The Forge Archives

Capes, a superhero game with heart, is an ongoing, almost completed, project in "Game Design Theater in the Round".  From nigh on its earliest beginnings the game has developed right here, through discussions among forum members.

The Murky Beginnings, in which the basis of the game shifts beneath the surface

[Capes] Need Help expressing a thought, the first thread, around the idea of a system to deliberately drive evolving situation.
[Capes] Superhero Punishment mechanic, in which Debt starts to murkily take shape.
[Capes] Balancing Powers, Attitudes and Tropes, in which the dice-pool system gets a not entirely satisfactory workout.  Also Sydney's first appearance!

The Great Flowering, in which it becomes clear that the game system can do many things, and Tony attempts to do them all!

[Capes] The Problem of Evil, SEMINAL THREAD, in which the story purpose of Debt is defined, the notion of hero-players creating their ideal villains is first proposed, and we create (and then discard) all sorts of notions wonderful in their complexity for how to drift a hero into a villain.  Thomas (LordSmerf) starts making big time contributions around about this thread.
[Capes] Blocking Action and Monologues, in which Sydney clues me in to the nature of numeric feedback cycles driven by the desire to narrate, and I propose one of the two most heartbreaking concepts of the game in Facts, which despite never being able to figure out I keep gnawing at in....
[Capes] Social Resolution Mechanics, a SEMINAL THREAD, in which the second great heartbreak concept, Issues, is raised and kills off Facts, only to be itself threatened by its own problems and the alternative of serial Inspirations.
[Capes] Losing with Style, in which Tony desperately flails around trying to make a place for Wonders and Debt in the same game.  This marks the rules system at its most baroque, overcomplicated extent.

The Great Extinction, in which rule after rule gets mercilessly slashed.

[Capes] Super Speed, in which playtesting debacles and very active and wise posters lead to simplification of the system.  Good riddance to dice pools!
[Capes] Players and Villains, in which Doug Ruff makes his appearance, I set out to create a Gloating mechanic, fail utterly, and instead Thomas creates Story Tokens, and we discuss abstract characters like Murphy's law.  Good riddance to Effects!
[Capes] Unresolved Complications in which we make another go at Issues from another angle, and they finally die.  Sniffle.  The importance of bringing in new characters on a moment's notice becomes clear.
[Capes] Pacing without Victory Points Good riddance to Victory Points!

Questions of Faith, in which the direction of new development is discussed.

[Capes] Debt Or Resource? in which we bandy about whether to encourage crises of faith or to enforce them.
[Capes] Scene Goal in which we test out the possibility of top-down prioritizing of Complications.
[Capes] Non-conflict mechanics in which we start to explore the stories beyond super-powered fisticuffs.

Things Start to Come Together, as the game's message is finally codified enough that it becomes clear what needs to be added, and the system puts on muscle and trims fat.

[Capes] Not Complications - Events! in which the thorny, paradoxical nature of Complications is finally replaced with the more tractable Events.
[Capes] Speeding Character Design in which the Click and Lock system is proposed and examined.
[Capes] Bluffing in which I propose a Bluffing mechanic and Doug quite rightly corrects it to be a Gloating mechanic.  Gloating at last!
[Capes] Recycling Events in which Recurring Events, the mutant prodigy of Issues, are introduced.
[Capes] New Uses for Story Tokens, Good Riddance to Prominence!

Publication Looms, as Tony wildly, perhaps unwisely, rushes to get the thoughts out of the electronic ether and into the hot little hands of gamers.

[Capes] Polishing, welcome Goals to the family, as well as the elevation of Recurring Events to the advancement mechanic of the game.
[Capes] Tropes or No Tropes?, Good Riddance to Tropes!  Hello Styles!