Long Live the Empire
The Game
A high-stakes game of reputation and manners set in a galaxy-spanning empire, like a Star Wars regency drama starring that guy Vader choked that one time.
What I Like About This One:
I love player-driven drama. As we saw in Me, My Demon, and I, there’s something I find compelling about mechanics that let you screw with other people, or the idea that another player around the table can be like ‘Nah, make that harder.’ It’s a fun political level to play with, giving players a bit of pull in deciding how difficult something should be.
The idea of high-stakes social is also something that intrigues me in games. We have a ton of games about high-stakes physical striving, but the truth of the matter is, we’re much more in tune with the socio-political dangers of the world. Maybe that’s part of the escapist ideal of games like Dungeons & Dragons, but I find the idea of “Say it politely or die” much more compelling in my fiction.
What I’d Do Differently Next Time:
Pens! Why do you thwart me so!?!? The section that starts with “Play Begins” is kind of out-of-order in a way that I would find infuriating as a player. I remember one of my biggest pet peeves with Palladium books back in the day was the way that their core books were laid out, with rules for character creation and races and classes all over the damned place, and here I am with specific interjection moves before I’ve completed the basic play loop? Well, I never…