be like magic users in a fantasy game, while your less esoteric characters would just back some killer heat

I'm not sure how ubiquitous to make the kung-fu.  I've got to build it up and determine if it's fun and fluid.  If so, I don't see why every character shouldn't have a little bit.  If not, I may scrap the whole system for something lighter.

But yes, combat types can advance with guns, weapons, fists, kicks, grabs, throws, locks etc. according to their chosen path.  Non-combat character get taunts, social attacks and defences, and other bits.

Also, I know you keep mentioning Mission Impossible, but every time I think about your game I think of the Matrix (without, you know, the uh...Matrix) do you have a list of action movies that specifically inspire you and think of when working of the game dynamics? If so, share.

I was thinking less leather and sunglasses, more silliness, and more explosions and sweat.  I guess I'm thinking anything from Indiana Jones to Bond to Sneakers... Let's seeee:

24
Lethal Weapon 1 & 2
Die Hard etc.
True Lies
Indiana Jones
Sneakers
Bond
Actually, come on, anything with Arnie in it
The Rock (I don't have to like all these films, right?)
Heat
Under Siege
A.W.O.L. / Time Cop / Hard Target (Jean Luc V.D.)
Mission Impossible 3 & the original series
Bourne Identity etc.
Fearless / Black Mask / The One / Romeo Must Die (Jet Li)
Seven Samurai
Swordfish
Face Off
Hard Boiled
Spy Game
Ronin
Spies Like Us
Karate Kid
Leon
Nikita

That sort of thing.  Like a hybrid mish-mash of all that kind of stuff.  Like ka-pow, kiii-YA, baddabooooom-I'll-be-back,budah budah budah! You know how I said I'd kill you last? I lied. KadaBOOOM!!!

[Ken]

I've been thinking of removing the GM from play, like some other, Brilliant, independent RPGs.  If I can create the atmosphere without a GM, why use one?  So now it's time to ask myself, what do I want the game to achieve, as far as mood, and can it be achieved without a GM?

Interesting idea. I've read some neat GMless games; that kind of diversity of design and creativity is why I love the indie RPG community and the Forge. Do you think you'll bring something to the game by removing the GM role? The GM in most traditional rpgs smoothes over the lumps (mechanics) in the carpet (story) and keeps everything nice and smooth. Do you think an automatic system or splitting up the chores would do the same thing as efficiently?

I look at from a cost/benefit perspective. What is the benefit of not having a GM, and what does not having one cost you? Do the benefits outweigh the cost? Do you have a brilliant/innovative mechanic to substitute for a GM?

In your post you listed some story elements that could not easily be maintained without a GM: Suspense, Conflict, Consequence, Hope, & Corruption; I think these are good enough reasons to have a GM.

Interested on hearing more thoughts on how may handle this.

Keep it up!

Ken

[Sebastian K. Hickey]

Hi Ken,

I think these are good enough reasons to have a GM

I think I'm in agreement.  Not sure yet.  Really, I can't tell if I want a GM in the game just because 'That's The Way It's Supposed To Be.'  My gut says 'use a GM.'  It's a tried and tested system, right?  It works great, right?  It's the type game set up Sebastian likes, right?  But then something squeaks in my head asking me if I'm being old fashioned.

Ken, can you or anyone else tell me if GM-less games have the same longevity as GM'd games?