Game mechanics for rebuilding

[kcdusk]

I think the V1.0 and 2.0 DnD Dungeon Master Guides talked about how to build up a "party", moving through to village, town, castle etc. They included thoughts on food, morale, trade, currency, natural barriers, neighbours and armies. I know its DnD, but that game did do this thing well in my view (the whole levelling up thing).

How does that relate to T2K?

Most games i've seen have been about survival, rather than rebuilding on any scale. T2K has probably had a different focus, very few people look at T2K in terms of how much money they can accumulate or heads they have in their personal army. The goals are generally much smaller and times lines shorter. But i agree, i like the thought of rebuilding a village or small geographic area.

In terms of game mechanics I'd do some rough calculations, and apply them generally to the game. Something like this maybe:

It starts with water. Say 5 liters per person per day. Where is the village/town getting that kind of water from? Or put another way, how much water is available per day/week? How many people can that support? It gives you a rough indication of how suitable the area is for a population. In winter there may be more water, but less food.

Same with food. What does the ref manual say about food? Is it 2kg per person per day of proper food (ie meat or MRE's), and 3kg per day of wheat and other stuff? Again, how much food is available, and for how many days? in spring there might be more food available but less water. So players have to plan ahead (store water in winter via wells, water tanks, dam) and the same with food (cure or salt meat to make it last through winter).

Planning and rationing becomes a skill, and being able to sell that to a population. Knowing how much food and water is available in the local area can be worked out mathematically and guide you to how many NPCs characters might be able to recruit. I'm not sure if this is the kind of "game mechanic" your after? I'd keep the maths simple and use lots of rounding.

How the PCs interact with other people would be huge. Do they share food/water? Is morale high or low? If they appear too weak they open themselves up to marauders and a hostile take over.

To me, the key factors would be
1. potential enemies that might be near by to slow progress or take over all together after the hard work has been done.
2. food and water
3. other people wanting to join whatever community the PCs had created
4. defending the area, and having enough infrastructure to house, feed and run (politics) a large group of people. Even waste would become an issue, depending on how detailed you want to get.
5. Use long time lines to keep the game moving. Maybe game out them digging a well over a number of days (where to dig it or how to get water in it, getting wood for supports etc), and get the community started. But if they end up wanting to build a dam, i wouldnt game out daily work drills. Maybe have the players plan out a 6 month schedule and make a couple of die rolls to see if they have stayed on time. And another die roll to see how successful the dam is (for example they were aiming to build a dam to store 500,000 litres in 6 months. A good first die roll meant they finished the dam in 4 months, but a poor second roll meant while they finished early the dam only holds 250,000 litres). Its a chance to give non-combat characters a chance to shine.

Just some ideas.

[kcdusk]

And split PC tasks up amongst the group. Put a different PC in charge of defence, food (farming and vegi patch), water (stockpiling it somehow in a well/tank/dam, and also how to collect it (rain, underground reservoir, river, plant transpiration) and then transport it for use (buckets? horse and cart? Pipe system?).

I'm sure each PC will leap at a short term fix, get it done, then realise how short sighted they were (the GM will make sure of that!) so when they think their job is done, they find out they have under provided.

Even high level success (more people are attracted to the place) means more pressure on a perhaps fragile balanced system (enough food for now, but as more arrive the vegi patch and farm animals are quickly run down).

Set up schools?
Town theft could take off.
An NPC wants to take over, gains popularity, how do the PCs take being relegated to the back seat?
Eventually they could create their own Krakaw. Will players accept anyone into their town? How do they police it?

[bobcat]

having done this in several other games i have to say the first rule is simple
location location location.
meaning where are the bad guys, where can you get adequate raw materials, where can you get water and grow crops, can you raise livestock, does anyone else claim the area, are there settlements nearby for trade, and many other similar questions come into play right off the bat.

then come the matters of resources such as where is the required manpower coming from(slaves, volunteers, paid laborers), is enough food available to last until the settlement is self sufficient, is there enough weapons/ammo to maintain a defensive posture, is there transportation for trade with nearby settlements, is there fuel for said transportation, are there adequate medical supplies to keep the citizens alive, how are buildings to be constructed, how will waste be dealt with, and so on

and ever important throughout the entire matter is diplomacy such as
how will soviet/allied forces be dealt with, how will the settlements neighbors be approached, who will be accepted into the settlement, who will be in charge, how will the defense force be organised, how will labor be distributed, how will resources be distributed, and such

each action will have a reaction and long term plans might not always fulfill short term needs. it add a whole new layer of chaos to the game.

[comped]

Originally Posted by kcdusk

I think the V1.0 and 2.0 DnD Dungeon Master Guides talked about how to build up a "party", moving through to village, town, castle etc. They included thoughts on food, morale, trade, currency, natural barriers, neighbours and armies. I know its DnD, but that game did do this thing well in my view (the whole levelling up thing).

Advanced DnD had quite a bit of stuff about (re)building. If you want, I can scan it in, and post it.

[Adm.Lee]

No, thanks, I'm good. I still have my AD&D stuff, I just didn't think of looking there.

[comped]

Originally Posted by Adm.Lee

No, thanks, I'm good. I still have my AD&D stuff, I just didn't think of looking there.

I believe it was in the dungeon master's guide.

comped

[Lundgren]

If I recall correctly, Living Steel had some rules about re/building machinery and items. It was a sci-fi game of rebuilding a world after an alien attack, so perhaps there would be more things to use.

For larger machinery, there were lists of what components needed to put one together. Then there was lists of what basic components (as in nuts, bolts, cable and casing) to build those components.And what kind of raw material and machinery to create those basic components, if not being able to scavenge what was needed.

[kiltedguard]

Originally Posted by Lundgren

If I recall correctly, Living Steel had some rules about re/building machinery and items. It was a sci-fi game of rebuilding a world after an alien attack, so perhaps there would be more things to use.

For larger machinery, there were lists of what components needed to put one together. Then there was lists of what basic components (as in nuts, bolts, cable and casing) to build those components.And what kind of raw material and machinery to create those basic components, if not being able to scavenge what was needed.

Now that would be something I would be interested in seeing.

[NanbanJim]

Loved reading this thread, and it made me think of another idea for it--not that the ones provided are insufficient AT ALL.

Board Games.

You could use a night of Settlers of Cataan (which should need no introduction) to develop the metaplot and basic results of the growth period. Citadels, which if you'll pardon the link is reviewed in an awesome web series on board games Shut Up & Sit Down Show could also provide metaplot and essential development. You'd have to adapt the characters, mind.

By "metaplot" I mean the overarching plot that spawns the plot of each adventure. I love the idea of using one game to direct another, and I think someone's got to have some board game that would work well for this.

I mean really, in the end, it's all GM Fiat anyway. Why not have fun with it?