Universalis "Starter Box"

[Noah Wan]

Hello All,

I'm either cracked or I like this game very very much.

I went out today and bought index cards and an Index Card Box (hence 'Starter Box'). I am begining the work on my own "Starter Box" as it were, and will be including settings, rules gimmicks, characters, places, items, and Master Components. I plan to share all of my work as it goes along (or probably after it's finnished), and would appreciate any ideas for settings, or characters, or any of the other items to be included. It'll probably end up being about 50 cards for each, so as not to make it too daunting.

Thanks to all for feedback,

Ben

[Valamir]

Sounds great!

Before putting too much work into the cards, you may want to make sure you have a couple of good "standard" games under your belt (if you don't already) to get a feel for how the Components and such actually get created and used in play.

That might give you some good direction as to what kind of stock Components would be most useful and what kind of Traits to concentrate on.

If you put them together electronically, I'll be happy to host it on the site.

[Noah Wan]

Sounds Great. Eventually I will put things together electronically, but probably not for some time (school does that to a person). I have played a few games with Lael, and many many more in my own head (result of a monotonous job), so I think I have a decent idea of what to put in. Also hopefully I will be collaborating with Lael on this, and any one else interested in helping out (again credit will be give where credit is due when it becomes electronic), so I plan to have a fairly decent range of ideas and traits from joint experience.

Later,

Ben

[Noah Wan]

Just a quick update before I get off here for the night. For starters, I have a few settings started. they are:

Middle Eastern
Modern Day
Columbian
Canadian
Medival Europe
African
Eastern
Western
Fantasy
Horror
Sci-Fi

Think I need some more? I do, but am outa ideas for the moment. Lack of sleep does catch up to a person...

Any ideas?

Later,
Ben

[Mike Holmes]

How does Canadian vary from Modern Day?  ;-)

But seriously, this is kinda hard, because trying to decide on a scope of what constitutes a setting is hard. For example, Sci-Fi covers an awful lot of ground. Wouldn't you want to at least divide that into Cyberpunk, Space Opera, and Hard Sci-Fi to start?

Mike

[Noah Wan]

Well, it's not as complicated as it was going to be. Based on the advice Lael gave me I'm going to go for one setting type at a time. The first will be Police Drama in Modern Day. Lael and I have come up with a good base to start from, so ti's pretty much coming up with all of the components. I'm working on suspects, victims' families, shop clerks and other supporting actors and, well a few that could be made the focus of the game (granted that any one of them could be)

Ideas? Comments? Always appreciated.

Later All,
Ben

[Valamir]

Could you specify the direction you're going a little clearer?

1) Are you putting together a general package of Police Drama related Components and Rules Gimmicks so that  if I was to play in such a game, I'd have access to a bunch of Components that would be already made (as in either assumed to already be Created so they don't cost me anything;or I'd still have to pay for them, but at least the cost and Traits would be filled in for me).  In otherwords if I needed a "Squad Car", I could go you your starter box and say "here's a squad Car"...or "here's a 9mm Beretta"...or "heres a hooker snitch with a heart of gold"...etc.

2) Or are you designing more of a scenario pack, with "suspects" and "victims families" and such already laid out in a sort of relationship map.  Like where a straight Uni game would be following Game Prep and the first scene or two.  For instance, taking one of the play examples off of the site, packaging it up with the Components detailed out and saying "ok, here's the game...go".

3) Something else.

[Noah Wan]

1) Are you putting together a general package of Police Drama related Components and Rules Gimmicks so that if I was to play in such a game, I'd have access to a bunch of Components that would be already made (as in either assumed to already be Created so they don't cost me anything;or I'd still have to pay for them, but at least the cost and Traits would be filled in for me). In otherwords if I needed a "Squad Car", I could go you your starter box and say "here's a squad Car"...or "here's a 9mm Beretta"...or "heres a hooker snitch with a heart of gold"...etc.

2) Or are you designing more of a scenario pack, with "suspects" and "victims families" and such already laid out in a sort of relationship map. Like where a straight Uni game would be following Game Prep and the first scene or two. For instance, taking one of the play examples off of the site, packaging it up with the Components detailed out and saying "ok, here's the game...go".

I would have to say that both of these are correct.

The first example you have given would be for more advanced players who have some games under their belt but don't really feel creative in the session being played.

