Currently Designing a RPG

can you break down the mechanics of the system for us?

Presumable the tabletop equivalent of vaporware.

See the Song of Swords threads.

As in "fantasy heartbreaker". Essentially a game made as a labor of love that looks unlikely to gain traction in the market, and has rules based off existing games.

indie-rpgs.com/articles/9/

Ok

What distinguishes your noir influenced urban fantasy setting focused on the inherent corruption of political systems and the inclusion of multiple factions different from the other noir influenced urban fantasy settings focused on the inherent corruption of political systems and the inclusion of multiple factions?

I think the term is a little less harsh and a little broader than how it's used in that article now.

The game is centered around skills. You level up, you can invest in new skills and attributes, increasing their ranks. Every rank costs progressively more to purchase.

Additionally, skills come in 'trees' that 'feed back' into them. If you have 10/10 in pistols, you're going to have some skill in other handguns as well, plus some marginal skill with rifles.

When you roll for a skill you roll X d10. Where X is the rank you have in that skill. You then are able to choose Y dice from the pool you just threw. With Y usually being 3 but specialization, spells, abilities, etc, increasing or decreasing that amount chosen.

Criticals and botches are the result of a triple 10 or triple 1 showing up. However, any 10s that show up can be used to 'push' any 1s off the table. This means that by sacrificing your highest rolls (10s) you can avoid a botch.

WoD is designed to have their factions distinct and in separate games. Vampire games and Werewolf games don't tend to mesh well.

What do you need to finish the game? Besides artists

So nothing. Got it.

The reason I ask is because the first question everyone is going to ask is what sets your game apart from WoD

And considering your game also uses a D10 dice pool system you're really going to need to pump the gas to convince people that you've got something new to offer

Harsh.

Reality is a cruel mistress.

Is very hard to make a detective tabletop game with a sistem that works. You would have more luck writing a novel or if you get an artist, turning it into a webcomic.

Basically for it to work it would have to get the DM create a mistery and then for the players, as detectives to solve it without involving dice, save for things as how many clues and evidence they get. Since that is also defined by luck in a real mistery.

It would be a game with tons of talking as the players tell each other their theories and so on

The GUMSHOE system works pretty good for mysteries

Like I said, WoD tends to keep their games separate, often for tonal reasons and because there are conflicts in how the world works. I'm not an expert on WoD but that is what I gathered from that.

Beyond the Pale keeps the world united. Different factions are not kept to separate games. You can end up facing off against demons, angels, the Indian/Arabian daeva and vampires of every stroke and strain.

And, while I may be wrong here, a lot of WoD is not noir from what I've seen.

Most of WoW is not noir because very few people want to play a combination of noir and vampires. Those that do already have a system that is well known and well supported.

If your only selling point is that your vampire rules and werewolf rules are different chapters instead of different books you are going to have a bad time.

> woman
> writing RPGs

LOL

Reminds me of the Firefly RPG that Margaret Weis made. Or whoever it was. Fucking terrible game, probably the worst narrative game after Dungeon World and FATE.

Also your game looks like shit. d10 dice pools? Get the fuck out. I am not buying a shitton of d10s for a game that has nothing to offer.

It looks like a World of Darkness rip-off just like 99% of homebrew is a d20 rip-off. Those games are also fucking shit.

This is real fucking gay. What does this game do that GURPS, Savage Worlds, etc. cannot do? If the answer is nothing, it has no reason to exist, and you should delete your files then proceed to kill yourself.

Can you drive home the differences for us? A problem with WoD is that combining different splat books can lead to some major power imbalances.

Have you weighted your system to ensure that all potential players start out at the same way?

With your focus on investigation your big comparison might actually turn out to be the Dresden Files

>I am not buying a shitton of d10s for a game that has nothing to offer.
>shadowrun? lol I don't own that many D6s XD
>DCC? Who owns a D24?
>BRP? Kek there's no such thing as a D100

Anyone who says any of these things, such as you, is cancer.

Reminder that if you don't own a vast array of dice in all possible configurations you're the one who needs to kill yourself.

I'm not trying to bust your balls OP, here are my real thoughts.

What you have here looks clunky, and bland. I'm finding nothing cool or compelling here except the art, and that's unclear if it's even yours.

It looks like you're expanding your game outward, and trying to think of everything, but it's just kind of a mess right now.

If you've been working this long, but haven't really gotten anything down, I think you're just reading water.

My advice is to start again. Throw everything out. Everything. Yes, even your long skill and ability lists. Especially those.

Take a couple of weeks, and sit on this thought:

"What do I want this game to be?"

Come up with a handful of meaningful words or phrases that describe your game (or what you want it to be). Make decisions when there are conflicts. It can't be intricate, AND fast-paced, unless you are really clever.

