I'm trying to create a narrative or storytelling game (STG). I've only recently joined these boards, but I've seen some hate for these. Anyway, I'd like to give it a go and see how it works.

The primary goal of the entire game is Simplicity. It should be on the level of Microlite d20. Its no Risus, but its no Rolemaster either!

The Rules:

Story
AUTHORITY
Each player begins with 25 story points and gains 5 after each encounter. Story points are used for bidding or purchasing.
• Bidding:
Step 1: Players secretly wager a number of points.
Step 2: Player's bids are revealed.
Step 3: Winner loses wagered story points, but gains authority over creating one plot element, framing the upcoming scene, or winning the challenge.
• Purchasing:
Step 1: Following scene framing, players take turns introducing components or facts into the scene one at a time, each component or fact costing one story point.
Step 2: Once the table is content with the scene and all its components and facts, play recurs.


PLOT CARDS
To construct the main plot, players bid for authority to create elements (situation, goal, opponent, and disaster). Each element is bid on separately. To construct a personal plot or side quest, the player introducing the plot creates all elements and requires no expenditure of story points. A character may have up to two personal plots at a time and may create these at any time. Side quests may be created at any time, but cost 3 Story Points to introduce. Side Quests are associated with an extra, event, or location that grants them.

Elements: [Character/s] is in [Situation] and must accomplish [Goal]. Can [Character/s] defeat [Opponent] when [Disaster] happens?
• Situation (The change, event, trouble, danger that forces protagonist to act)
• Goal (The specific thing that the protagonist/s sets out to achieve)
• Opponent (What stands between the protagonist/s and the goal)
• Disaster (The consequences of failure)

Milestones:
Each encounter that concludes favorably and progresses towards the achievement of a Plot Card is considered a milestone; representing gaining a clue, having a revelation, or completing part of a process. Milestones may be removed in the occurrence of a scene ending in a drawback or failure; representing losing progress, missing opportunities, or discovering a plot twist. The target number of milestones must be met or exceeded for the goal to be resolved. Main Plots have 7 milestones, Personal Plots have 5, and Side Quests have 3.


SCENE FRAMING
To construct a scene, players bid for authority. Authority allows four choices:
1. Scene Type: Encounter or Exploration;
2. Scene setting (establish location and set the time);
3. If Encounter scene, which plot card to advance;
4. If Encounter scene, scene's objective: possession or relief from: allies, adversaries, events, locations, or items and information. Once the scene's objective is met, the scene ends.

Players may then take turns purchasing components and facts or adding color. Components include characters, items, and conditions. Facts include story change devices (discoveries and revelations) that will be exposed during the scene, events (political or natural) occurring during the scene, and potential contests. Color is any descriptive feature added to the scene.

Costs: Heroes (1), Companions (2), Followers (3 for group of 5), Villain (3), Henchman (2), Minions (1 for group of 5), Gear (equals purchase difficulty), Conditions (equals difficulty), all Facts (equals difficulty), Color (free)

Challenges: Disputing the introduction of a component or fact. All players may pool story points in order to support an introduced component or fact or to challenge the introduction. Whichever side wins the bid, decides whether or not the component or fact is actually introduced.


STRUCTURED PLOT MODEL
1. Endanger the Characters
2. Reveal the True Danger
3. The Pursuit Encounters Complications
4. Certain Doom
5. The Twist
6. Final Showdown



---------------------------------------------------------------------
Questions:
Authority
1. How many points should Antagonists get compared to Protagonists (Since there is an Unequal Number on each side, I believe there should be an Unequal Power to compensate)?

Plot Cards
2. Am I missing anything else that should be considered when framing a plot, in terms of elements?
3. In general, how what are your impressions of plot cards (main, personal, and side) and milestones?

Scene Framing
4. Am I missing anything else that should be considered when framing a scene?
5. Does the suggested story point cost for introducing conditions (environmental hazards, etc), plot revelations, and events (political or natural events) seem fair (purchasing cost equal to difficulty for characters in scene to overcome; which may be out of place for plot revelations...thoughts?)?
6. How do you feel about this Challenge system?:

Challenges: Disputing the introduction of a component or fact. All players may pool story points in order to support an introduced component or fact or to challenge the introduction. Whichever side wins the bid, decides whether or not the component or fact is actually introduced.

Structured Plot Model
7. I need to expand the structured plot model by adding one more scene type for the seven milestones of the main plot. What should I add and where?
8. Which scenes from the structured model should be used for personal plots (need 5 scenes) and the side quests (need 3 scenes). My proposal:
Personal Plots: scenes 1,2,3,4,6
Side Quests: scenes 1, 4, 6

Any other questions, comments?

Quote from: spartacus;491214Any other questions, comments?

You've independently re-invented Universalis.

Hmmm. Well The plot cards and milestones are unique and the Structured Plot Model is blatantly stole from Fate (SotC).

I see that Universalis's scene framing and game play is much more detailed and superior, but my goal is simplicity.

Is there anything else I can shamelessly "borrow" from that system?

What are your thoughts on the individual questions I posted?

