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Chebucto Regional Softball Club

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  3. Games that have a "small fish in a big pond" feel?
A forum for discussing and organizing recreational softball and baseball games and leagues in the greater Halifax area.

Games that have a "small fish in a big pond" feel?

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    Guest
    wrote last edited by
    #1
    There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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    • ? Guest
      There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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      wrote last edited by
      #2
      old d&d editions or OSR-Systems can offer that feel as player characters tend to be weaker than their 5e counterparts. the world of darkness games might also be an option, but i've only watched/listened to some actual plays and there the player characters seemed like pretty small fish until they established themself as a politcal force through luck and schemes.
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      • ? Guest
        There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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        wrote last edited by
        #3
        Paranoia, is explicitly written that way. You don't win or change the world. You just survive it... a little bit longer... or not. Call of Cthulhu is sort of another example, but the characters do tend to be outstanding in some way, just not in power-fantasy ways.
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        • ? Guest
          old d&d editions or OSR-Systems can offer that feel as player characters tend to be weaker than their 5e counterparts. the world of darkness games might also be an option, but i've only watched/listened to some actual plays and there the player characters seemed like pretty small fish until they established themself as a politcal force through luck and schemes.
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          #4
          > world of darkness games I've seen it go this way, but also blood-sucking super heroes. It depends a lot on the individual table, but this was one of the first systems I thought of. Agree on OSR, though through skill and fortune one can become a big fish. Though I recall it used to be one you hit level cap you just retired.
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          • ? Guest
            There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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            wrote last edited by
            #5
            Mount and Blade warband is the dated but classic sandbox. You don't matter unless you make it. Kingdom come deliverance is more recent, but it's definitely got a learning curve and some players can't get the groove right. Subnautica is a more literal interpretation. Which would I recommend? Honestly all of them.
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            • ? Guest
              There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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              wrote last edited by
              #6
              Kenshi, the game world doesn't just hate you, it doesn't even care that you're there.
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              • ? Guest
                There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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                Berttheduck
                wrote last edited by
                #7
                Check out Blades in the Dark and Spire the City must fall. I'm blades you pay an upcoming gang of criminals in a haunted Victorian steampunk city where every inch is owned/claimed by another gang so everything you do either pleases or upsets somebody. Definitely has the struggle to survive in a hostile world feel. Blades is one of my favourite game systems to run. It's soo easy for the GM I basically never needed to prep. In Spire you play a group of rebel or terrorist dark elves fighting against the oppressive high elf regimen. The world building is really detailed maybe a bit too much in some places. I really enjoyed running it though.
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                • ? Guest
                  Paranoia, is explicitly written that way. You don't win or change the world. You just survive it... a little bit longer... or not. Call of Cthulhu is sort of another example, but the characters do tend to be outstanding in some way, just not in power-fantasy ways.
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                  wrote last edited by
                  #8
                  Cool, thanks I could have been clearer: I'm not opposed yo the small fish having a big effect, but just don't want it to be presupposed
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                  • ? Guest
                    There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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                    wrote last edited by
                    #9
                    * Rimworld * Minecraft with [Infinite Dimensions](https://share.google/IGJ1trRYUjohdA4tm) * InZoi (maybe wait a few updates for it to get more polish)
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                    • ? Guest
                      There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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                      wrote last edited by
                      #10
                      Elite: Dangerous
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                      • ? Guest
                        There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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                        wrote last edited by
                        #11
                        EvE Online
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                        • B Berttheduck
                          Check out Blades in the Dark and Spire the City must fall. I'm blades you pay an upcoming gang of criminals in a haunted Victorian steampunk city where every inch is owned/claimed by another gang so everything you do either pleases or upsets somebody. Definitely has the struggle to survive in a hostile world feel. Blades is one of my favourite game systems to run. It's soo easy for the GM I basically never needed to prep. In Spire you play a group of rebel or terrorist dark elves fighting against the oppressive high elf regimen. The world building is really detailed maybe a bit too much in some places. I really enjoyed running it though.
