Carta Galaxia Development Update #3
In which our hero laments his inability to do a dang weekly update
Hello! I am still around! It’s been a while.
Super long post incoming! /blaring klaxon
Print On Demand is back: UW and FBH, both Hard and Softcover!
It took forever, but I got my proofs and made my changes and got everything uploaded and they’re now available for print! Huzzah! The Hardcover and Softcover versions of both Uncharted Worlds and Far Beyond Humanity are available through DriveThruRPG.
You’ll also be happy to learn that I finally fixed the dang CYMK issue that was creating faded/desaturated covers. The latest proofs are just as vibrant as the kickstarter printed Lulu versions.
An apology to the Stellar Backers
I’d like to take this opportunity to give a humble and heartfelt apology to the Stellar Backers (100$+). I had promised to include characters, planets or factions designed by you in Carta Galaxia, which was supposed to be the first post-launch release. A year and a half later and work has just begun on Carta. That’s awful, and I feel terrible about it.
By way of apology, I’ll be sending each of the Stellar Backers a signed, printed hardcover copy of Far Beyond Humanity at my expense, and I’ll be in touch to get those characters, planets and factions. They will be immortalized in Carta Galaxia. It’s… just going to take a little longer than expected.
Now to the meaty stuff: design!
Carta Galaxia: Scope
I had posted a couple of polls earlier in the month, trying to get a feel of the scope and style of setting that people were expecting. The results were pretty clear; a significant majority preferred a sandbox approach limited to a single solar system (off-world stuff, but no Jump travel). So I’ll be committing to that. If that’s not your particular cup of tea, don’t worry, there are two more settings coming that will explore very different themes and scopes.
Carta Galaxia: Conspiracy System
There’s a popular philosophy in videogame design that encourages the designer to Find The Toy. This is especially true with sandbox games. So I’m applying some of that principle to designing this sandbox.
Specifically, this setting is one that revolves around inter-faction socio-political conflicts. Rather than create a set sequence of events and conflicts, I wanted something that felt fluid and organic. Thus, the Conspiracy System, which is linked at the bottom of the page.
The Conspiracy System is a story-generation mechanic: it creates mini-conflicts across a territory, tracking the rise and fall of factions as they try to gain power for themselves and dismantle the powerbase of their rivals. It has this wonderful “alive” feel, where the factions are always up to something, and the characters can get in on that action (or can be roped in to repay their Debts).
I’m super happy with how this turned out. I’ve amused myself just playing with it as a toy. And it’s setting neutral. It can be used in any campaign that has 5+ factions. I’m hoping that folks will find it useful to get the campaign, even if they don’t necessarily play with these specific factions and worlds.
I’m planning on doing this kind of “custom system” for each of the three campaign settings. Value added, kinda thing.
What’s Next
Next… week (hopefully), I’ll be introducing a whole new career to Carta Galaxia. It’ll be replacing the Explorer, who is sadly obsolete in this cityscape-riddled stellar dystopia.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/arn7fr41pyufn4w/Conspiracy.docx?dl=0
Hell yes to custom gadgets for each setting.
Also: I’d appreciate any feedback about the system, if it seems too complex, too fragile, whatever.
So, how do you fix the CYMK system? Is it something a rank newbie with only Scribus can do? (asking, because I have a pretty cover for Colonies, but worried that DriveThru will fade it)
It’s one of those “easy to do if you know what you’re doing” things, I had to set a mode to CMYK (with appropriate sub-settings) in Photoshop before I saved it out, then save it out as a PDF of all things.
Of course that’s using DTRPG’s cover template from… “Lightning source printing” or something?
Also: I love the conspiracy system, both for giving GMs a tool to prep a list of ready-made stuff to throw in, and for letting the characters influence events. Its also quite tweakable: you can adjust the pace of schemes (individually or overall) by changing how many Xs or Os they need, or you can have them cancel (so its two net either way for success or failure). And in the right sort of game, you could let the characters start their own scheme, and advance it with adventures.
Sean Gomes I use that template, and followed DriveThru’s advice on which CMYK settings to use (“US web Coated (SWOP) v2”, whatever that is), but there was still fading on 21 Jump Points. I guess I’ll just have to see what happens.
Larp Wellington Good point I’ll have to add a subsection about “character created schemes” when the characters have enough favor with a faction to start calling the shots.
Neat! I like the division of territories and resources. I would love to see some way of resolving schemes between factions beyond GM fiat (especially when the characters haven’t gotten involved). I’ve always wanted to see a PbtA analogy of SWN’s faction mechanics. For my currently heavy-on-intrigue game, I’ve been making use of clocks (to good effect, I feel).
The X’s and O’s are interesting too, though I think a failed scheme should cause its own ramifications. PbtA seems to eschew “__ failed to happen”, and embrace “___ failed and UH OH!”
Good points Alan Tsang.
For the resolution by GM fiat, that’s honestly only going to happen when the players are absent from the scene (they’re off doing stuff in another territory). I toyed with the idea of rolling (1-3 mark an X, 4-6 mark a circle), but I felt that adding bunch of rules bogged down the GM with bookkeeping.
I do agree that it would be interesting to have a ramification on failure, but I’m not quite sure what would work. Storywise, most schemes just fizzle out when they are abandoned. It’s the events that lead them to be abandoned that are they ‘uh oh’, rather than the aftermath. That said, I’ll let that tumble around for a bit and see if any ideas crop up.
As has been stated thus far; this system is looking pretty sweet so far!
It feels similar to Blades in the Dark Clocks, but on an accelerated timeline and really encourages player intervention (since the completion timeline is so short). Keeping the timelines short (2 successes vs 2 failures) is an awesome choice as it keeps the game moving at a fast and exciting pace.
My only concern/critique is that I feel like the Bolster action success result needs some kind of additional advantage other than or in addition to the “active schemes suffer a failure” outcome.
Possibly a “+” can be added to the Resource list to indicate it’s additional resilience or usefulness?
Example: The Paraxa Chemical Wastes has Zinda Biotech’s “Mutant Brute Squads” which they Bolster so they become “Mutant Brute Squads +”
Additionally a rule could be added that states that a Disrupt scheme must be made to eliminate the “+” from a Resource before it can be completely disabled, but I feel like that makes Bolster a little too powerful and the “+” should indicate that the Resource is just better in some way.
Alternatively, re-writing the Resource so that it’s additional effectiveness directly impacts the value of the Resource would be my preferred method to handle this and would be how I handle this rule during my prep regardless of what the final rule is (hacking before the system is even finalized? Man I suck. 😉 ). I’d prefer this method simply because I’m a Fate enthusiast and the Resources remind me of Aspects in a lot of ways.
Example: As above, but we re-write “Mutant Brute Squads” to “Mutant Brute Commandos” or “Elite Mutant Squads” to indicate that the Squads just got an upgrade to training, equipment, better mutations, or a combination of those things.
Something simple like this wouldn’t change the system at all, wouldn’t make much more work for the GM, and would provide a clearer advantage to the Bolster action (since the “suffer a failure to ongoing Schemes that oppose this Resource” penalty only effects the opposition and only if they’re actively plotting against that Resource).
POD ordered!