Does Gumshoe really simulate mental exhaustion, though? After working all night on those chemical experiments, you won’t even know which end of a test tube is up in the morning … but you’re all set for those physics equations!
I’m not sure what it’s supposed to simulate. Boredom, maybe? “Sorry, Watson, old chap, I already cracked a code today - perhaps you could find me some cigar ash to analyze?”
But never mind. Thumbs up to all the games mentioned (although I’ll probably eat all my karma in QAGS). And you know I like Sherpa (anybody want to go for a hike this fall?), but if you’re planning on significant combat/danger, be prepared to do a bit of tinkering.
Oh and I forgot to mention - the hospital stay is just a minor operation. It should help me breathe and talk easier, finally. Which is also a reason I’d like to try running a game after it.
I’m even this close to considering fudge/fate. If only for the reason to finally try it out. It doesn’t fit investigative games at all though.
It’s most likely going to be a modded sherpa though.
Combat shouldn’t really be a problem though. We don’t really need su h stuff in investigative games, and if it does happen, let’s just keep it to one dice roll deciding the outcome.
If you have a basic setup and then let the players tell you, what clues they find, it could be really nice. Although this does not sound anything like that, what you had in mind .
We tried such a “narrative detective story” once. In the end one of the playercharacters confessed, that he did it, and defined, where he hid the body of the victim.
It was interesting.^^
We also did something similar with inspectres once. Turned out pretty nice actually. I really like that no-prep, let’s friggin’ go with the flow approach.
But I’d like to try the opposite side of the spectrum this time when it comes to that.
I don’t really have any constructive suggestions for this (never looked at any investigative rpg’s too closely), although I kinda liked the Gumshoe system, judging from Darth’s recent one-shot
but since I got called in on this…
… System MATTERS!!! o.O
also,
of course that makes sense - in a narrative, spotlight management way. Same goes for your other example, -H-:
I realize those are tongue-in-cheek examples of course but the point stands - this is exactly what they tend to do in investigative stories from Sherlock Holmes straight up to CSI… “I don’t think we can make any more headway on the decryption anytime soon (at least until new results are back from the lab or something), but don’t we have some other pieces of evidence to go look at in the meantime…?”
oh, and the mental exhaustion thing? I think that could be well reflected by a merely-slightly-drifted Stability mechanic. Forget Sanity, but keep Stability for those handy penalties to rolls after someone pulled an all-nighter on evidence analysis, or becomes increasingly frustrated with clues that seem contradictory and go nowhere…
the “spending skill points as reliable currency” thingy is really more about spotlight distribution than about mental exhaustion I reckon. And its a good alternative to that other way it could be handled…
(namely, “person with Investigate +18 keeps rolling Investigate 348 times in every scene throughout the evening, because eventually the GM will just have to reveal the important clues that way”)
[quote=“Auburney”]
… System MATTERS!!! o.O [/quote]
jop, soooo true
I realize those are tongue-in-cheek examples of course but the point stands - this is exactly what they tend to do in investigative stories from Sherlock Holmes straight up to CSI… “I don’t think we can make any more headway on the decryption anytime soon (at least until new results are back from the lab or something), but don’t we have some other pieces of evidence to go look at in the meantime…?”[/quote]
true, I didn’t think of that
on a side note:
just being curious
In which play and where are you acting?^^
I’ll just put out a short list of the games I’d like to try running When I get the chance.
-FATE- The new edition spanned my interest again and I’d love to take the game out for a spin. It would be a freeform, no prep, improp game. The last game we tried with an barebones, weakly remembered fate system was kinda really shakey, mostly my fault for being hella tired. The times have changed so I’d like to redeem that past attempt.
-The Mystery Game- Already mentioned. Prep heavy so it will take time.
-A introduction to Burning Wheel- Another game I’d like to try after reading the book. The character generation is tons of fun, but due to time constraints, I’ll bring pregens for it. It’s a sample adventure meant to introduce players and GMs to the game. Also it’s PVP in nature (not “kill everyone” pvp, but “contending for the same goal” pvp.) I’m honestly not sure such an adventure would be a good introduction to the game, but with this group, it could turn out to be very very fun.
-octaNe- Probably later because we have that field covered by Apoc World. One shot insanity. System may not be for everyone, but hey! As long as you do barshit insane things in a post-apocalyptic setting, I cannot complain. One shot, no prep.
-name to be decided- whacky, dark fantasy about overthrowing a Vampiric overlord. Full of whacky npc’s and just really goofy stuff happening as a grim contrast to the entire setting. Homebrewn system test game I’d like to try just to work out any kinks of the system.
Ah so many things, so little time.
While I’m the first to claim not to be a good GM, I’d really like to get more practice in the field.
Schwank von Wilhelm Jakoby & Carl Laufs in der Bearbeitung von Hugo Wiener
Inhalt:
Ladislaus Robitscheks Großneffe Alfred möchte sich selbstständig machen. Es fehlt ihm aber noch der entsprechende Geldgeber. Da bietet ihm Großonkel “Lazi” finanzielle Unterstützung an, vorausgesetzt Alfred ermöglicht ihm die Besichtigung eines Nervensanatoriums. Lazi möchte nur allzu gerne einmal eine Nervenklinik von innen sehen, weil er schon seit längerem geplant hat, seine Villa zu einem solchen Sanatorium umbauen zu lassen. Zunächst scheint Alfred ziemlich ratlos, doch dann bringt ihn sein Freund, der Kunstmaler Richard Wagner auf die Idee, Onkel Lazi in die Familienpension Schöller zu bringen - natürlich unter der Vorgabe, es handle sich um ein Nervensanatorium.
Zugegeben, etwas sonderbar sind die Gäste der Pension Schöller durchaus, und die Sonderlinge begeistern Ladislaus: Wie zum Beispiel eine übereifrige Schriftstellerin oder ein pensionierter Major sowie Leopold Schöller, dessen Drang zur Bühne sich tückisch ein Sprachfehler in die Quere legt - spricht er doch statt einem “L” stets ein “N”!
Doch verläuft die Grenze zwischen Wahn und Normalität äußerst fließend!
18./19./20./21./25./26./27./28.
September 2013
Wo:
Kolpinghaus Wien 9
1090 Wien, Liechtensteinstrasse 100
Beginn:
jeweils 19:30 Uhr
Eintritt:
Ihre freiwillige Spende für Kolping-Sozialprojekte [=10€, or more if you feel like it]
There’s actually quite some things I would like to add to the ongoing discussion, but I’ve been busy the last couple of days due to a teaching course I’m attending. Luckily it’s in Vienna and I will be able to play this week. But the question seems to be when? Looks like Tuesday might be an option?
Hm alright, so wednesday?
Any ideas on what we’re going to play? There was much talk about possible games and systems but did we say what we wanna try this week?
.
but the point stands - this is 
