Concept: Twisted Threads

[Placid Dingo]

It's a Google Doc atm, but look at it in progress if you like. I'll xpost here once I have something solid.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ekrNi9MzdScxTM3ZejwIMcXHqoZq9rcZlMqfclPiRPs/edit

EDIT: Xpost


Twisted Threads

Concept: Twisted threads is a card game built around the complex multiple levels of international relations.

Players control a 'set' consisting of a number of human characters under their control. Each player begins with a set of three characters under their control. Each character brings three Sparks to the player. The main aim of the game is to continue in an advantageous position across the narrative ark of the story, but within a single game a player has the short term goal of keeping or increasing 'Sparks' while forcing other players to lose theirs. This can be done by directly playing cards in God mode, or by making open strategic moves in Story Mode.

In story mode, one player designated as the Central Scrutinizer (CS does not control a set) goes through an open ended series of events. To begin, the CS will explain where each player is in the story arch (for a continuing story) or introduce players.

In a God Mode round, players have been dealt ten cards. Each card can be played at a cost to the player, and affects events of the story, and the Sparks of individual players. The cards may reflect very general situations which are explained further by the CS, in Story Mode, or immediately where the circumstances require it.

Human Characters:
Human Characters have a small number of attributes.
Type: Based on MBTI. Roll four dice.
1 Odd E even I
2 Odd N even S
3 Odd T even F
4 Odd P even J
Certain types hold certain properties. You may choose to disregard this element early on for simplicity.

Funds. Rather than a complex finance system, character hold financial classes.
Bankrupt/Borderline. Struggling to make ends meet. Only one 'Loyalty' point.
Middle Class. Enough for basics.
Upper Class.
Megarich.

Affiliation.
Characters are affiliated with any number of Clans. At the start of a game, all characters must be affiliated with the player's Clan. A player who becomes dissociated with the key Clan remains under the control of the player, but is more easily manipulated by the CS or other players.

Loyalty. Starts at five, may be reduced by different events or situations.

Personal details; Name, age gender etc, as revealed by player.

Clans:
A character may be involved with any number of clans. The clan is any specific organisation (listed or not) under the following catorgories. These may include;

Government (Australia, America, Afghanistan)
NGO (UNESCO, Invisible Children, PETA)
Political Group (Greens, Republicans, Liberals)
Anti Government (Anonymous, Wikileaks, Socialst Alternative)
Internal Affairs (Federal Police, FBI)
External affairs (CIA, Mossad, ASIO)
Media (Al Jazeera, ABC, Fox News)
Religious Organisations (Catholic Church, Church of Scientology)
Cults (Westboro Baptist Church, Raelians, Exclusive Brethren)
Other (Discordians, The Royal Family)
Organised Crime (Zetas, Yakuza, Mafia)
Terrorist Groups/Armed Resistance (LRA, Al Quaida, Boko Haram)

It is advised the there are clear relations between clans. While it is possible to tell the story of Mossad, the Yakuza and the Catholic Church, it would be easier to interact between Wikileaks, the American Government and the FBI.

[Placid Dingo]

Extreme ways: knock a character's loyalty up three points.

Bra burning. From the card playing player, clockwise, take one centre spark for every female character until all are gone.

Soft power. Choose a clan category. Clockwise from the card player each character with this affiliation takes one spark.

Bad press. All characters affiliated with the clan of your choice lose one loyalty point.

Breaking point. All players with two or less loyalty can have an additional affiliation with the clan of your choice. If this affiliation already exists, take their cards into your clan.

Not-so-virgin Mary. A female character finds themselves pregnant.

Direct an action of a character affiliated with your clan, loyalty 5 or less.

Oops it broke? A male character causes a pregnancy. Discuss how it is dealt with with the CS.

Economic crash 3 sparks ALL players financial situation drops one level.

Wealth for all. All players increase wealth rating one level.

A modest proposal. Bad times for all. All bottom level financial characters DIE. Discard one spark to attempt to roll a 6 PER CHARACTER you would like to save. 

Stuck in the middle. All middle class characters affiliated with one organization go up a level.

Top dog. Upper class characters controlled by a player have the power to change the financial situation of any character affiliated with that payers clan and below their financial Level.

Goodies. Search through the
Discard deck for any card. You must pay for this card AND the next.

Safe house. Move characters to safety when under direct attack. One spark per safe player.

Ngo Dinh Diem. Place one of your own players in a position of power in an opponent's organization, or reduce one of their own -4 players to 0 loyalty and affiliate them with your clan.

Diamond teeth. A megarich character may make any change they like to any characters' financial situation, provided they share any kind of affiliation.

