Core Coding - Basic moves and stats.

I got to thinking about the stats, and found that I had to change one. As soon as I did that the basic moves just came to me.

The basic stats of a Source Code Operator are now:

Edge – Chipped skills just can’t compete with the true edge, sie tagged and took out the security detail without breaking hir stride. Just like that.
When you live on the edge, the City needs to be cut. Hard. Your operator’s Edge gives you how hard, violent, aggressive, strong-willed, mean, cold or simply tough sie is.

Style – Zeiss optics, AR augmented hair implants, and a sleeve built for speed. Sie would kill any room she walk into.
Style over substance is the key. In a world where beauty is of the rack, it’s how you wear it that counts. Your operator’s Style tells you how hot, sexy, provocative, subtle, beautiful, inspiring, exciting or radiant sie is.

Attitude – I don’t care if sie bought the smile of the rack, sie wore it like a gun. And sie would cut you deeper than any monoedge ever would. Just for fun.
Attitude is everything. In the concrete jungle every predator may be prey. Your operator’s Attitude tells you how unfazed, cool under fire, rational, calm, calculating, rational or ice cold sie is.

Street – Sie wasn’t born there, but sie took to the Fourth World like it was her own. It kept hir alive for those first years, and it honed hir edge, monosharp. The streets do that.
The street is where the action is, the Fourth World huddled in the shadows of the Arcologies. Your operator’s Street is tells you how quick, adaptable, innovative, observant, enduring or clever sie is at living there.

Ghost – Sie would weave through the City like a hot virus through a firewall, untraceable and lovely. Bending the floating world to hir will. Making the alternate reality real.
 Everything is interconnected. Our souls digitzed, reduced to ones and zeroes. Ghost opens you to the AR, the floating world. Your operator’s Ghost savvy, skilled, trained, perceptive, innovative, clever or simply fluent sie is in the AR of the floating world.

From here came the Basic Moves:

Basic Moves:

Needless to say, failing any roll sets you up for the Controller to fuck with you. And trust me, you will receive.

When you BRING THE PAIN to hurt, damage, or kill someone you ROLL + EDGE. On a 10+ pick three, on a 7-9 pick two
•   You suffer little harm (- 1-harm)
•   You inflict terrible harm (+ 1-harm)
•   You impress, dismay, or frighten your enemy
•   You generate no Noise

When you KEEP COOL to do something dangerous, stupid or maybe both, or just take the heat ROLL + ATTITUDE. On a 10+ you do it. If you hit a 7-9 you flinch, hesitate or stall. The Controller can offer you a worse outcome, a hard bargain or an ugly choice.

When you FACE OFF against someone to make them do what you want ROLL + EDGE. On a 10+ they have to chose; force your hand or take it like a bitch. On a 7-9 they can instead choose 1:
•   Get the hell out of your way.
•   Barricade themselves securely in
•   Give you something they think you want
•   Back of calmly, hands where you can see them.
•   Tell you what you want to know (or what you want to hear).

When you DAZZLE OR BLOW SOMEONE AWAY to get them to do what you want ROLL + STYLE. Against NPCs they ask you to promise something first. On a 10+ it is up to you if you keep your promise, on a 7-9 they want assurances first. Against other Operators, on a 10+ it is both, 7-9 choose 1:
•   If they do it they mark experience
•   If they refuse, they got to keep cool.

When you GHOST TRAWL to learn something hidden about the Interface ROLL + GHOST. On a 10+ you get to ask one question, on a 7-9 ask one question but you generate Noise. The controller must answer this truthfully, and if there are no secrets then sie must let you know that.

When you GHOST HACK to screw with the Interface, ROLL + GHOST. On a 10+ you get to pick three, on a 7-9 you get to pick two.
•   It doesn’t take very long.
•   You can restore function afterwards
•   There is no collateral
•   It generates less Noise (-1 Noise)

When you READ FACES on the edge, ROLL + STREET. On a 10+ hold three. On a 7-9 hold one. Spend holds one for one to ask:
•   Is your character telling the truth?
•   What is your character really feeling?
•   What does your character intend to do?
•   What does your character wish I’d do?
•   How could I get your character to … ?

