I have an idea for a PbtA game, but I need to know if it, or something like it, already exists so I don’t reinvent the wheel…
Sort of a cross between Net Runner and Spycraft, the characters take on the roles of shadowing members of a secret cabal sitting in their offices or safe rooms, being projected into a virtual conference room. They are coordinating the “running of the world” by sending their agents out to do various underhanded tasks: Bribing officials, assassinating troublemakers, stealing corporate and government secrets, etc., during which agents of the legitimate governments of the world are hacking into their feed, attacking their resources, searching for them, etc.
I guess similar to something like Shadowrun, but you are directing the missions rather than participating in them
Very high level thinking right now, and although I’m not entirely sure how ANYTHING would work yet, I think it would be apropos to play a game using google hangouts/roll20 about controlling the world through google hangouts/roll20.
The Rebellion has you playing high-ranking persons within the Imperial Machine, each with your own agendas, undertaking clandestine operations for the Emperor while simultaneously trying to do your own thing.
Legacy has both on-the-ground play as a given PC, but then “big picture” play as you portray factions taking sweeping actions over time.
Those are the ones the most similar to what you’re describing, but they’re still not exactly what you described.
Sounds cool
Thanks Alfred Rudzki, Legacy was recommended to me for a different query, so now I definitely have to get it lol. Is The Rebellion a Star Wars game, or something entirely different?
Not quite the same, but for reference check out Headspace, The Veil and (to a lesser degree) The Sprawl.
Excellent, thanks As If
The Rebellion is clearly aping Star Wars, but it’s not literally Star Wars.
I apologize: its full name is “Crush the Rebellion”
/sub
Add in a side order of “Being Mr. Johnson”. The corp contact that hires the PCs in Shadowrun. The shadowy figure who sits in the executive suites and coordinates covert and deniable operations.
Yeah, the basic Legacy setup could definitely support alternating between a shadowy cabal of decision-makers and their agents on the ground. You’d need to hack the playbooks and probably the character moves to suit the setting you’re aiming for, but it may be useful as an inspiration. Plus it’s Creative Commons licensed so feel free to use as much of the game’s text as you like for your own hack!
I downloaded Legacy last night and will start working though it today. I’m going to take a reviews for the other games suggested as well to see if I should purchase any of them. Thanks everyone!
This is a really cool idea! I’m looking forward to hearing if more comes out of it. 🙂 The upcoming game Cabal by Andrew Peregrine might be interesting to look at. It is WAY not a PbtA game (point-buy chargen, resource management, skill lists, etc.), but thematically, the players collectively play a single conspiratorial organization and they decide how to send out teams and take on missions and so forth. Like I said, not PbtA, but might be good for inspiration. I know KS backers have copies, so it’s probably going on DTRPG soon, I would guess. For PbtA inspiration, I was thinking maybe something like Blades in the Dark could help out, particularly with project and mission clocks and that kind of thing. The Sprawl is also good for that, which was mentioned already. Your initial description of the high concept of the game made me think of the latter two mechanically, just in the sense of having missions to accomplish and agendas to advance, maybe while trying to “outrun” opposing forces.
Anyway, cool idea! Hope it pans out for you. 🙂
Thanks Rob Abrazado, Cabal sounds like exactly the type of resource I should be looking at! I’ve seen some actual play of Blades, but I’m hoping the PDF will “go on sale” on DTRPG so I can get a copy.
I may never do anything with it, but I had the idea while a bunch of us were playing The Resistance last night. Something that would be part of the game (at least in my mind) is to have a traitor; someone from the very beginning who is secretly working against the rest of the cabal. I’m not a real big fan of PvP, but I feel that this type of setting with this engine could pull it off in a really fun way.
Ah, cool! Well, there are certainly a couple more games in the Dystopian Universe (where The Resistance takes place), but also there’s a Dystopian Universe RPG currently in development at Evil Hat (so, Fate-based). Traitor mechanic in an RPG sounds pretty challenging! The only thing that comes to mind is something like Paranoia where everybody is a traitor and it’s played for goofs. 🙂
I know of a handful of other games in other systems doing something like this, but nothing PbtA.
One existing game I know that touched on that subjects, was ConspiracyX. You could play it low key X-Files style, but it was possible to have underground base, soldiers, scientists and agents.
There were rules for buying resources, places and manpower (or rather siphoning from your agency) and for pulling strings which allowed you some cool things (like get someone into specops training or get access to not-completely-defunct-leftover-star-wars-program-killer-satellites).