Riptide and odd questions

[Clinton R. Nixon]

I'm designing the 'curriculum' system for my new game, Riptide, right now. To answer these questions, all you need to know is that it's set in high school.

Ok.

Question 1: The skill system is based around the classes you've taken. Now, I can figure out good in-game uses for most things, from language, to critical reading, to civics class, to band. What I'm having trouble with is math. Can you think of a situation in a role-playing game where you've used your character's math skills? If not, can you possibly think of a situation where that might come up?

Question 2: When you were in high school, what were your extra-curricular activities? Did your school have anything particularly interesting to do afterwards, or as an elective in school? If you spent time with friends, did you do anything special that has helped you later on in life?

[Matt Wilson]

For Math: that's a toughie. I can see it as a supporting add to other classes, like you want to do chemistry, and your math skills help you come up with the right proportions for the formula more quickly. Or to determine what time Joe should get home from school so you can sneak in before that and steal his tennis racket.

In high school I was involved in the drama club, which I'd have to say helped with social ability in general. And I took various music lessons, which I could argue helped me to be analytical and develop a kind of mental coordination. Probably a lot of the extra-curricular stuff would apply toward social stuff, and maybe leadership, like being class president or being on the homecoming committee.

[Wormwood]

Clinton,

It seems that classes would best be served by flexibility. Math has a variety of applications, especially as it applies to logic and problem solving. Sure you might not find yourself solving calculus problems in an RPG, but it certainly seems likely that the approaches you take are applicable. After all, how often would someone use their Composition class skill to write 5-section essays? There are other kinds of writing that are aided by that class, just like there are other kinds of problems that are approachable via mathematics.

As far as extra curriculars, I wrote a few months ago a Harry Potter RPG. The basic premise being that characters would determined by their classes taken, and two attributes. I didn't go in for cliques like you seem to emphasize, but rather the idea of picking your own classes, and developing them year to year. I simply made extra-curriculars function in the same way. That means I have a fairly long list of classes and extra-curriculars, as well as the "Muggle-matters" list, which is for mundane classes. The one thing that I realized on working this all out, is that it is rarely necessary to define what a given class can and cannot do, it's better to give an idea for what it means, and let the players use them as they wish, perhaps with example actions for each class and extra-curric. to help guide the creativity.

This game was supposedly sent out for playtest, but the playtesting ended up not happening. I'll see about posting the lists when I get the chance. Likely I'll just put up a link, but at the moment the game is not on the web.

Hope that is still of some use,

  -Mendel S.

[Clinton R. Nixon]

This is off-topic (already - sheesh), but for the last time: there's no 'cliques' in Riptide. Cliques are something that people who hate high school keep bringing up. Why it suddenly got injected into this conversation is beyond me. (Insert my middle finger here.)

That said, it sounds like Riptide and your game are meshing a bit on the skill system, Mendel. What you described is exactly how I'm handling things.

Matt - how the hell did I forget about drama club? Rock. You're spot on with the leadership-type activities. I've got student government right up front.

[Jared A. Sorensen]

Math would be perfect for any kind of logic or pattern-y kind of thinking. Also, codebreaking. Also, synergy bonus to a Computer skill...

Also, Numerological/Astrological/Geomantic magic?

[Clinton R. Nixon]

Jared,

Computers! Geez, how did I forget that? By ignoring reality a bit and compressing math classes into two, I can add computer classes, which make a lot more sense.

[quozl]

Just chiming in to make sure you don't forget Auto Shop, FFA, the "trailers" where those who were "learning-challenged"went, arts & crafts, drafting, and we had an audio/video class too.

Hope that helps,

[damion]

Uh, I think mendel intended to write  'cliche' of course, I'm not one to talk about that.

When I was in HS we had Math team, how does that work?

Is there a RPG club? More math == better munchkin ;)

Also, things like bugeting, i.e. having enough money could fall under the math skill.

[Walt Freitag]

Math team is competing in math problem solving competitions against other math teams from other schools.

