Moral Confusion- Like RPGs, Like MMORPGs

I've spent the last few days playing Star Wars: The Old Republic (TOR). I'm about half way to the level cap. So far- fun game play, does a good job making your character look heroic (at least compared to other RPGs), and the 'all voice interaction' pulls you into storie lines many would likely pass over if they were given in the tradition text.

But like too many modern RPG gamers, the developers of TOR are in need of a moral compass. Here's some of the stuff I've ran into playing a Jedi Knight on the 'good' side after visiting but three worlds...

You get Light Side (i.e. good guy points, determined and awarded based upon decisions you make in the game's conversation trees) for the following:

1. Aiding uniformed soldiers of the republic in an clear act of desertion. Things are bad you see, and well... things are bad you see. As for the civilians these guys were supposed to be guarding, wish them good luck, hope they die before being eaten alive.
2. Thief from a corporation. They sent an entire research team, paid for all the equipment and manpower for a multiple year project- and you basically decide that they don't deserve a return on their money (or even breakeven) because 'medicine should be for everyone' and they would... what? Charge a market price thus giving them a excellent reason to get it out on the market to be brought? Instead the Jedi will deal with it, as if they have time given that the best they can do is send one guy out to deal with the worst things in ages (i.e. you)...  good luck with that.
3. Love is bad, leads to the Dark Side you know. Lucas had a real miss of a divorce he wrote Love == Evil into the setting for the prequels as some sort of payback.
4. Thief of Government Supplies. Seems that the Republic doesn't have enough medical supplies to deal with their own injuries and the civilian population as well. Rather than working out a sharing plan, or pulling Jedi strings to get more aid sent, or just paying for the supplies yourself- you steal from the military and give all of it to the civilians because there are kids involved. I wonder how many soldiers sent to defend those same civilians died? I wound how many more kids die because their wasn't enough troops to defend them?
5. Assist a Jedi AI to train evil force wielders who freaking eat people... because some day they'll learn better if the AI keeps working at it. Might take uncounted years, but the AI will live long enough (yes, it say this in the game). Meanwhile all those people getting eaten? Tough Luck. But you were tasty.

Now you can disgree with some of the above (sometimes it doesn't make a different in the story however). But you'll get Dark Side points for doing so.

Often the game is basically a Left-Wing nut case day dream. With sometimes veiled (sometimes not) shots against:

• Israel, just share the land stupid and it wil all work out.
• The military, when they're not running refugees through mine fields for kicks- they're skimming supplies to live high on the hog (remember, this is the Republic I'm talking about) and ignoring the basics of COIN operations (i.e. help your friendly civilians).
• Corporations (making money is evil and heartless)

Sometimes it doesn't think there are good guys. The Government is corrupt in almost every dealing you have with it. And that's the good guys again... one almost thinks the Empire is better- at least they're honest about their evil.

Sometimes it's just confused. The monsters are thinking creatures is a constant theme so far, "all we need do is talk to them... old, go kill 40 of them for the following rewards.."


Such a nice game (game play and visuals). Such a lack of ethical and moral sense. And such a hate on for the Republic.

Lang's Rules and Age of Heroes

Last time I mentioned that Rob Lang was running a series of articles with suggestions (let's call them Rules, because it's easy to argue about rules than it is suggestions) for writing your own RPG. Very worthwhile articles they are.

I thought it would be fun to compare the development of my own Age of Heroes game with what's there. It will go a long ways to explaining why I expect to sell a dozen copies and those who follow Rob's Rules will sell... well more. Rob is free to comment on whatever I say here...


His first article was a Prologue defining his intent, Not many rules here, in fact only one. If you've played an RPG you're ready to design one. I'm hitting 100% so far, Age of Heroes was started after a number of years of gaming.

Chapter 1: Inspiration
 
Age of Heroes is doing well through this chapter. It was a design intended to more faithfully recreate various source fantasy works (all listed in its appendices) more faithfully than any of RPG while providing niche protection, combat style balance, generation campaigns and providing highly tactical play while doing so...

Oh wait. That isn't true. That's what it ended up being.

The truth is that it was basically a house rule replacement combat system, followed by a house rule replacement magic system, followed by a house rule character generation system, followed by...

In short it grew on its own and suddenly (one remembered day) became a its own game (IT LIVES!). There was no planing for the game as *whole* until perhaps a decade later.

However each individual section did in fact follow much of what's in the Chapter 1 article, but with a very narrow focus. It has however never been pitched, and I don't think it's possible to describe it in five words.

Result: Age of Heroes mix success

Chapter2: Research is better.

A huge amount of research was done with respect to the original source materials. And I was very familiar with basically *all* the games of the era for the simple reason that there wasn't that many. Some sections of the rules were based upon the real world, and that required its own research.

However at the time research was much harder, some things assumed weren't really true. Thus the game includes armor types that are more 'what's expected in an RPG' than 'Real'. But I'm giving that a pass since it's a fantasy game created in a era of more difficult research restraints

Result: Age of Heroes flawless victory


Chapter 3: Writing and Style

Now we're completely off the rails. In part because I'm a terrible writer, and in part because it was a the piecemeal design I spoke about above.

