A Too Procedural Apocalypse

chromatic chameleon's picture
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So I am working on an idea for a game and I am trying to find an engine/system to attach it. I am drawn to the idea of doing my first PBtA or Foraged in the Dark game. But the more I look over these games I find a huge move to the procedural. By this I mean everything is governed by a move, clock or stage of play. I like all of them as really good GM/Gaming techniques but they have been twisted into hardcore procedural rules. But as GM's especially new ones move into these games they may become handicapped by these rules.

The second issue is all these procedures really hamper events and developments that occur random outside of stages, it justs too structural and tends to force players to focus on the procedure cutting down on role playing.

I am not sure if I like these choices for my game I might do Drama System game instead. It really depends if I focus on missions or dramatic interactions.

Paul T.'s picture

You're right that their design is quite procedural. However, I've seen people "worry" about this aspect of the designs, but it's always people who haven't played the games, and are just reading them. It rarely ever causes a problem in play, in my experience (and it's easy to invent "custom moves" on the spot for the rare situations where you might feel stifled). Just something to consider!

Two orcs's picture

No need to make everything proceduring. If you're suffocating you don't need a countdown timer - make it have the effect it would in real life. The moves/procedures feed the fiction and the fiction feeds the procedures. The procedures are not there to make things fair or balanced but to help the MC.