summercomfort (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
summercomfort) wrote2009-12-28 10:36 am
summercomfort) wrote2009-12-28 10:36 am
(no subject)
Rode the train up to Seattle with Jono. We did a basic design of the wuxia role-playing game on the train, which we're calling Jianghu. Jono blogs about it here.
The game creation process has been pretty fun. Jono has done a lot of role-playing and a lot of reading of role-playing theory, so he has been approaching it from the Meta Big Picture perspective. Whereas I've done a little bit of role-playing, but really just want a game that is fun to play procedure-wise, and brings out all the fun narratives I like about wuxia novels. So he'd say something like "we need some sort of conflict resolution system". And I'm like, "well, in wuxia novels, you fight, but you also talk a lot and reputation is a big deal." And so we made a social resolution system using Reputation, and a martial arts system using Moves and Chi.
We play-tested it in Seattle, and so far, I think the fighting system works out pretty well. We need to put in rules for mooks and rules for when both sides have excellent attacks but a chi battle doesn't make sense narratively. Also, Jono says on his blog post, "In the source material, fight scenes are not the opposite of character development scenes: the characterization is done through the fight scenes. How you fight shows who you are! I want this game to capture that." I feel like the narration during fighting scenes works well with the chi bidding, but I don't think it's revealing character. Maybe there's some way to do that, in terms of outer reputation and inner ambitions? Maybe something to do with the choices you make at the end of an exchange?
Yeah, so whereas the combat system feels pretty functional, if not ideal, I think that the reputation system needs a lot more work -- mostly we need to clarify what the reputation system does. Right now it's a bit handwavy, and there are times where a person should totally use another's reputation against them, but doesn't, because the reputation is worded strangely or there's no good way to do so. I don't have a full handle on it yet, but I feel like Reputation (the use and subverting thereof) is crucial to the wuxia/jianghu feel. So we're thinking of working Reputation goals into the scene-framing, and figure out a system of staking reputation, and maybe some other uses for reputation.
Then there's all the fiddly bits that happen between the scene-framing and the resolution systems.
I'm hoping to play-test it again this week, since Ben will be in town.
The game creation process has been pretty fun. Jono has done a lot of role-playing and a lot of reading of role-playing theory, so he has been approaching it from the Meta Big Picture perspective. Whereas I've done a little bit of role-playing, but really just want a game that is fun to play procedure-wise, and brings out all the fun narratives I like about wuxia novels. So he'd say something like "we need some sort of conflict resolution system". And I'm like, "well, in wuxia novels, you fight, but you also talk a lot and reputation is a big deal." And so we made a social resolution system using Reputation, and a martial arts system using Moves and Chi.
We play-tested it in Seattle, and so far, I think the fighting system works out pretty well. We need to put in rules for mooks and rules for when both sides have excellent attacks but a chi battle doesn't make sense narratively. Also, Jono says on his blog post, "In the source material, fight scenes are not the opposite of character development scenes: the characterization is done through the fight scenes. How you fight shows who you are! I want this game to capture that." I feel like the narration during fighting scenes works well with the chi bidding, but I don't think it's revealing character. Maybe there's some way to do that, in terms of outer reputation and inner ambitions? Maybe something to do with the choices you make at the end of an exchange?
Yeah, so whereas the combat system feels pretty functional, if not ideal, I think that the reputation system needs a lot more work -- mostly we need to clarify what the reputation system does. Right now it's a bit handwavy, and there are times where a person should totally use another's reputation against them, but doesn't, because the reputation is worded strangely or there's no good way to do so. I don't have a full handle on it yet, but I feel like Reputation (the use and subverting thereof) is crucial to the wuxia/jianghu feel. So we're thinking of working Reputation goals into the scene-framing, and figure out a system of staking reputation, and maybe some other uses for reputation.
Then there's all the fiddly bits that happen between the scene-framing and the resolution systems.
I'm hoping to play-test it again this week, since Ben will be in town.
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Yeah, usually the character development stuff that tends to happen is usually along the lines of:
a) hard choice (chase down this guy or go help my friend who's been really hurt?)
b) noble choice (show mercy to the 3rd tier guy I just fought, even though he's not honorable)
c) revealing ambitions/goals
d) revealing relationships ("Hey! You do the same style as me?!? Are you my master's brother's disciple?")
What that means for your game, I'm not sure, but those are the things I usually see.
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