Quote from: spartacus;491214Questions:
Authority
1. How many points should Antagonists get compared to Protagonists (Since there is an Unequal Number on each side, I believe there should be an Unequal Power to compensate)?

You don't mention the separation of Protagonists and Antagonists at all in your summary above.  How does this separation work in the game?  

Quote from: spartacus;491214Plot Cards
2. Am I missing anything else that should be considered when framing a plot, in terms of elements?
3. In general, how what are your impressions of plot cards (main, personal, and side) and milestones?

It seems like all plots - including Personal Plots and Side Quests - are about defeating an Opponent.  It seems that there could be more variety here, like a protagonist succeeding in romance, or showing someone up in a friendly rivalry, or finding their long-lost mother.  

Quote from: spartacus;491214Scene Framing
4. Am I missing anything else that should be considered when framing a scene?
5. Does the suggested story point cost for introducing conditions (environmental hazards, etc), plot revelations, and events (political or natural events) seem fair (purchasing cost equal to difficulty for characters in scene to overcome; which may be out of place for plot revelations...thoughts?)?
6. How do you feel about this Challenge system?:

Challenges: Disputing the introduction of a component or fact. All players may pool story points in order to support an introduced component or fact or to challenge the introduction. Whichever side wins the bid, decides whether or not the component or fact is actually introduced.

What's the Difficulty of a Fact or Condition?  How does it get used?  Also, it seems offhand like the blind single bid means that I can drain other players of their points by making many challenges and only putting significant points into a few.  That could slow the game down.  

Quote from: spartacus;491214Structured Plot Model
7. I need to expand the structured plot model by adding one more scene type for the seven milestones of the main plot. What should I add and where?
8. Which scenes from the structured model should be used for personal plots (need 5 scenes) and the side quests (need 3 scenes). My proposal:
Personal Plots: scenes 1,2,3,4,6
Side Quests: scenes 1, 4, 6

Any other questions, comments?

I don't have any feelings on what the structure should be.  

In general, I prefer storytelling games with a backstory to them - like 1001 Nights or The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, where there are storytelling characters.  I'm not sure if you're interested in that, but that's where my preferences lie.

Quote from: jhkim;492527You don't mention the separation of Protagonists and Antagonists at all in your summary above.  How does this separation work in the game?  

Ahhh, I did leave that out. I'm attempting to find a middle ground between GM-less and having a GM. So instead, I'm splitting the narrative roles into two sides. There will be 1 to 6 protagonists, or heroes, of the story and 1 to 2 antagonists, or villains, of the story. (sweet spot at 4 protagonists and 1 antagonist)

There is a basic assumption that the protagonists WILL beat the villain. The game is discovering how and at what cost. (to quote Vincent Baker "Suspense comes from putting off the inevitable")

Each side will be given the same level of authority over the narrative. But with uneven number of players on each side, how do I find a good way to give starting (and refreshing) "Story Points?" Obviously deciding on a certain number, X, and having it divided by the number of players on the side seems fitting. But I don't want there to be too many fiddly bits spread out on the table. At the same time, I want players to be able to purchase and bid on things. How do I figure out what X is?

Quote from: jhkim;492527It seems like all plots - including Personal Plots and Side Quests - are about defeating an Opponent.  It seems that there could be more variety here, like a protagonist succeeding in romance, or showing someone up in a friendly rivalry, or finding their long-lost mother.  

Ahhh well those are all wonderful Goals! But there needs to be some sort of opposition to create conflict (and therefore, tension) in the game. The opponent doesn't have to be a person. But it does have to be something in the way of getting what you want.

Bad Example:

Goal: Winning the love of Mary.
Opponent: Tom, Mary's other suitor.

Good Example:
Goal: Winning the love of Mary.
Opponent: Mary's love for Tom.

Quote from: jhkim;492527What's the Difficulty of a Fact or Condition?  How does it get used?  Also, it seems offhand like the blind single bid means that I can drain other players of their points by making many challenges and only putting significant points into a few.  That could slow the game down.  

The difficulty is the number that determines the success. This is only a sub-system of my game and the definitions are in other parts. I apologize.

Even now, I'm working on a different model for Facts and Conditions, but no matter how it is implemented, I will still need a way to decide on setting the difficulty. Because each side has the same level of authority, as opposed to a GM having complete control, it is unfair for one person to say it is X amount of difficulty to perform a certain task. Therefore, I need a mechanic whereby one side can't just set it at the highest difficulty. I figured a simple increase in cost by each point of difficulty would work

Also, your comments on the Challenge section are completely spot on! Thank you! I will have to alter this to an open call & raise type of bidding. Almost like an auction. That way multiple people can chip in for whatever side they want.

Quote from: jhkim;492527I don't have any feelings on what the structure should be.  

In general, I prefer storytelling games with a backstory to them - like 1001 Nights or The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen, where there are storytelling characters.  I'm not sure if you're interested in that, but that's where my preferences lie.

I agree with you for long drawn out campaign style games. But for this particular game, I want it to be picked up and played in 15 minutes with very little to no prep. Having a structure will help guide everyone across the table.