Topic: Inspiration
Started by: Chris_Chambers
Started on: 8/25/2003
Board: Indie Game Design
On 8/25/2003 at 4:51am, Chris_Chambers wrote:
Inspiration
I had an boost of inspiration the other night, and this just popped into my head. I would like any feed back that I can. I just don't know how the system works with the setting.
End of times.
Basis, all the biblical prophecies are happening. The star returning to the heavens, Jews return to Zion, Rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, and the rebuilding of Babylon.
Maitreya has been born, and the signs have occurred. Your duty is to find him, stop him, and save your soul.
Three time periods that you can play in; during the events, before when he was a child, or after ( post apocalyptic, which you will hunted down) During is like watching the Prophecy and The Exorcist 2, Before is like the Omen, after is really up to the GM, but demons reign.
Example: You’re an average person with an average occupation. Who, by ways of the storyline, find himself/herself at the mercy of a dark plot to bring the time of judgment. If hunted by an illuminati style cult, or the child is the target of the story, it is up to the GM.
Character Creation
Attributes are as follows; Muscle, Mind, and Soul.
These stats are rolled on 3d10 + 5
Choose your character type. Choose your skills, by adding your Mind and Soul together and dividing by two.
Choose merits and flaws. Give character a personality. You’re done.
Skills
Skill tests are resolved by adding appropriate attribute to skill percentage. Difficulties are determined by GM. But for example, an easy test should have a difficulty of say 10%, which is added to the die roll of the initiating character. Moderate difficulty would be say 20%, hard would be 25%, impossible 30%.
At character creation, each skill is 1 point. Each level equals 5%. So say that you have a muscle of 20, and a firearms skill of 4. Your percentage to hit a target is 40%.
Hit points
Hit points are calculated by adding your Muscle and Soul attribute scores together, then dividing them by two.
Chris Chambers
On 8/25/2003 at 9:55pm, Mike Holmes wrote:
RE: Inspiration
Well, the system seems pretty generic at this point, Chris. I'm seeing a GURPS setting book more than a specific system here. I mean, I like the "you're a normal guy in an abnormal situation" thing. But I'm not seeing any particular support in the system for it.
In envisionsing play, how do you see the PCs interacting? Why don't they just go to the authorities? If their information is being controlled, howintheheck are some normies ever going to win out?
What do you think a typical session (not the first) would look like?
I really like the idea that you can end the game (presumably the death of the bad guy does this). Have you thought about building to such a conclusion?
There have been a few games that deal with the end times, though the names all escape me right now ("The End"?)
Mike
On 8/26/2003 at 4:36am, Chris_Chambers wrote:
RE: Inspiration
In envisionsing play, how do you see the PCs interacting? Why don't they just go to the authorities? If their information is being controlled, howintheheck are some normies ever going to win out?
I have thought about this. I can only see that they would interact with each other out of the fact that they are the only ones who know what is going on. If you watch some of the movies and read books about that subject they always got stuck. The authorities were either under the control or sway of some "influencal" person. That even sets the scene for some police character(s) to get involved as sort of a "Millenium" style game.
As for the winning out, I was figuring that even the lowest person can put a damper in the plans of others. In my vision all that it takes is the right invesigation, the right moves, saying the right things and it is over for the bad guys. Of course what is needed is completely up to the GM.
What do you think a typical session (not the first) would look like?
That would depend on what aspect your wanting to play. If it is more of the time is at hand style stuff, it would be a lot of investigation. Then followed by confrontation with the "cult"/"secret society" members. The infernal has (in my vision anyway) an Akylies Heal, which is that he only has the sway that people give him. You take that away and he loses his grip on humanity.
As for the rest of the system, I was planning that the rolling and number work would be light, but the skill list would be intensive. At last count I think that I had like 96 different skills. So you can get pretty detailed about the character.
I really like the idea that you can end the game (presumably the death of the bad guy does this). Have you thought about building to such a conclusion?
