The West That Wasnt - The Basics
The west beckons. Will you heed the call?
How to be a Hero: The Basics
The West That Wasn't (TWTW) is a game with a mission. The mechanics are crafted to deliver a particular type of action. What type is that? With TWTW, we, the designers, attempt to achieve the optimal intersection of speed and detail. We want a game that plays fast, but also has interesting underlying mechanics, with plenty of detail. The goal is tactical verisimilitude over realism.
In terms of detail, we knew we could not use charts or tables, because not only are they inherently slow, they also require referencing a book. We wanted a delivery system that is both extensible and fun, and not hundreds of pages like a rulebook, or even a stack of pages like a collection of charts. Thumbing through a book or looking for a chart is tedious; flipping a card and finding results is tense and exciting. One card flip should have all the information necessary to resolve any action, and it should take no more than 15 seconds.
To achieve tactical verisimilitude, we wanted to provide the player with interesting, meaningful decisions during many types of action. The underlying mechanics are simple and consistent across physical, social and psychological combat. Care was taken to ensure that there is no optimal path for all situations. As the scenario evolves, the player will be faced with new choices, providing a rich depth of game play.
Finally, we knew the cards and character sheet had to be uniquely crafted to facilitate these goals. They needed to simultaneously have enough information to resolve any task and be simple enough to understand without getting in the way of the speed of the action. The card design is unlike any used in roleplaying games today, and because of that they require some exposition. The first chapter provides that.
In summary, our design goals are:
1. Maximize speed with exceptional detail.
2. Leave the rulebook on the shelf. Everything necessary to resolve any check should be on either the Action Card or character sheet.
3. One card, one resolution. A single Action Card has everything necessary to resolve any action in 15 seconds or less.
Lastly, in TWTW, differences matter. There is a discernible difference between single and double action revolvers. A saber is more than just extra damage versus a knife. These details allow players to make interesting tactical decisions. And decisions are what make the game.
Structure
In this first chapter the rules for using cards to resolve checks will be outlined. These rules will cover the majority of cases, but good stories often stray from the expected. More comprehensive rules can be found in the Advanced Action Resolution section, as well as the Action Card appendix.
