I've been thinking for awhile about how to make an X-COM like experience in a TTRPG. I played a lot of the 1994 original back in the day, and the emergent aspects of play left a huge impression on me. I might dig into the detail of that in another post.
(I know there is already a board game based on X-COM, though I've never played it, and I would imagine there is some kind of similar RPG out there already, but I think it'll be fun to make my own stab at it.)
Here are the principles I've been trying to bring to this:
1. I don't want this to be a bunch of spreadsheets. Video games are great at simulating complicated stuff, but I want something very light. Vibes over formulas.
2. A feeling of being up against the odds, maybe even that you only have a slim chance of victory.
3. Investment in characters - surviving a dangerous mission is a big deal.
4. Extraterrestrials not being used as a stand-in for otherness among humans. I don't want to tell stories about people being scared of other people coming to their homeland. The working title, Earth Resists, is a nod to this - focusing on a united effort from humanity.
5. Expanding on the inspiration. X-COM is about resource management and tactical skirmishes. I want to explore some other possible aspects of resisting an invasion - uncovering plots through investigation, as one example. Maybe also exploring ideas about the organisation breaking apart but still functioning in some form.
The world sheet
Front and centre is a page showing a map of the earth divided into six regions. (I'm leaning into d6s for everything, unless something steers me towards introducing other dice.) A d6 can be placed on a region to indicate the threat (0 - 6). When you need to generate an event in a region roll d6 + threat (for a value from 1 to 12).
Reconnaissance (ETs studying Earth and humanity)
1. UFO sightings
2. Evidence of incursions at key locations
3. Reports of individual abductions
Panic (Direct contact, civilians under threat)
4. UFO landings
5. ETs sabotaging facilities
6. Mass abductions
Foothold (ETs establishing bases of operations on Earth)
7. Destruction of satellite / radar monitoring of an area
8. Construction of ET facilities
9. Xenoforming of environment
Total war
10. Military capability of a country destroyed
11. Critical infrastructure lost
12. Complete occupation of a region
One pressure on the players will be trying not to let the threat level increase in any region. But there may be times when they have to choose between protecting a power station in one location or rescuing civilians in another location. When they don't respond to an event, the threat is likely to increase there.
Morale
The second function of a region's threat is that it contributes to the morale of characters from that region. The best morale score is 6. When creating a character from a region with threat 3, roll 3d6. For every 1 rolled, reduce their morale by 1.
During play, events can trigger a morale check for a character. This is typical stress / insight type stuff, from games like Cthulhu Dark.
Character creation
Speaking of characters, I want them to be mechanically simple, but to have the potential for players to grow attached to them. I'm borrowing from Lasers and Feelings to have a single number for character stats. I think a lot of L & F hacks go for something cute with the labels for the number, but currently I'm going with Force / Precision. I think that can be meaningful when dealing with skirmishes and also stuff like a diplomat trying to convince a government not to withdraw funding.
So characters will have a morale score, and a single stat to cover all rolls. They'll also have a couple of skills (just words for things they are trained in).
There's no health points. I think injuries will be represented as a number of weeks to heal. (Ticking down healing clocks during an upkeep phase is sliding into spreadsheet territory, so maybe I'll try to simplify that - maybe no upkeep, but when you want to check if they are ready to come back into action you can do a roll for it.)
Missions
This is the bulk of the thing. One thing I'm currently considering is running two types of missions at the same time. Something like a skirmish, but cutting back and forth to a separate mission of espionage or research. Rather than having phases of play with very different focuses, mush it all together with some guidance for managing spotlight.
I'm also trying to resist my normal bias towards long-running games. This game could be well suited to a short campaign, where tension ramps up quickly, and you have to make a big swing at the end or lose the conflict. If it's shorter then the missions can be a little more directed / curated, rather than trying to have lots of generators for coming up with countless missions.
More on all this next time.