Now this time, don't get ahead of yourself. Think of what your core systems are, and trim the fat AS you design.

Without getting much more specific, here's my last piece of advice.

Keep everything to yourself at first. No updates, no beta tests, no nothing. Not until you have one comprehensive document, that would allow someone to play a game from start to finish, mechanically.

Character creation, combat, roleplay, whatever is important in your game. Add some fuff, and THEN come to us about it.

I don't mean to dishearten you, but you need to rethink a lot of the steps you've taken to make sure this labour of yours gets more than one quick glance to be dismissed

Alright, so how is the noir element emphasised in gameplay and setting? And what does this add to the game over it not being there?

While I'm aware there is a Dresden Files RPG, I didn't look at it for inspiration. Though I admit, I'm a fan of the books. Films like Hellboy, the Hellbazer and Hellboy comics, Pan's Labyrinth, Dresden Files and the Diablo games all shaped my tastes and I know some of it shows in my fluff.

I haven't gotten to the balancing portion of things yet. Getting there but not quite at that point right now. However, my intent is that characters, be they human, vampire, elf, troll, whatever, all can be together and not easily outstrip one another.

Abilities are going to be designed to all work with the same system, character leveling will all work the same, etc. You won't need multiple systems to work together a team of multiple beings.

focus on mechanics. Good mechanics will make or break a game.

It doesn't matter if you have a novel and unique setting if it can be broken over your knee with a few unlikely but legal use of the rules as written

I appreciate the feedback but what you've suggested is largely what I've been doing. Stuff posted to the main blog are things that have been looked over multiple times.

I've trimmed fat in various places. I've thrown out mechanics. Stuff like that.

The issue is that a lot of my process has been lost on my other blog. I only recently started putting things down to text and starting to finalize things.

As for the art, if you went through my blog you should know that it isn't mine. I'm a terrible artist. And I've explicitly credited the art to their creators, wonderful people who drew stuff for the project.

Why would I buy a d24 for some shitty OSR rip-off?

Nigga I have 4 d10s in my dice collection. See I happen to play RPGs that don't require me to roll a shitton of dice because of their special snowflake mechanics.

I bet you're OP though and trying to desperately fight back under the guise of some user. Don't work on me sweetheart. Back in the kitchen, where you belong.

Trust me, I am. The fluff stuff I'm posting is what I do when I'm burned out on doing crunch.

I devote a couple hours every day, sometimes more, to developing crunch. However, I don't post it unless I'm marginally sure it is what I want it to be. Fluff, on the other hand, is easier for me to write up and post because I've had the fluff brewing in my head for a couple years now.

I'm not OP, I'm an oncologist.

Did you notice how couldn't refute a single thing I said? That's because you and your posts are cancer, and should be removed from this board.

>>>/reddit

>literally feeding a troll attention
por que

the setting is interesting but it doesn't seem to have much focus. It might make it hard for players and gms to figure out what exactly they want to do

maybe take a page from exalted and have hooks built in the setting, things that npcs are planning on or in the process of doing

metaplot

>metaplot

We're trying to make the game less like WoD, not more

Especially the really bad parts of WoD

Loch Ness monster?

>Savage Worlds
>capable of doing anything

This is a nice meme

Certainly more capable than fucking World of Darkness.

>Harsh.
But not unfair.
That’s what I like about Veeky Forums.
Sure, you get feckless insulting comments like the diceless wonder above, but you know what I have never seen here?
A circle of strangers patting someone on the head and blowing sunshine up their ass providing empty praise devoid of useful criticism.
At least not without someone coming along to dump a steaming bucket of reality on them.

When I finish my setting and system mod, I’m bringing it to Veeky Forums to have them tear it to shreds for me.

>I'm not OP, I'm an oncologist.
I have not seen this before. I laughed.

>In the next posts, I autisticly condense advice and questions for OP:

>How is the noir element emphasized in gameplay and setting?
>It is very hard to make a detective tabletop game with a system that works.
OP, since the guidepost of your system is the noir influence with the focus on solving mysteries, your chief issue regarding crunch is making sure your system supports and works well with mysteries.
I have never seen a system do it well; it has always depended entirely on the GM or module writer with little to no support from the system to run mysteries.
Although there are a lot of systems I have not played, including GUMSHOE, as suggested.
You might want to look around and see what elements from other systems might gel well with yours.

Another thing to consider is that the inclusion of supernatural elements opens the door to divination magic of various types, which can blow the doors off any mystery pretty quickly unless there are hard set limits on the power and scope of divination magic in system.

There are a number of additional points raised by others in the thread that addressing might serve you well.
You don’t need to answer them to us, but at least to yourself.

First:
>"What do I want this game to be?"
You need to know this and have every aspect of the game working towards this.

>What do you need to finish the game?
You need to understand what the game needs to become what you want it to be before you can work on getting it there.

