Quick bump; also, it would be nice to know what people think of this.
I’ve been playing this a little, but I’m a little to deeply struck by the common cold to articulate my opinions with the necessary acuteness. I think. Well, let’s see.
I love the idea. Games that demand of me to lead a group into a bright or dark future have my full interest, especially when my grip on my subjects is indirect at best. And the mantle of the storyteller is one I covet, badly.
So, this game is relevant to my interests, the writing style is pleasant, the references in the storytelling mode made me grin. There are no bugs to report, no egregious shortcomings to denounce. But there wasn’t really much of a game to talk about either. The winning strategy is too clear(unless I missed something): Telling stories to increase survivalist, then lower Warrior to nothing and increase either Survival or Curious further. There’s no need to live in the reality before one used up all enculturation, because “Beginning a Tale” can be easily spammed until success (You may want to give it an action cost or, better, a “Waiting for Nightfall” minimum requirement, or some other limit). There’s no need to tell stories after you’ve used all enculturation and lowered Warrior for stats you actually need, because there’s nothing else to do in stories. The Tech system is pretty cool but barely connected to story-telling.
Okay, I may’ve missed some hidden option to get enculturation or other benefits “in-story”. And I suspect I will need Warrior for a certain technology. And this criticism doesn’t matter all that much anyway, since the tiniest bit of additional content may open new strategical paths. Well, but here’s some stuff I kinda would like to see…
-Trope Tech! Making certain Cards and Branches in the Story-Telling mode only available after witnessing certain events in the Real World or certain techs being acquired, combining such tropes in a technology system etc.
-Critical Audience! As in, more qualities like Tension and Subversiveness. People getting bored, loosing their suspension of disbelief, not understanding what happens. The need to counter-act, tension, humor, pathos, on the other hand exposition and examination. Some sort of combo system by opening certain branches on cards depending on what card was last played.
-Storylines in the Real World? I assume that’s a stretchgoal.
So, I assume much of this is planned and all of it is tedious work. And I hope I didn’t come off entitled, know-it-all-ish or incoherent. Personally, I blame all that phlegm.
You haven’t missed anything… yet. There will be things that call for Warrior, or for attributes that haven’t been seen yet, in the next stage.
[quote=HinterDemGlas] There’s no need to live in the reality before one used up all enculturation, because "Beginning a Tale" can be easily spammed until success (You may want to give it an action cost or, better, a "Waiting for Nightfall" minimum requirement, or some other limit).
[/quote]
Done now.
edited by sidhe3141 on 3/7/2014