Working on a setting, and also the system for it

[Pergamos]

So I am working on a system of mechanics.  I want a game that decenters combat, and that centers biological engineering, social interactions, and plumbing. The setting is solar punk, on a space station. The aesthetic is weeds in the cracks.  The setting diverges from our real world in the 90s, when the biosphere 2 experiments were being conducted, in the game world they were successful and biological science advanced enough to make constructed biosphere's in space practical.  Africa ended up uniting and an international organization, with the US, Russia, China, the EU and the AU (African union) as members ended up constructing an international space station.  Poop is an important resource, controlled by waste management, who are known as the shit lords.  hoarding poop is a serious crime, and jenkem is a drug widely considered a scourge on society.  Combat, if it occurs at all, is handled with a single roll and some free form roleplay.  biosphere modification is a daily task, along with group politics such as propaganda, and crafting, on a more short term time scale there's mostly interpersional interactions, hacking, and plumbing, which includes atmosphere engineering.  The rogue plumber in brazil is definitely an inspiration.  Biospheres have varying degrees of biodiversity, and once they are diverse enough they start to alter their environment towards their ideal conditions.  players can help or hinder that, and they can also work to change the biosphere so that it has different ideal conditions.

[Doktor Howl]

So it's skill check theater?

Is this a video game or a TTRPG?

[Pergamos]

TTRPG, and yeah, basically skill check theater, making something other than combat crunchy in the way that combat usually is.

[Doktor Howl]

TTRPG, and yeah, basically skill check theater, making something other than combat crunchy in the way that combat usually is.

So this is "Going to Work, the RPG?"

I'm not saying it can't work.  I'm saying good luck.

[Pergamos]

well, maybe, if your job is biosphere engineering, or political organizing, or adjusting air chemistry.  I'm also planning on including beehive as a playable character type.

[Doktor Howl]

well, maybe, if your job is biosphere engineering, or political organizing, or adjusting air chemistry.  I'm also planning on including beehive as a playable character type.

All I'm saying is, most people play TTRPGs as a way of indulging in a shared universe in which you can deal with any problems you have with a big burning axe.  This is its entire appeal to the 20-45 year old set; It gives you a relief from a world in which no problems have permanent consequences. 

It turns out that being a murder hobo is good for you.

[Pergamos]

well, maybe, if your job is biosphere engineering, or political organizing, or adjusting air chemistry.  I'm also planning on including beehive as a playable character type.

All I'm saying is, most people play TTRPGs as a way of indulging in a shared universe in which you can deal with any problems you have with a big burning axe.  This is its entire appeal to the 20-45 year old set; It gives you a relief from a world in which no problems have permanent consequences. 

It turns out that being a murder hobo is good for you.

I do understand that.  I don't know about the entire appeal, but I know it's a big part of the appeal.  I'm aiming to work on a slightly different kind of escapism, building a better world, in slightly more realistic ways that are still easier, and more rewarding, than the frustrating shit pit that is the real world.  Online discourse suggests there are people that like that style of play, it might be wrong, I suppose I'll see, at worst I'll have had some fun building mechanics and a setting.

[Abbot Mythos]

Pergamos,

Your project sounds like a substantial undertaking.

So, would you mind telling us something about the basics? For instance, what software will you be using to design your game?

Thanks.

[Pergamos]

at the moment I'm using google docs.  The material is a mess at the moment, but once it's not, I'll post links for you to look at if you're interested, I'm not using any other software right now, I'm not sure what would be useful.