So, the way the angel hunting business work is a division of 3 main phases:
1) La Cacería (the hunting)
2) La Tablajería (the butchering)
3) El Expendio (the actual selling)
Before I have it all abstracted in 3 moves. But after some playtesting it comes to my attention that, even though we create the “Changarro” (a.k.a. the business), with some flavourful characteristics, we then forgot about it and went into other directions. Also some players felt like “lost”, not sure what it is that they characters should be doing.
This could be of course, my poor MCing in action. But I’ve also considered to give more depth to the 3 aforementioned phases of the angel hunting trade.
So, what about making each, an actual phase of the game, instead of just a move. Something kind of like what Blades in the Dark does. (Nightwitches also comes to mind)
What do you all think?
I love the idea of developing that out into different phases. The players could choose when they want to enter the process, and then play through the phases. Abstracting them into moves works, but I think making them phases allows to spend more time on the nitty-gritty of being nahuales and as you say spend more time with the changarro you’ve developed. The different tags you pick for it could hook into this, and you could end up going to some interesting and unexpected places. Really it feels like this could be the core of the game! Mainly you follow the phases, with side stories spinning out of it and the PCs relationships with NPCs.
I agree with Bret Gillan that the phases would push players into spending time on the day-to-day of being nahuales… but I’m not sure that’s what you actually want. I’ve been kinda surprised at how little of Urban Shadows or Cartel ends up being the day-to-day of stuff!
I think it might be cool to look at some of what Vincent has done with other games (like Venus Freebooters?) to make conflict interesting. The new “No One” playbook also points to some ways that you might keep the changarro as a “move” but expand what influence that move has on the fiction.
Mark is smart. I am all about the day-to-day but I don’t know if that’s what you’re going for and you have a clearer vision of the game than I do.
Mark Diaz Truman I haven’t had the chance to check the No One, I did now, and see what you mean. Venus Freeboorers I don’t know at all.
Bret Gillan well “clearer vision” is not the term I’d used.. LOL… all I know for sure is that I need to develop that part further, be it with moves or phases (or wathever other name I came up with, “Chambas” maybe XD)