Far Beyond Humanity Weekly Update #12

Far Beyond Humanity Weekly Update #12

Eeep. It’s, uh, been a while, huh? Every weekend seemed to have something going on, and I just pushed things back.

But the worst thing I can do is let that become habit, or to wallow in it. No! I must get back on the writing horse and get this thing done. So close now. Really feeling the emotional diminishing returns as I get closer to the end.

I’ve already got a few chapters in the hands of my editor, so as soon as I finish, the first editing pass will begin.

Aaanywho, here’s what’s new in Chapter 3 – Arcana

Villains

This section is done! I ended up patterning the overall villain structure like the spaceship combat from UW; layered threats around a core.

To me it seems pretty straightforward, so I’m sure there are bits that I didn’t explain quite right because of my own blind spots and assumptions. I’d really appreciate it if folks (especially GMs) could take a look and tell me if it lines up will and fits with your understanding of the game.

Overwhelming Foe

Posted about this a couple of weeks ago, did a bit of tweaking on it. I’m quite happy with the way this came out. It’s kindof a countdown clock, but where each “tick” has a unique consequence. It’s supposed to represent the unavoidable costs and attrition when facing truly overwhelming odds.

As I mentioned in the other thread, with a bit more tooling this feels like it could be the central mechanic of a different game. A game I don’t have the time to write, sadly. Though I think some other designers are already eyeing the tech, which is super keen and I hope it shows up elsewhere.

Horror

Whoooooeeee. This was a tough one.

So Uncharted Worlds is a Space Opera. It has Space Opera tropes, and Space Opera primary colors. It has a soundtrack full of brass and synthesizer.

With the Horror section, I tried to condense an entire other genre (Sci Fi Horror) into 3 pages and adapt it to the current rules. And… I’m surprised and pleased with the results, to be honest.

The main design is to control the cadence and the build-release cycle of tension. Leaving the consequences purely to the GM in this instance would make the horror feel arbitrary. Instead, I wanted to capture a small amount of the dread of… well, Dread, when a player goes to pull a piece from the tower. There are also overtones of the Haunt roll from Betrayal at House on the Hill. I am not subtle with my inspirations. Such is life.

Basically, if I can illicit a hissing intake of breath when a character is called to make a Move during a “quiet” moment, then I’ve succeeded.

I’m particularly fond of the dark mirror of XP triggers found here: instead of earning XP, certain actions attract the Horror.

What’s next

I need to finish up the Horror section and the Trauma section (that was draining to write, constantly having to check myself, so to speak).

After that I need to go back over chapter 1 to make sure the “synthesis” of all the other chapter topics is covered.

And then: Editing and Layout!

Thanks for all your patience, folks. I know this thing is late out the door. I had hoped to be done months ago. But I’ll keep slogging at it, as much as I can between my day job, 2 year old son and fickle inspiration. I’m glad you’re here with me for this ride. I can’t express how much the community motivates me.

-SG

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/atd0ygpwhur5yp6/AAB140jz3usjE3imwUkkCTLia?dl=0