Far Beyond Humanity Weekly Update #2
Here we are again. This was a bit of a tweak/polish week for me. No new chapters to show, but some solid revisions. As always, the link below will take you to the FBH preview folder on Drop Box.
New Markets (Chapter 5 – Assets)
After last week’s update, there was a very spirited discussion surrounding the Unique Markets. I found myself agreeing that it was essentially 2 pages with no GM tools, just fluff. It’s the kind of thing that belonged in a campaign setting (like the eventual Carta Galaxia) rather than a rules expansion.
So I went back to the drawing board. At first I toyed with the idea of making Markets “big Assets”, in that they would have Class and have upgrades, just like a gun or suit or speeder. The big issue is that it created even more tags to remember, and ones that would often have to be applied on the fly as new markets were introduced.
I figured that there was a simpler way of approaching the new “Market Descriptors” that didn’t add new tags/words to the game system, but rather attached new context to existing terms.
And thus the new Unique Market system: each Market has an associated Origin, which creates a stylistic/narrative structure. When you say that this is a Privileged Market, you know you’re dealing with high-Class goods and absolute snobs. When you say that this is a Crowded Market, you can already smell the sweat of massed humanity/aliens, feel the shoulder-to-shoulder press of bodies.
It’s not a hard-and-fast mechanic, but I feel it does a much better job at inspiring variety in the markets the characters will encounter. You can check it out right at the beginning of Chapter 5 – Assets.
Re-formatting
One thing I’ve been correcting is the formatting of the documents. I really enjoy writing and doing layout at once, I like to see how my paragraphs will be spaced out, whether the text is too dense, whether a section could use a bit more verbiage to fill some blank space, etc. Not the most efficient way to write, but it’s my method and it keeps the writer chained up in my brain happy, so… eh.
Aaaaanywho. I started writing FBH on 8.5 by 11 with 1 inch margins… but that totally isn’t the formatting of Uncharted Worlds. While the initial release and kickstarter backers are getting a pdf, I do intend to offer Print on Demand. And it would rend my very soul asunder to think that my expansion book had different dimensions than the core book….
/shudder
Anyway, part of this week was spent reformatting and re-font-sizing Chapter 5 – Assets, to match the proper page scale and margins. I’ll probably be doing a pass on Chapter 6 – Characters later next week.
FBH playtest
Ran a one-shot playtest for some colleagues (didn’t get a group picture, argh, kicking myself). Got some excellent testing in for various skills from the Kinetic, Telepathic, Arcane, Augmented and Fanatic careers. Was an amazing game, despite repeated failures (I have never seen so many failed rolls, they were well below the probability curve.)
Updated a bunch of skills in Chapter 6 – Characters.
What’s Next
I’ve almost got a solid Species chapter finished, so that’ll be coming next week. I’m also strongly considering re-writing the Arcane career, fiction-wise. Feels like it currently can’t support enough popular archetypes, so it may need some re-branding.
Comments, questions, etc are always welcome!
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/atd0ygpwhur5yp6/AAB140jz3usjE3imwUkkCTLia?dl=0
Idea for Forlorn markets:
“Prospector’s market, based around independent resource extraction. Local unprocessed resources are cheap, other prices are highly inflated. Class 0 and 1 Assets are readily available. High demand for food, medical supplies, tools, and luxury goods. Few Crews available.”
Too similar to the Colonist market?
I imagine this market as springing up around “gold rushes” of various resources, or commonly in asteroid belts that are being mined by independent rock rats.
I 100% much prefer this Origin-based method, with the simple rules tweaks, to the idea of treating Markets as assets. Definitely keep going down this rabbit hole! I’m not sure about telling GMs they have a hard limit of # of markets to an area, though.
Everything else in PbtA is “follow the fiction,” but “based on game scale, have X markets” seems a little arbitrary? I’m honestly asking myself if I would ever use that note, or just ignore it. I also have to ask: is this supposed to be instructions for how commonly Unique Markets occur? Or guidelines for all Markets? Am I meant to pick an Origin for every Market now, or just Unique Markets?
For now, the text doesn’t feel like it answers these questions.
Digging the previews, Sean!
I like the Origin method too. It’s helpful because it calls back to something the players are already familiar with.
Regarding asset standards – a “sealed” standard makes a good example, because that’s almost expected in a space faring setting.
As usual, I am eager to point my money-catapult at any bona fide supplement for UW.
B.J. Lapham Yeah, you see why I set it to TBD for the moment, too much overlap with Colonist, Rustic, Primal and Occult, it’s kinda in the middle. Though one word in there gives me an idea: “Independent”. A market that stands free of Faction influence (which means you can’t call in Favors to buy stuff, etc). I think I’ll go that direction. Thanks!
Alfred Rudzki It certainly wasn’t intended as a hard limit, but rather as a caution to not over-saturate. By “forcing” the GM to choose a single Origin per market (with an opportunity for sub markets), and by suggesting the density of markets, I’m trying to play into the “paint in primary colors”. Too many different market styles in a small playspace (relative to the scope of the campaign) dilutes the individuality and interest of each market type.
You do have a point about frequency of use in-game. My intention is that there are no more “standard” Markets, that every market should have an Origin persona (basically, instead of chosing Minor/Standard/Major market, you choose [Origin]-style Market). I’ll be sure to change the term “unique market” to “market types”.
Aaron Griffin Yeah I was happy when that little zot of inspiration hit. Using existing, familiar elements to drive new systems is a trick that I’m definitely going to keep in my designer’s toolbox for the future.
And yes, good idea about the “Sealed”, with “Open Topped” being the new upgrade.
Your explanation makes perfect sense, Sean! And clarifying unique market into market types is perfect, and exactly the kind of guidance I would be looking for. Plus: Love the idea of Forlorn markets being safe from Faction tampering.
One very interesting thing about Market types is that, in theory, you could build up to interesting, meaningful impacts of Factions gaining a foothold on a planet/station — resulting in the Market type changing to suit their needs. Very exciting!
That’s a very good point! If the Scientific Cabal faction takes over a station, the next time the PCs visit, the Market there will likely be Advanced rather than Productive or Galactic or whatever. Gotta put that in for sure.