From Post-Apocalyptic RPG wiki

Contents 1 What do you DO in this darn game anyway 1.1 Mood and Feeling 1.2 Game Play 1.2.1 Fighting 1.3 Character Origins 1.4 Quests and Missions 1.5 Character "Types" or "Professions" 1.5.1 Banditry 1.5.1.1 (Variant) Sneakthief 1.5.2 Scavenging 1.5.2.1 (Variant) Hunter/Trapper 1.5.3 Tradesmenship 1.5.3.1 (Variant) Thug / Guard / Watchman / Police 1.5.3.2 (Variant) Doctor 1.5.3.3 (Variant) Mechanic/Repairman/Crafter 1.5.3.4 (Variant) Scientist/Witch Doctor 1.5.3.5 (Variant) Translator 1.5.3.6 (Variant) Entertainer 1.5.4 Middle management 1.5.4.1 (Variant) Dealer 1.5.4.2 (Variant) Scam artist or Grifter 1.5.5 Laborer 1.5.5.1 (Variant) Bookkeeper

What do you DO in this darn game anyway

OK, so "fallout-like" is not really a very descriptive message, and I would like to generate some discussion on what the game is like, how will it play, what is the overall feel, etc.

There was an old thread on the forums: [1] but that quickly "degenerated" into discussions of quest solving etc. Which is fine, but we need to roll back further.

Without going into GUI specs or screen definitions, here is an overview of how *I* think the game should play.

Mood and Feeling

The post apocalypse world is a dark and scary place. Death awaits around every snow drift. Everyone you meet might be sizing you up for a "roll" - and that could mean to kill you and strip your corpse, or to put you in a sandwich. The old technology has not aged well in the last 20 years - sure that stuff is awesome, when it works, but just try to get spare parts. Food is not that easy to come by - you either got to work your ass off laying in wait for a couple of rabbits, or slave away drying to get the crappy partially frozen ground to produce something in the 6 week growing season. Winter sucks. Hell, "spring" and "fall" suck, but at least you can GO outside. People have banded together here and there - formed tribes, villages... even a town or two... I hear that spot over by the river actually has electric lights for a dozen hours a week... but mostly it's every man for himself, and god help you if you happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, you might wind up lashed to a water wheel, or in the stew pot.

Game Play

Your standard 2D isomorphic game has "towns and villages", "dungeons", and "wilderness". PARPG has these two, although "dungeons" are just old pre-war sites that haven't been throughly looted yet, and people don't really like strangers. You can survive in the wilderness - or at least you better be able to make a go of it if you want to get anywhere. If not, you better have some pretty useful skill to trade, and the chutzpah or muscle not to get 'exploited'. If you want to travel in the wilderness (and you will have to) you better have a good grasp on the weather patterns, transportation options, and places to hole up for the night - where the cold won't freeze you solid and the roving bands of predators (2 and 4 legged) can't find you.

You can talk to people in town, and if you prove yourself useful they might not kill you instantly. Many of the "quests" you will do are simply things that - one way or another - will keep you alive for a little while. A meal here, a handful of bullets there. Some decent frigging socks would be nice.

You might find some old gadgets, or medical supplies, or even a case of booze. But no super weapons.

All characters have two things they will have to sell dearly: Their time and their life. There are no magic healing potions. There is no robodoc. If you are injured or ill, it's going to slow you down (assuming you don't just get stranded somewhere and die). Time is critical, because time can be used to improve your character via practicing his skills, or studying.

Fighting

There will be plenty of combat in the game. However, don't expect to be Rambo or Schwartzenegger. A knife fight can be deadly, to say nothing of a crossbow or gun. Choose your battles carefully, and fight when you have the clear advantage.

Character Origins

Player characters should be able to choose their origin; see: Character Generation

Some specific examples (these are just ideas)

• Freezing homeland.

Somewhere in Lapland or further to the north. Temperatures continue to fall and eventually sea ice did not melt even during summer. Elders decide it is time to move village and PC is sent to find new place.

• No homeland.

Village is located near some abandoned chemical factory. Eventually something breaks and most of village dies. Survivors flee "cursed" place. Variant : raiders wipe out village while PC is away. Variant : raiders, which PC joins for some reason, are wiped out by villagers ^_^ Variant : PC is part of merchant family. They are attacked during travels and killed with only PC surviving.

• Exile.

PC commited some crime and is exiled. Variant : home is conquered by faction that wishes PC dead.

• Secret Agent.

PC is sent by some major faction to gather information and fulfill different tasks.

• Orphan.

PC has no family and works at some farm. After reaching adulthood he decides to leave the farm. Variant : PC was taken in by beggars in some city. After reaching adulthood he is not pitied as a "poor boy/girl" enough to create income and is sent away.

Quests and Missions

"Quests" and "Missions" are story lines provided by the game that give the player something to "do". The "rule of three" should be employed here, such that there are 3(ish) ways to finish every quest: For example, you could fight your way through it, sneak your way through it, or talk you way through it. Some quests may require a special item or special skill (rare skills should be provided by an NPC). Quests will almost always have a time limit to prevent certain types of "game abuse". Sometimes the clock might not start ticking the moment you hear about the quest or mission, but sometimes it will.

