Okay, contained is the small core game outline (5-6 pages long)... I've also included a quick outline of the history of the world, just to give you an idea of what kind of game I'm working on...

I am currently working with soem friends to set up a message board (hosted by PHP) and will be putting the open PBP online at that point..

Anyways... without further ado,

Point of Collapse

Set in the real world in 2087, the world is poised on the brink of anarchy. World war broke out in 2040 as American engaged with China.

Throughout the next 10 years, nuclear war broke out between the American and Chinese empires, and Russia. Even after the nuclear arms were dropped (after the armies realized how volatile these weapons are), war still kept going on.

Much of the world is reduced to rubble now, and war is fought over large areas of land. The governments of the day are faced with new threats now: anarchy, rioting, nuclear radiation, citizens disregarding the rule of law, and a collapsing economy.

Many corporations have built up private armies, and have started "enforcing" the "safety of their customers".

Arrested citizens are tried on the streets (Judges arrive in armoured vans, and hold 1/2 hour long court trials on site.)

Earth. 2087. We have hit the Point of Collapse.


K, rules:

The rule of objects
Basically, everything in the world of Point of Collapse is treated as an object. The ground you walk on, the door in front of you, the man walking past – even yourself. And while each object has vastly different attributes and abilities, at the core they are still affected in the same way.
Trying to kill a man uses the same mechanic that trying to break down a door does.

Finding Success
Point of Collapse runs on a single game mechanic:
Applicable attribute + primary skill + (ranks-5) of related skills + d100 = percentage achieved.
Percentage Achieved – Percentage Needed = Success Rate.

Success Rate:
0-10 = average success
11-20 = fair success
21-25 = great success
26+ = Excellent success

Attributes and Skills

The attributes used in this game are:
Strength (wounding/killing opponents in combat, using certain weapons)
Accuracy (Shooting guns, maneuvering vehicles)
Agility (Ability to move out of danger, manipulate movement)
Intellect (Using technical information, technology, insight, understanding information)
Magnetism (Controlling others, personality, force of will)
Psionic (force of magical presence, ability to cast telekinetic/telepathic magic)

Each attribute starts at 0, and is built up using Build Points. The maximum any attribute can reach is 30.
In most campaign settings, all characters must have a minimum of 10 for all stats (excluding Psionic.) This creates more character balance.

However, in all campaign settings, Psionic may remain at 0 if chosen. This represents the fact that few people have control of Psionic/telekinetic powers, as it is a rare gift.

Skills start at 0, and range to a total of 10.

During game play, navigating certain difficulties will earn you Build Points. These points may be invested in increasing your attributes, or to increase skill ranks.

To increase an attribute or skill by one point, you pay a total Build Points equal to the resulting attribute/skill level. For example, to increase an attribute to 17, pay 17 Build Points.

Specific Actions

Everything, from shooting an enemy soldier to picking a lock, is an action. Actions all stem from one or more applicable skills (like precise shot, or lock picking).

When commencing an action, you use the game mechanic detailed above:
Applicable attribute + primary skill + (ranks-5) of related skills + d100 = percentage achieved.
Percentage Achieved – Percentage Needed = Success Rate.

First, you select a target and an action. The target can be any object, and the action can be anything your character is capable of. Certain actions may only be do-able within a certain range, or when presented with certain materials/conditions.

Next, figure out what skill would be used as your primary skill in this case. If you have no ranks in a skill which is applicable to your action, you receive no skill bonuses (either primary or related) to your roll.

Next, select any skills you have 6 or more ranks in which are also applicable to this action. Subtract 5 from each of these skills, and add the remaining modifier to your total.

Next, select the logical attribute to handle this task with. If two attributes are equally suited to be used, take the average of the two, rounding down.

Add all these together, as well as any modifiers (current state, terrain, environmental conditions, psychological conditions, etc.), to find your TOTAL MODIFIER.

Automatic Success

If your total modifier is within 10 of the percentage needed, you may opt to automatically succeed with an average success.

If you cannot or do not use this option, proceed to rolling percentile dice.

Rolling Percentile Dice

Roll a d100 (roll two ten sided dice, specifying one as the tens column and one as the ones column. You will end up with a result from between 01-100). Add your TOTAL MODIFIER to this.

If the result is over the required percentage, you succeed. To find out your degree of success, subtract the required percentage from the end result. This is your success rate. Compare this number with the chart on the first page.
An average success means you complete the task you set out to. An excellent success means you go above and beyond what you expected. For example, instead of just escaping your pursuer, you got him lost, and are now considered hidden.

Skill Lists (Note: Each skill may have between 0 and 10 ranks invested)

Melee

Wounding Attack
-The ability to kill or severely wound an opponent with a regular melee weapon.
Disabling Attack
-The ability to trip, disarm, corner, or otherwise limit your opponent.
Submission Attack
-The ability to grapple, hold down and suppress your opponent.
Defend Self
-The ability to shield yourself and ward off enemies who might attack you.