>What sets your game apart from WoD, Dresden Files, or similar games?
>Considering your game also uses a D10 dice pool system you're really going to need to pump the gas to convince people that you've got something new to offer
>There is not an established market of people that want to play a combination of noir and vampires. Those that do, already have a system that is well known and well supported.
Aside from setting, style, and fluff you need something meatier to justify learning an entirely new system.

>Can you drive home the differences of the creatures of your united world for us?
Major power imbalances between these creatures could be a concern.

>Have you weighted your system to ensure that all potential players start out at the same way?
I would also ask, unless I missed it, which races are available as PCs.

I like your stuff so far, OP.
What I can see that you do have, that nobody else has commented on, is a command of your style and interesting setting ideas.
The setting should be able to help draw an interest, but more importantly, I can sense from what I read that you do have a definite concept of what you want the finished product to look like.
That is important.

Unfortunately, it’s not as important as the crunch.
I like what I saw of your crunch.
The d10 pool, attributes, and skills seemed to work okay.
And I liked your combat initiative resolution and how your resolved crits.
On its face, I think your system could work fine.

But without a compelling reason to use it over systems like GURPS or WOD, the sum total draw of playing your system would be your style and that it is tied to your fluff.
And what I read of your fluff was an interesting take on modern fantasy, but without a following, it’s not a large enough pull.

It’s like how the Firefly game system didn’t especially capture the feeling of the show, so players could just run the setting in Traveler to greater effect.

I wish you luck, OP.

Hi! Thanks for the feedback. I'll look into what you said and dig into it a bit.

As for why people should use my system, I'd hope it is because it fits what I'm going for. I'm creating it to provide more nuance to things like conversations and investigations.

I also am building the system to best accommodate player autonomy.

The time debt system for combat is meant to put more decision making on the player, who has to decide between actions and how the time debt they incur influences things further up the road. Now players have to weigh high time debt actions against being able to act more often with low time debt actions.

The dice system also encourages this. The system allows a new vector to be exploited; the dice pool and the dice chosen. Now spells and abilities can influence the number of dice in the pool and the number of dice chosen, as opposed to just a flat +/- bonus or penalty.

If I were to design a counterspell I now have several options available. One version could simply cut the dice pool's size. Another version could reduce the number of dice chosen. One version could convert the highest rolled die to a 1, increasing the chance of a botch. I could develop all of these and hand them to different classes, giving a different kind of counter to different characters.

I do have a focused idea of what I want for the mechanics. I want one that allows for a great degree of choice on the player's part. Be it in a conversation, in combat or in choosing how they progress their character. I feel this helps the setting, making player choice being less rigid and making the players consider the consequences of their actions.

You took the time out of your day to post this?

Don't pitch your game by describing it in relation to other games. The title of some other game shouldn't appear in any description you give of your game.

Nobody will understand this
>Mechanically, the game is being created in the same vein as D&D, Pathfinder and Shadowrun, opposed to that of Warhammer or Battletech.
But what they will take away is that your game is probably derivative horseshit.

The only other helpful thing I can say at the moment is that your skill categories seem pretty narrow. If the focus of your game is mystery and intrigue, why are there separate skills for each category of weapon? If your character is blasting people often enough to have a signature weapon, it's a full on action game.

>Don't pitch your game by describing it in relation to other games.

you're a fucking idiot, like a real idiot.

anyone who knows anything about pitching a game in any setting (and especially a professional setting) is you most DEFINITELY relate it to other games, it immediately gives the 'like this but' which dictates your point of difference to investors or publishers, as well as giving them a point of reference to work from.
jesus christ it's quite literally one of the first things you learn about pitching.

A moment of silence for the fallen.

For a quick Stand, use the following method-
>music.wikia.com/wiki/Music_Wiki
Hit random for the name.
>powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Superpower_Wiki
Same deal for the powers.
OR just use
>pages.drexel.edu/~dft29/Stand_Generator/Stand-Generation-Overdrive.html

Then, write it up

>jjba.wikia.com/wiki/Stand
Everything you ever wanted to know about Stands, but were too afraid to ask.

I think I forgot how to Veeky Forums, apologies for the post.

>Fate & Dungeon World
>Bad

You are indeed a funny user. Rest of the world wouldn't seem to agree with you. I bet you like GURPS and Pathfinder.

>>shadowrun? lol I don't own that many D6s XD

If you play D&D (which most evryone does) then you do own at least 3-4 d6's for character generation, and likely a shitload more for sneak attacks and Wizard spells (namely fireball).

And if you have any other boardgames, most all of them come with a couple of d6.

Plus you can buy six packs of d6's in the checkout line of a convenience store for a dollar or so. Right next to the playing cards.

d6 is by far the most ubiquitous die.

