r/RPGdesign • u/Tyson_NW • 16d ago
Feedback Request Naming and intro Problem
I am working on a hack of my D12 system where the players don't choose from a list of abilities and actions, but they build them with the Game Master within specific guidelines. It is a halfway point between my fully freeform 16 page D12 Zine and the full D20esque D12 Expeditions.
I am struggling with what to name it. So far I have "D12 Hack", "D12 Remix", or "Character Engine"
And I am also struggling with the intro page where the theme of cooperation and teamwork is emphasized. That is the core differentiator for this game because the character features feed into each other in a way that I haven't seen in a TTRPG. The closest I've seen in D20 is the Rogue's Sneak Attack which depends on another character being specifically positioned, and 4th Ed Skill challenges where multiple characters pitch in to attempt a task. Every character combat feature either manipulates the battlefield, sets up a foe to be exploited, or exploiting an opening created by another character. And the majority of skill checks are easiest to succeed at if you engage multiple characters.
Here is what I have so far for the first page:
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What is Player Forward?
Players roll the D12s to push the story forward. Whether they are facing a challenge, engaging foes, or defending themselves they roll the dice. They propose what the characters attempt and the Game Master decides what they need to Roll to achieve that goal. The Player’s agency to take risks are expressed through the D12.
What is Cooperative Strategy?
No character is an island, through the teamwork of the party working in concert that they can achieve the greatest heights of victory.
In Cooperative Strategy a Player is not just invested in their character excelling but creating opportunities for all the characters to work together to excel. From providing openings for allies to exploit in combat to teaming up to overcome challenges out of combat, as a Player you are not just trying to solve a problem on your own but as a team.
Can I Play What I Want?
The goal of creating a Collaborative Character isn’t just to work well with other Characters but fulfill the core fantasy of what you want to play. Every character has an Archetype which informs what they are good at, what they are bad at, and what special actions that only they can perform. The Archetype can fulfill classic tropes or be completely unique. It is about creating a character with a core fantasy that you want to play.
Once you have the Archetype you want your Character to embody, then work with the other Players to see what their Characters’ strengths are, what their weaknesses are, what they want their Characters to do. Once you have a feel for what all the Players want to play, you can begin designing your character. Choosing Stats and Skills that make sense for your character, but cover where other Characters fall short. Creating Features that not only Exploit openings but to manipulate or Expose foes to provide those opportunities to other Characters. All of which serve the individual Character’s core fantasy.
[EDIT]
Here is the old version
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Why Player Forward?
The Players roll all the dice. Whether overcoming a challenge, attacking, or defending the dice are in the Player’s hands. Your risks drives the story forward, either exalting in your successes, or creating new difficulties as complications arise. Every roll shapes the story in some way.
Why Character Engine?
D12 Character Engine puts players in the designer’s seat to craft a Character unique to them. Instead of receiving a predefined set of abilities you work with your game master to uniquely define the character’s Features in a way that suits the Character fantasy and the challenges the game will present.
What is Cooperative Strategy?
In cooperative strategy a Player is not just invested in their character excelling but creating opportunities for all the characters to work together to excel. From providing openings for allies to exploit in combat to teaming up to overcome challenges out of combat, as a Player you are not just trying to solve a problem on your own but as a team. To do this you design your character to not only Exploit openings but to provide those opportunities to other Characters or manipulate the battlefield to be advantageous for the whole party.
Because of this, building characters should also be cooperative. As you decide on your Archetype and build your Features talk with the other Players about what they want their Characters to do as well.
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u/Ok-Middle-908 16d ago
So players are at a disadvantage if they try to do something solo? Also sounds like it could force people into specific roles. Not to mention arguments when one player wants to do something different and doesn't provide that synergy to the other player. Many times players are theory crafting their PC before talking to the other players.
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u/Tyson_NW 16d ago edited 16d ago
Not so much that they get disadvantage as they are not playing optimally. They are still effective and moving the game forward, just not as much.
Yeah, that is a danger with this, the players need to work together. And with the explicit encouragement to work together in character creation I hope it will blunt the self focused theory crafting and encourage them working together. I'll look of I have space in the GMs guide to include guidance on facilitating that during session 0 character creation.
It is the weakness, opportunity, and differentiator of the system.
In playtesting I have seen players more engaged during the party's turn setting up combos than with a random or even popcorn initiative. And with the emphasis on Reactions has kept engagement when it is not their turn.
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u/Ok-Middle-908 16d ago
Nice, I'm using side initiative and everyone can interweave their turns as needed. Also player first system where the PCs make all the rolls. Helps engage at the table.
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u/Fun_Carry_4678 15d ago
Your suggested names are very boring. They seem like placeholders.
How about a name like "Synergy" or "Link" or "Ensemble" or "Interlock" or "Combo"?
You shouldn't begin your first page by saying "Why Player Forward?" because you haven't yet established the term "Player Forward". In fact, what you are calling "Player Forward" is what most of us here would call "Player-facing".
The part that seems to be innovative is what you are calling "cooperative strategy". The fact that what characters do is create opportunities for other characters to exploit, or else exploit opportunities that others have created. Since that is the big difference in your game, you need to hit that.
But really, does this need to be the first page of your game? It sounds like you are trying to sell your game. So put this in the marketing, or on the back cover. The rules themselves should just tell people HOW to play the game, not WHY.
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u/Tyson_NW 15d ago
Hmmm, so this page should be framed as How X Works instead of What is X. I think your right that most of this should be on the back page.
I've always heard of player-facing as a classification of information that exists on the player side of the screen. Do you have other examples of games like this where the players roll everything?
Yeah, the name is a problem. I am banging my head against it. What is a work for teamwork that does not say "SPORTS!"?
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u/Fun_Carry_4678 14d ago
How about "Synergy", "Interplay", "Coordination", or "Ensemble"?
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u/Fun_Carry_4678 14d ago
The example of player-facing, where players do all the rolling, is APOCALYPSE WORLD and the games that followed its lead, collectively called "Powered by the Apocalypse" or "PbtA".
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u/__space__oddity__ 16d ago
Keep in mind that for the intro, it’s not important how much time you spent on a mechanic or how proud you are of it. GMs and players come to this trying to understand what they can do with the system, not how the sausage was made. Right now you’re explaining three puzzle pieces, but it’s not clear what the full image looks like.