Don't forget drama clubs, concert band/orchestra, marching band, cheerleading (pep club), yearbook (got mine out to write this), chorus, debate team, some sort of "future business leaders" club, science fairs, color guard, Honor Society. (Other, more specialized clubs that crop up occasionally, depending on local interest: chess, ecology, sailing, rocketry, photography, filmmaking, ham radio, games, robotics, etc.)

Math could also be useful in magic.

There are least two kinds of computer classes: computer vocational skills (word processing, databases, etc.) and computer science/programming. (Also, art classes in digital media.)

- Walt

[Jason Lee]

Don't know if it fits the setting, but math is good for space navigation.

No one mentioned the obvious clubs...SPORTS! - football, basketball, wrestling, baseball, gymnastics, swimming, diving, tennis, golf, misc. dance styles...that was it for my high school.  You go japanese and you can get karate, judo, archery, kendo, and fencing.

[Wormwood]

Clinton,

I've posted my Harry Potter RPG:

//52pickup.actionroll.com/HarryPotter/HarryPotterRPG.html

As far as the clique's comment, well it seemed to me in earlier threads your attribute system seemed broken down on those lines. This, of course, may have changed. Mind you, when I refer to a clique I mean things far more speific than what most people seem to refer to. The typical example of club rivalries seems apt. I didn't bring that up because I hated high school. I didn't, and I still don't. I brought it up, since the two attributes I use are further divorced from them than the set I recall you using. In retrospect is was unlikely to be appropriate, and words like cliche might fit as well, or better to the comparison I was making.

Thanks for the thoughtful gift, I can always use more fingers.

Lastly I really would like to stress that mathematics has a variety of fairly accesible uses. Most of the responses I've seen so far all seem to suffer from the falicy that the only reason to learn something is to learn how to do it, rather than to learn how to learn how to do something like it. In other words mathematics provides a framework, much like any other language. But you shouldn't expect a class in every potential application of that framework.

Thank you for your time,

    -Mendel S.

[kamikaze]

Question 1: The skill system is based around the classes you've taken. Now, I can figure out good in-game uses for most things, from language, to critical reading, to civics class, to band. What I'm having trouble with is math. Can you think of a situation in a role-playing game where you've used your character's math skills? If not, can you possibly think of a situation where that might come up?

Huh.  When I wrote my G.P.A. game (based mostly on the brutally dark comic miniseries _Finals_), I used college classes as skills, but the approach there was that you had to build your skill up again every single semester.  Everything you learned last semester?  Totally useless to passing your new class.  You might be able to use your old skills in play, but the constant rat-race of studying is what I wanted to simulate.

I never defined the skills, though - just said "pick up your local college curriculum, and use that".

Math, science, and engineering skills are good for making Weird Science gadgets, but other than that they're basically useless except for passing your classes.  Just like 99% of the stuff you learn in any school.  Are your history skills useful in daily life?  Hell, no!

Dunno how much this helps your design, but at least it's another way to look at it.

[Ziriel]

I've got a club that hasn't been mentioned: My high school had an aerospace club.  It's focus was basically directed towards those interested in NASA and space.  There was even a mock space shuttle built and at the end of the year a mock lunar mission.

I'm not sure if these were mentioned or not (I don't remember seeing them...): Videography, Pottery and Jewery Making were all quite popular at my school.

Hope that helps.

[Shreyas Sampat]

To start off, Clinton, I want to say that I love the idea behind this game, and Riptide is an awesome title.

As for your questions: I'll back up that math is weird and synergistic with othre topics.  But something I don't think anyone else has mentioned - when I was taking a hardcore math curriculum, I noticed that it had really interesting effects on my perception of things.  There were times when I could see math everywhere; I felt more perceptive.

My friends and I liked to wander around in the dark a lot, driving places, walking; it helped my navigational skills.  I can still get lost in a dark closet, but I can get anywhere with a map.

[Jack Spencer Jr]

Question 1: I'm blanking on mathematics. I guess it really doesn't have a practical use. The only thing I can think of, and you may not want this, is a workaround. Since Riptide is set in a magic school a la Harry Potter, why not make up magical-sounding class names. MatheMagics? It could work.

Question 2: I can't help you too much here. All I ever did was volunteer in the library for extra-ciricular stuff. That isn't much.