AW principles draft

HIGHER LEVEL mechanics in RolePlay :

METAGAME : What is happening outside of the game, regarding the rules, the framing of scenes and what is plausable within the world.

STANCE : The position you take relative to the character and the world.

- ACTOR STANCE: A person determines a character's decisions and actions using only knowledge and perceptions that the character would have.

- AUTHOR STANCE: A person determines a character's decisions and actions based on the real person's priorities, then retroactively "motivates" the character to perform them. (Without that second, retroactive step, this is fairly called Pawn stance.)

- DIRECTOR STANCE : A person determines aspects of the environment relative to the character in some fashion, entirely separately from the character's knowledge or ability to influence events. Therefore the player has not only determined the character's actions, but the context, timing, and spatial circumstances of those actions, or even features of the world separate from the characters.


What is the CORE mechanics of AW.


AGENDA: The reasons you are playing the game.

THE PRINCIPLES: A list of things you should always be doing whenever you speak.

MC SOFT MOVES: The things the MC says to advance plot and prepair for hard moves.

MC HARD MOVES: The things the MC says to cause problems, complicate plots and illicit player choices.

2D6 + Modifier: The mechanic which resolves conflicts. It is essentially random, but can be affected by the modifing numbers STATS and RELATIONSHIPS.

CHARACTER : A character is a fictional entity the player chooses to embody for the duration of a roleplay. A character is made of several components.

STATS: The numbers which represent characters skills.

RELATIONSHIPS: The numbers which repersent a characters relationship with the other characters.

HARM: The number which represents damage to a character.

MOVES : MOVES are constructed from three parts which follow from each other linerly :
- TRIGGER : A sentence which describes some kind of action a player could take. If a player takes this action, they must roll 2d6 + Modifier.
- OUTCOMES: A set of possible results which can come from the character making the move. The player may choose a number of these outcomes basied on their RESULT POINTS. 
-RESULT POINTS: A number which represents the amount of outcomes a player can take at the resolution of the move.

CHARACTER BASIC MOVES: A list of events which are triggered by players which require a roll to determine the result. It typically takes the form of :
- When you take an action that risks failure or opposition, roll with one of
the basic stats.
-On a 10+, you succeed at your goal. As appropriate, the MC might award you: resource points, harm dealt, or a bonus to carry forward.
-On a 7-9, the MC will ofer you a hard bargain or a cost. If you agree to that hard bargain or cost, you succeed at your goal (and as appropriate, the MC might award you resource points, harm dealt, or a bonus to carry forward).

CHARACTER SPECIAL MOVES: A move specfic to the character that player is playing.
These moves typically take the form of :
- When you do something relating to [specialty], add +1.
- You have the ability to [do some sort of active special power]. It counts
as a basic move using [stat].
- You have [some passive special power that has a constant efect].
- You have a [thing]. When applicable, it adds +1 to [stat] and [stat].
- When you do [specialty], mark XP.
- Add +1 to [stat].

CHARACTER RELATIONSHIP MOVES: A move which affects another character using the relationship stat. It typically modifies another player's dice roll; increasing or decreasing the result. It might take the form of :
- When you help someone or hinder them, roll your relationship stat with
that person. On a 10+, add or subtract 2 from their roll. On a 7-9, the MC
will name a cost; if you accept the cost, add or subtract 2 from their roll.

THINGS: A notation on an index card. Each item should have printed on it
- A Name
- What it does (including damage amounts / special effects / tags)
- How much 'Barter' it is worth
- How many uses it has.

TAG: A property which is held by an object, person, creature or landscape and has relevance on the fiction.

BARTER: An abstract notation of how much money you have. Can be represented with pokerchips or some other physical counter. If you have NO BARTER in front of you, you are probably in trouble.
- 1 Barter is like enough to stay of the street and fed, for a month. (if you live cheap).
- 2 Barter is like enough for a fancy weapon or some crazy tech.
- 3 Barter is like enough for vehical, a good bribe for a top offical, enough to live wealthy for a month.
- 4 Barter is like enough for a small place, or to hire a gang or somthing.


PROCESS

1. DECIDE WHAT WE ARE GONNA PLAY: Everyone gives a theme or description of what they want to play. This is your chance to sell your theme on its own.

While thinking of these ideas, consider Nouns, Abstract Nouns and Verbs. What kind of things and people are in this world (Nouns), what kind of tone or concepts are you dealing with (Abstract Nouns) and what kind of actions are taking place(Verbs).

After everyone has explained their themes, we should take a vote. Dont vote for your own theme. I break ties.

The other themes must choose after if they want to combine thier themes together with the winner or keep their theme for a later game.


2. DRAW A MAP. A map of the space we will inhabbit is drawn out roughly in pencil.

3. STUFF. We gather the index cards, and give everyone like a few. You can write anything on these cards, a character concept, or a place or a specific building, or an item. Whatever.

4. CHARACTERS. A Specific Index card is a character index card. We should keep these seperate from the other cards. You do not nessosarily write your character, but write a few characters which could exist. Then you guys should pick some characters.

The characters left behind are spares in case someone dies.

5. FLAVOR, RELATIONSHIPS ECT Think a little about your characters and talk amongst yourselves and i will write out some rules and stuff on my own about this and that.

Ask your character questions about the other players in the game.


/// QUOTES AND NOTES ///

"I suggest that genuinely helpful, teaching-oriented text that does not fall into synecdoche ("real role-players," etc) would be a tremendous benefit to presenting straightforwardly Simulationist games. Such text would include methods for GMs to prepare scenarios from a fully-metagame perspective - which is to say, the ideal of the book "being play" would have to be lost temporarily - as well as methods for the GM's work during character creation itself. Furthermore, this text would have to be practical and compelling to players in a way that "All character creation is subject to the approval of the GM" is not - for instance, it would inspire players to avoid the paladin-assassin problem on their own, during the creation of the first characters rather than the second ones. "
-
Simulationism: The Right to Dream
by Ron Edwards
2003-01-29
http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/15/