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View Full Version : Which systems model lying and economics well?



Trekkin
2015-05-10, 11:56 PM
Hello again, Playground. I have another weird idea for a campaign, and I could use suggestions for a system that would support it easily.

I'd like to run a game in which the players are mid-level marketing executives for a corporation that works exactly as detailed in chain emails and green ink websites. Their preposterously credulous (and perpetually inebriated) bosses read about, say, industrial turkey fattener being repackaged as margarine and deduce that this must be a profitable endeavor if someone's doing it; therefore, the PCs need to corner the industrial-turkey-fattener-repackaging market by next quarter and make millions doing it while keeping it a complete secret. All the (urban) myths are true, and the PCs are why.


The systemic problem is one of social interaction; the basic activity of the campaign is lying as inventively and audaciously as possible, which would get old fast if the game were nothing but Bluff skill rolls. I'd also like a relatively elaborate economic model, so I can abstract out the actual monetary costs of everything, but I could do without that.

So is there a system out there that models deception with sufficient nuance to let a group of 4 people do it every session and not get bored?

hamishspence
2015-05-11, 12:51 AM
Burning Wheel is supposed to have a pretty good social modelling system.

Maglubiyet
2015-05-11, 04:47 AM
Is there widespread support/demand for this type of game amongst your players? If they feel a real need to do pointless activities of questionable morality based on the whims of incompetent bosses they could always just get a job...

Probably equally important in these scenarios as lying would be legal counsel who can navigate the loopholes in policies.

goto124
2015-05-11, 05:01 AM
If they feel a real need to do pointless activities of questionable morality based on the whims of incompetent bosses they could always just get a job...

Pretty sure you can do crazier stuff in a game than IRL :D

And (with a bit of time) they could be (effectively) the bosses.

Lacco
2015-05-11, 06:08 AM
If I understand correctly, this is meant to be a bit lighthearted - correct?

I would go with Fate on this one, but any system will do (yes, even d20) if you modify the skills (in d20 HP becomes resolve - if you reduce it to 0, the opponent is left speechless, you don't have "to hit" but skills):
Buzzword Bull****ting (you use fancy words to distract the opponent)
Number Numbing (you shoot large numbers, statistics and percentages at random)
Random Red Tape Camouflage (you cover the important information deep in documents)
Torturous Technobabble (you make the subject cringe by using latest SOTA terminology)
Feinting Fabulation (you invent something on the spot)
Angrying Argument (you provoke the opponent to attack)
Executive Excuse (you point to someone other to take the blame)
...shall I continue?

Of course, equipment such as +2 executive suitcase, PowerPoint: Sleep or Graph of Confusion should be around...:smallsmile:

Or did I read your intended tone incorrectly and this should be serious campaign?

Trekkin
2015-05-11, 06:11 AM
If they feel a real need to do pointless activities of questionable morality based on the whims of incompetent bosses they could always just get a job...



We're all extremely employed.

Besides, this is really just a reskinned Paranoia, but ideally with enough rules that I'm not guessing everything.

Burning Wheel might work, though.

And yes, this is supposed to be an extremely lighthearted campaign. FATE/d20...maybe.

Ashtagon
2015-05-11, 06:41 AM
TORG's Nippon Tech (http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/shop/doku.php/nippon_tech) supplement has what you seek.

Sadly, it is years out of print.

mikeejimbo
2015-05-11, 07:26 PM
GURPS Social Engineering has rules for marketing, mass influence, and propoganda. GURPS Boardrooms and Curia gives rules for modeling organizations.

BootStrapTommy
2015-05-11, 07:33 PM
GURPS Social Engineering has rules for marketing, mass influence, and propoganda. GURPS Boardrooms and Curia gives rules for modeling organizations. *Shameless GURPS plug*

If you wanna do it, GURPS can do it for you.