So, I'm slowly but surely getting around to posting up the games from WarpCon and next up to the plate is Mob Justice (leaving only a discussion about/demo of Spione, a playtest of zuzannah and the APs of Covenant and InSpectres to come).
Basically we got a strong request for a game of Mob Justice, which is great. Not a demo but something more like a game.
Now I didn't have the book with me and only had the 15-minute demo, so we used the pre-genned characters from the demo with 6 skill points added and a random loyalty and code. In this way MJ can be a quick start, but for a full, regular character you probably will take more time footering with character generation (creating a network and so on too).
Anyway, the quick start worked for us and we soon had 4 mobsters ready to roll. It helped that I had run it at GaelCon and then been informed of what I did wrong then, so this was a smoother ride for me.
Basically the situation was the mobsters had whacked the Boss' wife (on his orders) only to find out it was her sister. In play the then disposed of the body, whacked a cop who interfered with their body dumping, and then made their way to the city. In a plush restaurant they poisoned the Boss' wife using Tiramisu and made off in the aftermath winning a flashy gun battle but not hurting anyone.
It was fun and the system of bidding chips in and forming hands works. Without the book I'm not sure exactly what it dictates, but the intuitive feel of playing the cards and bidding works nicely.
The distribution of chips to the winner works well too. I found that the players happily gave up story chips of establishing fictional stuff and I think it's key that you get them doing that. Otherwise you flood the table with story chips and none are getting cycled out. Iain, has getting chips off players ever been a problem in the games you have run?
I like the way they meter the length of a scene, and the winning narration works really well if you see the winner as having a "rubber stamp" rather than the permission to talk.
As the GM I also liked being able to throw curve balls using story chips ... the Police Chief is at the restaurant ... and has ordered Tiramisu too. Countered by a player declaring that he gets ill on the main course and foregoes dessert.
The good thing was that the girl who asked for the game loved it (again) and had a good game. She really promises to order it from the website.
Matt, Adam, did you have any perceptions on Mob Justice? Have you played it before at all? If so, was there anything different this time around?
I have played before
Submitted by Matt on Fri, 01/02/2008 - 19:36.
Both in demos and in Iain's game at Furnace.
I think the flow was similar, although I forget the details. I can't remember how much it costs in story chips to do stuff, and so on.
What I do really like, is how Mob Justice's poker mechanic allows you to bluff.
-Matt
Realms Publishing
I haven't played it before,
Submitted by cthulahoops on Mon, 04/02/2008 - 23:54.
I haven't played it before, but I have heard a bit about it I think.
I really enjoyed the game. We did a good job of churn together a story out of a simple situation. The girl who asked for the demo kept complaining that we were over complicating the situation, and I kept thinking that that was where all the fun was coming from!
System-wise, I felt that the bidding would have worked better if it worked exactly like poker rather than kind of like poker. The player in early position had a massive advantage and players in late position were prevented from raising by a call in early position. How does this work in the rules as written?
Some answers
Submitted by Iain McAllister on Tue, 05/02/2008 - 21:40.
The reason that the system is poker like rather than actually poker, is that if you could just bet as much as you like the person with the most chips wins almost instantly. As it works in the system, which I forgot a little myself in my last game, is that a raise can only ever be 1 above the current maximum on the table. Basically it results in an individual stake only being able to go up by 2 max in a given round. Early calls will also eliminate other players so if the other characters want to be involved they need to tell the dealer. You have to be careful, making sure that the dealer and principle go first and then others join in.
Gregor, I have had problems getting chips off people in the past but the last game I ran I had no problem at all. I think this was just a failure on my part to communicate how they worked.
The only thing I need to do now for that game is sell the stature/ reputation mechanic afterwards, as you don't see it much in 'Brothers in Arms', and keep my own chip spend in check. The players weren't being given enough opportuntity to get the from me and I wasn't being confrontational enough.
I think emphasising that story chips are a way to basically stand up and say 'It doesn't go your way, it goes mine' is essential to getting the system across. Also once players have got the hang of it they can narrate as they utilise the system making the game flow better.
Cheers
Iain
Mob Justice now available!
'The Giant Brain':Small games, big ideas.
I meant limit poker, not
Submitted by cthulahoops on Wed, 06/02/2008 - 11:22.
I meant limit poker, not no-limit. A maximum raise of one seems absolutely right.
The problem is that if I'm sitting in late position I have no options. The dealer simply raises with good hands and calls bad hands - and I never have an opportunity to raise except when the dealer already has a good hand.
True but...
Submitted by Iain McAllister on Wed, 06/02/2008 - 21:59.
That is true enough but then again the Dealer and the Principal are the main players in that conflict and should be the ones who decide when it ends. If you are working together then the Dealer can make sure you get a chance to put in your stake: maybe you are better with a gun than he is for instance.
I think the deciscion to call must be made from a narrative stand point i.e. do I want help from my mates. If you play it purely tactically then that is fine by me but you will lose some opportunity to bring in the other characters from a narrative standpoint.
Cheers
Iain
Mob Justice now available!
'The Giant Brain':Small games, big ideas.
Ah, Adam...
Submitted by Gregor Hutton on Sat, 09/02/2008 - 11:44.
...looking at the rules it says the following (summarised).
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Someone opposes a piece of narration. They are now termed "the Dealer" and they put in a Story Chip, and draw (5 + Skill) cards. They may "mulligan" the hand (redraw for 1 chip that is discarded).
If the person narrating wants to oppose then they are termed "the Principal" and they now draw (5 + skill) cards (but no chip in yet). They may also "mulligan" the hand (redraw for 1 chip that is discarded).
First Round
The Principal can See (put in 1 chip to match the Dealer), Raise (put in 2 chips to outbid the Dealer), or Call (put in 1 chip to match the Dealer and everyone reveals hands).
Everyone else becomes a "Supporter" (forms their own hand, Raising or Seeing, but not Calling), "Friend" (don't form a hand but are declared as helping someone) or "Spectator" (no involvement).
The Supporters (typo in book), Dealer and Principal can now discard and redraw as many cards as they like.
Second Round
As the First Round but can also... Check (wait to see if anyone else raises) or Fold (leave the skirmish, chips go to the Pot).
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I think the issue you have, Adam, is that the Principal (which may be the GM, who we've been calling Dealer in the posts above) will Call anything on sight that is rubbish to avoid bleeding more chips, and Raise if they have a decent hand. You'd prefer the ability to Raise before a Call, right?