Help me name my system

[valadil]

I'm having a really stupid problem with my RPG system. I can't come up with a name for it. I'm totally hung up on this one problem and so I'd like to outsource naming to the playground.

I'm not designing a setting for this system. If I were I'd borrow something from the setting. But making a system is more work than I have time for already, so no built in setting for the name.

The system is diceless. Players have pools of willpower. They bid willpower to make stuff happen. The idea is that it make narrative control into an expendable resource. You can make your character succeed when it's important that he do so. I've got some earlier notes in my blog (http://gm.sagotsky.com/?p=9) from when i first had the idea. I'd post some newer notes, but that's dependent on my setting up a place to post them, which is dependent on having a name with which to post them.

Originally I was going to call the system Fate (as it was inspired by fate chips from Deadlands), but it turns out that was taken. I've been using Mind over Matter as a working title, but I've had this system in my head for three years and it still feels like a working title. I'd like a name that emphasizes that this is a storytelling game that lets players buy narrative control to resolve conflicts, but I just can't resolve that to a cute little 2 word title.

So any ideas? Any questions that might help lead you to ideas? I'll even take techniques you've used for coming up with names.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Moirai (or Moirae or Μοῖραι) a fun little synonym for fate, and, in fact, are the Fates, which might work well with the idea of someone in control of a character's destiny. As such, it's currently the only suggestion that comes to mind, although I'll let you know if I think of another.

[ideasmith]

I suggest you buy or borrow a thesaurus; I recommend Roget's. This won't be the only term you want a name for.

[valadil]

I suggest you buy or borrow a thesaurus; I recommend Roget's. This won't be the only term you want a name for.

Been there, done that. I actually set up t as a keyword shortcut to a thesaurus. So when I want a synonym, I put "t fate" into firefox's address bar and that does a thesaurus.com search for fate. It's a neat feature, but I think I need some other ideas for terms to search for.

[Mulletmanalive]

_MIND_
Matter

?

Damn, quotes don't count...

Edit: Trading Fates? Market Forces? Fortune Favours? Hope Springs? [i like that last one, though it sounds like a bad Soap opera]

[Howler Dagger]

What i do is pick a language, usually bulgarian, and translate a key word, such as fate for your system, using google translate. Then, use the phonetic pronuciation. this is where i came up with Svoboda, the floating city of air in my PbP game Divinity wars.

[Pyromancer999]

I have no idea why, but I feel like this should be called Epix.

[jiriku]

Pool of Fate?
Contest of Wills?

[Stubbazubba]

I'd say Storyteller, but that's also already taken.

Fateplayer's kind of corny, but has a nice, nerdy ring to it.

Maybe just call it "Willpower," that seems appropriate.

[Bearpunch]

Hows about:
The Game? :smallcool:

When theres a Will, there's a way? :smallbiggrin:

Failing that, heres a method of naming:

Get Thesaurus.
Spin around 20 times.
Stand
Walk ten feet.
Open Thesaurus.
First word you can read clearly, choose one of the synonyms for it.

To choose synonyms:

Get number of synonyms for the word
spread the numbers (corresponding to the words) evenly across a D20
ROOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLL FOR INITIATIVE!

amidoinitrite? :smallwink:

But for serious, hows about:

Pool of Fate
Will/Willpower

That's honestly all I can think of.

[valadil]

Nice suggestions, keep 'em coming! I think my favorite so far is Fortune Favours, but I'm not sure if I'm just biased due to a Great Big Sea album of the same name.

The other idea I was toying around with, after spending too much time with a thesaurus was a play on resolution. The game already focuses on a mechanic for encouraging conflict resolution between agents, rather than between one agent and an environment. But I only just realized the New Year's resolution context, which is just as applicable.

[ideasmith]

Been there, done that. I actually set up t as a keyword shortcut to a thesaurus. So when I want a synonym, I put "t fate" into firefox's address bar and that does a thesaurus.com search for fate. It's a neat feature, but I think I need some other ideas for terms to search for.

If I run out of likely words, I go through the Synopsis of Categories for ideas. If that fails, I go through the Index. I haven't seen any equivalent of either on the online thesauruses.