So close to being done FBH, but one of the big writing challenges is looming on the horizon and I figured it might help to write about it here, blog-style.
While Uncharted Worlds has basic rules covering debilities, they’re all kinda lumped together (physical, mental and emotional) with a heavy focus on the physical because action adventure pew pew lasers. In FBH, I wanted to expand on the mental/emotional side of things, and open mechanical space for more Cosmic Horror style space opera (the Warp of Warhammer 40k, or Event Horizon, for example).
BUT, I worry I’m about to tread into very touchy subject matter. Stuff like PTSD, disorders and trauma are very real, very sensitive and can be very harmful if treated flippantly and disrespectfully. I’d love to give options to create a Horror setting, but still remaining respectful.
I guess I’m at the point now that I have to decide whether I should even make the attempt. Whether there’s enough value in the subject matter to offset both the effort of getting it right and the very real probability that I’ll get it wrong anyway. Whether it’s even possible for someone uninformed like me to handle this subject matter respectfully.
If anyone has any useful resources (blogs, reviews, whatever) about how other roleplaying games handle mental/emotional debility well or poorly, I’d be extremely grateful.
(I’m definitely going to be including a section about the X-Card, with or without any other Horror/Trauma mechanics. I’m just saddened that the X-Card wasn’t on my radar when I was writing UW).
I think Brie Sheldon has a bunch of advice on this sort of stuff.
Thanks for the mindfulness you put into your writing when treading in complicated territory. I’m talking about this, and the thought you put into how to represent alien cultures. Its real cool of you.
I actually do (paid) consulting on the subject, and have a content tool for games (briecs.com – Script Change RPG Tool), too. Even if you wouldn’t hire me, I strongly recommend a consultant for both diversity and mental/physical health.
I personally have bipolar, PTSD, anxiety, and mild OCD & ADHD. I have personal experience with paranoia and hallucinations (mine). I have a few physical disabilities (fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, migraines, long-term chronic pain from injuries), as well.
I’ve written a few blog posts on briecs.com about this, and I know a few other consultants, as well. Let me know if I can help! My email for consulting is briesheldon@gmail.com. 🙂
True story : I was super concerned with. Nights black agents because it has a mechanic where you can get PTSD and also get it cured. I have some loved ones with PTSD and it just doesn’t work like that. I decided to not play the game with one of those people after discussing it with them because it made them feel ooogy and a bit like their illness was being exploited as a gimmick. I actually contacted the author and he had some good thoughts on how it’s not essential to playing and how I could replace it with something else it or cut it out completely. So armed with that I think I could play the game with that person.
Just warn it upfront.
It is a game after all. Write some disclaimer, set up your intentions and make it modular enough so that people can easily leave that part out.
Some people who have experienced real war might not find funny playing the gunslinger, since guns are not a game.
If your father just passed away, you might not feel comfortable if your PC looses his parents in game too.
I don’t think horror or mental illness is different. Tell about it beforehand and encourage the table to play in a supportive environment, but don’t drop the option. It might not be for everybody, but it will certainly be interesting for many groups.
By the way, I have thought of an Eclipse Phase game using UW rules. Those horror/trauma rules may well be very handy indeed…
Keep it as broadly defined debilities, and let the players/table guide it to their comfort level. Give a list of suggestions, perhaps.
Alpo _ While it is a game, there’s a world of difference between simulating something through a game mechanic, and presenting it in a way that makes it farcical or denigrating to the people suffering from it. I’m reminded of how poorly old-school White Wolf handled mental illness on their Malkavians, turning mental disorders into ‘wibble wobble purple monkey dishwasher’ jokes.
And your examples (soldier suffering from PTSD being leery of gun-play in game, person who lost their father not being in an appropriate mental space to deal with stories about losing parents/loved ones) is exactly why I want an X-Card section that interlocks with this.
I can’t guarantee I won’t make mistakes, in fact I will most likely make mistakes, but I would be remiss if I didn’t at least try.
