Author Topic: Precognition  (Read 26105 times)

buddy

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Re: Precognition
« Reply #30 on: March 21, 2013, 05:24:02 PM »
On top of this current game concept, i have another that is pure Precog:

What if you could prevent the Kennedy assassination?

I have that game & it really troubles me. Changing the past & all. Could you? How? What's the result?

I playtested it with my group & they stopped talking to me for a few days. They failed. They didn't see all the angles.

Seeing & changing history is an amazing setting. I know a few gaming companies see the potential of "shifted RPG settings",
but, flirting with the idea of altering Time itself is, perhaps, the grandest RPG setting - the grandest goal of players - we as GMs
could imagine.

Done properly, you can turn your gaming groups upside-down.

What do you think?

Whatever you do, remember your games are fiction and don't have to follow any of the rules of reality that you have to follow :3

Your post reminded me of my favourite time-travel RPG called Continuum.  Here's their website http://www.aetherco.com/continuum/

Here's another idear for Precog:  the Precog actually creates the future.  That could mean an interesting campaign where
perhaps gov'ts/other groups realize this and try to control it.  Imagine a modern game where jihadists can create the future...:3

okay so - this is set in the Marvel universe & the hero is from an alternate reality Marvel - alternate to the game Alternate. yeah.

so, she sees the future (based on the comments I'm getting, an alternate future) & wrecks my game - BUT, she has a brother (born from the same woman, different dimension) who can warp reality around him. So.

I was looking at washing the player's experience with a twist of (a) the effects of heroine's precognition (b) the effects heroine's telepathic powers (c) the effects of her "brother's" reality-warping power, to create dream-like scenes where the player/heroine has to constantly question the reality of the environment.

"What is real?" that's my theme for that heroine.

Make sense? Suggestions?


Atlas

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Re: Precognition
« Reply #31 on: March 21, 2013, 05:51:35 PM »
Quote
okay so - this is set in the Marvel universe & the hero is from an alternate reality Marvel - alternate to the game Alternate. yeah.

so, she sees the future (based on the comments I'm getting, an alternate future) & wrecks my game - BUT, she has a brother (born from the same woman, different dimension) who can warp reality around him. So.

I was looking at washing the player's experience with a twist of (a) the effects of heroine's precognition (b) the effects heroine's telepathic powers (c) the effects of her "brother's" reality-warping power, to create dream-like scenes where the player/heroine has to constantly question the reality of the environment.

"What is real?" that's my theme for that heroine.

Make sense? Suggestions?

Just throw concerns for balance out of the window and just focus on the effects of the powers on the setting, and how far they are willing to go with it. Have her be approached by the government, and companies to project the future for them. Make the public worry about the safety of their own thoughts, and sanity when there is a person out there who can read minds and effect what they think.

If there's a person out there WARPING REALITY then most government bodies are going to want to hunt him the fuck down. People are going to be questioning their very existence if someone can do this. Some will call him God, others will want to use his power to their own ends. Have him have a cult following, have people want to capture the sister because she is related to a man who can do these things, and possibly bring him out of hiding after their kidnapping. Possibly make an environmental movement is concerned about metas altering reality instead of greenhouse gases.

Alternatively it's the Marvel Universe so people might just shrug and ignore both of them until they become involved in a  Crossover Event.

buddy

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Re: Precognition
« Reply #32 on: March 21, 2013, 06:18:40 PM »
Quote
okay so - this is set in the Marvel universe & the hero is from an alternate reality Marvel - alternate to the game Alternate. yeah.

so, she sees the future (based on the comments I'm getting, an alternate future) & wrecks my game - BUT, she has a brother (born from the same woman, different dimension) who can warp reality around him. So.

I was looking at washing the player's experience with a twist of (a) the effects of heroine's precognition (b) the effects heroine's telepathic powers (c) the effects of her "brother's" reality-warping power, to create dream-like scenes where the player/heroine has to constantly question the reality of the environment.

