Sandy's Soapbox

Cattle Mutilation: The Game Design

There are many bad ideas for games. But there are no ideas that aren't playable. If you combine these two theories, you suddenly realize why there are so many bad games out there.

In that spirit, I'd like to present how to design an RPG about cattle mutilation. Five different ways.

"Cattle Mutilation. Explore the dark world of aliens and superscience when it meets raw beef. This cow is out there."

To give the game a bit of a pedigree, beyond that of the usual random loon game-maker, I'll note that this idea was originally presented (in a different form, different context, and with different words) on a prestigious industry discussion list, for peer review. Beat that!

Now, games frequently have a basic structure from this set:

1) Adventure and profit (proactive, the basic staple of gaming-- go forth and seek cool things).

2) Prevent disaster (a neat reversal of the above, since frequently your are working to stop something that could loosely be considered 'NPC adventuring or profiteering'. After all, if you're playing the Bandits, the 7 samurai are just meddling NPCs...)

3) Acquire wealth (or, 'more cynical adventuring' where there is a stronger extrinsic motivation for the adventuring).

4) Investigation (or, adventuring for the truth).

While this isn't a complete set, it does cover a large number of games-- as run, not as designed. Call of Cthulhu, for example, can be used for any of these even though the PCs are called "Investigators". It's mostly a function of the GM and group.

We'll add a fifth class, one in which the underlying truth is irrelevant and the perception is more important. This happens in conspiracy games, departing-from-canon Mage games, and perhaps OtE and UA (ooh, trendy use of acronyms, +2 game geek points to me!)

5) Advance personal worldview to determine reality of game.

This is focused on the purely social act. The player's goal is not to solve anything or achieve a goal, but rather to interact with the other PCs and NPCs to get across a specific point of view. Almost a debate society game, with atmosphere.

In our new game, if you see a mutilated cow (in game-- remember, we're designing a mutilated cow RPG), your concern is not "what caused it" but "what mundane cause can we promote to the onlookers, that they'll believe". Sort of the antithesis of type 4, above.

So, without further ado, here are the 5 possible design paths for "Cattle Mutilation".

1) "Let's go mutilate some cattle!"

2) "Save the cattle!"

3) "If we mutilate Bob's cattle and spare Sara's, we'll corner the market!"

4) "Just what did in those cattle, anyway?"

5) "It was ordinary causes. Move along, citizen."

I leave writing the actual game as an exercise for the more motivated reader.

Until next month,
Sandy
sandy@rpg.net
freelance