Are there any story games which hew to the ideas of a survival game. I know there are some which have resource mechanics, but is there one that invokes that slightly tense stressed feel, or even a creeping sense of horror?
I’m having trouble thinking of any I’ve heard or played before.
http://kotaku.com/most-survival-games-have-problems-that-s-t-a-l-k-e-r-s-1683484728
Torchbearer seems sorta survival sim-y, The Quiet Year and Apocalypse World emphasize scarcities driving play. See also the Stalker RPG. Is that what you’re getting at?
Torchbearer seems sorta survival sim-y, The Quiet Year and Apocalypse World emphasize scarcities driving play. See also the Stalker RPG. Is that what you’re getting at?
I gather that new game, Ten Candles, has a survival-y, tense vibe.
I gather that new game, Ten Candles, has a survival-y, tense vibe.
I’ve been reading Mutant: Year Zero but I’m not sure it really hits that mark.
I’ve been reading Mutant: Year Zero but I’m not sure it really hits that mark.
What I believe I was aiming for was the tension when playing a survival game, that you have a fair shot at pulling off your goal but if you plan wrong it can all goto hell.
What I believe I was aiming for was the tension when playing a survival game, that you have a fair shot at pulling off your goal but if you plan wrong it can all goto hell.
To my mind, the difficulty of emphasizing scarcity and resource management is that those things may not be fun to do in a roleplaying game context. Sure, the Quiet Year and AW are ostensibly about survival in a world with scarce resources, but the management of those resources is not what makes those games fun. For AW, it’s about the interpersonal bullshit. In The Quiet Year, it’s more about mis-communications within the community, and the tension that arises.
Ferrell Riley As to your particular point about a game whose tension lies in a plan of action that has a small chance of success, but that can cause things to go pear-shaped in a hurry, that just seems like every conflict-based roleplaying game to me. It would be kind of boring to play a game where those were not the stakes. I’m not sure what the ‘survival game’ angle would add to that, other than resource management. And, again, I’m not sure resource management has ever been fun in a roleplaying game. In a video game, sure.
Maybe Torchbearer pulls it off, but I haven’t played that one yet.
To my mind, the difficulty of emphasizing scarcity and resource management is that those things may not be fun to do in a roleplaying game context. Sure, the Quiet Year and AW are ostensibly about survival in a world with scarce resources, but the management of those resources is not what makes those games fun. For AW, it’s about the interpersonal bullshit. In The Quiet Year, it’s more about mis-communications within the community, and the tension that arises.
Ferrell Riley As to your particular point about a game whose tension lies in a plan of action that has a small chance of success, but that can cause things to go pear-shaped in a hurry, that just seems like every conflict-based roleplaying game to me. It would be kind of boring to play a game where those were not the stakes. I’m not sure what the ‘survival game’ angle would add to that, other than resource management. And, again, I’m not sure resource management has ever been fun in a roleplaying game. In a video game, sure.
Maybe Torchbearer pulls it off, but I haven’t played that one yet.
Isn’t Torchbearer built on top of Burning Wheel? I’m not 100% on that one but for some reason I thought it was.
Isn’t Torchbearer built on top of Burning Wheel? I’m not 100% on that one but for some reason I thought it was.
Sean Smith It is indeed. It’s probably closer to Mouse Guard, but both have The Burning Wheel in their DNA.
Sean Smith It is indeed. It’s probably closer to Mouse Guard, but both have The Burning Wheel in their DNA.
Hmmmm what if you ran in a wicked age in this kind of setting?
Hmmmm what if you ran in a wicked age in this kind of setting?