So here's a little mini-project I'm going to work on, because I don't have enough irons in the fire:
Unnamed Mercenary Company Role-Playing Game
Basically what I'm going to do is this: I'm going to design a role-playing game from the ground up and post periodic status updates here. Because I spam people enough with this blog, I don't think this will be a very regular thing, but the goal is to eventually have a playable RPG.
To start off: Why?
One of the questions that fledgling game designers face is why bother to develop a TTRPG (table-top role-playing game) when there are so many out there already. The hobby is currently undergoing something of a renaissance, with both old-school systems which aim to bring back and improve the golden-age AD&D-style games (Dungeon World) and new-school systems which challenge the basis of what makes a role-playing game a role-playing game (anything by Vincent Baker, primarily the Powered by the Apocalypse series of games).
What I'm aiming to do is:
Create a new-school TTRPG which focuses on playing a group of characters, as opposed to a single party of adventurers (without going too far into deconstructing the genre) while capturing the feel of the Mercenary-company genre embodied by Glen Cook's Black Company and Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, among others.
How I plan on accomplishing his:
1. Develop a system where players are incentivized to play multiple members of a larger group of characters, perhaps on a rotating basis.
2. Capture the feeling of playing characters who have to work together, both against the world and their own baser instincts, to make their way in a world that does them no favors.
3. Make the system interesting enough for experienced gamers, while still accessible enough for newer players to pick up and play without much trouble.
To acknowledge some systems which come close to fulfilling these goals:
Reign
Based on allowing the players to run a Company, Reign gives players the tools needed to run a group of like-minded characters in making their way in the world. I love the system, but one thing I plan on doing differently is allowing the party to play multiple characters within the Company and have their other guys do stuff off-screen to further their agendas.
What Reign Doesn't Do That I Want to Do:
Reign has some good rules for managing your Company, but I'm looking more for a system which builds a Mercenary network, as opposed to a group which runs a network. One way I think I can carry this out is to develop a base-building section of the game which is a bit more in-depth than Reign's basic stat system.
Apocalypse World
While not necessarily completely based on the idea, Vincent Baker's Apocalypse World allows the players to run Hardholds, which are essentially outposts struggling against the generic apocalypse. The rules are fairly vague, so one difference is that I'm hoping to develop a system which allows for a more in-depth development of a mercenary group which will interact with the world at large.
What Apocalypse World Doesn't Do That I Want to Do:
I really like Apocalypse World in theory, but unfortunately I haven't played it. It's a game heavily focused on the narrative, which is fine, but I'm a fan of fiddly, in-depth management mechanics. I'm hoping to maintain a balance between mechanics which allow some true customization of a location, while also allowing the players some narrative freedom in running a group of people.
Swords Without Master
Swords Without Master is all about playing Conan-style heroes in a Hyboria-style world, which may not seem like there's much of a cross-over, but it's definitely an inspiration. Another game I haven't played but one I've read through extensively, it's another new-school game where the mechanics are heavily based on creating a collaborative story and emphasize that. I admire that, but it might be a little too esoteric for a group of new players, which tend to be the type of people I play with (and there's nothing wrong with that).
What Swords Without Master Doesn't Do That I Want to Do:
Swords Without Master is an excellent example of how mechanics can enforce a game's intended tone, and that's cool...but I think it might go a little too far. I'd like to try and take some inspiration from how players are rewarded for role-playing the dice results, but make it a little easier to grasp.
Next Time:
Attempting to develop a dice mechanic which captures the tone I'm aiming for. Let's see if that's a possibility.
One of the questions that fledgling game designers face is why bother to develop a TTRPG (table-top role-playing game) when there are so many out there already. The hobby is currently undergoing something of a renaissance, with both old-school systems which aim to bring back and improve the golden-age AD&D-style games (Dungeon World) and new-school systems which challenge the basis of what makes a role-playing game a role-playing game (anything by Vincent Baker, primarily the Powered by the Apocalypse series of games).
What I'm aiming to do is:
Create a new-school TTRPG which focuses on playing a group of characters, as opposed to a single party of adventurers (without going too far into deconstructing the genre) while capturing the feel of the Mercenary-company genre embodied by Glen Cook's Black Company and Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen, among others.
How I plan on accomplishing his:
1. Develop a system where players are incentivized to play multiple members of a larger group of characters, perhaps on a rotating basis.
2. Capture the feeling of playing characters who have to work together, both against the world and their own baser instincts, to make their way in a world that does them no favors.
3. Make the system interesting enough for experienced gamers, while still accessible enough for newer players to pick up and play without much trouble.
To acknowledge some systems which come close to fulfilling these goals:
Reign
Based on allowing the players to run a Company, Reign gives players the tools needed to run a group of like-minded characters in making their way in the world. I love the system, but one thing I plan on doing differently is allowing the party to play multiple characters within the Company and have their other guys do stuff off-screen to further their agendas.
What Reign Doesn't Do That I Want to Do:
Reign has some good rules for managing your Company, but I'm looking more for a system which builds a Mercenary network, as opposed to a group which runs a network. One way I think I can carry this out is to develop a base-building section of the game which is a bit more in-depth than Reign's basic stat system.
Apocalypse World
While not necessarily completely based on the idea, Vincent Baker's Apocalypse World allows the players to run Hardholds, which are essentially outposts struggling against the generic apocalypse. The rules are fairly vague, so one difference is that I'm hoping to develop a system which allows for a more in-depth development of a mercenary group which will interact with the world at large.
What Apocalypse World Doesn't Do That I Want to Do:
I really like Apocalypse World in theory, but unfortunately I haven't played it. It's a game heavily focused on the narrative, which is fine, but I'm a fan of fiddly, in-depth management mechanics. I'm hoping to maintain a balance between mechanics which allow some true customization of a location, while also allowing the players some narrative freedom in running a group of people.
Swords Without Master
Swords Without Master is all about playing Conan-style heroes in a Hyboria-style world, which may not seem like there's much of a cross-over, but it's definitely an inspiration. Another game I haven't played but one I've read through extensively, it's another new-school game where the mechanics are heavily based on creating a collaborative story and emphasize that. I admire that, but it might be a little too esoteric for a group of new players, which tend to be the type of people I play with (and there's nothing wrong with that).
What Swords Without Master Doesn't Do That I Want to Do:
Swords Without Master is an excellent example of how mechanics can enforce a game's intended tone, and that's cool...but I think it might go a little too far. I'd like to try and take some inspiration from how players are rewarded for role-playing the dice results, but make it a little easier to grasp.
Next Time:
Attempting to develop a dice mechanic which captures the tone I'm aiming for. Let's see if that's a possibility.
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