Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Damn. There goes *that* idea!

So I am reading Christopher Hitchen's Arguably and I had the great idea for new RPG.

It was going to to be a game where all the characters are investigative reporters of various types.  The idea then you work for a paper, tabloid, news service or blog and investigate.  Their could be supernatural elements (if the "Editor" chooses) or the stories could be played straight.

I'd use something like Fate since it really fits this idea well.  Plus that would give me mechanics for bribery and addictions of various types (or as Hitch might say, Bribery, Boozing and Buggery).

While most of the fiction I read is supernatural in flavor, most of the non-fiction I read deals with news items and the journalists that uncover it.  I just I was just as much impacted by The Hobbit as I was by All the President's Men.

I was going to call it "Scoop! The RPG of Muckrakers, Tabloids and Yellow Journalism".

Turns out that this game already exists.  Of sorts.
"Scoop! An Investigative Reporter RPG" is talked about here, http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99471-Scoop-An-Investigative-Reporter-RPG-With-Dinosaurs

Ok. So their's has dinosaurs. My wouldn't.
But it is very, very, very close to the same idea.

Damn.  Plus Machine Age Productions, the company that came up with this game also does some games with Fate.

Hmm.  Not sure what I want to do yet.  The easiest of course is not to do it, but that is not very satisfying.
*IF* I still do it, then at least I need to change the name.

Back to the drawing board I guess.

6 comments:

  1. You could call it FOX News.

    You know, the Newscorp that argued in court that there was no "law, rule or regulation" that required them to report the news truthfully. They won, by the way.

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  2. Change your game's name to the Fourth Estate!

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  3. Its a shame Newscorp isn't the only entertainment division that reports that way. I have to listen to NPR and BBC News to get better information.

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  4. There was another RPG based around newspaper reporters. Well, tabloid news reporters. It's called "Pandemonium". I have a copy, somewhere, but never played it. The main thing I remember about it is that some characters could have a "past lives" advantage that lets them have temporary extra skills.

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  5. I suggest "Stop The Pressses!" as a title.

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  6. At least you still have the pleasure of reading Hitch.

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