Character "Types" or "Professions"

Distinct from, but certainly related to your character origin and generation is what you will be doing in the game to keep yourself alive and hopefully garner a little surplus. Generally speaking, a character is going to be playing as part of a (small) group, or alone. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. More characters means more skills and more firepower, but some politics as well. A "party leader" needs to focus his character (at least partially) on social skills, leaving less bandwidth for more useful stuff. A group is never as stealthy as a single person, and you never have to split the loot with yourself. It is expected and intended that a player flit between these various "jobs" as the game goes on (but they will obviously be better at some than others). To clarify - you can think of these "professions" as the "filler" between actual "plot" moments as well as methods to refine skills and connections needed to get into the plot lines/quests in the first place. Game play for these kind of tasks should either be "fun" (i.e, combat or exploration or some kind of mini-game) or "instantaneous" (you expend "game" time but no player time or effort if you need to, say, fix a bicycle)

The professions are not really meant to be character classes. They are just "ways to survive" in the game while you are not actively questing. So, you don't really CHOOSE a profession, or if you do it's non-binding and non-permanent.

Let's say you want to travel. Maybe you have some quest to do far away, or maybe you are just bored of your area, or maybe you are being run out of town on a rail for some "anti-social" behavior. You will need to travel several days (maybe even a week or two) in the wilderness.

If you don't have good "survival" skills and tools, then you are in trouble (all characters should have some "basic" survival skills, like for a couple of days) ... you need to find some civilization. If you have a proper vehicle, then maybe your travel is faster and you need less food. If you find a town - you need to pick up enough rations / fuel to carry you through to your next way point. Basically, you need money. The "professions" listed there are just ways where you can make "money" (or whatever the equivalent) - essentially by selling your skills (or stealing, or living off the land). Now, most characters will be pretty good at only a couple things, and depending on the needs of the community, you might have to take your 2nd or 3rd (or 4th! favorite job for a bit).

Banditry

You (or your group) are predators. You kill people and take their stuff. You are outlaw. Along with actual assault and battery, terror and intimidation are your weapons. Your life will probably end in violence, but at least you lived it your own way. You could either be a lone

(Variant) Sneakthief

Rather than mugging and ambush, you sneak around and pilfer stuff. Less likely to attract attention, but you are in more trouble if you get caught because you might not be able to shoot your way out. Not very practical in groups.

Scavenging

You (or your group) are finders of things. Diggers in the rubble. You can tell the desired from the trash, the practical from the useless junk. You either sell the stuff you find, or process it/manufacture it into something even more valuable (at the cost of your precious time, however).

(Variant) Hunter/Trapper

Basically the same as a scavenger, but instead of looting the bones of the old world, you are the exploiter of natures's bounty. You know the trails of the reindeer, where the best ice fishing is, which plants are good to eat... and which will slay an enemy. This is the only (honest) job where you are guaranteed to be able to eat (without a pesky middleman taking his cut), and if you are good or lucky, you might have some surplus to barter.

Tradesmenship

Oh, so sleeping out of doors or running from lynchmobs not your style? Well, what can you do? Everyone has a skill... or at least something that someone will pay for.

(Variant) Thug / Guard / Watchman / Police

When communications breakdown, sometimes even civilized folk resort to violence. And sometimes, they hire a big bad, dude, to do a dirty job. You are that dude. As for uncivilized folk, well, they just call you "brother". Like a bandit, but with, you know, dignity. The higher up your boss, the more likely you are considered a "Cop" rather than just muscle.

(Variant) Doctor

It's a dangerous world, and people are getting hurt. Everyone needs to get healthy.

(Variant) Mechanic/Repairman/Crafter

Manufacturing has taken something of a downturn since, you know, all the factories and workers were destroyed. All this old tech stuff keeps breaking, and you can fix it. And come to think of it, this "new tech" stuff is a little shoddy as well. Or maybe you are the guy who can take a pile of junk and turn it into a some actually functioning junk.

(Variant) Scientist/Witch Doctor

Hey, exactly what DO You do around here anyway, four-eyes? Oh, you're the smart guy everyone asks when they don't understand something.

(Variant) Translator

What do you mean "no speakee Estonian". If you know 2 languages or more, someone can probably use you.

(Variant) Entertainer

In a prosperous community there are always the elite which have surplus to "spend". And, hey, everyone likes a good laugh, or song... or roll in the hay.

Middle management

Some people have stuff to sell, some people have stuff to buy. You help them both. For a small fee. You bring people together! You are a fixer. The morter that holds the bricks together. The grease the keeps the wheels running. Everyone hates you on the inside, but you are smooth enough to make them feel like they like you for a few minutes. Or maybe just need you.

(Variant) Dealer

Where there's contraband, there's buyers and sellers. You are a seller. And maybe a buyer too, as long as there's a profit in reselling it.

(Variant) Scam artist or Grifter

Like a Bandit, but with social instead of stealth skills. You might make an honest pound (of flour) or too here and there, but it's always a little tastier when you flat out ripping off the dumb yokels or even the local aristocracy. Something for nothing is your motto.

Laborer

"You're laborers. Shouldn't you be laboring? That's what you get for not having a college education?". Everyone needs to eat, and sometimes there is isn't a market for what you are good at. But showing up on time with a strong back is a useful trade too, and that city wall isn't going to build itself.

(Variant) Bookkeeper

You may not be one for lifting boxes, but you are good with figures and unlike the rest of these savages, YOU can read and write. It's not the most exciting job, but at least no one's shooting at you and sizing you up for the stew pot.