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                          wrote last edited by
                          #12
                          One of my friends is a big fan of Blades.. Will give it a go at some point. Is the ease of prep to do with preexisting material, or mechanics that make it easy for players to contribute to the world-feel, or something else?
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                          • ? Guest
                            There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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                            jjjalljs@ttrpg.network
                            wrote last edited by
                            #13
                            The world of darkness games can run like this. If you play new vampires, there's going to be a whole political landscape that is at best neutral to you. Same with Mage. The other types probably also, but I don't know them as well. It does have a paradoxical element in that your character will be a big fish as far as the mundane world is considered. A freshly statted vampire or mage is far more powerful than a mundane person. It does have paths for players to become big fish, too
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                            • ? Guest
                              There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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                              wrote last edited by
                              #14
                              Chronicles of Darkness if you like the horror vibe.
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                              • ? Guest
                                Elite: Dangerous
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                                wrote last edited by
                                #15
                                I had no idea they made paper RPGs of either of these.
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                                • ? Guest
                                  There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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                                  wrote last edited by
                                  #16
                                  tbh, any system can accommodate this. It's on you as a DM to create/use the various larger factions/entities. You can really make a world feel alive by writing up a few basic opposing factions and having the results of their conflict intertwine with whatever your group is doing. Wanna run a Shadowrun game? Focus on the megacorps going at each other, have the party work some of those jobs, but maybe have another group of NPC runners crash a job. Wanna do D&D? Well, they added factions like the Harpers so that you can have some big players pushing pieces behind the scenes, and have your players stumble onto a wider conspiracy. I think the biggest thing is that you can't be afraid to give your party a challenge you know they have no hope of defeating. If they're small fish in a big pond, they have to encounter a big fish and learn their place in the hierarchy. If your group is smart, you can give a lot of hints that they need to flee and escape the bigger fish. If they're dumb, have em get wiped out in combat and barely survive.
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                                  • ? Guest
                                    old d&d editions or OSR-Systems can offer that feel as player characters tend to be weaker than their 5e counterparts. the world of darkness games might also be an option, but i've only watched/listened to some actual plays and there the player characters seemed like pretty small fish until they established themself as a politcal force through luck and schemes.
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                                    dumples@midwest.social
                                    wrote last edited by
                                    #17
                                    Old school DND and OSR clones would do great with their high chance of dying. If you really need to stay with 5e you could cap player levels at 6 and scale the world. But that might not be worth it
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                                    • ? Guest
                                      Mount and Blade warband is the dated but classic sandbox. You don't matter unless you make it. Kingdom come deliverance is more recent, but it's definitely got a learning curve and some players can't get the groove right. Subnautica is a more literal interpretation. Which would I recommend? Honestly all of them.
                                      Aielman15A This user is from outside of this forum
                                      Aielman15A This user is from outside of this forum
                                      Aielman15
                                      wrote last edited by
                                      #18
                                      TTRPG = TableTop RolePlaying Games. This is not c/games lol
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                                      • ? Guest
                                        I had no idea they made paper RPGs of either of these.
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                                        wrote last edited by
                                        #19
                                        ah shit here i went not reading and posting irrelevant info (there's an ttrpg but i've never played it 🙃)
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                                        • ? Guest
                                          There are games that have a "big fish in a big pond" feel - e.g. sandbox D&D games, or a "big fish in a small pond" feel, e.g. games with contained campaigns/missions. There are also games that do a "small fish in a small pond" feel really well, e.g. Fiasco. Are there any games that do a "small fish in a big pond" feel well? e.g. games where the players are not outstanding heros, and where the world feels big - not only spatially, but also socially and politically?
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                                          wrote last edited by
                                          #20
                                          I know of one, that being GUN by Abbadon, which might be a good idea.
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