The Strange MUX
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This is just a brainstorming/discussion thread. It is in no way an indication that a The Strange MUX is in the works. I've just become enamored with the idea and had some free time at work so I thought I'd post some thoughts/questions/discussion points.
FIrst, I really like the idea of The Strange. I think it's a really neat setting and has tons of possibilities. However, I still just can't get on board with the Cypher system. It's not that it's a terrible system it's just that, for a game that allegedly encompasses any and all genres, I don't think the Cypher system does that very well at all. Namely superheroic worlds. I don't think you could model most superhero types using this system with any sort of ease whatsoever. Even something as simple as flight requires multiple levels of a focus.
I think for a game like The Strange it would need to be easy to transition from one world/universe/whatever to another. No one wants to app an entirely new character for every world. So my primary question is this, what system would best emulate that?
My kneejerk reaction is Fate Accelerated. When a world/universe/shard is created the creator would set up the "physics" of the world so that players would know how to scale their traits. So if Clark Kent went from his home shard of DC to the Buffy-verse the scale would list the upper levels of strength as "tipping cars on their side" so that he would know how to scale his "Last Son of Krypton" aspect suitably.
Other games could do it too(GURPS, Savage Worlds, Hero, Mutants & Masterminds) but I think they would be much more work than would be necessary for this to be effective.
As for Cypher, I'm certainly no expert so if I'm missing something please let me know. I think the idea is fantastic(so does my wife and we're hoping to explore the game in some way in our TT group) I'm just trying to think of the best way to keep it universal while maintaining reasonable scaling from one world to another.
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@zombiegenesis said in The Strange MUX:
FIrst, I really like the idea of The Strange. I think it's a really neat setting and has tons of possibilities. However, I still just can't get on board with the Cypher system. It's not that it's a terrible system it's just that, for a game that allegedly encompasses any and all genres, I don't think the Cypher system does that very well at all. Namely superheroic worlds. I don't think you could model most superhero types using this system with any sort of ease whatsoever. Even something as simple as flight requires multiple levels of a focus.
Maybe give out starting cyphers or artifacts that give the relevant power? You could even tune it to working in a limited fashion until the hero becomes more powerful, like 'only 20 minutes of flight per day' or 'must be held in hand while flying' until they gain their own, innate ability.
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This should maybe go into the Game Development forum instead? Even if there's not necessarily a game in the works.
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@lemon-fox I think that's my other problem with the system, I hate cyphers. They feel clumsy and shoehorned in. So far my experience with the Cypher system is my experience with most so-called "generic" systems; they're really good at actually doing a handful of things but fall apart when you start looking outside those realms.
