Upon reading this thread:
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/viewtopic.php?t=5276

I decided that I just have to ask? Why wasn't this continued? I think it would have made a great mini-supplement. Imagine, social interaction as detailed as TROS combat? How can that not be more fun than:

"Roll Wits/Persuade." "Oh, you didn't reach your target number, the Duke isn't convinced."

I think it would really spice up social/intrigue-ridden settings, by adding suspense, and the same thrill that's found in combat. Granted, while not a necessary addition to the core rules, this is a mini-supplement I would like to see come into fruition. So, on that note, I'd like to ask the initial author of the original thread, and anyone who is interested to help me get this ball rolling again. Remember, if it's good it could be published. :)

Hmmm.

If we really were to have social combat like that, wouldn't it perhaps make sense to turn certain skills into "social proficiencies"? Ridicule vs. Persuade vs. Etiquette, all potentially useful skills...

I'd definitely go for something like this. I've been yearning for systems that actually had mechanics for political maneuvering, for a really, really long time now.

I made up a bit of a system for social combat. Changed the skills into proficiencies like weapons and basically ran it like a TROS combat. I made the players talk out what they were saying and was pretty generous in giving clever things bonus dice.
It was alot of fun and I really enjoyed the duke "killing" one of the characters without actually killing him. It was also quite funny when that particullar character was loosing the debate and he started agreeing with things the duke was saying, " thats a good point mylord, I hadn't thought of that.."
I'm working on some maneuvers etc to add to it as well.
Aaron

The way I had envisioned doing it involved turning the existing skills (ridicule, orate, persuade, etc) into maneuvers and developing a Social Pool based off of Wits, Perception, and Social. I'm not quite sure of the mechanics yet, but what I saw looked a lot like what was suggested in the original thread. regardless, I'm willing to compromise if I can get enough support to help me in this endeavor. If you want to help turn this into an official mini-supplement, then let's get to it. : )

Hey Aaron, if you have anything written up post it. I'd love to read it.

Yeah, if you have anything writen up it would be good to see.

Dan.

I'm with the others, post it if you've got it. I'd like to see it too. Maybe we can kind of fuse what you and the original social combat guy created. More input usually equals better product.

As one of the primary hammerers on the social combat idea for Riddle, I can at least explain my own position.

A) I have some serious issues raised with 'what would the players be doing' in such a social combat system. Cliche as the phrase is, most people I know want to play a role, rather than roll to play. Or, put another way, by abstracting out so much interaction with NPCs, what were the people who wanted to immerse themself in their character supposed to do?

B) I stalled somewhat on the 'tactical' level of social intrigue, which is, IMO, where it's most important. Lacking the reference point of RoS combat, I could find a series of mechanics that I was ever terribly happy with.

C) Arguably more importantly, another friend of mine and I took the idea of social combat and intrigue and have started to run with it. The current idea (still in a dartboard stage of devolpment in large swathes, but many of the basic ideas are fairly firm) is highly focused on the idea of crunchy social intrigue- but the ideas (originally started here) have diverged consideribly.

D) Lack of time. I didn't have much time to post at the Forge or seriously think about game design for several months. Anyone that wants to pick up where I left off, have my blessings :) I would recommend both Lace and Steel, and Dynasties and Demagouges (sp?) for reference points as to how to run a social intrigue adventure, and what the players are doing beyond rolling dice at the appropriate time. Now my time is freeing up a bit- I'll try and come back to this :)

In retrospect, it probally would be best to simply represent someone's various 'types' of support (monetary, political contacts, personal charm, the masses, etc) as analogs to combat stats, and conduct Courtly level social combat on par with the Individual level. A whole new system probally wasn't needed- just some new manuvers for building yourself up as well as attacking, and a slight reworking of the concepts of attack and defense (which are far more nebulous).