ReBuild 2 [Game Design]

Here are some main design issues:

1) A common map.
Solution: Use Roll20 to make a common map based on the RB2 map (this also allows for me to 'rename' areas for more diversity)

2) "Real-time" gameplay for RB2 (One day in game = One real day) is boring.
Solution: Add Roll20 charts for Scavenging, Danger and Horror that can be rolled - even if you are just 'Building' anti-zombie fences. Also a 'Character' chart to add some RPG stuff.

3) We cannot effect the RB2 game (all 'hacked' versions of it only have options to make it easier).
Solution: I like having RB2 as the unalterable Hobbesian engine at the game's core as it saves us the trouble of doing that and forces us to focus on what we want to add (instead of endlessly tinkering with core game play).

4) The 'zombie apocalypse' setting is largely a conservative setting full of guilt-less killables (the zombies)
Solution: Instead of 'clearing' areas by just killing zombies, player will 'de-contaminate' them by removing dead bodies, clearing off dog packs, marking off collapsing houses, looking for leaking gas pipes, burning rotting food and waste, and killing any hidden zombies. Zombies are more like landmines, than a type of people to be killed.

Many of the 'Horror' encounter will use zombies in interesting ways: from humans enslaving them to different types of zombies to questions of how the dead should be treated. 'Danger' cards will also have some encounters like this.

4) The 'zombie apocalypse' setting is largely a conservative setting full of forced Hobbesian morality. One reason I wanted to get out of PZ is that the eventual goal of that game was to implement 'Forced Hobbesian Morality'. Here are some quote's from the PZ designers.

PZ Designer quotes wrote:“Currently I’m writing an event chain for when a group walks toward an NPC safehouse. What happens if a patrolling guard spots you? What happens if a guard at a window sees you? What happens if you get spotted while trying to jimmy a window on the safehouse? What happens if you’re spotted inside the safehouse?”

[...]

“Each of these events will lead to their own consequences, which are branching events based on the personalities of the people both in the safehouse, and the people approaching the safehouse. From a stand-off with shotguns to begging for help to deal with raiders.[/b]

[...]

The truth of it is that the NPC system we're building now is the NPCs we talked about in the really early days. We gave an example in really early interviews of a clumsy kid in your survivor group who keeps leaving doors open and making noise, and you finally choosing to take him out and put a bullet in his head, go back to the safehouse and claim they were got by zombies.

Dark moral choices, deceit and safehouse politics. That in a nutshell described our vision.

Solution:
I reject this false 'hard people making hard choices' BS. If the best you can do for game drama is create imaginary scenarios of shotgun stand-offs, people begging for their lives and shooting children, I'm not interested. I play games for many reasons but not to prove by fictional ruthlessness by fucking over imaginary NPCs in a completely fantasy world.  If you want this sort of brutal stuff take one of my 'crime and punishment' classes and I will give you examples of the real thing until you sicken - after that you'll never wanting to imitate these things in a game.

With that off my chest - Hobbesian choice will still be in the games because RB2 offers them and they work fine as one element amongst others. Horror movies have a long tradition of illustrating the dangers of social collapse - and in such contained doses this can be a very effective (I just watched 'Panic in the Year Zero' (1962) last week). RB2 balances out the brutality of 'safe-house politics' with the concept of re-creating society. To this I will add in elements of fantastic horror, splatter-stick, adventure, social commentary and anything else we want.

6) Too much work for me
Solution: I will write 50% of all the charts - but the rest should be your input. Creating worlds is fun.

QUESTIONS:

Keep the PZ characters and town - or start new?
Use RB2 (or RB3) art to illustrate characters - or something else?
Any suggestions on the type of world?

I got the Roll20 map to work - it ain't pretty but it should work.
I figure out how to get the Charts and Cards to work for maximum effect. A few main decks with cards the refer to a numbered chart to 'roll' on (but you don't see the chart only the result). Like a 'choose your own adventure'.

Example
You go on a mission to 'de-contaminate' an area. RB2 gives a 7% chance of death, this is also the chance you must pull a DANGER card. You roll 5% and have to pull a card.

Zombified Rat King

'Rat King' defined

"A rusty fridge breaks open with a deafening burst of squeals as a horrible brown mass emerges. The screaming medusiod mass jerks violently as if in death-throws but suddenly scuttles toward you in unity. You quickly leap to the high-ground of a counter-top and slowly you can see it is a knot of rats whose tails have somehow been fused together. Their strange screams and aura of rot tell you they have been infected."

• Roll on chart #73
  
• If you have SCAVENGE at 7+, roll on chart #114
  

Chart 73 - Zombie Animal Encounter
1 - You get typhus (loss 1d6 days)
2 - You get scratched [Roll on Chart 5 - 'So a Zombie bit you....']
3 - You get out of there

Chart 114 [Rat King]

1 - You pull yourself up to the next floor throw a hole and look back down, from amongst the horrible knotted mass a single set of undead rat eyes stare up at you, the other rats wildly jerk like tentacles attached to it, suddenly the mass leaps to the countertop and then leaps at you! A reflexive shovel swing connects and slams the disgusting ball of conjoined rats into a shadowed hallway. After 30 seconds of god-awful screaming the shadows go silent - and you continue to Scavenge.

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I don't know how well I can attach images to the cards, I'll find out. Otherwise this should be the basic format for the game on-top of RB2.

I can help with any of the cards or maps if you want. Do you have a link to the roll20 page?

Link sent to your email.

Five BASIC Stats

Decontamination (attack)
Science
Scavenge
Engineer (build)
Social (leadership

BASIC Actions

Scout
Scavenge
Decontaminate
Recruit
Reclaim

I have a slight breather today as I now done have enough academic work down I can enjoy the last bit of summer without my mind worrying about September. Over the last two weeks I finished the game setting and the Roll20 mechanics needed to link it to RB2 but there does not seem to be enough enthusiasm to continue with it at this point. C'est la vie. It might be possible to port the mechanics over to playing RB3 by forum but the complexity of RB3 always daunted me.