Contagion Chronicle Kickstarter

[reseru]

I really like how the Introduction, at least, makes the Contagion sound like it isn't necessarily just one thing. Well, it might be but I like how it seems like it takes on a wide variety of forms, rather than just some infectious zombie plague. It might be a plague, it might be some weird thing transmitted in Vitae, a glitch in Infrastructure, an infection of the soul, etc.

It's as if the book is less about, "Here's this singular threat that looms over us" and more, "Here's a variety of threats based around the themes of infection, corruption, and transmitting plagues."

[Second Chances]

I really like how the Introduction, at least, makes the Contagion sound like it isn't necessarily just one thing. Well, it might be but I like how it seems like it takes on a wide variety of forms, rather than just some infectious zombie plague. It might be a plague, it might be some weird thing transmitted in Vitae, a glitch in Infrastructure, an infection of the soul, etc.

It's as if the book is less about, "Here's this singular threat that looms over us" and more, "Here's a variety of threats based around the themes of infection, corruption, and transmitting plagues."

Agreed. That provides a lot more flexibility and interesting plothooks.

[Dataweaver]

What Gentleman Gamer's character creation podcast mentioned that excited me was how Contagion Chronicle is about the supernatural denizens of the Chronicles of Darkness, who are supposedly “in the know” about how the world really works, suffer the same unease when confronting the Contagion as mortals do when they're first confronted by the supernatural. Unfortunately, the Introduction doesn't convert this feeling very well.

[Leliel]

Oh, my 40K-addicted brain realized something:

The Sworn and False are the Mirror Universe Inquisition.

Think about it. What defines the Sworn are their willingness to compromise, to acknowledge internal problems, to try and make the world a better place even if it's for self-serving reasons of "I don't wanna live in Contagion Hell." What defines the False is saying "We live in a grimdark universe, screw hope, we're gonna find our corner of the world and make sure it runs the way we want it to in our corner of hell and bite anyone who tries to interfere, because making things better is a sucker's bet."

The very embrace of the grimdark, especially the No Compromise Ever mentality of the Fire-Bearers, is what corrupts them. The drive to understand the Contagion, even emphasizing with it in the case of the Theseans and the Rosetta Stone, is what allows the Sworn to examine it without being corrupted by it. Thus, here, Chaos is something that must be understood to be fought; trying to remain "pure" is a good way to be corrupted by it.

[Minty]

It seems like the description of Sworn are somewhat in character rather than an objective overview, but I have to admit that seeing Zero Hour call themselves a modern military and then in the same sentence say they allow for variations in hierarchy based on local culture and tradition made me laugh out loud

[nofather]

It would be necessary, considering the threat and who they are, for variation in the different units, especially since their local history would have them prepared to act differently. If you're fighting off a zombie horde that rises every decade you're dealing with some people who can shoot, but if there's just holes that pop up randomly and start swallowing buildings you have completely different people who are going to need to deal with that. I'm not sure if military is the best term for it, I suppose they're closer to Japan's Self Defense Force in real life. But neither group has scientists to shut down portals opening in our world.

[Minty]

Oh,absolutely. A numerically small group with distributed assets like Zero Hour is in no way equipped to be, nor should it try to emulate military culture. I just found it to be a very funny statement. Zero Hour is actually the Sworn group that is most compelling to me. As soon as I read their flavor text at the beginning I went "that's it, these are my guys".

[wyrdhamster]

The first manuscript release is (of course) the introduction, and the “social splats”: the Sworn and the False. If the book outline is being followed in order, next week should give us Vectors and Plagues, Interstitial and Otherwise. Following that should be Storytelling, five chapters of Contagious fiction, and Outbreak Sites (a dozen settings worldwide).

If Contagion Chronicle will have specific short chapter for each monster race, so with Introduction, Sworn & False, Vectors, settings and storytelling - we will see around 16 chapters ( cause 11 gamelines we have now ) to deliver in previews. With 30 days Kickstarter, it means 2 chapter every 3-4 days ( to have like 8 previews parts in total ). It seems to be confirmed with comment made by James.

James said in the comments we will get our first setting section by Friday.

[lnodiv]

If Contagion Chronicle will have specific short chapter for each monster race

I don't think this has been implied to be the case anywhere.

[ArcaneArts]

I think at this point, the real question is "What is the structure of the Storytelling chapter?"

[Paradim]

So, I'm pretty curious about the setting ideas here, most particularly in how this is all seen through the eyes of people not aware of the supernatural world. With the Division 2 being out, I'm kind of wondering if there might be anything from there that might be applicable as good inspiration.

What do people think?

[nofather]

I haven't played it, but it looks like you can easily have Contagion cause apocalypse scenarios leading to post apocalypse settings, or through interstitial terrain bring otherwise non-apocalyptic people into post apocalyptic scenarios. The pseudo-world from 12 Photographs way back in the Horror Recognition Guide seems like it would be pretty video gamey.

[Leliel]

So, I'm pretty curious about the setting ideas here, most particularly in how this is all seen through the eyes of people not aware of the supernatural world. With the Division 2 being out, I'm kind of wondering if there might be anything from there that might be applicable as good inspiration.

What do people think?

I know I'm mining it for my Post-Contagion Apocalypse setting - or more accurately, my Post-The Sworn Realized They Weren't Going To Win And Successfully Stalemated The End Of Days setting. Humanity's doing fine, but Division DC is an excellent example of what the urban areas that weren't safe look like when ravaged by a more minor strain and still inhabited by survivor communities (major strain ravaged areas tend to look like something out of Destiny if nice). The SHD is what I'm looking to when running Zero Hour as well.

[Callmesalticidae]

So far, this really isn’t grabbing me. It feels as though “The Contagion”, in an attempt to be something to everyone, has turned out to be nothing to anyone.

That may just be an inevitable consequence of trying to create something that could handle any combination of game lines, up to and including all of them, and maybe it’ll look better after more content has been released, but right now I’m having trouble seeing it work well as e.g. “A Werewolf + Promethean game” rather than “A game with werewolves and prometheans in it.”

I’m not shocked, because we knew for a long time that this was how it would be, but it’s still disappointing. Maybe they’ll do a second book, with a different approach, if this one goes well, but as someone mentioned upthread, it may just be that I should stick to Dark Eras for content like that.

[Primordial newcomer]

So far, this really isn’t grabbing me. It feels as though “The Contagion”, in an attempt to be something to everyone, has turned out to be nothing to anyone.

That may just be an inevitable consequence of trying to create something that could handle any combination of game lines, up to and including all of them, and maybe it’ll look better after more content has been released, but right now I’m having trouble seeing it work well as e.g. “A Werewolf + Promethean game” rather than “A game with werewolves and prometheans in it.”

I’m not shocked, because we knew for a long time that this was how it would be, but it’s still disappointing. Maybe they’ll do a second book, with a different approach, if this one goes well, but as someone mentioned upthread, it may just be that I should stick to Dark Eras for content like that.

ok that last part. dont say we all expected one thing. the contagion is open ended so we cant just say "oh it's a fucked up God machine". Otherwise I can understand why you think the part about "a game with werewolves and prometheans". But I (and many others) will see how the game continues. besides, it is noted the settings will go into crossover between some combinations supernaturals