Rules Update: V2 Launch

General OC

• Added a section on what the game is and isn’t.
• Removed festival-style compulsory ID and matching details. We’ll get in touch if we have cause for a verification.
• Clarified that while we won’t depict real-world discrimination, we might carefully explore comparable themes with alien cultures (as a staple of Sci-Fi stories).
• Simplified OC Calls.
• Referees will wear white caps, not hi-vis, when overseeing the game out-of-character.
• We are renaming “crew” to “game team” to try and avoid issues between referring to the IC Ardent’s crew and OC volunteers.
• Clarified our stance on music, art, writing, and referencing popular media. We want to encourage people to utilise this as it will help breathe life into the world – while balancing the fact this is an original IP game set hundreds of years in the future.
• Formalised rules on photography and video. We are provisionally allowing video via go-pros, so long as it remains offline. Breach of this agreement will result in bans and/or the ruling being revoked; don’t spoil it for everyone.

Mission Overview

• Updated Time In hours.
• IC Camp Planning: this is no longer compulsory, but will help us know how large each section of the camp needs to be. If you have access needs, we will need to know in advance so we can reserve enough space close to the right facilities.
• The A-COM hub and Division areas will have noticeboards listing available missions and objectives.

Crewmate Profile

• Player groups no longer split into different categories. You can be in as many groups as you want.
• Each character will receive an ID card.
• Personal Health
  • HP reduced from 5 to 3.
  • Death Count is now in use constantly, and reduced to 60 seconds.
  • Blood Types will be semi-randomly assigned and may sometimes be needed during Surgery.
• Equipment
  • Lammies will be swapped out for smaller plastic Tags where possible. Standard tags will be grey (anyone can use), Division tags will match the Division’s colour.
  • Maintenance times removed; equipment now lasts forever.
  • Power Cells get ripped on use, and do not need to be attached/installed on Equipment.
    • Many Power Cell uses from Event 1 are being swapped to cooldowns or usage times to lessen the financial impact on regular tasks like healing and repairing.
  • Upgrades renamed to Mods.
• Clarified that single-use items represented with cards (such as grenades) require physreps.
• Personal Income changed to Sponsorship (pending completion of playtests).
  • Items granted by this will be updated
  • Now comes with additional roleplay motives and opportunities.
  • There will be a generic “opt-out” version to just be sponsored by the Ardent to avoid RP conflicts.
• Major currency update
  • Player starting credits increased from 50 to 500
  • Standard income increased from 5.5 to 55
  • Equipment cost will roughly increase x10
  • Single use items will increase in cost slightly
  • We want there to be more money in use at events, and at Event 1 it didn’t feel like players had enough coins to feel able to use small amounts on leisure. These changes will also help with the perception of equipment cost – as 10 credits doesn’t feel expensive, but 100 credits definitely is.
• Event 1 Respec
  • Event 1 players are eligible for a respec before or at their next event.
  • Anyone who had remaining starting money and didn’t use it on buying equipment at the event will not lose out from the credit inflation. This will be discussed on a case by case basis and affects roughly ¼ of the playerbase.
  • All Event 1 players will be given an additional 100 credits to compensate for income and economy expenses at Event 1 compared to those going forward.
  • This is a major change, and is the only time we’ll be doing this but we feel it’s needed to establish a more stable and usable economy and item game going forward.

Combat

• Hit Points: reduced from 5 to 3 global.
• Death Count
  • Reduced to 60 seconds
  • Now applies whenever you hit 0 HP, removing the E1 special rulings about being out of base.
• Eye Protection now grants +1 Armour Hit Points.
• Cut down the calls list and altered some words. Now 8 effects, and 2 range modifiers. All calls affect the target until actively resolved if no time is specified.
  • New call list:
    • Blast X – deals X damage (updated effect)
    • Corrode – Item/body part is unusable (Previously “Crush”)
    • Effect – If we need to describe a custom plot effect. (new call)
    • Frost – cannot use items, struggle with hand-eye coordination (updated name & effect)
    • Pulse – move back 5 paces (Previously “Repel”)
    • Radiation – gain 1 Radiation rank (new call)
    • Static – target item cannot use Power Cells
    • Stun – target stunned for 5 seconds or until injured (updated effect)
    • Zone – the following call affects everyone within 5ft.
    • Gas – the following call effect is from gas.
  • All calls have an associated colour and symbol, which will be used on lammie/tag descriptions.
  • Removed calls: Area, Bolt, Fatal, Flaming, Knockout, Pain, Stun.
• Smoke SFX will be in use from Event 2 onwards.
  • Coloured smoke effects match up with each call. A brief will be given before encounters.
  • Smoke SFX effects apply to everyone within 5ft of the smoke.
  • Effects can only be avoided by use of in-game items; holding your breath doesn’t work.
• Self ref cards will be in use. Just reading the card does not trigger an effect. If you spot one, please read it before interacting with anything nearby.
• Radiation is a new effect, tracked in ranks. It is a plot effect that may be different for each event. If affected, please find a ref to give you that event’s radiation guide.