The second example would be for more of a beginner, just learning the rules and needing a way to introduce them to them in a gameplay style. I find, at least for myself and a few others I know, that gameplay is a much better method of teaching rules than just reading them and examples. Once you're drawn in, it's much easier to assimilate the limits.

Once it's finnished, I'll probably<--(spelled wrong I think) use it most as an "Idea Draw Pile", but will use it to help teach others who are interested the game.

Hope that clears some things up. Let me know if it didn't and I'll try again. I sometimes have a problem getting my ideas across in one try

Later,
Ben

[Valamir]

Interesting.  I'd definitely planned on trying #1, but I hadn't really given much thought (beyond some way early speculation in whether we needed a "demo scenario" to take to cons) to #2.

I can't wait to see how it turns out!

[Ayrizale]

I think that one of the more interesting bits about this is that although the cards would have a very basic Relationship Map built in, the actual emotions of the relationships would not be defined.  So Frank might be the Brother of Jane, but it would be up to the players and the kind of story that they want to tell as to whether or not Frank and Jane get along at all.

Would be interesting, IMO, to play a few games with the same list of components, each with a different group of players and see how differently the stories come out.

Lael

[Noah Wan]

Hello All,

I am about finnished with the first starter set. I'm a littlke stuck on ideas for rules gimmicks though. any ideas?
Once it's finnished, I'll convert it from paper to electronic file and share with anyone whose interested.

Later,
Ben

[Valamir]

Well, you're doing police drama right?

What about a special rule for bullet proof vests?  Instead of just being a trait which provides a die and then simply narrating the vest stopping the bullet, you could have a gimmick about the vest.  Off the top of my head, the vest might have to be bought as a seperate Component, and linked to a character as a possession.  No player could describe a bullet injury to a target wearing a vest, unless the Importance of the vest was paid off first.  Seems to me in TV and movies, the vests always stop the bullet and no one wearing one, ever just gets hit in the head.

Another area for a rules gimmick might be buying traits in secret.  Can you do a CSI style investigation if all of the players know all of the details ahead of time?  Sure.  We've mentioned how great suspense is maintained when you never know what any of the other players are going to do. But one might be able to come up with a Gimmick allowing certain Traits (like clues) to be purchased in secret, only to be revealed through a successful Complication.

One might also be able to come up with a gimmick for Interrogation as a special form of Dialog...perhaps one which merges the Dialong and Complication rules somehow...

Just some late night speculations.  I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with.  I'm more than happy to host it on the site for interested parties to see/down load.

[Ayrizale]

Another area for a rules gimmick might be buying traits in secret.  Can you do a CSI style investigation if all of the players know all of the details ahead of time?  Sure.  We've mentioned how great suspense is maintained when you never know what any of the other players are going to do. But one might be able to come up with a Gimmick allowing certain Traits (like clues) to be purchased in secret, only to be revealed through a successful Complication.

My first thought when reading this was to steal the hidden evidence mechanic from the boardgame Clue.  Have a specific list of Suspects, Murder Weapons and Locations.  At the beginning of the game, take three at random from thier piles and hide them.  Then, when the players successfully win a complication, they get to look at one of the cards from one of the piles, and make a note of it or something like that.

Could make for an interesting twist on both Clue and Universalis.

Later,

Lael

[Bob McNamee]

You could also have the hidden clues with a discovery importance level that needs to be exceeded to be looked at, and, once uncovered it reveals a Fact of importance X, possibly much differnet that its discovery importance level.

You could even have a make up a huge set of Clue facts index cards, and a simliar set of random Discovery importance envelopes that can be picked from a pile by someone with the Coins.  This could lead to unpredictable crimes / clues.

Bob McNamee

[Ayrizale]

You could also have the hidden clues with a discovery importance level that needs to be exceeded to be looked at, and, once uncovered it reveals a Fact of importance X, possibly much differnet that its discovery importance level.

That's an interesting idea.  Could you explain a little more?  I'm not sure I fully understand what you are suggesting.  I could fill in the parts that I don't, but I'd also like to know what you were intending.

You could even have a make up a huge set of Clue facts index cards, and a simliar set of random Discovery importance envelopes that can be picked from a pile by someone with the Coins.  This could lead to unpredictable crimes / clues.

Bob McNamee

I would almost want to make it so that such envelopes could only be "bought" with coins from a complication that involved some investigation or action that leads to the finding of a clue.  And maybe limit it to one envelope per scene or something like that.  Thoughts?

Lael