I was thinking about a game based around CSI, being one of my old favourite shows. There have been games made before but they have all been pretty terrible. So here is my attempt at designing a character creation system for the game “CSI”.
What are the functional and cosmetic attributes? How do they affect play?
- Build/Physique
Determines strength of your character. Benefits skills in hand-to-hand combat and allows for greater physical intimidation of suspects. - Athleticism
Determines speed of your character and how well you can chase down the villains. - Intelligence
Determines the mental quickness of the character. How fast they can piece together the puzzles presented in the cases. - Knowledge
Two areas; criminal law and forensic. Either determines how knowledgeable you are about either of the two subjects areas and how well you preform given tasks relating to them. - Charisma
How persuasive you are when interviewing suspects or talking to witnesses. - Firearms
How accurately you preform with a gun.
How do they encourage role-play?
Each attribute allows you to tailor a member of the CSI squad and play your part in each investigation. Your characteristics determine your strengths given a situation and you may choose or be tested to become a certain part of the team. In the show, some characters tend to move around or be promoted into different positions – this would also be possible in the game. Your current attributes and notoriety will determine if you are eligible for the given positions thus allowing the play to participate in the fashion they choose.
What different kinds of specialisation will be available?
- Detective
- Police officer
- Police prosecutor
- Crime scene investigator
- Lab technician
- Medical examiner
How do characters progress over time?
Characters may be able to train and improve their attributes over time making them viable for a change in position or even a promotion in their chosen area. Promotions lead to more difficult tasks and a higher pay bracket. Solving cases gets you recognition and experience which counts towards whether you may be eligible for a promotion and/or allows you to increase your attributes by exercising your skills.
Posted on 13/10/2010
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