Ranged

Precise Shot
-The ability to hit an opponent with a well trained shot.
Hold Aim
-The ability to keep aim with a moving enemy or with rapid fire weaponry.
Quick Fire
-The ability to quickly draw, aim and fire a light weapon

Movement

Climb
-Your ability to scale walls, climb ropes, and get to difficult places.
Swim
-Your ability to swim, dive, and move through water.
Dodge
-Your ability to escape an enemy’s blow, or an incoming threat.
Move Silently
-Your ability to remain undetected or hidden when moving.
Remain Hidden
-Your ability to hide, and remain undetected.
Run
-Your ability to outrun enemies, and cover ground quickly.

Social

Barter
-Your ability to negotiate and your skill at trading.
Command
-Your ability to take charge of those around you, exert authority.
Counsel
-Your ability to calm others, and have them take your advice to heart.
Perceive
-Your ability to sense deceit, and intentions.

Technological

Use heavy weaponry
-Your ability to operate explosives launchers, ordnance, and vehicle weapons.
Pilot vehicle
-Your ability to operate commercial vehicles (boats, cars, trucks.)
Pilot heavy vehicle
-Your ability to operate military and industrial vehicles.
Pilot aircraft
-Your ability to operate air vehicles (planes, helicopters, hovercrafts.)
Use computer interface
-Your ability to use computer terminals, and various programs.
Security Navigation
-Your ability to set up or get around security measures.

Psionic

Divination
-Your ability to foresee the future of an object/person.
Telepathy
-Your ability to sense thoughts of others.
Telekinesis
-Your ability to use mental focus to move light objects.
Tension-kinesis
-Ability to alter air flow/pressure; constrict movement using air pressure.
Teleparoxysm
-Ability to cause focused mental pain; put object in state of paralysis.

Combat/Group Action

Initiative

Initiative works in a really simple way: The character with the highest agility goes first, unless a character would instinctively act first, or last, or in a different place in the order.

The order repeats itself continually until the encounter has ended or is held up.

Hurting Enemies in Combat

Hit points are not used in Point of Collapse.

Attacking an opponent in Point of Collapse follows the exact same structure as attempting any other action (ie. It follows the rules of the basic game mechanic.)

When attacking an opponent, you can attempt to wound, kill, or disable them. The percentage required to kill an opponent is much higher than the percentage needed to disable or wound them. Some might go straight for the kill attempt, hoping for a lucky roll, while others will injure their opponents several times before stepping in for the big kill.

Every time you wound/disable/knock down an opponent, it ads a modifier to all other attacks made at them. To actually kill an opponent you need to score a great success or higher when attempting a “Kill opponent” action. If you score a fair success it will not kill them, but will still count as another wound.

Modifiers for combat are listed under Action Modifiers, on a following page.

Taking Actions in Turns

All characters have only a certain time to act and react during a turn. As already stated, every character is given a turn, in a prescribed order, in which to act.

A turn is a very short amount of time, realistically only several seconds long. In each turn, a character has 3 actions.

Specific actions have not been outlined anywhere in this document, nor will they be. The idea of Point of Collapse is that you narrate what you’d like to do, and the rules encompass.

To get a rough outline of how long an action is, consider this single-actions: shooting a rifle at an enemy; running across a room; attacking someone with a melee weapon; using teleparoxysm to knock an opponent unconscious; stealing a key ring from a guard.

Action Modifiers

Opponent injured once (+10)
Additional injuries (+5)
Opponent disabled (+5)
Opponent knocked down/held down (+10)
Opponent facing away (+10)
Opponent Paralyzed (+5 to +15)

Your primary body part needed is disabled (-15)
You are disabled (conditional, -5)
You are fatigued (-5)
You are wounded (-5)

You are on rough terrain or ground (-10)
You are in unfavorable weather conditions (-5)
You are in perfect conditions (+5)

You are using effective equipment (see equipment description)

Opponent has effective equipment (see equipment description)

Conditions

Psychological (+5 against an object suffering a psychological condition)
Fear
-You must take an Overcome Fear action before attacking object.
-If you score a fair success, the condition is removed.
Terror
-You must take an Overcome Fear action before interacting with object at all.
-If you score a great success, the condition is removed.
Confusion
-The only actions you can take are movement and Overcome Confusion actions.
-If you score an average success, confusion is overridden for full turn.
-If you score a fair success, the condition is removed.

Physical Conditions
Undetected
-Cannot be targeted until noticed.
Hidden
-Considered undetected. Cannot be noticed until a See Object action succeeds.
Paralysis
-You are unable to act for one full turn, and may be considered wounded or disabled, depending on strength of attack.
-The effect cannot be overridden until it has expired.

Heya Joe!

Welcome to the Forge.  Before we start analyizing your resolution system and setting and stuff, why don't you have a look at these two posts.  They will kind of help you tell us more about your game so we can in turn help you make a better design out of it.

Troy's Standard Rant #1

Troy's Standard Rant #2

I hope this gives you a good starting point for discussing your game.  It's not the only way to start a conversation about a game, but it is a good one IMHO.

Peace,

-Troy

1. What is the game about?

The game is about surviving and exploring a war torn, post-modern world which is slowly shifting into chaos.
The game is exploration and realization, and it is about collective storytelling.

