I've been playing a fair amount of interactive fiction lately by a company called Choice of Games. They publish text-based games for mobile, PC, and browser.
As I play, I'm wondering how I can better leverage some of their game design ideas for a better traditional solo role playing experience. Things like:
- Stats that rise and fall based on decisions as you play, rather than adjusting at infrequent level ups.
- Stats that interact with other systems to inspire nuanced in-fiction results. (A PC's reputation (known, unknown, good, evil, etc.) acting as modifier for NPC reaction tables, for example.)
- Having stats highly focused on the adventure and story at hand, rather than general/universal stats. (And finding ways to intelligently pick those stats for the game in advance, or early in play.)
- Systems to reiterate earlier outcomes into later situations in unplanned ways.
- Guiding stories toward results that are more interesting than "Did my PC win or lose?" (Examples: What will I sacrifice to win the battle? Who did I save when I couldn't save everyone? I'll stand against the dark lord, but can I keep my student from being swayed by the temptation of evil too?)
Generally, ways to preserve the "gaminess" of solo RPGs when it sometimes feels more like a writing exercise than a game-proper.
This is all a bit of a ramble, but if it sparks any ideas, please comment.
Though the CoG design blog is in the context of interactive fiction rather than solo RP, you might find it interesting food for thought:
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/07/by-the-numbers-how-to-write-a-long-interactive-novel-that-doesnt-suck/
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/07/7-rules-for-designing-great-stats/
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2016/11/end-game-and-victory-design/
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2016/12/how-to-write-intentional-choices/
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ReplyDeleteit's quite easy IMHO.
ReplyDeleteyou mention elements present in various tabletop RPGs, instead of reinventing the wheel it's better to grab a generic Solo Engine and play a tabletop RPG with the rules that you like:
examples:
1)Stats that rise and fall based on decisions as you play (Risus, Bivius)
2) A PC's reputation acting as modifier for NPC reaction tables (GURPS and many other RPGs)
3)Having stats highly focused on the adventure and story at hand (FATE)
lino pang It's true that the bits and pieces are out there among various games.
ReplyDeleteI guess the next step is for me to attempt to cobble together my ideal execution of those pieces from the sources.
This is actually a long time interest of mine, the CYOA experience but solo and flexible, to the point where I actually built in scenario support into Pythia. It's fallen by the wayside as I play, largely because to have scenarios, you have to have someone writing scenarios, haha.
ReplyDeleteI have a few frameworks and noodles along that line here:
https://exposit.github.io/katarpgs/superlite/
This one is the "closest" to a CYOA, I think, but they all play to it to some extent, the balance between "rpg" and "board game".
https://exposit.github.io/katarpgs/superlite/conflictsandcomplications/
I'm especially interested in the story arc and structure and figuring out ways to "earn" a satisfying ending. One of my favorites is coins or tokens that you earn in play for specific actions, and can spend at the end for various outcomes (S\lay w/Me is a good example, and I use that technique in a few different superlites).
What I've discovered in play is that you really don't need much for stats, traits, whatever. My current paranormal thing has three hero aspects, for example. What matters much more to me is a springboard to get the story going and a push-pull on every rolled action to keep it moving in unexpected ways.
Sorry. Favorite topic, haha.
Tam H Thanks for commenting! I'll have to check out your links later.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this does relate to your "quest", but the "IF Theory Reader" book is highly regarded among great IF writers. Maybe there are useful informations in there that you can use.
ReplyDeleteThe PDF is free, I don't think I'm doing anything illegal in posting a direct link to the document.
pdf.textfiles.com - pdf.textfiles.com/books/iftheorybook.pdf
Anyway it can be ordered from lulu, both in digital form (again, for free) and in paperback.
http://www.lulu.com/shop/kevin-jackson-mead-and-j-robinson-wheeler/if-theory-reader/ebook/product-17551190.html
neuzd I'm going to a workshop on story & mechanics taught by Emily Short next week, so this is really timely. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMamading Ceesay Oo, I'm horribly envious of you! That sounds like so much fun!
ReplyDeleteneuzd There's a surprising amount of overlap between game designers and IF authors. Or maybe it's not so surprising. :D
It's really nice to find other people interested in IF as it relates to soloing and vice versa, too.
neuzd 438 pages, damn, that's some serious reading!
ReplyDelete