New religion: One character changes (or adds) religion. Religious characters above 5+ loyalty exempt. Low loyalty characters in religious institutions drop to 1 loyalty.

Yerks. One character below 4 loyalty, affiliated with your clan, can have their actions directed by you during the story round.

Sheep from goats. All characters affiliated with  the clan of your choice change loyalty. -4 loyalties drop. +6 loyalties increase. 5 loyalties go one either way.

Voice of (un)reason. If you have a level 5 loyalty character in any affiliation you may influence another characters loyalty up or down one, if they have the same affiliation.

Poach. Take another players character if they are affiliated with your clan and below 5 loyalty. Take a percentage of sparks equal to the percentage of cards, rounded down.

Wake up sheeple. Cost 7 sparks. Poach all -5 loyalty cards affiliated with your clan.

Slick PR. Discuss with CS. All characters who may plausibly choose to affiliate with your clan are now affiliated.

Military intervention. You may choose to use a recognized or unrecognized military force to violently attack an opponent. The opponent may resist you with a six. All characters affiliated in any way with your group must either drop all connection with you or increase loyalty by three. If the character belongs to another player and they do not drop the affiliation, they must drop loyalty by three.

In two minds. All characters under your control develop a second affiliation.  

Cross promotion. All characters affiliated with the clan of your choice also affiliate with a second clan of your choice.

Swapsies. Swap your God Round deck with another's players deck.

Et Tu, Brutus? Kill one of your own characters. Any other player with an affiliation with the character may roll a 6 to save them.

Political inspiration. Add some form of political affiliation to a character. If the character is below two loyalty,  you may choose the affiliation for an extra spark.

Facebook rules - all characters under 30 (or of unspecified age) become affiliated with a clan in the country of your choice. 

Disaster! A natural disaster hits the country of your choice. CS will detail the affects of the disaster.

Act of extremism. An extremist causes disaster. CS gives details. CS may choose any character over 7 loyalty to be responsible. CS may deliver any consequences that seem logical.

Off the record. One event on a players 'secret record' becomes public knowledge. 3 sparks.

One up. Any clan may take a spark from a natural opponent. CS will detail the victory.

Assassination. If one of your players has above 5 loyalty you can roll a dice to have another character killed. 4,5,6 succeed. The target player may resist by paying one spark per roll. A 6 will nullify the attempt. They may pay and roll as many times as they need to.

Everything I know is wrong. Either take any character above 5 loyalty and reduce them to 5, or a character below 5 loyalty and reduce them to 0.

Tabla rasa. Completely erase your secret record. 

Assange is looking. An item from a players secret record is exposed. CS details the consequences.

Devil on the shoulder. Choose any character below 4 loyalty and affiliate them with your clan. If this contradicts their personality or existing connections, the CS will guide the results.

Pope sez no. All characters affiliated with a religion or clans connected to that religion are disassociated from the clan f your choice.

Now for our next caller. One character of 7+ loyalty makes publicly shameful comments. CS details the fall out.

Queer as folk. Impose homosexuality on one character. If this is at odds with their affiliations, this goes on their secret record.

Game changer. Pass this card to CS. CS will impose a major event that has far reaching consequences for all characters.

Emotional Fatigue. Drop all players affiliated with the group of your choice by one loyalty point. 

The apocalypse never came. In the clan of your choice, all players above 5 loyalty are taken to 10. All below 5 drop to 1.

Off the rails. Choose one character above 7 loyalty. The CS will detail a way in which they go overboard and the consequences.

Rule the Galaxy as father and son. One character with 5+ loyalty may target any other characters with the same affiliation. They may influence the character up or down by three loyalty points.

Jump ship. All characters below 3 loyalty are passed to another player whose clan holds affiliation. If they have no second affiliation, write one in, but keep the character.

Passionate zest. All players associated with the clan of your choice jump up two points in loyalty.

Niche appeal. All players with any characteristic you name can either increase loyalty by 2, decrease by 2 or affiliate with the clan of your choice.

Who am I? One character rerolls an aspect of their personality.

Election time. An election is called. CS documents the consequences for all players. Incumbent governments who have lost a lot of spark may lose everything.






Using mbpti

Nt - only four loyalty to start. Can roll a six at any time to resist outside influence.

Sp - starts with scandal already on secret record - can roll a six to avoid others influencing loyalty upwards.

Nf - starts with an existing second affiliation to humanitarian or religious group - can roll a six to avoid being pushed into violence or cruelty

Sj starts with six loyalty - can roll a six any time to avoid new affiliations.

[minuspace]

Is Emil still playing?