Mar 17, 2023 10:17 am
Eyup!
I've had a homebrew system in my head for a few years.
I based it around several years of in-person gaming with my group, our discoveries about different play styles, and where and why our games ended.
So, I drew up a manifesto for a game that I believed would address these issues and work well.
I'd be interested in input from players of all styles, but if these issues speak volumes, I'd be interested in your opinions.
Here are the common issues seen in our games.
1. Fun For Everyone.
It's quite clear that different gamers have different goals.
Many systems are available that tackle different player motivations. However, getting a group of individuals around a table that ALL want to play in one style is rare.
More often than not, you get a mix. Generalist games are put forward as the solution. However, they often leave players within a gaming paradigm they do not want to be in.
A key goal was a single mechanic that could scratch each gamer's itch while remaining simple, scalable and universal. Players who want to advance their story should be rewarded; players who wish to accumulate wealth and gear should be allowed to. Players who want to become paragons of skill should be rewarded. Players who want a mix should be rewarded. The game should attempt to allow each of these players to operate within their chosen paradigm without stepping on each other's toes.
2. One Rule To Rule Them All
Introducing new systems would often cause issues; busy lives usually meant that players would not read the rules and had no real grasp of the game system. The constant introduction of new systems in the attempt to find something that pleased everyone would lead to GM and player burnout.
Character creation should take less than 30 minutes while still giving the player a real attachment to the character created within the paradigm in which they wish to play.
Players who wish their character to play a focal point in the story should be allowed to, and players who turn up just wanting to roll dice and win should be entitled to.
The system should be flexible enough to handle any style or genre of game.
3. Short and Sweet
Most long-term campaigns would fizzle out, complex plots would get misremembered, system and character bloat would make combat unwieldy and laborious, or the open world/railroad balance would go off track.
Campaigns that lasted for short periods would work best. Around 12 sessions seem to be ideal, and this is three months ( weekly ) or six months ( fortnightly ).
The story should move along quickly so that 12 sessions can resolve a major story arc, each providing a minor one. At the end of 12 sessions, the characters would have progressed from "Farmboy" to "Hero."
Therefore, the system should cater to this length and provide suitable narrative and character development advancement to keep momentum and interest going.
4. Players Like To Roll Dice
Sessions that went nowhere and where nothing happened would lead to players losing interest. While rolling dice for low-risk endeavours makes no sense, games should be full of jeopardy at all levels, not just physically.
Therefore, each session should be a ringfenced event with easy yet fun conflict resolution mechanics that get all players involved regardless of their motivations and provide one mechanism that allows any conflict from a full-scale intergalactic battle to a medieval duel defined and resolved quickly and easily.
Characters progress in some way every single session, and that progression is chosen by them ( get a new thing, solidify an existing item, resolve a plot point )
5. Spaceships Vs Dragons
Enable any person, creature, entity or object to be easily and quickly defined using one simple stat block and a clear, simple, strategic dice mechanic that relies on zero tables.
Additionally, allowing any creature, entity, or object to easily and quickly interact with any other animal, entity, or object in the game world with clear rules.
Allow complex interactions to be reflected easily in the stat block with narrative/tactical intent rewarded.
6. Real Life Comes First
Attendance can be an issue. Allowing players to jump in and out of sessions without major problems to character plot/advancement is a must.
7. Prep time can be a drag on GMs, which leads to campaigns drawing to a close.
Game prep should be minimal, with the ability to create anything required on the fly with a little experience with the system.
Anything can be defined with a simple stat block and key descriptors that define its main characteristics and allow it to interact in any way the players or GM require.
The mechanics should be so simple and universal that the ability to create any new books for the system, other than flavour books, should be all but impossible. The core mechanic is key.
Once I'd drawn up the manifesto, I analysed the various systems that I've recently played in and GMed ( Fate, D&D, Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, WFRP, FITD, Cypher System, Microscope ) to see what elements would work and what could be drawn from each to make this system.
I came up with a system that I dubbed "Just Three Things".
I'm looking for player input to discuss, test the mechanics, help refine the system and eventually play-test it. I see it as an ideal system for PBP as it's fast, rules-light and adaptable.
This is an alpha build, and I'm sure it's full of holes, having come from just one brain so far.
If people are interested, I'll put together some formal documents that present the system in its current state for review.
This is probably not for you if you enjoy reading Rolemaster critical hit tables and wondering if the game needs more.
I have no commercial goals for this system. At this stage, it's just theory crafting to try and solve a set of problems I have observed.
