It is a storytelling game with very few rules and no DM, based on cooperative storytelling.
It can be played with 2 to 5 players, but the book says the ideal is four.
Publisher's blurb:
What is Microscope?
Humanity spreads to the stars and forges a galactic civilization...
Fledgling nations arise from the ruins of the empire...
An ancient line of dragon-kings dies out as magic fades from the realm...
These are all examples of Microscope games. Want to explore an epic history of your own creation, hundreds or thousands of years long, all in an afternoon? That's Microscope.
You won't play the game in chronological order. You can defy the limits of time and space, jumping backward or forward to explore the parts of the history that interest you. Want to leap a thousand years into the future and see how an institution shaped society? Want to jump back to the childhood of the king you just saw assassinated and find out what made him such a hated ruler? That’s normal in Microscope.
You have vast power to create... and to destroy. Build beautiful, tranquil jewels of civilization and then consume them with nuclear fire. Zoom out to watch the majestic tide of history wash across empires, then zoom in and explore the lives of the people who endured it.
Mock chronological order. Defy time and space. Build worlds and destroy them. A role-playing game for two to four players. No GM. No prep.
Last edited by True_Believer on Thu Nov 26, 2015 12:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
interested, but won't know if i have time or not until the mafia game i'm in gets going
_________________
"That winter, the fireplace was never without a crackling blaze in its belly. The boiled wine we drank was undoubtedly middling and cheap, but she said, with a smile, "I've never had wine this good before." And though I didn't say anything, I felt the same way."
It's not D&D, so sure. Although I'm generally wary of storyteller games, as they tend to have a lower sense of "player property".
It blatantly states in the rules there is no property of anything. You can create a character and other player may decide to assassinate it right after.
Humm... Maybe we have enough to start. Please confirm later if you do wish to participate.
The system is flexible to allow people to enter and leave almost at any time, although it is better to keep the same group.
The first thing to decide is what story do we want to tell. We need to choose a theme. As soon as that is settled I can create the game thread.
These are the first steps to create the game:
1) Define the big picture 2) Choose the start and the end to the History 3) Create a palette – Add or Ban ingredients that can be used
And the unbreakable rules:
No one owns anything in the history. It doesn’t matter who created something: when it’s your turn you can do anything you want with it. The only limits to your creativity are:
- Don’t contradict what’s already been said. - Make sure what you add relates to the current Focus. - Don’t use anything from the No column of the Palette.
I can explain this and the rest as we go as it is very simple.
1) Define the big picture 2) Choose the start and the end to the history 3) Create a palette – Add or Ban ingredients that can be used
These steps are a group brainstorm.
1) Define the big picture.
Here we choose what we want to play: Sci-fi, horror, medieval or urban fantasy, weird, etc... And then we narrow it down a little.
2) Choose the start and the end to the history
Those points will be the limits of the story. It can be anything from a week to million years, depending on the story we want to tell. It will also serve as a start and the goal for the story.
3) Create a palette – Add or Ban ingredients that can be used
Here players take turns deciding what they want in the story or things they don't want. In other words they create the rules to be obeyed.
And then the game can be started. After that all decisions will be individual only.
I've never been big on traditional sci-fi, unless cyberpunk fits. Supernatural modern settings are probably my favorite. What kind of theme are we going for? A more serious or silly story?
I'm quite fond of almost everything sci-fi and fantasy. Supernatural modern can be fine, if done well. White Wolf World of Darkness, for example. Steampunk? Cyberpunk?
*"To YMTC it up" means to design cards that have value mostly from a design perspective. i.e. you would put them in a case under glass in your living room and visitors could remark upon the wonderful design principles, with nobody ever worring if the cards are annoying/pointless/confusing in actual play
I've never been big on traditional sci-fi, unless cyberpunk fits. Supernatural modern settings are probably my favorite. What kind of theme are we going for? A more serious or silly story?
A like the more serious ones, not saying that we can do silly things sometimes. Silly things always have a greater impact when surrounded by serious ones as they will be unexpected.
I'm a (self) published author now! You can find my books on Amazon in Paperback or ebook! The Accursed, a standalone young adult fantasy adventure. Witch Hunters, book one of a young adult Scifi-fantasy trilogy.
Joined: Sep 25, 2013 Posts: 14140 Location: Kamloops, BC
Identity: Male
The game does seem to lend itself to predetermined scenarios and time frames. First contact is a good starting point. What would be the modern fantasy equivalent? Other than first contact with the supernatural I guess. That would be neat on a personal scale, but I feel it's played out on anything larger.
*"To YMTC it up" means to design cards that have value mostly from a design perspective. i.e. you would put them in a case under glass in your living room and visitors could remark upon the wonderful design principles, with nobody ever worring if the cards are annoying/pointless/confusing in actual play
Well, you could run a "paranormal reveal", where all of society suddenly discovers the magical creatures in their midst, but yes, for the most part I agree. Modern supernatural scenarios tend to pull heavily from horror, which works best on a limited scale.
Joined: Sep 25, 2013 Posts: 14140 Location: Kamloops, BC
Identity: Male
I CONFIRM. Didn't mean to do it in capslock but I guess I'm just that serious. I vote sci-fi first contact. It's the only option that feels fleshed out so far. Should we decide on an end point too?
*"To YMTC it up" means to design cards that have value mostly from a design perspective. i.e. you would put them in a case under glass in your living room and visitors could remark upon the wonderful design principles, with nobody ever worring if the cards are annoying/pointless/confusing in actual play
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