Another poster drew my attention to this Kickstarter, for a diceless, GM-less, seemingly PbtA-inspired game: Oribtal.
Here's the gist of the background blurb:
Here's the gist of the background blurb:
Imagine an all-consuming interstellar war, spread across a vast galaxy and involving trillions of willing and conscripted participants. Then imagine a lone space station, floating in the cosmos, that is somehow set apart from this conflict.[/indemt]
And here's the blurb that tells us what is actually involved in play:
There is also a link to a playbook (= class description + PC sheet): The Heart.
I'm not familiar with the resolution system beyond what I've seen on the KS page, but from this sheet some features can be worked out: there are at-will moves that seem similar to PbtA 7-9 results (eg "Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable") or that give small thematically-related benefits ("Help someone feel better, if only for minute"). There are "weak" moves that earn a token, either similar to PbtA 6 or down results (eg "Try to use words when action was required") or that otherwise make you vulnerable ("Share a difficult truth about your past"). And there are "strong" moves, similar to PbtA 10+ reslults, that require a token to be spent (eg "Calm someone from violence with your words").
The distribution of framing/resolution responsibilities is described thus:
The KS page also says that
I backed it pretty much as soon as it was drawn to my attention. I've been doing a fair bit of sci-fi RPGIng recently, using Classic Traveller, and am up for a good station-based game. And the example playbook suggests that this one will involve tightly-focused characters with a lot of story-potentiality built into them. The diceless framework gives players a lot of control over the action, but if it works as seems to be intended it should produce a good sequence of up-and-down, threat-and-resolution.
And here's the blurb that tells us what is actually involved in play:
ORBITAL gives us airlocks and control panels, pensive faces looking out into the cosmos, improvised fixes for critical systems, military-sponsored subterfuge, warm embraces in the cold vacuum, frantic struggles in zero-gravity and unknowable ancient technology, asking WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT?
There is also a link to a playbook (= class description + PC sheet): The Heart.
I'm not familiar with the resolution system beyond what I've seen on the KS page, but from this sheet some features can be worked out: there are at-will moves that seem similar to PbtA 7-9 results (eg "Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable") or that give small thematically-related benefits ("Help someone feel better, if only for minute"). There are "weak" moves that earn a token, either similar to PbtA 6 or down results (eg "Try to use words when action was required") or that otherwise make you vulnerable ("Share a difficult truth about your past"). And there are "strong" moves, similar to PbtA 10+ reslults, that require a token to be spent (eg "Calm someone from violence with your words").
The distribution of framing/resolution responsibilities is described thus:
each player . . . tak[es] responsibility for all of the NPCs and narrative pressures within one aspect of the setting (for example, THE INTERSTELLAR WAR or THE SCUM & VILLAINY). It's more like you're all taking turns playing the antagonists & introducing complications, rather than playing a game entirely without a GM. . . . [Each player will] choose & personalise one of six SETTING ELEMENTS—aspects of the game world that can introduce challenges and complicate your character’s lives.
The KS page also says that
You can play a satisfying one-shot in 3-4 hours, or play through a series of sessions to explore your station further and further complicate your character's relationships. It can be played with up to 6 players, and also includes rules for playing with a GM and 1-4 players.
I backed it pretty much as soon as it was drawn to my attention. I've been doing a fair bit of sci-fi RPGIng recently, using Classic Traveller, and am up for a good station-based game. And the example playbook suggests that this one will involve tightly-focused characters with a lot of story-potentiality built into them. The diceless framework gives players a lot of control over the action, but if it works as seems to be intended it should produce a good sequence of up-and-down, threat-and-resolution.
