It seems like I’ve been working on this forever (since well before Halloween), but I’ve finally got my card game in good enough shape that I can see actual play-testing in the near future. Actually, the game is a card assisted role-playing game, with heavy reliance on the “color” that the cards represent. It will play in a style similar to SOAP, where the players take turns narrating scenes.

The first setting for the game is classic noir. The cards represent the variety of motifs that contribute to noir: the urban (usually) setting, particular props (often with subtextual importance), atmosphere inducing aspects such as shadow/smoke/rain, and thematic elements involving obsession, guilt, moral ambiguity, etc.

One of the main elements of noir is the anti-hero vs. the femme fatale. What I’m having trouble seeing is how to focus that element in a game with multiple authors and main characters without having to specifically place any two players in those roles. The current set-up consists of players picking characters randomly from a variety of noir archetypes. They will also draw Intrigue cards that represent a combination of relationship, shady past, and current goal for their characters. If I handle the character cards and Intrigues correctly there may not be a problem. I have some ideas that might work but I thought I’d solicit the community because head+1 > head.

So the question is, if you were creating a noir game with shared authorial power and pre-made randomly selected characters, how would you implement the anti-hero vs. femme fatale element without directly assigning those roles?

-Chris

I don't know if this helps, but if you look at Hammett's Red Harvest, it's an important factor that the Continental Op doesn't have a name. He's faceless, and while we know he's short, fat, and bald, we otherwise know nothing about him until he demonstrates something. And we never learn his name. I wonder if somehow encouraging this odd facelessness might promote the creation of anti-heroes, who by tapping into genre would tend to do the whole me vs. femme fatale shtick.

As I say, I don't know if that helps.

Chris,

Could you restate the question? I'm having trouble seeing how things happen inte game, and how you want this particular dynamic to form.

Mike

Clehrich,

That same device is also used in The Big Lebowski (part of the Bowling Noir sub-subgenre), to great affect/effect. ;) I think the nameless aspect is fairly irrelevant as far as the anti-hero/femme fatale dynamic is concerned. It's used more to remark on a character's disconnection from society and from those who appear to be closest to him. It's something to keep in mind though.


Mike,

To be honest, I'm not so sure the question is very important. The thing is, I already have half a dozen ways to handle this element, I just have to pick the option I dislike the least and go from there once I start playtesting. They will all work, it's just a matter of degree. This is why I almost never post in Design. I already know the answer to my question, I just have to convince myself to accept it.

I just had an epiphany concerning the integration of MacGuffins so I'm off to my laboratory. I will punish myself later for errant posting. :)

-Chris