unWritten Continuum

The edits are starting to come in. Once they\’re all in, I will start working on art.

So I\’m not going to write on unWritten anymore. I will synthesize any productive critiques, add missing examples, then send it off for editing. But, my own personal input is complete! I think… I hope… \n\nThe design is definately done. Of that I\’m sure. It produces what I created it to produce, fun and great stories.\n\nI\’ve sent it out to some friends to check for readability, organization, and whatnot.\n\nThen I\’ll incorporate final examples order artwork and publish the dam thing!

So, I just figured out that there was something missing… Well, it’s the exposition scene. Here are the three types of scenes in unWritten. 

+ The Three Types of Scenes

There are three types of scenes that one can create during the game: primary scenes, exposition scenes, and parallel scenes.

Primary scenes are those that will dominate the game. They focus on the Lead Player’s protagonist, though the other player’s protagonists are allowed in the scene.

Expositions scenes are scenes that don’t directly focus on any of the protagonists. They allow the players to introduce elements (Loose Ends) to the story through scenes that explain some aspect of the story by, simply, introducing details and actions of elements within the scene that inform the story. 

Parallel scenes are scenes that focus on two or more protagonists that work towards resolving some specific issue. These scenes don’t require that the protagonists be in the same area, but their actions will affect the results of the common goal. 

From Rob Donoghue’s blog I got this…

“… it is designed to tell an incredibly powerful story from beginning to end… Characters are striving to be human, and that is not a purely abstract idea. There are steps to go through, an arc to follow, and an endpoint which is poetically painful. Your presence drives men to destructive madness and blights the very earth. You have power, sure, but it is monstrous, and attempts to seek understanding or companionship run a decent chance of creating abominations that seek your destruction. In short - Hot.”

OK, so I want to get this reaction from the hero’s journey element in unWritten. But it isn’t worded in a way that supports this. And, because its settingless and premiseless I’m starting to wonder if it is possible…

This is the power 19, a set of 19 questions designed to help one develop and understand what they are trying to create…

1) What is your game about?

uW is a game about collaborative storytelling. Players collaboratively create a setting, a group of characters, and the central conflict. This focuses game play on the characters, their actions, and the interests of the players.

2) What do characters do?

They function as vehicles for telling a story based on the constraints determined by the group.

3) What do the players do?

The players rotate the role of the setting player, while all are always being an acting player. The setting player frames scenes using details from the setting record while pushing the acting player(s) toward conflicts. These conflicts are based on a combination of two factors: the setting and the Hero’s Journey. The acting players react to and interact with the elements of the scene. When a conflict occurs, they roll the dice and determine the outcome of the conflict based on the results of the dice rolls and how they chose to place those results. Placement determines narrative rights, success or failure, consequence of actions and how the events in the scene affect the character’s beliefs and personality.

4) How does your setting (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?

The initial lack of a setting allows the players to create and fully buy into their own idea for a setting that they have created in a collaborative effort. The setting creation guidelines allow the players to mechanically integrate aspects of their setting into game play.

5) How does character creation of your game reinforce what your game is about?

Character creation, also a collaborative effort, allows all of the players to create characters that will facilitate the type of story they are all trying to tell and still allow each player to create a character they want to play and can identify with.

6) What types of behaviors/styles does your game reward (and punish if necessary)? 

I think unWritten does reinforce a certain type of play mechanically, specifically collaborative play. This is done through the nature of the Hero’s Journey and the implicit story arc. unWritten forces the players, mechanically, to change the player roles, from setting player to acting player, every single scene so no one person is the primary GM.
The system discourages any single player from controlling the other players.

7) How are behaviors and styles of play rewarded or punished in your game?

The Setting Creation process and the creation of the Cues is a mechanical way to force improvisational narration. There is a die mechanism, the bonus die you get when you involve a Cue in a scene that “rewards” improvisational narration by giving you extra dice for use in conflicts.

8 ) How are responsibilities of narration and credibility divided in your game?

Setting players narrate the scenes and the actions or interactions of the NPCs and choose what is or is not a conflict. The acting players choose who narrates the resolution of a conflict. Credibility is left to the social contract. If someone believes a line has been crossed then he or she should speak up.

9) What does your game do to command the player’s attention, engagement, and participation?

Because the role of the setting player and acting player(s) rotates, narrative control and responsibility is not dependent on whether a player’s character is in a scene or not. This rotation means that every scene one of the players will be required to take on the role of the setting player and actively participate in the game, regardless of whether their character is in a given scene or not.

10) What are the resolution mechanics of your game like?

There are four attributes that define a conflict in the game, specifically narration, success or failure, consequences and praxis. The acting player rolls 4 dice (or more if appropriate by actively incorporating the character’s traits) and place (only) 4 dice on the conflict attributes. The conflict is then resolved based on how acting player placed those die results.

11) How do the resolution mechanics reinforce what your game is about?

The resolution mechanics facilitate the storytelling process, by putting constraints, chosen by the acting player based on the direction of the story he or she wishes to see. The setting player and the acting player choose the actual conflict they intend to resolve.

It reinforces a certain type of play mechanically, specifically collaborative play. This is done through the nature of the Hero’s Journey and the story arc. unWritten forces the players, mechanically, to change the player roles, from setting player to acting player, every single scene so no one person has sole narrative responsibility.

12) Do heroes in your game advance? If so how?

Yes, when it is appropriate to the story being told and everyone agrees to the change. They advance by having their Traits change. Although this doesn’t provide a specific mechanical bonus, it allows a player to change their in-game narration of events to reflect the new Trait. Additionally, the characters acquire ‘scars & consequences’ based on how the dice are placed, which provide the player and opportunity to influence the game by allowing the use of more dice.

13) How does the character advancement (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?

Character advancement is not a focus as this game it is more about creating a collaborative story. Success and failure are most often chosen by the acting player rather than solely determined by dice rolls. The resolution mechanic allows players to prioritize what is important to them in a scene, and if success is important and at least a single die result is a 3 or higher, the character can succeed in a conflict.

14) What sort of product or effect do you want the game to produce in or on the players?

I want the players to be satisfied with the game played and the story created. I also want the game to build a sense of suspense or anticipation in the players as there is no pre-defined script for this game. The twists and turns in the story are created as the players and the conflict resolution mechanics interact, thereby continually surprising the players as to the outcome of each conflict and the overall story.

Another effect this game produces is a unique type of competitive play. As the narrative roles continually change, there is a social pressure built into the game to make the story more entertaining for the entire group and to build on what others have established through narration. Instead of this being a game where one side is pitted against the other, the players compete to make the story more dramatic and interesting, thereby creating an entertaining and involving story.

15) What areas of the game receive extra attention or color? Why?

The Hero’s Journey receives extra attention, because it is a game component that needs the most explaining. It also provides the framework by which narrative control shifts on a scene-by-scene basis.

16) Which part of your game are you most excited about or interested in?

I’m most excited about the die mechanic and the Hero’s Journey, because they both do an incredible job facilitating the collaborative creation of a story.

17) Where does your game take the players that other games can’t, don’t, or won’t?

uW allows the players to collectively create a story in a setting of their own creation. It also allows them to play interesting characters that are products of the setting and have personal stakes in the central conflict. This keeps the entire group immersed in the “reality” of the setting and also interested in what happens to each of the characters.

18.) What are your publishing goals for your game? 

I want to publish and sell my game to people beyond the current gaming industry.

19) Who is your target audience?

Table top gamers, families, school and university faculties, and students of all ages.