renaming The Rustbelt?
agony:
What about...
Beaten Down
Broken
Decayed (or Decay)
Junkyard
Towards Ruin
Scrap Iron
Collapse
Ruin
Marshall Burns:
DWeird,
Which version do you have? 'Cause I stripped the setting down to practically nothing in the ashcan version.
That being said, Setting has a very strong presence in this game. I'm of the opinion that Setting, in the Big Model sense, is not about the details -- I relegate those to the Color of Setting. Poison'd has a very strong Setting, despite having very little Color for it, and D&D has always had a weak Setting, despite tons plenty of supplements & sourcebooks loaded with Color to bring to your game. (And before anyone gets their pants up their nose, I'm not making a value judgment with "strong" or "weak" -- I'm simply describing the degree of impact that Setting has on play)
The Setting for The Rustbelt is an environment that is harsh and unforgiving, and that demands that people make horrible compromises to get along. That's it. Everything beyond that is the Color of Setting. Now, you may well ask, what's the difference between that and the real world? Well, this is supposed to be a secret, but I'll tell you anyway:
nothing.
Everywhere in the real world, people suffer in some way, and have to make some sort of compromises of body and soul in order to get along. What my game does with the Psyche & Push rules is make a framework for that. What it does with the post-apocalyptic Overture and the Rust rules is amplify it, call attention to it, metaphorize it. The Rust isn't magic (at least in the sense that most people use the word), it's symbol. The Rust is a character in the game that represents all the forces that encourage people toward depredation and depravity. So, I disagree that the game is not about the Rust. The Rust is the ultimate source of all antagonism in the game. It could be argued that people are a main source of antagonism, but the only reason those people don't get along is because of what the Rust has done to them and their environment to make them desperate. Without the Rust, everyone would be holding hands and sharing.
But, replacing the Rust with roaches? OF COURSE you can do that! As a matter of fact, I intend to include a chapter in the first-ed. version about re-skinning the Setting, which centers around re-naming the Rust.
agony:
A few more:
Rot
Blight
Corrosion
DWeird:
I'm using the 'net version on angelfire #5, plus a pile of notes from stalking every thread you (or anyone else) ever made about the game. <.<;
Quote from: Marshall Burns on October 31, 2008, 12:40:29 PM
But, replacing the Rust with roaches? OF COURSE you can do that! As a matter of fact, I intend to include a chapter in the first-ed. version about re-skinning the Setting, which centers around re-naming the Rust.
I didn't feel like that was a major change, either (though I *am* having some troubles with the complete lack of tidbits of "wild west" culture in my game. Full player control over their characters when a bored but nonetheless effective KGB can haul their asses in at almost any time? Well yeah, a character could just blow their brains out - once. After that, it'd likely be curtains for 'im. Despite of that little example with the tank, my games would probably be mostly about what you can and can't say or do. Many Pushes will likely be in Tears. Compromises with the soul, and all that... Anyway. Neither here nor there).
When I was writing that post, I didn't feel like I was telling you anything new about your own game, but rather that I think there's a discontinuity between what your game is about and your attempts to name it.
Basically, all I'm saying is... Yes, that-thing-or-process-that-you-call-Rust is the base of your game. But, it's my opinion what you mean by that-thing-or-process-that-you-call-Rust isn't best conveyed with the word "Rust", with extra additives or not... And that you should maybe find a less metaphorical way of expressing it. I mean - I could read your text, and then go "Ah, Rust! It totally makes sense!". But it would probably be a better idea to find a way to name it that would convey the gist of it straight off, without one actually having to read any of the game text, right? I'm not being too clear here (which is a wee bit ironic, given that I'm actually asking for more clarity in the name, heh), but I hope you can understand what I'm saying.
Peter Nordstrand:
Rust City
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