I thought about that, but I wanted to build up the stuff that people would be against first, then drop that in like a supplement or something. If the GM would like to run an adventure to stop it, all the information would be there. That is a setting that would be kinda interesting. I also have seen a few games along these lines, but most of them had some kind of supernatural/angelic powers to them that helped in the battle. Also alot of them were based with fighting demons, not crazy cult worshipers or evil empire societies. The only close one is like Cthulhu, but it deals with The great old ones, not the battle between the Heavens and Hell.
But your right I do see that the system is a little light. I don't know, like I said it hit me one night and I had to write it down.
Chris
On 8/26/2003 at 1:06pm, simon_hibbs wrote:
RE: Inspiration
As usual, Mike Holmes asks the right questions-
Mike Holmes wrote: Well, the system seems pretty generic at this point, Chris. I'm seeing a GURPS setting book more than a specific system here. I mean, I like the "you're a normal guy in an abnormal situation" thing. But I'm not seeing any particular support in the system for it.
This is always the first question that comes to mind when you're proposing a new game with it's own system. Why is this a game, and not just a campaign?
In this case, I'd consider cutting the designer a bit of slack. The focus does seem to be the setting and the game system appears to be lightweight enough to not get in the way, and to be easily substitutable with a referee's prefered game system if that's what they want. With BoB it started out as an idea for a GURPS campaign, with the notional objective of ending up as a Pyramid article, but I wanted to go mostly fortuneless and ended up going the indie game route.
With this, I'd suggest concentrating on the setting, and add game mechanics as they are required to enable aspects of the setting.
In envisionsing play, how do you see the PCs interacting? Why don't they just go to the authorities? If their information is being controlled, howintheheck are some normies ever going to win out?
This is always the problem with conspiracy games. Rather than focus on backgroudn elements like this though, at this stage I'm more interested in foreground issues. What kinds of things do the characetrs do during a typical session? Are they ordinary people, or do they get access to supernatural powers too? Is it cloak-and-dagger, or pulp action?
Simon Hibbs
On 8/26/2003 at 3:08pm, Mike Holmes wrote:
RE: Inspiration
In this case, I'd consider cutting the designer a bit of slack. The focus does seem to be the setting and the game system appears to be lightweight enough to not get in the way, and to be easily substitutable with a referee's prefered game system if that's what they want.
But, as always, why force the players to learn a new system if it doesn't have anything specific to suggest itself for the game in question? Why not go with Action! as the system. They're not too far apart, and the game would have the advantage of attracting fans of the Action! system, in addition to being compatible with other Action! products, etc, etc.
Mike
On 8/26/2003 at 4:34pm, simon_hibbs wrote:
RE: Inspiration
Mike Holmes wrote: But, as always, why force the players to learn a new system if it doesn't have anything specific to suggest itself for the game in question? Why not go with Action! as the system. They're not too far apart, and the game would have the advantage of attracting fans of the Action! system, in addition to being compatible with other Action! products, etc, etc.
It's a good point. I'm no big fan of GURPS or D20, but if I were designing a game setting that suited a basicaly task based diced game system I'd probably go with one or the other. You've got an existing community out there from day 1.
As an aside, would discussing work in progress on a setting book for D20 or GURPS be on-topic for this forum?
Simon Hibbs
On 8/26/2003 at 5:34pm, Mike Holmes wrote:
RE: Inspiration
As an aside, would discussing work in progress on a setting book for D20 or GURPS be on-topic for this forum?
I'm not sure that's ever been worked out satisfactorily. The essential element is that the designer has to retain all control of design. Given that it's their choice, and that they have more than one system to choose from, I can't see how it wouldn't remain independent. The OGL even allows the d20 system to be significantly twisted around, so it's not even like you have to stick with one and only one presentation.
But that's just my opinion. There could be aspects of which I'm not aware.
Mike
On 8/27/2003 at 4:11pm, ross_winn wrote:
RE: Inspiration
you may want to look at "Action! System". It is a royalty-free independant game system with some similar foci to what you have mentioned. Muscles Mind & Soul would map nicely to the Action! ideas of Mind, Body, and the additional group Spirit.
Interesting ideas, good luck!