"What is real?" that's my theme for that heroine.

Make sense? Suggestions?

Just throw concerns for balance out of the window and just focus on the effects of the powers on the setting, and how far they are willing to go with it. Have her be approached by the government, and companies to project the future for them. Make the public worry about the safety of their own thoughts, and sanity when there is a person out there who can read minds and effect what they think.

If there's a person out there WARPING REALITY then most government bodies are going to want to hunt him the fuck down. People are going to be questioning their very existence if someone can do this. Some will call him God, others will want to use his power to their own ends. Have him have a cult following, have people want to capture the sister because she is related to a man who can do these things, and possibly bring him out of hiding after their kidnapping. Possibly make an environmental movement is concerned about metas altering reality instead of greenhouse gases.

Alternatively it's the Marvel Universe so people might just shrug and ignore both of them until they become involved in a  Crossover Event.

LoL! I like you, Atlas.

I'll incorporate that government aspect, since the other hero (this is a "Power Man & Iron Fist" kinda duo) has strong government ties.

Might create inter-hero conflict. Bonus. But, the brother NPC is an evil SOB, so I'm using him as "the curious god-like entity that haunts the heroine" character. He's way too Plot-Device to have a real impact on scenes, outside of "what are you doing, heroine? I want ice cream!"

If Uncle Sam focuses on her to get to him, is that too much side-track? I thought 20+ Sub-Plots was enough, but adding the "Government vs. Mutant" line might throw the game far outside the intended line.

Ever have players take a game so off-the-rails they can't get back? yeah. Imagine any D&D module where the 2nd team of recently-generated PCs decide to avoid any & all contact, while trying to get to through the dungeon. did that. hated it.

I want an honest game that allows the players' heroes to shine like stars & they feel, "hey - this guy's not out to kill us after all."

Then I almost kill them & they revel in their climactic triumph! yay!

okay. If you were a player & your hero had precognition, would you trade it for a FREE power of your choice? I need to get a feeling for alternatives. Illusion is a great power. Mind Control, even.

Teapot

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Re: Precognition
« Reply #33 on: March 22, 2013, 12:12:47 AM »
You can just give them dreams as mini-scenes, have some of the elements blanked out. They see someone shooting an ally in the back but not who's doing the shooting. Or show them a pivital point in the plot, they see someone talking about how talks have failed and giving the command to attack etc.

I'd go with two choices for the future they see:
First, this is what is going to happen unless they alter the situation. They and their influince are "outside" their vision.
Second is that they see what will happen according to their current plans, they see a likely result of their plan or kind of watch through the event in fast forward getting an idea of how some events play out.

Either way you don't have to give away the whole thing, they may know that Kevin (the dude who showed up in Exiles?) is there but not what body he's wearing. Or what exactly happens behind the door but that at least one person is going to die.

You can also add in random flashes of knowledge, something like "there's a dude with a gun behind that door," or "Don't read that book."

buddy

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Re: Precognition
« Reply #34 on: March 22, 2013, 06:47:48 PM »
You can just give them dreams as mini-scenes, have some of the elements blanked out. They see someone shooting an ally in the back but not who's doing the shooting. Or show them a pivital point in the plot, they see someone talking about how talks have failed and giving the command to attack etc.

I'd go with two choices for the future they see:
First, this is what is going to happen unless they alter the situation. They and their influince are "outside" their vision.
Second is that they see what will happen according to their current plans, they see a likely result of their plan or kind of watch through the event in fast forward getting an idea of how some events play out.

Either way you don't have to give away the whole thing, they may know that Kevin (the dude who showed up in Exiles?) is there but not what body he's wearing. Or what exactly happens behind the door but that at least one person is going to die.

You can also add in random flashes of knowledge, something like "there's a dude with a gun behind that door," or "Don't read that book."
That looks real good. Thanks, LST!