So, I’m looking at a mechanism for my Anomalis project, where the PCs shared credibility is a driver for the opposition the GM use, and an indication how close to a disastrous end the game comes. Worth mentioning is the game is a pbta based game, where the players takes roles as scientists and researchers in a secret facility trying to survive a catastrophe. In short I’m thinking the following;
All players share a credibility rating (as a scientific team, maybe as a progress clock) representing their employer’s trust in them. The game revolves around the catastrophe, and they must survive, save their work, and reassure their employer they are worthy being saved. During play they have to interact with other inhabitants in the research facility with their authority moves, to survive, to make things happen, and maybe escape. If they fail their authority moves, they accumulate harm to their credibility, and as it decreases the stakeholders/employers trust in them. If it get low, the employer get annoyed, and may even send in troops to clean the place up.
My question; Have you seen mechanics in any other pbta game dealing with this kind of shared trust, especially if it is tied to opposition?
Blades in the Dark uses Heat for shared negative attention from the law. At higher levels, the gang attracts intervention from the authorities. It’s a point system.
Thanks Slade Stolar – I’ll check it out!
Is there somewhere that people can read more about Anomalis?
Not yet, it’s work in progress. Currently I have outlined some core mechanisms, some structural flows (user stories sort of), a handfull of outlined playbooks, etc. I’ll post here when I have something to show. My idea was to create a simple pbta game that can be played as a one-shot or at a con, and be enjoyable from the first minutes of play. But I have some thoughts I need to sort out now, as I want some core mechanisms to drive the players in a specific direction. This credibility/authority mechancic might do the job, if I can get it right… And I wanted to see if there was something in any game already that does the same, or something similar. I feel I need to do some more reasearch, but there are just so many pbta games out there and I only have a few myself.
Sounds like a hoot with potential PvP and Co-op elements.
Thanks Todd Zircher – there’s actually a fifth columnist among the playbooks 🙂