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A roleplaying or storytelling game system necessarily prioritizes certain elements while setting aside others – at least if we want our activity to remain a game and not become a scientific simulation.  Even a so-called universal roleplay gaming system must necessarily engage choices such as how to frame character abilities, narrative trajectory, and conflict mechanics, let alone just how far it will go to be “universal.”  These choices are made according to the subject of the game, i.e. what the game is about, what sort of topics it encompasses.  And I do not believe we can separate the subject of...

Just a short blog entry this time as we post the “World of The Breaking Point” chapter. “The Breaking Point" is not about civil servants in general.  It's about your civil servants, the fallible, troubled Pros who are driven to help others.  It’s about their battle with inner and outer demons.  Our Pros are not monsters, nor are they haplessly “following orders.”  They have an agenda toward some greater good.  They might be part of a rotten system or a corrupt team – this can be a very powerful game dynamic, especially with some Pros mired in the mess.  They might be...

Author’s Comments on Breakdown:  “The World of Life in the Shadows” It’s one of my greatest joys watching players bring a game to life.  I thank all the playtesters so much for their contributions. At their near best, playtest games are not only a validation but a wonderful show where I’m entertained by dynamic and insightful writer-actors for whom I am a mere executive producer, providing facilities and a helpful nudge now and then.  When the players don’t have to ask what they can do, I know that game materials are comprehensive and that the game is coherent.  When players are...

Author’s Comments on Breakdown:  “Action” Given our stressful year so far, I’d like to call out the game’s emotional range.  Breakdown is about Pros on the edge, but it’s up to you and your group’s style whether your Pro stays grounded, peers into the abyss, or jumps in with both feet.   I’ve seen play groups vary dramatically in how their Pros deal with stress, self-control, and intimacy.  From a low-key slow burn to explosive melodrama, there’s no wrong way. Some individuals and whole groups play Pros who avoid stressing out.  This style puts emphasis on scenes where the Pros reflect, share, and bond...

Author’s Comments on Breakdown:  “Creating Characters” I’ve especially enjoyed recent historical and sociological storytelling games, such as Microscope and In a Quiet Year, as well as my own foray into that realm, At the Hands of an Angry God.  But it’s been a great pleasure to return to character-focused gaming, my first love in roleplaying.  Breakdown is relentlessly focused on character, specifically that of our players’ protagonists, whom we call “Pros.”  The settings exist solely to facilitate Pro creation, help bond Pros, and focus Pro context (including plot lines), otherwise bearing no weight of their own.  Plots only serve character development, being built solely based to...