Apr 30, 2023 10:43 pm
I've been working on an extremely rules-lite sci-fi game called Galactic Ops and I've been play testing it solo. So far I've been enjoying it. Solo testing is ok, but running a game and collecting feedback is SO much better. So, I've been considering running a very short game here, which may be more scenario based than anything else, just to get a feel for it and to gather feedback from some players.
In Galactic Ops you play as an "Op" who is sent on risky missions across the galaxy. Your goal: get in, complete the objective, and hopefully survive. There's a simple mission generator to get something started, then play to see what happens.
The rules are extremely simple. The characters have 2 attributes: Mind & Body. Each attribute is assigned a die size. Determine the difficulty which has a die. Roll both the Attribute and Difficulty die together. If the Attribute die is greater than or equal to the Difficulty die, then it is a success. If the Attribute die is less than the Difficulty die, then it is a partial success. That's it. Everything is an opposed roll which makes the rules very simple.
There's also a fun Momentum/Karma mechanic that allows characters to accumulate Karma points. Karma can be spent to alter the die before rolling or to force a re-roll.
There are a couple things that I think would make the system work well for PbP games:
1. Rolls can be player facing. Just roll both die together to see what happens.
2. The the goal is 1 roll per obstacle (enemy, social encounter, trap, etc.). No bags of HP to slash through. Tougher enemies or obstacles would likely require multiple rolls.
The thing that may not work well with PbP games is the Karma re-roll mechanic. But that is what testing will help figure out.
Here's a screenshot of the rules. I'll provide a link to the PDF if there's enough interest.
In Galactic Ops you play as an "Op" who is sent on risky missions across the galaxy. Your goal: get in, complete the objective, and hopefully survive. There's a simple mission generator to get something started, then play to see what happens.
The rules are extremely simple. The characters have 2 attributes: Mind & Body. Each attribute is assigned a die size. Determine the difficulty which has a die. Roll both the Attribute and Difficulty die together. If the Attribute die is greater than or equal to the Difficulty die, then it is a success. If the Attribute die is less than the Difficulty die, then it is a partial success. That's it. Everything is an opposed roll which makes the rules very simple.
There's also a fun Momentum/Karma mechanic that allows characters to accumulate Karma points. Karma can be spent to alter the die before rolling or to force a re-roll.
There are a couple things that I think would make the system work well for PbP games:
1. Rolls can be player facing. Just roll both die together to see what happens.
2. The the goal is 1 roll per obstacle (enemy, social encounter, trap, etc.). No bags of HP to slash through. Tougher enemies or obstacles would likely require multiple rolls.
The thing that may not work well with PbP games is the Karma re-roll mechanic. But that is what testing will help figure out.
Here's a screenshot of the rules. I'll provide a link to the PDF if there's enough interest.
