Shreyas: I think you're on to something, but I don't think that Acting Under Fire breaks the rule that when you do it, you do it - Its just abstract. Abstract things happen in the fiction. "Bebop Cola cowboys up" is a more abstract fictional occurrence than "Bebop Cola owns a 9mm pistol". Acting Under Fire is just so abstract, that there isn't a great phrase to universally describe when it happens (Acting Under Fire isn't one), but that doesn't mean that it isn't a consistent fictional occurrence.

I would say that AW is designed such that you kinda have to know how a Move works mechanically to know when its happening - Players don't arrive with a perfect understanding of what Going Aggro means, Seizing By Force doesn't necessarily require that you're really trying to acquire anything, but it does require that your target is fighting back, for instance. Maybe the learning curve is worth it, maybe it kind of sucks.

Quote from: evilseanbot on April 04, 2012, 11:05:00 AM

Maybe:
- Tell someone they work with the cabal, possibly without knowing they're a -cabal-. Tell them Hx+1.
- If one person is a member of the cabal, they get Hx+3, and an interesting life.
- Somebody is someone the cabal -wants-, add +1 Hx to your number.

I like these.  One result of allowing the turncoat to wrap a number of other PCs into the cabal's story is that the turncoat playbook becomes a very defining force in the campaign.  Similar to having someone play a hardholder (where most of the other PCs live under her rule) or the hocus (if many of the PCs are members of her cult).  There's nothing wrong with giving that much narrative weight to the turncoat playbook, but I think you'd want to be aware of the implications before adding one to your game.

Totally agreed. Though in my experience people don't choose the be-a-member-of-the-hocus's-cult* option very much, and I'm not sure how often people would want to be a member of the cabal - I guess its cooler and less subordinate than being a cult* member.

(* I suspect people would choose the option more if someone played a Hocus less CRAZY cult leader and more community-leader/teacher, but what would be the fun in that?)

Seems pretty neat! I'm considering tossing it into my AW game.

I kind of wish that the Hx options were a bit more robust, maybe including other player-involvement with the cabal.

The degree that my feelings on whether something is a feature or a bug mismatches with posters on this thread is remarkable. Not to imply there's anything wrong with the opinions expressed here, but it makes me think I've some kind of shift away from  the general demographic.

- Gunluggers with heavy armor are still unstoppable tanks? AWESOME

- People with armor find it more difficult to dive behind cover? AWESOME

I'm going to say that the proposed solution of adding tags wouldn't fit my needs because that's another thing that I'd have to keep track of and be creative about, and I don't want to because I don't care about "problems-with-people-running-around-in-armor" enough to want to spend a lot of time thinking about it, compared to thinking about "oooh, maybe some psycho has a flamethrower" or "There's this drug dealer who wears a duct tape dress and she's smoooooth". So for my goal of:

1) Make a mechanical disincentive for worn armor.

2) Without having to think about it too much.

3) That makes enough sense to me.

"-worn armor to Act Under Fire, (with possible exceptions, the same way armor reduces harm with possible exceptions)" does the job better than adding a tag. Its quite possible that adding a tag would do a lot better job of #3 for you, but for me it would fail way to much on #2.

((I think this mismatch in game expectations for Apocalypse World probably owes to an interesting quirk of AW: I think that moreso than a lot of games, it puts risky color content pretty upfront, and its a somewhat likely (for people I've played with) that people will be unevenly excited about: "People running around with fancy weapons and body armor", "bondage gear", and "psychic maelstrom", though when people are totally on board with all 3 its usually pretty sweet.))

The concept behind the Pack Alpha penalty is:

* You ask a gang member to do something they don't want to do. They're heavily armored. They don't feel threatened by you. You gotta make an example.

* You ask a gang member to do something they don't want to do. They don't have armor. They feel threatened by you. You don't gotta make an example.

The concept behind the Leadership penalty is:

* Your gang, in heavy armor, is slower, more awkward, and more in the mood to bust heads. They have a harder time making an advance, its harder to get them to show mercy. They might be more in a mood to bust your head.

Thanks for the reply!

I agree with everything you said. Visitor it is!

I also think there's a little bit of possible overlap with the Queen. Though I think outsidery-superiority and authority-superiority should be a good enough source of contrast.

Stats: hot-1, cold 1, volative-1, dark 1?

I definitely wanted to include alien genetic sexgineering. I'm thinking the other player chooses 2 of:
- Give them 2 strings.
- Get the condition Tampered With.
- Let the Alien player choose the player's next advance.

Is having the Alien choose next advance too rules-kinky?

Moves:
Mission From Mars:
You are on a mission from your alien superiors. Choose a small goal. When you fulfill it, mark experience. If you fail or neglect it, another alien agent gets a string on you.  Either way, gain a new small goal.

Alien Sex Fiend:
You approach intimacy from a analytical, detached perspective. You can spend a string to add +1 to Turn Someone on and roll Cold. On a miss your inhumanity is obvious. They can take all of your strings away.

Calculating:
When you go to lengths to investigate someone, like going through their trash or talking to their friends and relatives, roll Cold and get stuff:
- Take a String
- Give them Condition: Blackmailed.
On a miss, its obvious to someone you're a total creeper.

Tentacle Horror:
In your true form, roll Dark to Physically lash out.
When someone sees your true form for the first time, they must Hold Steady, Run Away or Gaze into the Abyss.

I have never played Monsterhearts. I'm not sure if I'll find space for it any time soon. But there are three things I do know: Alien paranormal romance fiction my girlfriend was reading at the time (The Lilith's brood series by Octavia Butler), Invader Zim slash art and the movie The Man Who Fell to Earth, which is mostly notable for a scene where David Bowie rolls around in a bed with a gun. With that aside, I'm gonna try to jam aliens into your game.

I know that their main shtick should be a massive superiority complex. I think they should pick a player that they feel particularly superior to (And maybe give them a string on the Alien? Because the Alien's like "Hah, you cannot trick me with your feeble human minds, I will gladly enter your small metal box." Maybe I'll reread the thing on strings before saying that)

Other stuff they should have:

A plan (They're also kind've Cylons) (Maybe this plan should include being all hot and cold and obsessive on another PC, like the aliens are in Lilith's or how the cylons are towards Baltar, kind've)

Sex tentacles (There is no arguing this point)

Disguise, infilitration, some spy motifs

WONDEROUS TECHNOLOGY

Advanced alien tantra powers that sex out your cancer?

Borderline-personalityness. They're surface emotions are largely faked, their real emotions are weird and inhuman.

Homesickness. He really has a heart too! A weird squishy heart! They're like Nes from Earthbound