thread: 2005-04-25 : Technical Agenda
On 2005-04-25, Ninja Hunter J wrote:
I'd like to see a game that effectively used metagame mechanics and SIS representatio together.
That is, where I have:
Shakespeare's Pen (dramateurgical tool): 6d8
Spotlight: 4
Mad Props: 14d4
... where the mechanical description is as relevant as it is in Dogs or what-have-you, and its relevance goes up and down depending on some metagame mechanic
Years ago, I developed a system (I think I told V about this) where the efficacy of a hero would go up as the hero approached hir destiny, and all heroes (the PCs) were quantitatively better at stuff than everyone else. Then you had skills and stats. You added your skill+stat and multiplied it by your Fate. Most of the time, no die roll was necessary, so it was mechanically proven that no one could choke on their shoelaces (at least not by accident).
It was a little bud of an idea (that got a fair amount of playtest, believe it or not), but the gist was that your character sheet said just how effective you were at a bunch of stuff, including how much you mattered to the story. It's a desire I've had ever since.
PTA doesn't do it; your description is tiny. Dogs doesn't do it; the only real metagame mechanic is OOC discussion ("I'm gonna make an ass out of myself and you'll come in unexpectedly and win the argument.") and, as you say, maybe unassigned Relationship dice. Now, there's no reason a player can't introduce a new character in town hirself and assign dice, right? That seems like a goodish way to metagame a bit; if I've got a bunch of dice unused and I'm in a conflict, I can grab someone (editorially) an endanger them for their dice.
SO: That's a new design spec for the Sci Fi Game. Em, you taking this down?
... and would you email me the rest of the spec? Cuz I can't remember all of it and you're a good note taker.