FATE is abstract action economy shit, Dungeon World is a bad Apocalypse World rip-off, it's basically d20 modern, using the wrong mechanics for the wrong genre and tacking on AD&D mecahnics by some twitch-stream-kikestarter fag-tards who introduced zero new mechanics to their abortion of a game.

And no, I do not like GURPS and Pathfinder. Both are overly complicated, poorly-designed trash. So is Shadowrun and World of Darkness. Lots of rules bloat for zero effect. All those games should be burned, and their developers executed by the goernvemtn.

bumping out of interest

Posters who simply trash every system that is mentioned always seem like they aren't happy with any system, hate all of them, and therefore their opinion as a player is suspect and can safely be disregarded.

>While re-reading the other post, I put together that Savage Worlds was the only system that was not coated in your needlessly caustic bile.
Avoiding a ban is against the rules, virtualoptim.

I think eventually stopped dick riding SW

>And no, I do not like GURPS and Pathfinder. Both are overly complicated, poorly-designed trash. So is Shadowrun and World of Darkness. Lots of rules bloat for zero effect. All those games should be burned, and their developers executed by the goernvemtn.

OP
thespectacularspider-girl.tumblr.com

OP, how many times have you read this?

That's not nice, user

>So I always feel guilty after fooling around with a guy, or after watching gay or bi porn. One of my gay friends gave me a blowjob the other day and I felt really guilty after it. Is it normal to feel like that and how do I over come it?

Fuck more ass

Always works for me

Considering I linked to my main blog in the first post I dont' really see the point of this.

Scribus is a solid free desktop publishing program

To be fair, I have no proof that the OP is a thin-skinned douche resting on laurels that were getting dusty and overused fifteen years ago, and have only gotten more sad and stale since.
So, at least they've got *that* over WoD...

Seconding Scribus

Probably bullying

>Mechanically, the game is being created in the same vein as D&D, Pathfinder and Shadowrun
>The system utilizes pools of d10
It sounds like you took the worst TTRPG has to offer and mixed it together. This doesn't start well. Let's continue...

>Details of what I codified so far can be found in this link: beyondthepalerpg.tumblr.com/
>tumblr.com
Stopped reading here.

Yeah, that's helpful.

I don't know, they're using a system that hasn't been used before.

Your bit on 'The Difference Between Heaven and Hell's Geography' is enough to tell me I wouldn't but this game as it is right now. I've read more interesting pieces on real, physical, mundane geography.

I can see that you've got people backing you up againt comments here on your tumblr, so I guess you have to decide which criticism you listen to. Personally I don't think I would listen to either - but, one point. You may not accept the WoD comparison as legitimate. It is. It is the first comparison anyone will make. Theyare both modern dark kitchen sink fantasy settings with a d10 dice pool. You are angling for what must be a near-complete overlap with the playerbase of WoD in your audience. And WoD is almost no longer in the game (as in the RPG market) in many ways.

You have to define your game as different to WoD and surpass it. Right now, from what's shown, you haven't done that. You also have to succeed against things like Monsterhearts. At the moment - and I mean this honestly and not harshly - I do not see who buys your game. I only see a very small group of people that are even interested in it.

Thanks for the photos of the Egyptian girl.

Uh that's 'buy' not 'but'. Sorry, phoneposting

I've never really got the comparisons of dice. When a system like D20 is in use I get it because D20 tends to be derivative of everything involving D20. But to say that because one game uses D6 and another uses D6 that they draw instant comparisons never sat well with me.

If Shadowrun used D10 instead of D6 would it be fine to compare it and WoD? I've always compared mechanics, not dice. Even if Shadowrun used D10 it would be very different than WoD because WoD uses storyteller. Comparing Deadlands to Shadowrun would be a better option, regardless of dice being used because at least both use exploding dice. It seems stupid to me to judge a game on what dice it uses instead of how it uses those dice.

With set dressing I can see comparisons but I always see them as shallow. People always skim the top and then make a decision. It means that people never give a cyberpunk game a chance because we have Cyberpunk and Shadowrun.

It seems to me that you are trying to build a system that can handle the combat and roleplaying in a satisfying manner. I highly recommend using the Ubiquity system. It's a far more robust die pool system then most of the games out there. Check out All for One: Regime Diabolique or Desolation.

Sure, true, but the fact remains that is what people do.

I wasn't really arguing against you. More railing against what people do and how it means we're not going to get another big cyberpunk game anytime soon.

I've been working on a base system for about a year now. I designed it to be malleable and modular so that I could adapt it to a variety of settings without worrying about mucking things up too much.

Lately I've wanted to make a game that is basically Three Musketeers x Star Trek, with the players travelling the countryside, solving episodic problems (violence discouraged) and balancing their chivalry and ambition.

Are there any games/settings already like this or do I need to make my own?

OP, I'm still waiting for you to answer this question.