In the universe of Marshals & Myrmidons, our initial setting is the planet Harnacaff a post-technological society, as a result of a massive world war which occurred a few thousand years ago. The outcome of the war threw the planet back into a medieval technology level. It has been long enough now that only a few remember what happened and still have access to technology from that era.
However, Marshals & Myrmidons is not all about the medieval level of technology, we have a vast galaxy of other planets we will eventually release in the Interplanetary Adventures. There are currently about 70 planets that have been established in our Galaxy. After we finish the details about Harnacaff, we will be putting together details on the rest of the galaxy, and new wheels to aid in exploring the galaxy.
Design Philosophy
We have designed the game to be fun for everyone, no matter how much or little experience they have with table-top RPGs. Where players are encouraged to work together to get out of sticky situations, and sometimes to create sticky situations. And where the challenges, scenarios, and solutions are as varied as the players themselves.
The interactive adventure and character wheels are easy for beginners to learn and provide a fast-paced way to play this table-top RPG. To accomplish this we use a system of 3 separate rings that simultaneously work together to allow players to quickly create unique combinations of characters and situations. From that was born a series of wheels that allowed for, not only unique and random characters, but also outrageous situations and scenarios.
An outrageous example from Perils on the Plains Adventure Wheel:
"Around a leaping campfire is
a happily whistling and frolicking
nest of poisonous pit vipers."
And sometimes they are desperate like this example from Under the Trees Adventure Wheel:
"You find lost pilgrims dying of thirst at
an abandoned guard house with rabid bats
as wolf packs howl and yip at each other. "
A final example of an unexpected encounter from the upcoming Metropolitan Menagerie adventure wheel:
"You feel a blade at your throat from
a filthy, snotty-nosed
innkeeper and his guest.'
What are you going to do? Whistle with the vipers around a camp fire or save the pilgrims or pay off the snotty-nosed innkeeper?
Why Steam & Greenlight
Why would a game like this even belong on Steam? To answer that, it is quite simple, Steam Workshop support. We currently have the ability to allow custom wheels and maps to be added into the game dynamically. Allowing users to add this content to their game through Steam Workshop, would open up a kinds of new possibilities for our users. Of course the other benefit of being on Steam would be the game streaming and social networking features that would allow remote players to connect with other groups and still see what is going on.
FAQ
How many copies do I need to play?
Only one person in the group needs to buy it.
Do I have to take my PC/Tablet with me to the game sessions?
Yes, what we have created is a kind of hybrid system where most of the interactions take place in the real world, but the game provides direction and resolution to events. This is why we put a demo up because we have struggled to explain it adequately.
We envision this being usable from a laptop or tablet and shared by the group, but run by the game master. Personally, we like to hook up a laptop to a projector for our whole group to see what is happening.
Are you going to make a non-computer version of this?
We originally started with lots of hand drawn stuff, and the game was played completely with pencils and papers. About ten years ago we updated the graphics and digitized all the hand drawn items in an attempt to market it as set with mountable wheels. So, the possibility exists to make physical wheels that can be played with, we still have a full set from ten years ago, but until there is enough demand, we are sticking to the digital wheels.
Is this a Multiplayer game that can connect with friends over the Internet? What kind of chat system do you have integrated?
It is a local application only, but there is no reason why it can't be shared over the Internet with any desktop sharing/video conferencing program. However, our focus has been on having players in the same room. Getting on Steam would give us automatic access to all of Steam's sharing and streaming features for our players. At the moment we have no plans to change this.
Is this a new way of choose your own adventure books that can be played solo on your PC?
Its not so much a choose your own adventure, as it is a random event generator. We have different wheels for different types of areas, and they will create random encounters or events for the area. Currently we have wheels for cities, plains, forests, in a boat, and are working on more for mountains, caves, etc. Sometimes it is just fun to spin the wheels and see what you get.
Can't dice just do everything the wheels do?
Yes, everything the wheels do could be done with dice and a table of items. However, in practice, the wheels provide a nice visual for everyone that instantly conveys the result, and they are fun to watch spin. The one area that our digital wheels offer an edge is that they are full integrated with our manual. When a spin is completed, you can click on the rings and open the appropriate page from the manual, assuming one exists for it. (Some really don't require that
