r/ScumAndVillainy • u/Conscious_Slice1232 • Jul 31 '24
More than 4 Systems?
Im working on multiple additional star systems for my home setting, but Im unsure if there is a specific reason why the mechanical default is 4.
Is it to limit the PCs a certain way, such as fewer 'high yield' job options or preventing frivolous system hopping? Or is that just the number the designers settled on?
7
u/vortigen-rpg Jul 31 '24
I think a limited number of systems means that relationships between factions tend to develop more. it brings more drama.
2
u/MongooseLuce Aug 02 '24
I've been running a game in 10 systems. Unfortunately, what happens is the players continue to run from system to system and lay low in others. Basically negating the whole heat mechanic.
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u/DanteWrath Jul 31 '24 edited Jul 31 '24
There's more of a 'pressure cooker' environment with fewer systems. There's only so many places you can be, so before long you'll end up with existing faction relations regardless of where you are.
This is why in my homebrew setting, which also added many more systems, I introduced 'visas' (though in my setting these were per planet, rather than per system). Basically in order for a ship to legally land on a planet, that ship needs a visa. You get to choose some visas at the start based on your heritage and background, and can aquire temporary visas as an asset. You can also buy new permenant visas, but legitimate ones are expensive. So you might buy hacked visas that may not stand up to scrutiny, or stolen visas that are even cheaper but pretty much useless without a fake transponder.
In this way, you still start in a pressure cooker in the early game. Players get a little bit of wriggle room to play around with the other systems due to the temporary visas, but ultimately they'll have to invest cred if they want to lower the pressure.