When you FEEL THE STREET in a situation that has gone critical ROLL + STREET. When ever you act on on of the Controllers questions, you get a +1. 10+ ask three, 7-9 ask one.
•   What is my best escape route/way in/ way past?
•   Which enemy is most vulnerable to me?
•   Which enemy is the biggest threat?
•   What should I be on the lookout for?
•   What is my enemy’s true position?
•   Who is in control here?

I wonder if re-skinning the AW moves is the right thing for this hack.

I'm not entirely convinced. Your world is pretty rich, with its own possibilities distinct from the apocalypse world. Pushing outside the space of the AW basic moves is called for, IMO.

In time I think you are right. As this goes from a hack to a stand alone complex I envision that will be a gradual and organic growth driven by play.

But rigth now, to get anywhere I need to curtail my ambition. And reskinning the ApW moves is an step in that direction. besides, these moves still give me the kind of play I want. I think. Only playtest will show, and I am not quite there yet.

That is a wise answer, Kaare.

Sometimes I suprise even myself ;)

Please tell: what Visual Studio compiler version are you using and on what OS?

You are joking, right?

Spam bot?

As I start off on the custom moves it is getting more and more clear to me that I will need to revisit these moves aswell. And one of the most apparant changes I see is dropping the stat Style. And then the move Dazzle... as a consequence of this.

What I fear is that I'll end up with a hack that relates/revolves too much around violence. But right now it makes more sense to pick these two, and then press delete.

Funny, but John's words earlier here ring even more true right now.

I'll be thinking hard on this.

Yeah, retooling the basic moves and stats will set the tone of play.

Coming up with good basic moves is hard.

Fiction first helps.

The Basic moves revisited.
As I am exploring the custom moves and building themes you get to pick from during Lifepath generation, some changes becomes more obvious. One of the new concepts is that to do shit well, you need to pick the move that lets you. So to further differentiate between the different theme-moves the basic moves get dumbed down. You may do them, but your options are much more limited.

New basics: Direct Violence
When you BRING THE PAIN to hurt, damage, or kill someone you ROLL + EDGE.
On a 10+ you trade harm as established and pick one:
You suffer little harm (- 1-harm)
You inflict terrible harm (+ 1-harm)
You do not cause collateral damage
On a 7-9 you trade harm as established and the controller picks one:
You drop or break something important
You do too much damage
A piece of your kit gets shot to shit
You lose your footing
You get at though choice or a worse outcome

When you SPRAY AND PRAY to give someone cover ROLL + EDGE.
Doing this adds + reload to any weapon you are using (naturally this can’t be done with a + reload weapon).
On a 10+ pick two. On a 7-9 pick one.
You don’t empty your clip (- reload).
You keep them covered (only incidental fire; 0- harm or 1- harm).
You don’t do collateral damage.

When you BRAVE THE HEAT to get somewhere or stay put under fire ROLL + ATTITUDE.
On a 10+ you pick two. On a 7-9 you get one. If you miss you fucked up and are really hanging out there, vulnerable as fuck.
You get there or at least closer.
You only take incidental fire (0- harm or 1- harm).
You get do what you wanted to.

When you GET THE FUCK DOWN to stay out of harm’s way ROLL + STREET.
This isn’t a dodge bullets move! You got to see it coming. It’s a move for those times you just want to curl up into a little ball and let the hail of death pass you by.
On a 10+ pick two.
You are under cover and safe.
You drop off the radar.
You may do shit.
On 7 – 9 you get under cover but the controller gets to pick one.
You drop or break something important
A piece of your kit gets shot to shit
You’re pinned and need to KEEP COOL.
You get at though choice or a worse outcome

The reason why I lump all these four together is that for those players that want more combat options for their character get to pick one move that contains new versions of all four. As it stand right now there are three moves that offer this. Two from the shell based WAREWOLF theme; Warewolf and Chrome Killer* and one from the sleeve based NEGOTIATOR theme; Bionic Commando*

I was worried that this would over complicate things, but this fits better in with the new thematic structure I've found as a replacement for playbooks. The three choices makes the choice between flesh and steel more different. We'll see how it turns out.

*I might change these at a moments notice.