Island Empires

I needed to come up with a title to be able to reference my RPG as I work on it. So, even though it's a pretty weak title now I am going with Island Empires. The only reason I am using this at the moment is the genre that seems to stick in my head. It's an archipelago where there is an empire along with many island states that struggle for control and identity in their world. I'm not too sure if that's too stable a base to build on but it can change as the game comes together.

The next thing I wanted to do is answer three questions for a feel focus. The answers are something to keep me on track with where I want to go. These questions can be found in the RPG Design Handbook.

What is the game about?

It's about maintaining honor and posturing both socially and politically. This will be done at a personal level where they affect their local impact, not a world moving level where the characters might be the rulers.

What do the characters do?

The characters are the citizens of the island states trying to make their way in the world. They might have some impact on how larger things happen but their focus will be on family, friends and their beliefs about the world they live in. They could be the soldiers who go off to war for their island state but they could also be citizens who go off to the core of the empire to find help for their home that's in danger of dying from an emerging plague. In anything they do their focus is on how they present themselves to the world.

What do the players do?

As said in a previous post, I mostly like the GM/Player form of roleplaying games. Having said that, the players are responsible for their characters' actions. But that's not all. They are also in control of their backgrounds and how they fit in the world. They are not reliant on the GM to tell them how or why they fit into the world.

Players also build their characters through play. During character creation they will create a framework for this development to build on. The framework is more than just character stats; it's also a set of beliefs and outlooks on the world.

Well, those are the answers I have for the first set of three questions. I'm not too sure on that third question and answer but this is what I came up with for now. It seems a bit nebulous at the moment and will hopefully focus itself in my head now that I have it typed out.

Once I have my base mechanics nailed down I will describe what I am trying in order to give the impression I'm going for with the game.