I almost did none of this 'right'. I have extensive Design Notes in the appendix. My pose sucks.The thing is a freaking textbook (if only a 262 page textbook). Optional Rules are just presented, it's explained why you'd want to use them (and why you wouldn't). I've lost track of the number of Rob's Rules I've broken here.

I did keep copies of basically everything written, there are examples- but not enough.

Most people who see it scream, drop the book and flee rapidly.

But my groups and I still love it. So goal achieved. Everyone else can just jump off some bridge somewhere.

Result: Age of Heroes utter failure

Chapter 4: Setting

Did this completely wrong too. The game doesn't include any setting. The bestiary is a good place for hints as to what it's aimed at (as are the Designer Notes), but the system is made to be a generic fantasy RPG, and intented to be paired with a campaign supplement.

Basically the same approach as GURPS and HERO. The problem here is that such an approach doesn't work now days. People don't want generic rules, they can't deal with them. They want setting first.

Result: Age of Heroes utter failure


So that means that of the 4 chapters I'm batting 50% + 100% + 0% + 0% or a total of 37.5%

Not bad for baseball, rather rotten here I think.

Rob of course is still writing the series, and I'll keep pace to find out my final score.

Happy New Year

It's now 2012, and while the more curmudgeonly of us would like it to be last year of the world (the 2012 stuff is the most fun of all the doomsdays I've lived through in a number of ways)- somehow I doubt that we'll be let off that easy.

That being the case, here's what I see coming for the new year that's worth noting...


Writing Your Own RPG

Rob Lang is doing a wonderful series about writing your own RPG. He started last year, but will finish it this one. Rather good stuff. Maybe someone will fly with it and do a good game- instead of just more of the same that we're being flooded with of late.


Age of Heroes Update

Age of Heroes 5.0 is moving along in play test. It was pointed out that I missed a couple of Hero Abilities in this version (likely the result of a bad cut and paste attempt). Putting those back in caused me to add a dozen new ones and up the page count to 262.

Oddly enough due to space limits, I still have one left over and am trying to decide what to do with it.

It's just about the only 'meta-game' ability I put in the game, i.e. one that doesn't so much expand a character's in-game abilities as it simulates more of a 'plot altering' ability. That actually makes me want to leave it out, but it has some fans in my gaming circle.

Either way, I'm not willing to give it's own page just to include it, so it will have to come with some other stuff. Perhaps I could add a section on meta-game abilities, toss in some advice about them, and label it optional...

I want some more play testing, but it's still on target for a final draft in March. I'll offer it on Lulu in print form for a while and let people know about on this blog.

I imagine that I'll  finish the Claymore campaign Supplement for Age of Heroes at about the same time. Since it has tons of art and concepts that I have no license for, it really won't be going anywhere and is basically only for personal use. Pity in a way, it's rather cool even if I have to say so myself.


Next up for me is the Magic Expansion and a Modern Expansion. I doubt either will be finished in the coming year however.

HERO System

Yeah, it's dead. Killed by the failure of 6th edition. So I repeat my hope that someone buys it and does cool things with it.


Other Stuff

Frankly, I don't see much in the RPG industry that interests me. Not interested in a 5th edition of D&D, the OSR leaves me cold, couldn't care less about all the FATE based systems.

The past few years has taught me that that the hobby is very zombie like, decaying and not a fresh idea in sight. Maybe 2012 will change that. Maybe it won't.

Merry Christmas to All

I offer a fond Merry Christmas to any readers out there (not a happy holidays, if you're offended- you're likely not a reader of this blog anyway). This is likely my last blog post until the new year.

I have a number of game related activities planned for my vacation from work this year. My son and his girlfriend will be visiting and we'll get in at least one (and likely more) Tomorrow's War battles. It's a fantastic game and will make a wonderful last minute gift for any wargamer one has forgotten about.

In our case, we'll be making up our own armies using all the 40K miniatures that my son bought over the years. For the first time ever he'll be able to use those Imperial Guard figures to represent something more than a semi-soviet style mob of cannon fodder. The whole character of the game will different.

System does matter, when you're actually playing it.

There is little doubt that we will be doing something on the RPG scene, but it's sort of a secondary concern this year. Likely Superhero or Shadowrun (using HERO System) or maybe something in Claymore (using Age of Heroes). I'm going to see what they're interested in this week and start making plans.

I hope everyone has a great time, see you in 2012.

An Example of Lost Morality

Up for an example of muddle thinking, moral relativism, and inability to make a decent comparison if one's life depended upon it?

Here you go.

A terrorist could ask for no better ally and future victim. They'll side with them as long as they're alive and die without a whimper when it's their turn in the Terrorist target circle.

For my part, I'll point people towards the excellent Force on Force series of games from Ambush Alley Games. It doesn't have the cards that our muddled witch friend dislikes so much, but it's perhaps the best wargame I've encountered since the turn of the century.

And I'll certainly make up some cards for it. Some might even be terrorist witches, after all Paco Garcia Jaen can't seem to tell the difference.