I've had a homebrew system in my head for a few years.
I based it around several years of in-person gaming with my group, our discoveries about different play styles, and where and why our games ended.
So, I drew up a manifesto for a game that I believed would address these issues and work well.
I'd be interested in input from players of all styles, but if these issues speak volumes, I'd be interested in your opinions.
Here are the common issues seen in our games.
1. Fun For Everyone.
It's quite clear that different gamers have different goals.
Many systems are available that tackle different player motivations. However, getting a group of individuals around a table that ALL want to play in one style is rare.
More often than not, you get a mix. Generalist games are put forward as the solution. However, they often leave players within a gaming paradigm they do not want to be in.
A key goal was a single mechanic that could scratch each gamer's itch while remaining simple, scalable and universal. Players who want to advance their story should be rewarded; players who wish to accumulate wealth and gear should be allowed to. Players who want to become paragons of skill should be rewarded. Players who want a mix should be rewarded. The game should attempt to allow each of these players to operate within their chosen paradigm without stepping on each other's toes.
2. One Rule To Rule Them All
Introducing new systems would often cause issues; busy lives usually meant that players would not read the rules and had no real grasp of the game system. The constant introduction of new systems in the attempt to find something that pleased everyone would lead to GM and player burnout.
Character creation should take less than 30 minutes while still giving the player a real attachment to the character created within the paradigm in which they wish to play.
Players who wish their character to play a focal point in the story should be allowed to, and players who turn up just wanting to roll dice and win should be entitled to.
The system should be flexible enough to handle any style or genre of game.
3. Short and Sweet
Most long-term campaigns would fizzle out, complex plots would get misremembered, system and character bloat would make combat unwieldy and laborious, or the open world/railroad balance would go off track.
Campaigns that lasted for short periods would work best. Around 12 sessions seem to be ideal, and this is three months ( weekly ) or six months ( fortnightly ).
The story should move along quickly so that 12 sessions can resolve a major story arc, each providing a minor one. At the end of 12 sessions, the characters would have progressed from "Farmboy" to "Hero."
Therefore, the system should cater to this length and provide suitable narrative and character development advancement to keep momentum and interest going.
4. Players Like To Roll Dice
Sessions that went nowhere and where nothing happened would lead to players losing interest. While rolling dice for low-risk endeavours makes no sense, games should be full of jeopardy at all levels, not just physically.
Therefore, each session should be a ringfenced event with easy yet fun conflict resolution mechanics that get all players involved regardless of their motivations and provide one mechanism that allows any conflict from a full-scale intergalactic battle to a medieval duel defined and resolved quickly and easily.
Characters progress in some way every single session, and that progression is chosen by them ( get a new thing, solidify an existing item, resolve a plot point )
5. Spaceships Vs Dragons
Enable any person, creature, entity or object to be easily and quickly defined using one simple stat block and a clear, simple, strategic dice mechanic that relies on zero tables.
Additionally, allowing any creature, entity, or object to easily and quickly interact with any other animal, entity, or object in the game world with clear rules.
Allow complex interactions to be reflected easily in the stat block with narrative/tactical intent rewarded.
6. Real Life Comes First
Attendance can be an issue. Allowing players to jump in and out of sessions without major problems to character plot/advancement is a must.
7. Prep time can be a drag on GMs, which leads to campaigns drawing to a close.
Game prep should be minimal, with the ability to create anything required on the fly with a little experience with the system.
Anything can be defined with a simple stat block and key descriptors that define its main characteristics and allow it to interact in any way the players or GM require.
The mechanics should be so simple and universal that the ability to create any new books for the system, other than flavour books, should be all but impossible. The core mechanic is key.
Once I'd drawn up the manifesto, I analysed the various systems that I've recently played in and GMed ( Fate, D&D, Pathfinder, Savage Worlds, WFRP, FITD, Cypher System, Microscope ) to see what elements would work and what could be drawn from each to make this system.
I came up with a system that I dubbed "Just Three Things".
I'm looking for player input to discuss, test the mechanics, help refine the system and eventually play-test it. I see it as an ideal system for PBP as it's fast, rules-light and adaptable.
This is an alpha build, and I'm sure it's full of holes, having come from just one brain so far.
If people are interested, I'll put together some formal documents that present the system in its current state for review.
This is probably not for you if you enjoy reading Rolemaster critical hit tables and wondering if the game needs more.
I have no commercial goals for this system. At this stage, it's just theory crafting to try and solve a set of problems I have observed.
Last edited March 17, 2023 10:18 am