Just warning ahead means a lot of people might just not play or purchase at all. Having a discussion of the content and safety measures in place is not only more respectful, but demonstrates a greater intent with design and creation than “just a game, nothing means anything.”
I’ve gone into games knowing there might be that content and thinking I’ll be okay and then ending up having a panic attack and not having safety measures in place and it’s scary as hell. Designers can make an effort to make players feel comfortable and more likely to enjoy the game when they know the designer has considered them and their experiences, and put measures in place to make them feel more in control of the content. People who have those controls are more likely to push their own limits for the games, as well.
Experience in war and the loss of a loved one can both have impacts on mental health so, no, they aren’t different – but designers shouldn’t decide that those people will just have to suck it up and not play the game, especially if a designer wants to make sales to those consumers.
What kind of safety measures or techniques could help Brie? I have a few games I’d love to play with my SO and am afraid to do so… most notably bluebeards bride in the future…
Jeffry Crews well, there’s mine that I mentioned earlier, Script Change, that has start of game to finish of game safety and content prep, action,and follow up. It uses verbal and visual flags to ask for people to skip over descriptions that are too much; redo language, content, or scenes; and even pause to take a break or discuss the issues. There are also tools for debriefs.
That, alongside the X-Card, which allows you to tap the card to just stop the content and move on. Both are usable for any type of content.
You also can have discussions in your text about the content in the game with information on how to deal with misrepresentation of mental illness or physical disability, etc. You can provide resources, have someone discuss examples, and so on.
It’s also useful to have pre-game talks about people’s preferences, have open-door policies (Jason Morningstar has a brief script for allowing players to leave the game safely no matter the situation), and generally discuss what kind of behavior is acceptable when people are uncomfortable and how other players can respond.
I hope that helps!
It does, and I guess I need to get smarter about emotional pain with my players especially my SO. RPGs have been very cathartic for our relationship but I can see how stress from games affects her … she wears it on the face really obviously and I want games to be positive experience. The problem is that they simulate life a lot and that can hit on emotional beats that hurt. I’ll look at script change in greater depth today.
I’m going to take exception at the “people were far less sensitive”, which is poor word choice at best, gross misunderstanding of minority voices of the pre-internet age at worst.
There’s a very deep rabbit hole to go down when we talk about the self-erasure of minorities in white controlled spaces. And gaming in that era was absolutely a whites-only space. Hell there are still people who believe that gaming is made by white men for white men and everyone else should shut up.
/ranty ranty rant
Sean Gomes hope this isn’t too much of a tangent, but I grew up in game stores in rural Indiana with a whole bunch of disabled/queer/non-white gamers, so I’m always a little agast at these notions that these people were ever ostracized elsewhere in gaming communities. To us, gaming was where the outcasts and misfits went, and when you’re a nerdy POC in farm land, you’re definitely an outcast of all sorts. As I continued to game as an adult, I’ve definitely notice it skew towards more white (also, way higher % female now-a-days, which is neat).
Agreed, and I’m trying my best to stay true to that spirit of inclusion and acceptance in my own hamfistededly well-meaning way, hence the topic of this thread. (Full circle! Swish!)
Well, I’ll give you marks for having kindness, consideration and tact to think about this and to want to present it in a considerate manner.
I look forward to the results.
I would VERY much like to be able to run an Aliens, Dead Space, or Event Horizon inspired space horror game using UW. I also understand the minefield that might cause. Good luck on sorting it out.
Noah Doyle I’m with Noah on this. Let the people at the table define the details. My thoughts on this are informed both by my training as a psychotherapist and author of science fiction.
UW, in my view, supports a story now approach to roleplaying, which thrives on symbolic journeys of overcoming personal challenge. This allows players to address fictional events that resonate with their personal issues and strengths, at a level they are comfortable with.
I would suggest providing some guideliness to the GM and players on how to check about levels of comfort in play and maybe other features Brie suggests. Then let the players define what the psychological obstacle in their story is like.