World. A lesson in delegation

[mayapuppies]

Hi guys,

 

I just sent this email out to my gaming group and wanted to get some feedback from Herodome. in addition, if any of you would like to take a crack at the process I'd love to see it, include links to the miniature that inspired it if possible.

 

Hello all,

 

I got bit by a game design bug today…well, actually it’s been building for sometime now and the breakthrough came this morning on the way to work. I want to start a pen-and-paper game in a big way. I have the ruleset already picked out, I just need to create the world that we’ll play in. The basics are detailed below.

 

Normally I go through a huge development cycle on a game world and it invariably takes a very long time and by the end of it I am so thoroughly burned out that I don’t have the creative energy to actually run the game. This is about to change. Taking my own design philosophy from the video game design concept that I outlined last weekend I am going to bring in the players to help in the design process.

 

So how does this work?

 

Well, I will write out the basic premise of the “Game World” in this email, and then each of you will need to go through the links that I have provided below and pick a miniature that you want to represent your character in the game. This will form the beginning of your write-up for your race/culture. I ask that you take your time and peruse all of the miniatures galleries provided in the links and make a careful decision. Don’t rush it. Find a model you really like and feel motivated to use.

 

Once you find that model send me a link to it. Then begin thinking about the race/culture that the model (and the character you’ll be making for it) comes from. Try not to use any of the documentation that is on the websites for this, create your own racial/cultural description based on the introduction that I have written below and your own imagination. As always I am available to help give direction and to bounce ideas off of. I believe that through this style of interactive design, we (as a group) can create a very interesting game world to play in and make absolutely sure that everyone is playing a character that they will really enjoy.

 

On top of all of this, you all will get a very good feel for what I (and now Ryan) will be doing for our video game project. So on to the nitty gritty stuff:

 

MINIATURE CATALOGS

http://www.infinitythegame.com/eng/galeria.asp

http://us.games-workshop.com/games/40k/catalog/default.htm

http://store.us.games-workshop.com/storefront/store.us?do=List_Models&code=305696&orignav=300817&GameNav=300808

http://www.urbanmammoth.com/acatalog/ (Choose Urban War or VOID Miniatures for the catalog)

 

Game World Introduction:

 

It was the war to end all wars, no one and no thing had seen its like before. It was more than just a border skirmish or a war of ideology, it spanned more than a continent, and it enveloped the entire galaxy. Entire worlds were scoured until nothing more than a cold rock remained. Civilizations that spanned light years were wiped from the annals of history. No one can remember why it started or even if it’s over. On my world no one even cares anymore.

 

Here there is only one thing that matters; Survival. On this world you live or die by your wits, your gear, your skills and your friends. There is no government; there are no nations, only isolated pockets of barely attained civilization surrounded by wastelands filled with bandits and raiders. Petty kingdoms and city-states ruled by the gamut of barons, warlords, self-styled kings and saviors.

 

Magic, faith, and technology are all interwoven into an anachronistic nightmare and everyone thinks they have the ultimate secret to survive. Most people just try to scratch out a living the best they can, some do this through hard work others ride on the backs of slaves or those seeking solace in one faith or another. Through out all of this there are those who just want power any way they can get it and those are the ones likely to pay. Money doesn’t mean a damn thing here and someone’s word is even less valued. Hard goods or services have become the stock in trade. You want something you either got to get it yourself, take it from someone else or do someone a favor.

 

Welcome to the World.

 

Creating a Character

 

The process for creating a character for World is fairly easy. The following steps are just a guideline to give you an idea of the things you need to think about.

 

1. Pick a miniature

The links listed above go to various miniature catalogs by many different companies. I tried to stick to miniature ranges that have the “look” I am going for in this game world and are all of the highest quality I can find. The key is to search through them and come up with a miniature that you think is interesting and one that evokes a good “story” in your mind.

 

2. Decide on the race

By looking at the miniature you can discern if it is human or not just by the physical appearance. If, for some reason, you can’t just look at the miniature and decide if it is human or not, then feel free to make up a race name.

 

3. Decide on a culture

A race can have many different cultures associated with it (just look at how many cultures our own human race has). Think about the culture that this miniature comes from and jot down a few notes about it.

