Mode Genres, Setting genres, and how we make "Games"

[dbm]

SWADE is great for “shotgun ‘thulu” where you are taking on loads of cultists. It would be my system of choice for Masks of Nyarlathotep.

But for horror closer to CoC standards with academics and careful investigation it would then probably be a GURPS implementation for me.

 

[Committed Hero]

I've come round to approaching a game by asking "what do the PCs do in it?" which might get pretty close to your definition of "mode." Recent adds for a Terraforming Mars Kickstarter drive this home for me. I love the board game, but the things I picture a PC doing in the setting do not excite me at all.

 

[Reynard]

I've come round to approaching a game by asking "what do the PCs do in it?" which might get pretty close to your definition of "mode." Recent adds for a Terraforming Mars Kickstarter drive this home for me. I love the board game, but the things I picture a PC doing in the setting do not excite me at all.

Wait, is there a Terraforming Mars RPG coming?

 

[MGibster]

I've come round to approaching a game by asking "what do the PCs do in it?" which might get pretty close to your definition of "mode." Recent adds for a Terraforming Mars Kickstarter drive this home for me. I love the board game, but the things I picture a PC doing in the setting do not excite me at all.

I think this might be the single most important thing I want answered before buying a game. What exactly are the PCs supposed to be doing? When I first read through the 2nd edition Blue Planet I instantly fell in love with the setting, but there was no obvious thing to have the PCs do, so I never got to play it. (I came close but a pain-in-the-butt player ruined it for me and I pulled the plug.)

 

[aramis erak]

A few definitions:

"Mode Genres" are those that talk about what sort of story it is: a heist, a comedy, a romance, etc...

"Setting Genres" are literally about what the setting is: high fantasy, cyberpunk, Victorian London, etc...

"Games" means both actual full rule sets, but also our games at our tables: both individual campaigns and play culture in general.

Often in RPGs we talk about "genre" like it is a singular, definable thing. We all know there are lots of different games in different genres, but usually we slap a label on them anyway and call it good.

i don’t usually think about mode unless it is baked into the subgenre… Such as Sci Fi Special Ops… that will mix several modes in rotations: Acquire McGuffin, Destroy McGuffin, Escort McGuffin, Deliver McGuffin, observe McGuffin. Each setting, especially Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Alien makes these very different… but spec ops stories in all media have those 6 modes. The modes are inherent to the Special Ops sub genres of anll three of action/adventure, space opera, and hard sci fi.

In other words mode is irrelevant to me, other than as an aspect of individual adventures. this also is why i never bothered with single-mode storygames…

 

[Committed Hero]

Wait, is there a Terraforming Mars RPG coming?

Written by Hite & Ryder-Hanrahan according to this blurb - which should be another sign of my consternation. Stuff by either of them is an instabuy for me.

 

[Reynard]

i don’t usually think about mode unless it is baked into the subgenre… Such as Sci Fi Special Ops… that will mix several modes in rotations: Acquire McGuffin, Destroy McGuffin, Escort McGuffin, Deliver McGuffin, observe McGuffin. Each setting, especially Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, and Alien makes these very different… but spec ops stories in all media have those 6 modes. The modes are inherent to the Special Ops sub genres of anll three of action/adventure, space opera, and hard sci fi.

In other words mode is irrelevant to me, other than as an aspect of individual adventures. this also is why i never bothered with single-mode storygames…

Those aren't modes as defined in the OP.

 

[Aldarc]

I've come round to approaching a game by asking "what do the PCs do in it?" which might get pretty close to your definition of "mode." Recent adds for a Terraforming Mars Kickstarter drive this home for me. I love the board game, but the things I picture a PC doing in the setting do not excite me at all.

This is my issue with a lot of settings. My go-to example is Tekumel. It was an interesting and highly imaginative setting but I could never wrap my head around what PCs would do in the setting.

By the way, this also gives me an idea for a thread that I have been thinking about related to board games. Maybe later when I have time.

 

[payn]

Wait, is there a Terraforming Mars RPG coming?

 

[dbm]

There was a GURPS Alpha Centauri back in the day, so why not?