I’ve been “playing” the indie PC game “This War of Mine”. It’s like Sims During Wartime. It’s all about managing scarcity and hard choices, which strike me as a very AE kind of story elements.
So, what would you expect to see in a wartime game focusing on the civilian experience as opposed to those on the front? I’m picturing a game that’s less hyper-focused and, shall we say, “terminal”, than The Grey Ranks. Thoughts?
As If definitely want your thoughts on this.
Fascinating. I think a good starting point would be the “End of the World” hack by Gremlin Legions (which IIRC is aka Mike Wight): http://fictioneers.net/games/end-world
I love hometown campaigns for apocalyptic or PA scenarios, and the same logic applies here. There’s so much you can do with the streets and landmarks with which you and your players are familiar, and the extra added emotional BLEED of this being your own hometown in a state of utter destruction… well, depending on your relationship with your hometown, it’s either tremendously poignant or vindictively nihilistic. Either way, good times.
As far as running it, personally I’d prep lots of Fronts, distribute the most vital resources widely and draw a relationship map, although at the start I’d have lots of relationships unknown or non-existent. Lots of characters who don’t know any other characters at all. Everybody needing something.
If we assume an urban environment and siege warfare, getting out of the city is going to be impossible or nearly impossible. That means you’ve got your players in a very large fishbowl, and things could get boring if you think in chunks that are too large. Keep it tightly focused but always moving. Keep it personal. “Cinema Verite'”. You are shooting a guerilla docu with a phone, not filming a lavish set piece with a camera crew. Fronts (with some notable exceptions like military units or FEMA crews) should be small, fast, and numerous. Right now I’m thinking CLOVERFIELD but without the monstery stuff.
Oh, and David Byrne already listed a lot of the details for you… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DblvhECdws0
Fronts being literal in this case 😉
Life During Wartime was a big inspiration for the concept in general.
I think” Threads” and “This is How We Live Now” are definitely must views as well.
That game is amazing, I can’t stop playing it. I have been having similar thoughts about it too.
Ok… I have to do this. Am I going to have to run it? I’ll need a lot of help if so.. It’s been since the Changeling: The Dreaming LARPS of 2005 that I ran anything.
This game has been on my radar. I’m waiting for a Steam sale to coincide with more free time.
I would advise to buy it on gamesrepublic, you buy it directly from the makers (that’s 11bit studios shop) and you also get steam key+drm free versions.
And I think that one important thing that makes TWoM different from AW, is that in AW game mechanic is definitely not resource management based.
One thing that you would need definitely, is that frequent tradeoffs between acting humanly and getting resources – I think that was one of main things in TWoM.
https://11bitlaunchpad.gamesrepublic.com/game/strategy,this-war-of-mine,148,true,3038.html
I’d be interested in a roleplaying experience that gets close to it yet I am not sure if the PbtA Engine would be a suiting fit to the topic. Mostly because the world doesn’t react as much to the decisions made. Like your characters will be affected, sometimes, yet it doesn’t appear to escalate quite in the fashion of what happens in usual PbtA games. The “base building” aspect also seems like something rather difficult to cover in a RPG.
Just as a thought,..
After playing a bit with “This War of Mine” I got the impression that it would make a great setting for the Role Playing Game “Kingdom”.
Jennifer Fuss fair enough
Vel Ziliuse looks up Kingdom Holy crap, yes it would.