 

4. Decide on an organization

Many organizations can exist within any given race/culture. Some organizations can be limited to only a specific race and/or culture, others will contain many different races/cultures. Decide whether or not your miniature belongs to an organization, if he/she does, then jot down some notes about the organization.

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Oh, and I'm thinking of making the charcters at 150+50

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

So on a lark i decided to follow my own steps. The inspiring miniatures are attached.

 

Name: Circuit

Race: Human - mutant

Culture: Circuit comes from a Wasteland Tribe called the Cynogens. Originally descended from the crew of an Achilles class battleship that was destroyed during drydock in low-orbit around World. Most of the crew were on leave during the repairs.

 

When the War came to their system it was swift and without warning. All communications systems were destroyed in the first wave and all technological centers were summarily bombed into submission. the ground war that followed was brutal and lasted for nearly a generation before the war moved on to another system, leaving the remnants of the planets population and any surviving military personnel stranded.

 

The Cynogens quickly established a walled city of sorts around a natural spring in the crater mountains. The elders of the tribe have continued with their goals of rebuilding an old missile silo so that they can begin to launch scout ships into near space and regain contact with their navy.

 

Organizations: None

 

Character Specific: Circuit is a cyberempath and a natural mechanic. She has an uncanny ability to manufacture working devices from junk. She also has a complete inability to follow the faith of her people and considers their drive for the stars to be a waste of time.

 

At an early age she set off into the Wastelands to make a name for herself on World. Accompanied by her two gun drones, Romeo-Deuce and Delta-Deuce, she has been successful thus far in gaining various contracts as a mechanic and weaponsmith. Lately she's been hearing rumors of a town that has a working data network and is trying to find a team that will help her follow up on them.

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Ok, so 46 views and just me talking to myself. This tells me there is something still left to be desired in the email.

 

So in the interest of improving the initial "concept" for my players, what is missing? Remembering that is just the "pamphlet handout".

[tkdguy]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Perhaps a few details will help. Is it set on Earth? If so, how did magic and nonhuman races appear? How powerful is magic? Does faith give you any special powers? How advanced is technology? Which factions are out there, and which ones are the PCs allowed to join?

 

It sounds like an interesting premise to start with, but perhaps people just want a little more info so they can make their decidions.

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

That's the rub, actually. It's a blank slate aside from the introduction. The idea is for the players to base their character and the people they come from on the miniature they select.

 

This, in turn, fills in the details of the game world. As it stands I don't really have any real limitations on what can possibly be done. As the player works on the concept details are fleshed out and added into the world documentation which will feed into the campaign and is available to be utilized by the next player as they create their character.

 

I have one player who has finished her character thus far and I'm just waiting on the background info from her, but her stats and abilities are all worked out. Once my email is working again I'll be able to post it here.

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Woohoo! E-mails back up and running. So here is the first character. She's based on my wife's superhero psychic but toned way down for the new point level.

 

The gist is that she is a human mutant born with psychic abilities and this allows her to bond with these wolfman-like creatures called Fenris Hounds. Apparently (she's still working on the details) around 10% of her people can do this at varying levels of ability.

 

The "equipment" on the charactersheet will eventually be moving out of the powers section into an actual equipment sheet, freeing up some more points for her and bringing this more inline with the "Group Armoury" idea I'm working on.

[ghost-angel]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

This is a very cool concept. Took my a while to see it (don't visit this forum too often and when I do I randomly click on threads...).

 

I like the blank slate inviting the players to form the World without any preconceived notions beyond "Just about anything is possible, but you can't leave this rock."

 

I'm gonna toss up a character just as an exercise for my brain - maybe give you an NPC.

[ghost-angel]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Name: Bobby Trone

Race: Human

Culture: Bobby comes from one of the last bastions of grand civilization before the war. A massive city located near the equator ruled by a Theocracy.

 

The City claims the good life, protects its citizens behind a massive wall gaurded by semi-sentient AIs and a massive robot army. Excursions are sent into the wastelands for raw materials when needed.

 

It's also ruled by The Way, a religion Bobby could never buy into no matter how hard he tried. He retreated from the high life into the low life of the city, which was still steps above most of The World, at least as he heard it.

 

Bobby wanted to see it. See all of it. So he tooks his more than decent mechanics skills and built a rover to drive him all over the place - he solves the issue of oceans when he got to them.

