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Thursday, September 13, 2012
Mobile Police Station
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Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Investigation and Evidence
When I run a procedural or investigative game - and I do love to run them, in all kinds of different genres - I never have to worry about the PCs finding the right clues. No, I don't automatically make clues obvious, nor do I scatter ten clues in the hopes they'd find one. Not at all.
Then what DO you do, clash? Pray tell!
I don't use 'clues' at all.
What? Heresy! How can you investigate without clues?
The only baddies that leave clues behind are the ones that are framing someone else, or leading the investigators on in some other way.
Huh? WTF are you babbling about clash? Is this one of your quixotic windmill tilts like 'illustration' vs 'art'?
No, I don't think so. I think it's a very important conceptual step in creating a fun and interesting investigative game.
Well, go on with it, then. How do you investigate without clues?
You investigate by looking at the evidence. From this evidence, the investigators extract the truth. The GM should not 'place' clues, but rather should let the players extract information from the body of evidence. The players establish what is and what isn't a clue, not the GM.
Ummm, how's that work?
OK, example time. Let's take a murder investigation and run with it. So, the GM knows who committed the crime, when the crime was committed, where the crime was committed, how the crime was committed, and why the crime was committed. From this the GM describes the murder scene as a general gestalt when the PCs first arrive to examine the scene. The players now begin their investigation.
The PCs use their various skills and abilities to extract detail from the evidence, first at the murder scene - fingerprints, wound patterns, skin lividity, body temperature, insect larvae, blood patterns, bullet trajectories, etc.; and gradually elsewhere - phone logs, financial records, witness interviews, surveillance tapes, and the like.
Let's call this the body of evidence.
From this body of evidence, the players - and their PCs - use logic and intuition to see patterns in that evidence, and from these patterns, begin to reconstruct the crime. They develop a list of suspects. They do more investigating, focusing on these suspects and this possible reconstruction. It's an iterative approach - focus, investigate, find patterns, refocus, etc. - which winnows out suspects, means, and motives until only one or two solutions fit the established facts.
Now some of these facts may, in fact, be suspect, and some may be unsuspected lies. Witnesses may lie to protect themselves. Alibis can be faked. Even clinical evidence can be deliberately misleading - the right-handed killer may have struck with his left hand in order to muddy the trail - this would be an example of a false 'clue' planted to throw off investigators. Things is, if nothing fits the facts, the facts must be questioned and the evidence re-evaluated.
There really is only one possible complete solution - the truth - but depending on what patterns the investigation sees (no investigation uncovers all the facts) there may be a very small number of possible *partial* solutions which *do* fit the known facts. These partial solutions have to be concentrated on and incorrect fits eliminated until only one fits.
That sounds like a lot of work, clash. Might as well be a detective.
Well, if you are going to model something, model it correctly. That's my motto! This way, the player will feel like detectives. :D
-clash
Then what DO you do, clash? Pray tell!
I don't use 'clues' at all.
What? Heresy! How can you investigate without clues?
The only baddies that leave clues behind are the ones that are framing someone else, or leading the investigators on in some other way.
Huh? WTF are you babbling about clash? Is this one of your quixotic windmill tilts like 'illustration' vs 'art'?
No, I don't think so. I think it's a very important conceptual step in creating a fun and interesting investigative game.
Well, go on with it, then. How do you investigate without clues?
You investigate by looking at the evidence. From this evidence, the investigators extract the truth. The GM should not 'place' clues, but rather should let the players extract information from the body of evidence. The players establish what is and what isn't a clue, not the GM.
Ummm, how's that work?
OK, example time. Let's take a murder investigation and run with it. So, the GM knows who committed the crime, when the crime was committed, where the crime was committed, how the crime was committed, and why the crime was committed. From this the GM describes the murder scene as a general gestalt when the PCs first arrive to examine the scene. The players now begin their investigation.
The PCs use their various skills and abilities to extract detail from the evidence, first at the murder scene - fingerprints, wound patterns, skin lividity, body temperature, insect larvae, blood patterns, bullet trajectories, etc.; and gradually elsewhere - phone logs, financial records, witness interviews, surveillance tapes, and the like.
Let's call this the body of evidence.
From this body of evidence, the players - and their PCs - use logic and intuition to see patterns in that evidence, and from these patterns, begin to reconstruct the crime. They develop a list of suspects. They do more investigating, focusing on these suspects and this possible reconstruction. It's an iterative approach - focus, investigate, find patterns, refocus, etc. - which winnows out suspects, means, and motives until only one or two solutions fit the established facts.
