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Message: <blockquote data-quote="PerfectPathways" data-source="post: 9459750" data-attributes="member: 7046040">Hello! I have been looking for a mechanic like this in many, many games for quite some time, and I have not found any besides a few. I am here to present my example mechanic, trying to accomplish something I haven't seen anyone do. Previously, in other forums and locations, I explored the idea of mechanizing roleplaying to incentivize and shape character behavior, rather than relying purely on player choice. Games like Pendragon, Burning Wheel, and Exalted have implemented similar ideas of mechanics (mostly Pendragon), but I found most fell short either by being too restrictive or lacking meaningful consequences. My main question was: Can roleplaying mechanics be effectively applied in a generic system without undermining character agency? I argued that while these mechanics work well in genre-specific games, like Pendragon’s Arthurian setting, they often feel inadequate when applied to more open, sandbox-style systems like D&D or generic settings. After much thought, I’ve developed a mechanic of my own that addresses these concerns, blending roleplaying incentives with character consistency. Here's what I've come up with:<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UsmzNfy6jWa1xxCkX8jL5Uaue76kcnjM8AkYcNVxaiA/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Identity mechanics v4</a>In short, each character has five core Values that represent aspects of their personality and worldview. These Values are rated from 0% to 100% and categorized as Weak, Moderate, Strong, or Defining, based on their importance to the character. These Values can motivate actions, create internal conflict, and influence how a character grows over time.Each of these Values are refined with a corresponding Value Statement that reflects how the character views that Value. For example, a character with Loyalty might have the statement: "I will always stand by my friends, no matter the cost." These Values are often tested against one another, and whenever that happens, the player may choose to align with the winning Value, or resist it. In either case, the Character grows from the change.I'd love to get feedback on this mechanic - However, I am explicitly Not looking for "This is dumb and I would never play this game" or "This mechanic is stupid" - I understand those arguments, and I disagree with them enough I don't want to rehash them here.What I am looking for is:<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Do you feel the Values themselves are varied enough that you can envision any potential Value statements as belonging in these categories? - Do you think any should be split apart into more Values?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Is the system too restrictive or prescriptive? Does it hinder roleplaying flexibility, or does it provide enough room for player agency?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Are the rules for Value Tests and how they affect gameplay clear and easy to understand?</li> </ol>3.1 Is the process for defining and using Values straightforward, or does it need more clarification or examples?3.2 How do you feel about the progression and growth of Values over time? Does it seem like a natural development of character?Thank you very much for reading!(As an example, here is the list of games I have found that attempt to do something similar: Avatar Legends, Apocalypse World, Dungeon World, Blades in the Dark, Masks, Monsterhearts, Burning Wheel/Mouseguard/Torchbearer, Heart/Spire, Worlds/Chronicles of Darkness with Vampires, Cortex Prime, Exalted, L5R 1-4e, Legends of the Wulin, some of the Year Zero Engine games, Hillfolk, Genesys, Unkown Armies, Heart/Spire with their Beat system, Shadows of Yesterday/Ladyblackbird's Keys, Passions from Runequest/Mythras, and my personal favorite - Riddle of Steel. I think that all of these have some great ideas, but they honestly aren't able to do what I'd like them to do).</blockquote>

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