Post by Dilvish on May 10, 2010 13:39:40 GMT -5
About The Power 19
The Power 19 is a series of nineteen questions that Troy Costick designed to tease out a game's design. It was meant as a list of questions for people to ask people like you about their games. The idea was that we could ask you these questions one at a time as conversation starters. Over time, people have started using it as a questionnaire: "Go answer the Power 19."
1.) What is your game about?
Lords of Gossamer and Shadow is about a race of immortals, being more powerful than humans, who move among us. They use strange powers, the most powerful of which are based on two primal forces that are opposed to one another. These immortals have walked amongst us for centuries, even millennia, and have been mistaken for demons, demigods, and even gods. They inhabit our psyches, and in some cases embody mythic archetypes.
Our world is the primary battleground in a war being waged between these immortals and their enemies, a battle for supremacy and survival against unimaginable threats. However, this world is not unique. Though it is the most “real” of worlds, it is caught between the two powers, it is only one of those they move through. Other worlds exist above and below this one, places of peril and wonder, places of gossamer and shadow.
2.) What do the characters do?
The players are these Immortals, either established or newly come into their powers. They are out for survival, and potentially trying to save the universal against threats that would shatter all of reality.
3.) What do the players (including the GM if there is one) do?
They play these characters, jockey against non-player character foes, and even conspire against one another if the opportunity presents itself. They may have their own goals, or in a more traditional goal they’ll be working together against a bigger threat than each other.
4.) How does your setting (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
The setting emphasizes duality, from the chaos/order split to the mutability of matter, spirit, and meaning. I’m obviously still in the planning stages with some of it, as I want to engage the patrons as much as possible in the creation process, but some of the initial goals are to have a setting that allows for easy travel through multiple planes of existence, a universe caught in the tension between two mutually-opposing forces, and the player-driven ability to change reality or seek out different realities.
5.) How does the Character Creation of your game reinforce what your game is about?
It’s the traditional Amber Diceless Roleplaying character auction, with some provisions covering points-based character generation. As with Amber, nothing is ever random. Creating your character emphasizes choices, sometimes devotion to one force or another.
6.) What types of behaviors/styles of play does your game reward (and punish if necessary)?
Player initiative is of a primary concern, and the game rewards clever plans and intelligent use of resources. Jumping into action without any thought, and having no real ability to shift a conflict to the player’s advantage is a wonderful way to test one’s immortality.
7.) How are behaviors and styles of play rewarded or punished in your game?
It all depends on the gamemaster and the campaign. A conspiratorial game where players are pitted mostly against one another or playing the political game will have different stakes than one where the goal is defeating some universal threat.
8.) How are the responsibilities of narration and credibility divided in your game?
Because this is a diceless game, the role of the gamemaster is far more significant than in a diced game. There’s an immense amount of trust between the gamemaster and the players, and the gamemaster doesn’t have the crutch of easily-defined outcomes provided by dice. The players, also, have a responsibility to collaborate with the gamemaster, providing depth to the game’s background through exploration of their own goals.
9.) What does your game do to command the players' attention, engagement, and participation? (i.e. What does the game do to make them care?)
I’ve never seen anything equivalent to the level of player investment in a game like Amber, where players are encouraged to devote time inside and outside the game with the contribution system, giving additional points for creation through things like campaign logs, personal in-character diaries, illustrations, or even niceties like bringing snacks or hosting. Lords of Gossamer and Shadow will incorporate a version of the ADRP contributions system.
The Power 19 is a series of nineteen questions that Troy Costick designed to tease out a game's design. It was meant as a list of questions for people to ask people like you about their games. The idea was that we could ask you these questions one at a time as conversation starters. Over time, people have started using it as a questionnaire: "Go answer the Power 19."
1.) What is your game about?
Lords of Gossamer and Shadow is about a race of immortals, being more powerful than humans, who move among us. They use strange powers, the most powerful of which are based on two primal forces that are opposed to one another. These immortals have walked amongst us for centuries, even millennia, and have been mistaken for demons, demigods, and even gods. They inhabit our psyches, and in some cases embody mythic archetypes.
Our world is the primary battleground in a war being waged between these immortals and their enemies, a battle for supremacy and survival against unimaginable threats. However, this world is not unique. Though it is the most “real” of worlds, it is caught between the two powers, it is only one of those they move through. Other worlds exist above and below this one, places of peril and wonder, places of gossamer and shadow.
2.) What do the characters do?
The players are these Immortals, either established or newly come into their powers. They are out for survival, and potentially trying to save the universal against threats that would shatter all of reality.
3.) What do the players (including the GM if there is one) do?
They play these characters, jockey against non-player character foes, and even conspire against one another if the opportunity presents itself. They may have their own goals, or in a more traditional goal they’ll be working together against a bigger threat than each other.
4.) How does your setting (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
The setting emphasizes duality, from the chaos/order split to the mutability of matter, spirit, and meaning. I’m obviously still in the planning stages with some of it, as I want to engage the patrons as much as possible in the creation process, but some of the initial goals are to have a setting that allows for easy travel through multiple planes of existence, a universe caught in the tension between two mutually-opposing forces, and the player-driven ability to change reality or seek out different realities.
5.) How does the Character Creation of your game reinforce what your game is about?
It’s the traditional Amber Diceless Roleplaying character auction, with some provisions covering points-based character generation. As with Amber, nothing is ever random. Creating your character emphasizes choices, sometimes devotion to one force or another.
6.) What types of behaviors/styles of play does your game reward (and punish if necessary)?
Player initiative is of a primary concern, and the game rewards clever plans and intelligent use of resources. Jumping into action without any thought, and having no real ability to shift a conflict to the player’s advantage is a wonderful way to test one’s immortality.
7.) How are behaviors and styles of play rewarded or punished in your game?
It all depends on the gamemaster and the campaign. A conspiratorial game where players are pitted mostly against one another or playing the political game will have different stakes than one where the goal is defeating some universal threat.
8.) How are the responsibilities of narration and credibility divided in your game?
Because this is a diceless game, the role of the gamemaster is far more significant than in a diced game. There’s an immense amount of trust between the gamemaster and the players, and the gamemaster doesn’t have the crutch of easily-defined outcomes provided by dice. The players, also, have a responsibility to collaborate with the gamemaster, providing depth to the game’s background through exploration of their own goals.
9.) What does your game do to command the players' attention, engagement, and participation? (i.e. What does the game do to make them care?)
I’ve never seen anything equivalent to the level of player investment in a game like Amber, where players are encouraged to devote time inside and outside the game with the contribution system, giving additional points for creation through things like campaign logs, personal in-character diaries, illustrations, or even niceties like bringing snacks or hosting. Lords of Gossamer and Shadow will incorporate a version of the ADRP contributions system.