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[Aberzanzorax]

Good Questions Solodan.

Setting:
I'm thinking the setting isn't necessarily key, but I would like for it to not be modern, for a couple of reasons, though they basically all amount to one. I think it is useful to "step out of one's perspective" to get a new perspective. I'd worry that a modern setting would be too much like the real world, and I want a barrier there that's pretty obvious to all that this is a game and is not real.

One of my favorite techniques in therapy is to use metaphoric situations to guide decision making. The idea is to ask someone about how they would solve a situation that they have little or no emotional investment in and then apply that same process to their more difficult real life situation. So, either fantasy or sci fi. My personal preference is fantasy just because I like it more, but I wouldn't discount sci fi either.

Level of complication:
Well, I'd like it to be more simulationist and less gamist...I want them to work hard on characters and decisions, not to just be wargaming. I realize that this may require more complication, but also it might not.

As far as math goes, that's not too great of a concern. The less the better, BUT I'm depending on my options, I'm thinking anything that someone in junior high could handle is fine.

The biggest issue with complication is that I'd like it to be something that is easily learned. Either I could teach it in one group "session", or it could be figured out by reading it in say, an hour or so.

Violence vs nonviolence.
I'm not totally sure on this, but I think violence is ok. It's especially ok if it is relegated to violence against the supernatural. Nonviolence is also ok, but it still needs to be appealing.

Star Wars Saga Edition sounds good, except that I think it's too popularized. What I mean there is that I want the players to make characters of their own and there's a strong likelyhood that I'd see a lot of skywalkers, han solos, etc. Also Jedi are a bit of an issue there because of their moral code. I'd want players to have the flexibility to make choices as they would in the real world, without additional strictures that wouldn't apply in real life.



Umbran,
your suggestion looks like a good "one shot" game that would be really useful.

However, I'm looking for something that is more of an "immersed in a story for a while" roleplaying game, in which the players have the same characters for some time. I'm not looking for a fun "one shot" sort of game, although I do think that would be quite a possible option (I can see Og Unearthed as a very interesting and fun lesson in communication).

I'm shooting more for "growth over time" rather than a "one shot lesson plan" if that makes sense.