Hearts & Souls 2E

I've been having a heck of a time working on H&S2E, mostly I've not started the heavy lifting of mechanics. Primarily because other than a few minor changes the overt differences will be pretty small. The changes will be noticeable, but the effects will be to maintain the same play as before, just with some improvements brought on by the game design elements I've learned in the mean time.

The setting however is what is bothering me. I want this wonderful vast setting that is as wild as Marvel or DC, but without their depth of history or racism. I loathe racism. Even when I notice it in myself. (I fight it, seriously. Yet even then some slips in from my upbringing without thinking about it.)

It was something that was rampant and accepted in earlier eras of comic books. I could be true to them and allow it to slip in in the past and say "that was accurate for the time..."

Yet at the same time, I've the advantage of being able to look at that era with disgust at how we could have ever been so blind towards others (though we often still are...)

The setting is the big issue though. I want it to be filled with heroes and villains who are interesting, but unlike some settings I don't want to overlook that some were truly terrible ideas--even if they stuck around. (Example: Turner D. Century)

Yet still I want a few of.."hey that's mad, crazy, silly, and makes little sense, but what the heck..."

I'm a bit too serious at times to truly think of these though, and sometimes they come on me easily.

The joys of having an over-active brain.

Humor.

I don't do humor games. That isn't to say I don't put humor in the games I play, run, etc. I just don't do them explicitly. I played Paranoia 1E, I played Ghostbusters 1E, I wouldn't choose them today.

I prefer my humor more natural, more an aspect of situations that come out of things in games, than things "forced" into them. Same thing goes for April's Fools day. It is forced humor. Mostly unfunny. It is at best tiresome, at worst a way to really head down the path to ruining your reputation. I've seen so called "April Fool's" behaviors that if anyone had chosen to approach them could have put a few game designers years back into a real problem. Actual fraudulent statements, ones they used to make money.

Don't do that. Just don't be that person. Enjoy humor, make it subtle, but don't abuse the rights of others with it.

My April Fools post isn't a joke. It's not a laughing matter. I'm not going to say I sold out to some big company, or bought another one.

No. I'm writing games, I'm having fun with that. After all, its delightful to have a reptiloid Esper flare her frill at the other PC's because she doesn't want them to buy the "cursed" asteroid crawler at the local outposts rental place. It's fun and giggle worthy when she uses that as a "threat" to make them do what she wants. Especially when she interrupted the conversation, everyone paused, and then went right on. Maybe nudged by her antics, maybe not.

I giggle everytime my wife puts her hands up to her ears and flutters them and goes "flttrrrr" to mimic the action. She's a hoot to game with, soon it will be time for a Dwarf wedding that may resurrect a lost clan, and give them heirs. If of course the bride and groom actually go through with it. I can't wait to cause chaos, that has nothing to do with big dangers. Just small nutsy NPC's..

Chaos is fun.