So, you'll see an attachment as part of this post. It's for a game I've just done (in quite a bit less than 24 hours) for the 24 Hour Espionage RPG event being run by Modus Operandi.
So, what's it all about? The Okhrana were the secret police of Czarist Russia and as one of those strange quirks of history, they had an office in Paris to keep tabs on emigre revolutionaries and so forth. They also had the full co-operation of the French government and police, I might add. So, the game pits the revolutionaries, anarchists, etc, against the agents of the Okhrana in belle epoque Paris (1899, to be exact).
It's GMless, it has a fixed number of scenes and so forth. Given that it was written in a little over a couple of hours, I'm actually quite pleased with it as a workable base for something better and more complete. Actually, I find it the most satisfying RPG contest entry I've done to date.
So, critique. There are elements of the mechanics, in particular the reward mechanic, that I feel need serious attention. There could also be great mechanical reward for narrative drive and so forth. I have my own ideas on these points, but would love to get the fedback of others.
Cheers
Malcolm
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Okhrana_v1.5.pdf | 106.84 KB |
Well, I've added a slightly
Submitted by Malcolm Craig on Wed, 11/04/2007 - 10:04.
Well, I've added a slightly modified version of the game text here. Nothing substantive, just a couple of things (Like the use of Jokers) that I forgot to include in the competition entry variant. There's also now a table of contents and a page at the end discussing feedback on the text.
I look forward to your comments.
Cheers
Malcolm
Contested Ground Studios
Seeing as I'm busy reviewing
Submitted by Andrew Kenrick on Thu, 12/04/2007 - 10:23.
Seeing as I'm busy reviewing Game Chef entries at the moment, it won't hurt to add yours into the mix at the same time! I'll try to get a look at it over the weekend.
Andrew
www.steampowerpublishing.co.uk
Great competition
Submitted by Gobion on Mon, 16/04/2007 - 12:21.
It was a great competition with 10 entries overall (see them / download them HERE)
The next step once the marking has been finished and the winners announced will be to put together a compilation of the entries (assuming the authors are happy with that) and publish it as the first Modus Operandi book :)
Cheers,
Gobion
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Games about real issues
Wow, great going! There are
Submitted by Andrew Kenrick on Thu, 19/04/2007 - 20:43.
Wow, great going! There are some really fun sounding games there! I love the 2 cavemen entries.
I'd love to see a compilation of them - good luck with publishing your first MO book. If you need any help with it, you've come to the right place.
I've already been getting
Submitted by Malcolm Craig on Sun, 22/04/2007 - 11:51.
I've already been getting some good feedback on the Okhrana over at the Modus Opernadi forums, so the game is moving along nicely.
Anyone here have any further thoughts and opinions on it?
Cheers
Malcolm
Contested Ground Studios
Ok, I'm reading it now -
Submitted by Andrew Kenrick on Sun, 22/04/2007 - 17:44.
Ok, I'm reading it now - I'll drop comments as a stream of consciousness here:
*Lose the italic font! It's really hard to read!
*Love the setting - your description if it oozes powerful imagery and flavour.
*So do you tell the complete story of a single protagonist in one go, then move on to the next one and so on? Or are their stories interspersed with one another?
*Ok, I see it says later they're interspersed, but this is a bit ambiguous at first.
*I like the opposite values of guile/stupidity, fervour/doubt, and how they are used against one another in play.
*I'm not sure stupidity is the right word here tho ... impetuousness? Hastiness? Ill-fortune? It just jars somewhat. Doubt is nice and vague, and not quite so horribly negative as stupidity!
*I was about to say "example characters please!" and then turned the page and found one - good man.
*I like the use of antagonists, especially a common pool of them that all the players can use.
*Do protagonists ever interact?
*I like the different scenes, and the clear focus of each one. Reminiscent of Shab-al-hiri Roach.
*Needs more examples! Especially of play.
end stream of consciousness.
I really liked it! A very neat, focused game which is dripping with flavour and possibilities. Sorry I can't be more negative and constructive ;-)
Thanks Andy, that's all
Submitted by Malcolm Craig on Sun, 22/04/2007 - 18:25.
Thanks Andy, that's all really helpful stuff.
I like th eidea of 'stupidity' being replaced with 'ill-fortune' or something similar, give a slightly better flavour, I think.
Protagonists, to my mind, don't interact directly, although I can nothing wrong with having protagonists appear in the same scene, but only one would be in the 'spotlight' at any one time.
I'll get some solid examples of play written up when I get in the first playest! Which will hopefully be soon!
Cheers
Malcolm
Contested Ground Studios
>I'll get some solid
Submitted by Andrew Kenrick on Sun, 22/04/2007 - 18:32.
>I'll get some solid examples of play written up >when I get in the first playest! Which will >hopefully be soon!
Spodley?
I was hoping I could get at
Submitted by Malcolm Craig on Sun, 22/04/2007 - 18:35.
I was hoping I could get at least one brief test in prior to Spodley, but I'll need to see about that. I'll certainly be bringing it with me as one of my two games to test.
Cheers
Malcolm
Contested Ground Studios