2. What do the characters do?

The characters are allowed to carve out their own paths in Point of Collapse. They are presented with a world full of dire circumstance, blatant injustice, and expansive opportunities. Like real people would in times of need, it is up to the characters to seize whatever destiny they wish for.
The characters will focus less on fighting, and more on exploration, ingenuity, and approach.

3. What do the players do?

The players navigate their characer through the game through a PBP forum. They build their character - but more important than building the statistics of the character is the building of the ideal and flavour of the character.

The players navigate a world which is portrayed to them by the GM. While the GM dictates setting and tone, most of the action is entirely player-guided.

Does this answer the questions?

to answer a few of the other questions contained in those rants:

1. What do I want my characters to make decisions about within the game?
I want my players to make decisions abuot how to handle difficult situations they are put in. Rather than have an easy answer, or a route out of the problem, I want them to get tangled into it.
I don't want them to pull out a holy sword and smite evil. In this game, there will be tough choices made: there will be sacrifices, and there will be losses.

2. What do I want players to make decisions about in terms of game mechanics?
I want players to choose how they build their characters, and whether they create a balanced or more focused character. I want players to choose between building a skilled individual, or a strong one.

3. Why is this game better than X, Y, and Z?
Other games often become very bogged down very quickly. Because Point of Collapse is a PBP format game, it strives to be as compact, easy and light as possible.
Everything is run as a skill (from combat bonuses to spells, to lockpicking). This allows the character build to be general, without the need of classes, and wide open.

This allows players to put the rules on the backburner in order to focus more on role playing.

Can the characters ever hope to achieve anything through their choices?  Or is the best they can hope for to stave off their inevitable doom by another day?

That's a key question that Tony is asking. Also, if they can strive to make the world better, is it a player challenge to do so?

BTW, is your name actually Joe?

First thing, this game is, well, pretty standard in a lot of ways. I can show you ten like it in short order if you like. Check this one out: http://www.action-system.com/ 

You say you want it light, but much lighter games have been created (to say nothing of freeform play). In any case, one can do a lot better than the rules not "being in the way." For it to be better than any of the others like it, it has to do something better than they do. If your game does something better, I'm not yet seeing it.

Heck, even if you're only using this for yourself and have no intention to publish, I think I could suggest several better systems.

Oh, BTW, saying that it doesn't have levels? That's akin to saying that the car you designed has seatbelts - few RPGs have levels, and mostly only really old ones. This is one of the four statements a designer can make that automatically qualifies you to have me present Mike's Standard Rant #1: Designers! Know Your Hobby!

You've got a concept, you've got the will to write, and you've got ideas. What you need at this point is some exposure.

Mike

don't want them to pull out a holy sword and smite evil. In this game, there will be tough choices made: there will be sacrifices, and there will be losses.

Are you familiar with FATE? A modification of FUDGE?

http://www.faterpg.com/

Take a look at that, and if it's not suitable say why. By narrowing down this way, we can find a game that does suit you.

Mike

joepub wrote: There is no 'right way', and there is no 'obvious choice'.

Hmm.... I like Fate a lot.

The one thing I might have a problem with is how fate points and aspect use will work over PBP. Could be quite bogged down if a single action could potentially need SEVERAL exchanges.... but I'm sure there are ways to work around... (Players could prespecify - I will use fate/aspects until I get a MoS 2)...

And Tony: I hadn't ever thought of that question, persay. I think that some "right questions" would be:
-Does doing this still put my priorities first?
-Am I in over my head?
-Could I better achieve my needs in other ways?
-How much am I paying (in terms of sacrifice) to see this through?
-Does the action require me to stoop below my values?

You might want to check out Code of Unaris. Actually I don't personally like the design, but it's actually specifically designed for IRC play. So it should work well for PBP, too. http://www.goldleafgames.com/id1.html

I think that the PDF is free.

Yeah, for my FATE PBEM game, I have actually streamlined the rules somewhat regarding those uses. But you could just hack out your own version from the original FUDGE: http://www.fudgerpg.com/

Lighter, but gets rid of too much IMO, is The Window: http://www.mimgames.com/window/

Story Bones is a free version of Story Engine: http://tkb.mpl.com/~tkb/rpg-materials/hubris-games/bones.pdf

For magic you might need it's Maelstrom setting plug in.

For something very light, but possibly more unorthodox than you want, check out: http://www.randomordercreations.com/thepool.htm

Known to work exceptionally well for PBP, as it passes power to the players to narrate a lot.

Something less radical, but nearly as light is RISUS: http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/risus.htm

Just a few more to chew on. From stuff like this you might also be able to cobble together a frankenstien game that might be best for you.

Mike

No, I like Fate...

I'm thinking of using that system now...

How exactly did you streamline the system?

It's the fate points that are getting me. I think the way they will be used is that if a character is attempting something they find vital, they will specify before rolling (use fate if under MoS 2)...

And then maybe the same thing with aspects...

what do you think? How did you streamline?

Note that as we drift from making your own system into talking about how to modify an existing one for play, we've become off topic for this forum. So I've started a new thread here to continue the FATE modification discussion: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/forum/index.php?topic=17676.0

Mike