Feedback I’m looking for
Originally published at Sean Nittner. Please leave any comments there.
Should the XO be a playbook? Right now “a loyal XO” is an option on the Commanders playbook. Should he have a book of his own? Should I make the Commander playbook more flexible to cover either the Commander or the XO (calling him a Military Leader, etc)?
Should the CAG lead with hot rather than sharp? Currently the CAG is good at leading his pilots through strategy. If you’ve played any of John Harper’s military hack The Regiment, the CAG was designed with the Lieutenant in mind. The more I think of him though, the more I want him to lead with hot, as a passionate and emotional leader rather than a tough as bricks (hard) or cunning (sharp) leader.
Does the President stand alone powerful enough? I’ve modeled her after the operator and originally gave her a very powerful move that allowed her to directly affect the Crisis Clocks. In several games though this move was only used once, and generally regarded as too abstract for play. I have removed that move and given her other options, but I want to make sure her currency of “favor” still has some punch.
Should the “Leadership” move even exist as a basic move? Since multiple characters might do it, I moved it to basic moves, but I’ve never seen anyone use it. Insubordination happens in Battlestar Galactica but it isn’t a common outcome and when it does come up, the consequences are usually very extreme. That said I usually assume troops will follow orders and perform actions (like seize by force, go agro, and act under fire) and don’t need Leadership to send them into action. On the flip side, if someone is insubordinate or even mutinous, I want to see the leaders cracking down on them personally. For all those reasons, I think Leadership may be superfluous.