Has anyone experimented with introducing the Hx mechanic into UW? It seems like the cramped quarters would be a perfect avenue for introduction. The roll could increase one person’s history, both or even lower both of their Hx with one another.
Has anyone experimented with introducing the Hx mechanic into UW?
Has anyone experimented with introducing the Hx mechanic into UW?
Hacking Hx into UW would be simple enough, beyond having to write up a whole mess of Hx options for every career. Something more like Bonds would probably work — an impression of someone and an actionable statement to go with it. That would be good.
It should be remembered, though, that using Hx focuses your game inward very specifically. It becomes about how the party relates to one another, which is cool… but not generally what we see in space opera. The relationships in Firefly only work because of the Browncoats and the Alliance… without their influence, Mal isn’t put upon by these fugitives on his ship, he’s just kind of an asshole. The relationships in Star Trek are, for the most part, bland as vanilla pudding, but what we remember are how Worf relates to the Klingon Empire and what burdens that puts on Picard — or the position DS9 is put in by the Cardassians + the Dominion + Bajor and how the characters must align themselves.
The examples go on from there. Space Opera, generally, doesn’t focus relationships inward — they’re a product of external pressures, and Hx isn’t really about external pressures so much as intraparty friction. Which is totally legit! But if you sub in Hx in place of Debt — the actual character-friction/relationship-generator — just be aware of what the change will look like.
I dunno about those Firefly comparisons:
* You and one of the other characters fought together in brutal battle, not on the winning side
* You took in one of the other characters when they were obviously out of place and likely to cause trouble
* One of the other characters was your superior in the past and you still respect them deeply
* You are desperately keen on one of the other characters, but they seem totally oblivious to it
* One of the other characters rescued from a fate worse than death and you hope to repay them for it one day
I could see those Hx-style connections being were the story of the Firefly game and universe grew out of, as people answered questions about them during character gen. Same for various Star Wars relationships.