Filed under: Games, Rogue Games, entertainment, thoughts | Tags: 12°, design notes, Dolphin, game design, Games, Rogue Games, thoughts, writing
Before I dive into the next post, there are a few questions I want to answer. These are answers to some emails, tweets, and messages I have gotten since I first started talking about this.
Q. Is Rogue Games going to publish this?
A. Yes.
Q. When will this be released?
A. When it is done.
Q. Really, there is no plan to this?
A. No.
Q. You’re crazy.
A. Yes, I know. That is not a question by the way.
Q. Is this going to be a roleplaying game?
A. Yes.
Q. So, let me get this straight. As a player, I play a dolphin?
A. Yes. All characters are dolphins. The entire game takes place under the sea.
Q. Will Dolphin run on 12°?
A. Yes. The mechanic is perfect for a game of this type. Dolphin is more narrative in the type of adventures you run and play in. 12° is a good mechanic, that when you take it to the core, allows for easy task resolution. It does not get in the way, and does not make things too complicated. The type of actions that take place in the game, needs a mechanic like 12° to drive it.
Q. If you are using 12° will this be similar to how the mechanic is used in either Colonial Gothic or Thousand Suns?
A. No. Both of those games are different in tone and the type of rules you need are different as well. Both games need — let alone require — rules allowing for Skills, structured combat, and add on features that a game such as Dolphin does not require. The best example of this is Skills. Both Colonial Gothic and Thousand Suns need them. Dolphin does not. Why? For a couple of reasons.
First, the player characters are all dolphins, and because of this, they pretty much are all able to do the same things. What Dolphin will do is merge Skill Tests in with ability Tests. By that, if you want your PC to fight, it is a Strength Test. Abilities — in Dolphin — set your skills. This is similar to what is done in Toon, but unlike Toon, you will not have a list of skills listed under each ability. Instead, all Tests, are driven by the appropriate ability.
Secondly, these are dolphins after all. I am going for a different tone with this game, and because of this, I do not need the complexity that is found in Colonial Gothic and Thousand Suns.
Q. So what is the tone? You mentioned Finding Nemo before, are you trying to do a game like that?
A. Yes, and no. What I want with Dolphin is a game that allows me to run — and play — adventures that are more drama. I want to run a game that can be more cienamtic, as well as one, that does not bog down the play. What I am doing with this game, and what the players have been doing, is more narrative.
Anyway, this should bring you up to speed on the what and how. Next post will be about the setting.
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