[Romance] The game mechanics of love?

[Gadodel]

Has this been done? If so, anyone got a linky?

 

Courtly love, space opera love et al; I figure someone has wrote up a set of mechanics at some point.

 

If not, I was thinking either some sort of 'Aid', 'Mind Link' or maybe even a simple Perk of 'Contact'?!

 

What do you think?

[bigdamnhero]

Re: [Romance] The game mechanics of love?

 

Mostly we've just handled it through role-playing, supplemented by various Interaction Skills and the occasional PRE Attack. In my experience, that seems to work better than some random table or "If you roll X, she falls in love with you" kind of mechanic. YMMV, of course.

 

Edit: Of course, I've also seen "In Love With..." as a Psych Lim.

[Gadodel]

Re: [Romance] The game mechanics of love?

 

I'll have to reread the PRE chapter to see what I can use there. The effect I am trying to emulate is the 'couple whom inspires their followers' to some end.

[Robyn]

Re: [Romance] The game mechanics of love?

 

I'll have to reread the PRE chapter to see what I can use there. The effect I am trying to emulate is the 'couple whom inspires their followers' to some end.

 

Does this concept require the effect to be granted by the one who is loved? Or could it be built as a power that only works upon beholding some inspiring aspect of the person one loves?

 

I could see a partially Limited power or characteristic. The build gets much more confusing, though, if you want to restrict it based on "other person must love you back" (unrequited love is the stuff of old romances, sure enough, but do you really want the villain getting bonuses to kill you because their psychopathic Disadvantages lead to expressing love through murder?), because failing to use the power can reveal that the recipient of your love doesn't love you (anymore). At the least, this would provide a free Divination effect for relationships (but it wouldn't stand out if, within a campaign, it was accompanied by a full suite of similar revelatory powers).

 

You could probably take it as a Disad when in the presence of the beloved, too. Inability to speak, think, etcetera

[zornwil]

Re: [Romance] The game mechanics of love?

 

Haven't done it, but one idea is to break out skills. And make seduction very specifically sexual seduction (because we're going to make others so we need this to be just as discrete as those). A list might include:

 

dating etiquette

flirting

lovemaking

joking

breaking up

fix-ups

living with another

making acquaintance

lying

attracting

 

Of course many more could be set up. It'd be nice to have a large variety so that it drives people towards these sorts of things by emphasis.

[Gadodel]

Re: [Romance] The game mechanics of love?

 

1. Does this concept require the effect to be granted by the one who is loved?

 

2. Or could it be built as a power that only works upon beholding some inspiring aspect of the person one loves?

 

3. The build gets much more confusing, though, if you want to restrict it based on "other person must love you back" (unrequited love is the stuff of old romances, sure enough, but do you really want the villain getting bonuses to kill you because their psychopathic Disadvantages lead to expressing love through murder?),

 

4. because failing to use the power can reveal that the recipient of your love doesn't love you (anymore). At the least, this would provide a free Divination effect for relationships (but it wouldn't stand out if, within a campaign, it was accompanied by a full suite of similar revelatory powers).

 

 

1. Maybe. Though, the effect should be temporary.

2. Absolutely! The Couple inspire and that inspiration could be long term, perhaps.

3. Oh, oh! Plotting and scheming. Perhaps, some followers might get fanatical about it and the message gets twisted around so much, they act in an insane manner. This really makes what I looking for dark, but realistic at times.

4. Again, the love can cause one to get lovesick. Perhaps, the receipient of the effect continues to act in a way reminiscent of the past. In other words, they continue a quest that has long since been abandoned, only to show their inspired by the couple's love. How many rulers have had that effect? Lots.

[Gadodel]

Re: [Romance] The game mechanics of love?

 

flirting

lying

attracting

.

 

Another perhaps, would be Trend Setting. The Couple literally makes others do as they do simply by being trend setters. Their influence grows from there...

 

[Lord Liaden]

Re: [Romance] The game mechanics of love?

 

Having looked at Shelley Chrystal Mactyre's excerpts from her Regency HERO project (to be published by Hero Games), I was thinking that her Reputation Points mechanic might be adaptable to these kinds of situations, in terms of how they're earned and what they can be used for.

[Gadodel]

Re: [Romance] The game mechanics of love?

 

Having looked at Shelley Chrystal Mactyre's excerpts from her Regency HERO project (to be published by Hero Games)' date=' I was thinking that her Reputation Points mechanic might be adaptable to these kinds of situations, in terms of how they're earned and what they can be used for.

Yes! Holy Cow, that is almost exactly what I am getting at.

 

[Robyn]

Re: [Romance] The game mechanics of love?

 

Of course' date=' I've also seen "In Love With..." as a Psych Lim.[/quote']

 

Depends on who you're in love with