 

Rover Allover (as he calls his truck) is powered by a stolen microfusion cell from The City, in fact The City wants it back because they only have so many the technology for building more lost in the War. But Bobby made a good getaway, making him more a target of opportunity than a full on manhunt.

 

Bobby has been a lot of places (he solved the ocean problem a couple times be refitting a barge for nomad tribes once and finding a group using a retrofitting ancient aircraft carrier) and seen a lot of things.

 

While Bobby is just a pretty normal guy he's a survivalist of top notch skill and there isn't anything he and Rover Allover haven't been able to overcome (or run away from: R.A. has thrust jets for quick speed bursts, assuming he can find fuel for them) yet.

[ghost-angel]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

That was fun. Thnx for sharing the idea.

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Neat! Thanks ghost-angel. I can definitely use him!

[ghost-angel]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

And now that my Rep has recharged I can rep you for it.

 

(and ignore all the really bad grammar and spelling in my post )

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

My rep machine is broken.

[War Cry]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Very kewl idea.

 

I almost wish I was a part of this game.

(I found a Baal Predator in your links - WOOHOO! That would be ultra kewl as an AI, or Mephiston, or, well any of the BA models really. Nope, I don't play WH40K. No sir, I'm not a BA playa;) )

Question - Would you allow a player to use a mini out of his own collection if it fit the feel and theme of the game?

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

I don't see why not. The main reason I included the links was due to the players not owning any miniatures of their own.

[Erkenfresh]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Epsilon 37

Race: Ampegian Robot

Culture: Epsilon 37 came to (insert World name) on a scouting mission from the Ampegians, a ruthless race of warlords that use the galactic war to gain territory, fame, and riches.

 

Epsilon's primary mission requires it to fit into the World's culture as best as it can, collecting data secretly. It's secondary mission is to find insurgents who are rebuilding weapons to fight against the Ampegian's and destroy them, but not with the possibility of it's position being revealed. It's tertiary mission is simply self-survival.

 

Over time, Epsilon's primary mission has caused it to help people it finds most useful for information. This has caused most to believe the robot is actually benevolent, though they couldn't be further from the truth.

 

Epsilon is well-equipped amongst a barren wasteland of a World. His jet boots allow him to travel easily and his batteries recharge from solar energy. Epsilon would work well as either a villian or an ally and know more about World than most, with a long list of contacts and possibly Favors to call in.

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Sweet! I like this idea.

[ghost-angel]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Did this get sent out to your players and how well was it received? I think it's a banging idea personally.

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Well, unfortunately it wasn't received all that well. One player (my wife) did her character and no one else even responded.

 

I'm still keeping the idea as I think this is a great idea as well, but I believe this player group is falling apart before we even start.

 

It's so bad that I may end up just going down to my FLGS and risk the recruiting thing again. I've had really bad experiences with this before (ended up with a stalker at one point) and swore I would never do it again, but since the breakup of my last group I haven't been able to find any RPG people...no trouble at all getting people into Warhammer though.

[ghost-angel]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

That sucks. I'd game with ya. If it weren't for that commute.

 

Recruiting sux, but it might work every now and then, good luck!

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

 

Thanks, but yeah, that's one hell of a commute.

[tkdguy]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

I think the problem is that most players would like a little more information and structure. I know quite a few people who don't care for the "anything goes" approach. It sounds interesting, but I'd personally wish for more detail in order to flesh out my character.

[ghost-angel]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

I think the problem is that most players would like a little more information and structure. I know quite a few people who don't care for the "anything goes" approach. It sounds interesting' date=' but I'd personally wish for more detail in order to flesh out my character.[/quote']

 

While this is very true most of the time. Even for me, and I'm one of the players that immediately jumps in with the GM to help flesh out the world and cement my place in it as a Player and Character.

 

But it looked like the point here was to try and create a true Joint Effort on World Building. I wouldn't like this approach to Every game, but I like the idea itself and at least one game run this way would be pretty cool.

[tkdguy]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

Don't get me wrong. If you want to help build a world, that's great. I enjoy that sort of thing too. But not everyone wants to do that, which is why I suspect there's a lack of interest.

[mayapuppies]

Re: World. A lesson in delegation

 

tkdguy is partially correct. I only have one player that is interested in world building. The main problem is that most of the players just aren't motivated to play.