Diplomacy

• Removed call: pheremone
  • If needed, this will be an effect card.
• Altered calls:
  • Fear: target is afraid of the user until out of sight, distracted, or fixated on something else.
  • Fixate (was distract)
• Distracting changed to an opt-in roleplay requiring at least 5 seconds. The target decides whether the distraction is suitable for their character, and it is no longer explicitly a call. A forced version is the new Fixate call.
• Stealth changed to Invisibility to better reflect the technology.
• Detect now always needs a “ping” response from anyone matching the description.
• Redesigned Bribes, which will now be 3D printed tokens.

Biomed

• Blood types will now be semi-randomly assigned to each character, which may become relevant during surgery.
• New mechanic: surgery
  • Card based success mechanic
  • Medicine cards will be updated/added based on this mechanic
• Sample research is now set as a series of practical tasks to be more engaging.
• Synthesis is being built upon from Event 1’s version.
• Chemicals will now be represented by resin tokens instead of lammies.
  • Available shapes will be updated and expanded on.
  • New feature: colour, corresponding to the Hazards listed in the combat section. Avoid these hazards by wearing the correct in-game PPE equipment.
  • Translucency: represents particularly rare chemicals.
  • It is encouraged to store chemicals in labelled bottles that describe the hazards.
  • Unknown chemicals will be represented by test tubes filled with liquid, and follow sample research rules.

Engineering

• A range of reusable physical puzzle props are being made that are more like tech and less abstract puzzles. Some abstract puzzles will still be present.
• New mechanic: Maintenance
  • Bag pull success mechanic
  • Engineering items will be updated/added based on this mechanic
• New mechanic: alterations/techgrid
  • Formal structure for the majority of physical engineering puzzles that require equipment to resolve.
  • Most engineering equipment is being updated based on this mechanic.
• Crafting items
  • A formal crafting system is being developed. Full blueprint details for the shop items will be available prior to the event after full testing.
  • A single-use Blueprint is required to make any items not available in the Ardent’s shop. This will list the materials needed and crafting time.
  • Take the blueprint and materials to a FABREP bench, then return after the time stated to receive your item.
• We are changing as many game elements from lammies to resin tokens and props as possible, including material resources.

Downtime

• Future events will have pre-event interactions for anyone who’s booked, starting 1 month before the event.
• An IC post-mission survey will be available to guide the overall storyline.

Item List

Exchanging items

• Equipment costs have changed, on average x10 in line with credit inflation.
• Exchanges can occur before or during your next event.

Notable rules changes:

• Grenade bags no longer needed to store grenades. No more hot potato at time in!
• Healing and Repairs for HP types now is on a timer instead of needing Power Cells
• Energy Fields update – you can wear only one type at a time (including invisibility fields)
• New surgery equipment matching the new surgery mechanic.
• New engineering items to match the new maintenance mechanic.

Suggestions and feedback:

• Do you have any cool ideas? Items that you think really should be a basic part of the game and not just “find it in play”? Let us know and if we agree, we’ll add them in.
• We’re actively seeking feedback on these core rules for the entirety of April. We want to lock in any fundamental changes asap, so please do add your thoughts to the discord or via email as early as you can. No need to wait until you’ve read everything to send one big document.
• We’ll be spending the next couple of months playtesting the new game mechanics and prototyping props and lammies. Join in on discord to be part of this process!

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