FABRICATION: A Game that Makes Games (Work in Progess) and Generic Systems
I spent this weekend working on "a game that makes games." This emerged because I have been considering doing a generic version of my "Unleashed Engine" (Simple Superheroes, Dungeons Unleashed) and have also been thinking about many of the generics that colleagues have made. AND thinking about Universalis, which is a great collaboratively create your setting and then do GMless writers room play.
I want something that can make GMless oneshots, and longterm play, and very focussed specific items. I want a book that helps you think about all the mechanics and procedures that you could use. This means it needs to be "loosely coupled" enough that it gives all sorts of weird pieces and ideas so you can make really different things. Goal is a book that helps designers design games, and while providing a playable game where you make some of those decisions.
Just like Universalis or Spark has a procedure/game that helps you make a setting, theme and atmosphere, the idea here is to do that too, while also gamifying the making of procedures and the making of mechanics so that you can do it collaboratively and be surprised.
I'm happy with the draft I have so far, but there's definitely more that needs to be handled in terms of "phases" of play. If anyone is keen to see and want's to provide thoughts it's close to being were I want to alpha test it.
In the interim if you are interested in Generic Systems:
You can find a number of them here https://composedreamgames.com/marketplace/genre/generic
Basic Roleplaying
-- this is the 2023 release of the classic d100 engine that powers Call of Cthulhu, Runequest and many others.
Sword's Edge RPG
-- a system with a 20 and counting supplements/adventures in PDF. It tends towards quick action, with 2d10 resolution. Character concepts and element are defined by each player for each character, and Pivots are character goals that provide benefits when they are achieved.
Spark
Shared scene setting between the GM and players (Platform, Tilt, and Question), and player's have some additional narrative influence via rolling their Spark attribute.
It's been repurposed in Sig: Manual of the Primes and After the War.
Spark has an interesting procedure for collaboratively generating worlds/settings.
Screenplay
Writer's room style approach, though each player is mostly focussed on their main character. They can, and should introduce NPCs into scenes to both help and be-fuddle the Director (GM).
The above all do cool things -- but none give you widgets to change how or what you might roll, or what the phases of play are (i.e. Spark and Screenplay both care about scenes, quite a bit. But what if we want downtime mechanics?)
So that's the goal. We'll see.
Comments
Updated to add the working title that just came to me "Fabrication"
Had the first playtest of Fabrication at Phantasm this afternoon.
Played with Nick and Mason. Both were very positive and had plenty of wonderful ideas and came up with neat mechanics!
The Phase one concept/design goals generation went well. Once we got into phase two we got into the classic question of "is this an rpg vs a boardgame" we never really hit an answer, but we set ourselves quite a challenge with our phase one.
Immersion Trumps all (rejecting story is king)
Faction based
he who holds the conch
I'll share more soon!!
December 2024 I ran the second major playtest of Fabrication.
We had four participants: myself, Jason Pitre (Genesis of Legend), Chris Challice (Clover Mouse Games) and Kelley Oliver (a boardgame aficianado, who has played a number of RPGs GM’ed by your’s truly.)
This playtest had more of a “let’s see if any of what you put together makes any sense” approach then my first playtest. There was some “let’s make the weird choices” and also questioning the overall approach taken.
This is valuable feedback to be had.
There is the question of “Is this a game or just a game design tool?” I don’t think we’ll ever fully close that one circle (meaning it is certainly the later, and it seems it would always be a matter of perspective), but there are likely some improvements to phase one to consider.
What did we make:
We made a game that was dubbed “Emotional Baggage: Catharsis” or perhaps “Catharsis: Emotional Baggage” post game.
One player would take on a “person” while others would take on emotions and offer responses. Emotions (coloured tokens) were tossed in a bag and drawn from it as part of the game-play.
It was fun, and I may write up more of that at some point.
Questions and feedback for development
Starting with A Priori Assumption was questioned.
– it’s also possible that Fiat/Consensus should be paired with A Priori Assumption
Does rejected assumption come first?
Kelley pointed out that he wasn’t aware of some of the options in these two and having them first was eye opening.
Jason/Chris both seemed to prefer doing the "Concept" section first and generating them randomly (play length through Atmosphere) then afterwards to make choices about on the A Priori through Fiat/Concensus section.
My initial reaction was "I don’t like the random concept idea because it just feels like a game jam." (here are your ingredients - go)
Revision loops were a little less prominent enforced then I planned, we got to them kind-of randomly.
Make the whole thing more “game” and constrained.
It’s possible that gameplay elements and approach could be picked or randomized before the concept is locked down. How does that change the feel?
Removes the gradually building idea, and moves to finding an idea after all the parts are compile. Which seems hard.
Perhaps we need clearer “phases” – like this part is “Brainstorming” and emphasis on quicker selections and revision loops. Maybe that needs better play sheets?
I like the idea of “committee game” – I second the motion, let’s vote on x, with tokens.
I like the idea of marking who made the decision for phase one with a token. This person has default creation declaration rights, but can “pull” their token to replace it with a different choice.
Fallout:
A lot of revisions to the Fabrication Document and I mocked up some variant playsheets at Christmas.
Just thought I would share the prototype revised playsheets. Yes they are rough and need to be revised/cleaned up, but it should give anyone looking at them more of an idea of what I am aiming for.
The First Sheet for Phase One: Playstyle and Concept
Second Sheet for Phase Two: Procedure Creation
This is the first part where you generate mechanic frameworks and brainstorm
Third sheet for Phase Two: Procedure Creation
This is the second part where you refine and test each of the three gameplay elements you just brainstormed.
Fourth sheet for Phase Phase Three: Evaluation and Debrief
Here you assess what you did. Some of this takes place on the third sheet and the first sheet.
The main part that is on this sheet is determining what you may want to do next with the game you just made.
Hope that gives some idea of where we are going with Fabrication.