Now some of these facts may, in fact, be suspect, and some may be unsuspected lies. Witnesses may lie to protect themselves. Alibis can be faked. Even clinical evidence can be deliberately misleading - the right-handed killer may have struck with his left hand in order to muddy the trail - this would be an example of a false 'clue' planted to throw off investigators. Things is, if nothing fits the facts, the facts must be questioned and the evidence re-evaluated.
There really is only one possible complete solution - the truth - but depending on what patterns the investigation sees (no investigation uncovers all the facts) there may be a very small number of possible *partial* solutions which *do* fit the known facts. These partial solutions have to be concentrated on and incorrect fits eliminated until only one fits.
That sounds like a lot of work, clash. Might as well be a detective.
Well, if you are going to model something, model it correctly. That's my motto! This way, the player will feel like detectives. :D
-clash
Friday, September 7, 2012
Combat Maneuvers in Volant
Klaxon came up with a whole bunch of these Maneuvers while he was extending the StarCluster Martial Arts rules into weapon-based Martial Arts. I took these special Maneuvers and rolled them into Volant. Now Volant uses a much broader skill definition than StarCluster, so I didn't import his MAs, just their Maneuvers.
Maneuvers are special attacks, perhaps with a penalty to achieve, which, when successful, produce interesting and desirable results. Each maneuver is tied to a specific weapon, and can only be used with that weapon. In Volant, characters gain one maneuver at age 18-21, one at age 22-25, one at age 30-33, one at age 42-45, and a last maneuver at age 58-61.
Here are some examples:
Shield Maneuvers
Shield Strike
Suddenly punch with your shield, with two Small penalties to hit, surprising the opponent and giving him a knockback.
Sword Maneuvers
Fast Strike
By using this maneuver, you will always strike just before the opponent. Roll, tell the GM you’re matching initiative, and take the penalty or bonus from the difference in initiative as required.
Maneuver Warfare
Each round assign yourself a penalty to your attack, and you can accumulate that bonus for every round you do so, spending it all in a massive Strike. If you miss at any time before releasing it, it breaks the chain.
Spear Weapon Manuevers
Hold Shift
You shift your grasp on the weapon from two hands on the end (Fullspear) to both hands spread near the middle (Shortspear). This maneuver gives 2 small penalties. Switching from Fullspear to Shortspear negates 10 points of damage reduction from armor per success. Switching from Shortspear to Fullspear doubles the weapon’s damage bonus.
Missile Maneuvers
Chance Flurry
You are able to strike many lesser openings in an opponent’s guard. Roll once for the whole attack - the first strike is at -2 TN, the second blow is at -4, and the third blow is at -6. All blows go in on the same attack, reading the same roll for each new TN.
Axe Weapon Maneuvers
Environmental Maneuver
You can use the environment to your benefit by rapidly changing your position and orientation. At the cost of two large penalties, you gain an extra round all to yourself.
Maneuvers are special attacks, perhaps with a penalty to achieve, which, when successful, produce interesting and desirable results. Each maneuver is tied to a specific weapon, and can only be used with that weapon. In Volant, characters gain one maneuver at age 18-21, one at age 22-25, one at age 30-33, one at age 42-45, and a last maneuver at age 58-61.
Here are some examples:
Shield Maneuvers
Shield Strike
Suddenly punch with your shield, with two Small penalties to hit, surprising the opponent and giving him a knockback.
Sword Maneuvers
Fast Strike
By using this maneuver, you will always strike just before the opponent. Roll, tell the GM you’re matching initiative, and take the penalty or bonus from the difference in initiative as required.
Maneuver Warfare
Each round assign yourself a penalty to your attack, and you can accumulate that bonus for every round you do so, spending it all in a massive Strike. If you miss at any time before releasing it, it breaks the chain.
Spear Weapon Manuevers
Hold Shift
You shift your grasp on the weapon from two hands on the end (Fullspear) to both hands spread near the middle (Shortspear). This maneuver gives 2 small penalties. Switching from Fullspear to Shortspear negates 10 points of damage reduction from armor per success. Switching from Shortspear to Fullspear doubles the weapon’s damage bonus.
