There are games that have a “big fish in a big pond” feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a “big fish in a small pond” feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions.
There are also games that do a “small fish in a small pond” feel really well, e.g. Fiasco.
Are there any games that do a “small fish in a big pond” feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
Edit: lots of good suggestions so far, but maybe I could have added:
- it’s fine and good if the small fish somehow end up having a big effect
- it would be amazing if the big-world had well fleshed out other goings-on. Ideally some mechanics that let all players contribute to this feeling, so it doesn’t depend entirely on the quality of the DMing
Edit 2: title, to avoid all the computer game suggestions. I guess the community name isn’t hint enough, huh?
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tbh, any system can accommodate this. It’s on you as a DM to create/use the various larger factions/entities. You can really make a world feel alive by writing up a few basic opposing factions and having the results of their conflict intertwine with whatever your group is doing. Wanna run a Shadowrun game? Focus on the megacorps going at each other, have the party work some of those jobs, but maybe have another group of NPC runners crash a job. Wanna do D&D? Well, they added factions like the Harpers so that you can have some big players pushing pieces behind the scenes, and have your players stumble onto a wider conspiracy.
I think the biggest thing is that you can’t be afraid to give your party a challenge you know they have no hope of defeating. If they’re small fish in a big pond, they have to encounter a big fish and learn their place in the hierarchy. If your group is smart, you can give a lot of hints that they need to flee and escape the bigger fish. If they’re dumb, have em get wiped out in combat and barely survive.
True, political parties, corporations, unions and factions are probably a big part of what makes the real world feel that way too
Check out Blades in the Dark and Spire the City must fall.
I’m blades you pay an upcoming gang of criminals in a haunted Victorian steampunk city where every inch is owned/claimed by another gang so everything you do either pleases or upsets somebody. Definitely has the struggle to survive in a hostile world feel. Blades is one of my favourite game systems to run. It’s soo easy for the GM I basically never needed to prep.
In Spire you play a group of rebel or terrorist dark elves fighting against the oppressive high elf regimen. The world building is really detailed maybe a bit too much in some places. I really enjoyed running it though.
One of my friends is a big fan of Blades… Will give it a go at some point.
Is the ease of prep to do with preexisting material, or mechanics that make it easy for players to contribute to the world-feel, or something else?
Blades is far and away my favourite game system so far.
It does a bit of everything you mentioned.
So the set up included in the book is good, basically:
Here’s a few factions and you are on a job for one of them to steal something from the other (change based on your players crew, ie kill someone or purchase drugs). After they finish the job you do a couple steps for:
Heat - how much fallout they get from the law. Has consequences like allies getting locked up or interrogated. Or the popo kicking down the door to your hideout.
Downtime - where players pursue goals and recover. Leads to crazy projects like making flamethrowers or summoning demons.
Faction - decide as GM which factions are affected and adjust relations with the crew appropriately. Leads to reactions from factions, favours and retribution. Job offers or threats.
As every action the players take is working against at least 1 faction and likely benefits at least 1 more the game really easily writes itself. With like 5-15 minutes of thinking pre session about likely next steps and a few random names I could improv everything I needed.
The GM advice included is great and the world building is fab, the steampunk haunted setting is awesome.
I’ve also said far too much without mentioning the flashback mechanic - you skip the whole prep stage of jobs and go straight into the opening scene, then at any point the players can spend stress to flashback and set up a cool move: hide some useful gear, arrange the servant to leave the window open, Etc. The possibilities are endless and it keeps the game moving really well.
Helpful overview, thanks!
Paranoia, is explicitly written that way. You don’t win or change the world. You just survive it… a little bit longer… or not.
Call of Cthulhu is sort of another example, but the characters do tend to be outstanding in some way, just not in power-fantasy ways.
Cool, thanks
I could have been clearer: I’m not opposed yo the small fish having a big effect, but just don’t want it to be presupposed
The world of darkness games can run like this. If you play new vampires, there’s going to be a whole political landscape that is at best neutral to you. Same with Mage. The other types probably also, but I don’t know them as well.
It does have a paradoxical element in that your character will be a big fish as far as the mundane world is considered. A freshly statted vampire or mage is far more powerful than a mundane person.
It does have paths for players to become big fish, too
old d&d editions or OSR-Systems can offer that feel as player characters tend to be weaker than their 5e counterparts.
the world of darkness games might also be an option, but i’ve only watched/listened to some actual plays and there the player characters seemed like pretty small fish until they established themself as a politcal force through luck and schemes.
world of darkness games
I’ve seen it go this way, but also blood-sucking super heroes. It depends a lot on the individual table, but this was one of the first systems I thought of.
Agree on OSR, though through skill and fortune one can become a big fish. Though I recall it used to be one you hit level cap you just retired.
Old school DND and OSR clones would do great with their high chance of dying.
If you really need to stay with 5e you could cap player levels at 6 and scale the world. But that might not be worth it
Kenshi, the game world doesn’t just hate you, it doesn’t even care that you’re there.
I know of one, that being GUN by Abbadon, which might be a good idea.
How does it give this feeling?
I think what gives GUN the feeling is that it takes place in the wild west (which is dying), and that the mechanics regarding guns, characters, and encounters are something to behold once you get into them. It’s a non-D&D system that primarily uses d10’s if I’m not mistaken (I hadn’t played it, but only seen gameplay of it).
Mount and Blade warband is the dated but classic sandbox. You don’t matter unless you make it.
Kingdom come deliverance is more recent, but it’s definitely got a learning curve and some players can’t get the groove right.
Subnautica is a more literal interpretation.
Which would I recommend? Honestly all of them.
TTRPG = TableTop RolePlaying Games.
This is not c/games lol
Most of the video game answers were here before I edited the title. I guess the community name is not prominent enough on the main Lemmy UIs…
Chronicles of Darkness if you like the horror vibe.
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I had no idea they made paper RPGs of either of these.
ah shit here i went not reading and posting irrelevant info (there’s an ttrpg but i’ve never played it 🙃)
- Rimworld
- Minecraft with Infinite Dimensions
- InZoi (maybe wait a few updates for it to get more polish)
Abzu