Missile Maneuvers
Chance Flurry
You are able to strike many lesser openings in an opponent’s guard. Roll once for the whole attack - the first strike is at -2 TN, the second blow is at -4, and the third blow is at -6. All blows go in on the same attack, reading the same roll for each new TN.
Axe Weapon Maneuvers
Environmental Maneuver
You can use the environment to your benefit by rapidly changing your position and orientation. At the cost of two large penalties, you gain an extra round all to yourself.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The Supplement Treadmill
A supplement treadmill is a consentual relationship. Both parties must agree to this relationship in order for it to work. All the onus is not on the supplier end! As a consentual relationship, it must be, by definition, mutually beneficial. Those ending this relationship do so because circumstances have changed, and they no longer get enough benefit to justify maintaining this relationship.
Every designer is faced with choices all along. If they put everything a GM could need in the core book, that book becomes huge and too intimidating. If they keep the core book tight, they limit the game's applicability, scale, and/or scope. If they put out a bunch of supplements to cover the gaps, they are accused of facilitating the supplement treadmill. if they don't put out supplements, they are perceived as not supporting the game. If they revise a game, they are decried for changing things for the sake of change. If they don't put out a revision, they are vilified as old-fashioned and clunky. The list of Damned-If-You-Do-and-Damned-If-You-Don't choices goes on and on.
If a company puts out a lot of supplements, then people must be buying them, otherwise they would stop releasing stuff. If you don't want to buy these supplements, don't buy them. If enough people feel the way you do, then the treadmill will stop, because there really *is* no treadmill. The power to move that rolling walkway comes from your legs.
-clash
Every designer is faced with choices all along. If they put everything a GM could need in the core book, that book becomes huge and too intimidating. If they keep the core book tight, they limit the game's applicability, scale, and/or scope. If they put out a bunch of supplements to cover the gaps, they are accused of facilitating the supplement treadmill. if they don't put out supplements, they are perceived as not supporting the game. If they revise a game, they are decried for changing things for the sake of change. If they don't put out a revision, they are vilified as old-fashioned and clunky. The list of Damned-If-You-Do-and-Damned-If-You-Don't choices goes on and on.
If a company puts out a lot of supplements, then people must be buying them, otherwise they would stop releasing stuff. If you don't want to buy these supplements, don't buy them. If enough people feel the way you do, then the treadmill will stop, because there really *is* no treadmill. The power to move that rolling walkway comes from your legs.
-clash
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Illo for Volant
Here's the latest illo for Volant. Once again, I'm trying to loosen my style, so it looks less like a photo, and more like a painting.
-clash
-clash
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Update on Volant
Last night had a great game in the phase two alpha playtest of Volant.
The player characters had not been invested in things til last night, so
I upped the religious ante. Now they are fully invested, and care
DEEPLY about what is happening. Love how sometimes things just CLICK
like that!
Also had another great session today in my IHW Napoleonic naval game over IRC. Good stuff all around!
Also had another great session today in my IHW Napoleonic naval game over IRC. Good stuff all around!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
StarCluster Projects
My son Klaxon is working on four things for me currently:
The reasons why we have the duplication is that StarCluster 3 is a game about the civilian side of the Cluster, while In Harm's Way: StarCluster is a game about the military side of the cluster. As such the ship construction - while compatible - is completely different. What is important to the military is totally unimportant to civilians, and vice-versa. Civilians don't need drop tubes or particle accelerator weapons, and the military doesn't need conservatories or swimming pools.
I created several example ships for both games which are in the main books, and those size ships will not be duplicated. I'm leaving which ships are created up to Klax. Question - would it be better to sell the ships separately, one to a PDF, or all together?
-clash
- A spreadsheet-based ship builder for StarCluster 3
- A spreadsheet-based ship builder for In Harm's Way: StarCluster
- A document with five ships created using the spreadsheet tool for StarCluster 3
- A document with five ships created using the spreadsheet tool for In Harm's Way: StarCluster.
The reasons why we have the duplication is that StarCluster 3 is a game about the civilian side of the Cluster, while In Harm's Way: StarCluster is a game about the military side of the cluster. As such the ship construction - while compatible - is completely different. What is important to the military is totally unimportant to civilians, and vice-versa. Civilians don't need drop tubes or particle accelerator weapons, and the military doesn't need conservatories or swimming pools.
I created several example ships for both games which are in the main books, and those size ships will not be duplicated. I'm leaving which ships are created up to Klax. Question - would it be better to sell the ships separately, one to a PDF, or all together?
-clash
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