Developing Resource Management for the Fixer

10.1.3 Resource Management

Overview

Resource Management is a critical aspect of the Fixer's role in Infinite Frontiers. As both a player character and a facilitator, the Fixer handles various resources that influence the game's progression and the team's success. These resources include:

Job Offers and Missions: Curating and presenting missions that align with the team's capabilities and goals.
Information Flow: Controlling the dissemination of information, rumors, and intelligence to the team.
Negotiations and Deals: Mediating agreements with NPCs, securing better rewards, and navigating complex social dynamics.

Implementing Resource Management as a solidified mechanic ensures that the Fixer's actions are meaningful, balanced, and integrated seamlessly into the game's existing systems. The mechanics should be intuitive, engaging, and provide strategic depth without adding unnecessary complexity.

Implementing Resource Management Mechanics

To develop an effective Resource Management system for the Fixer, we focus on three key components:

Job Offer and Mission Management
Information Brokerage Mechanics
Negotiation and Deal Mechanics

1. Job Offer and Mission Management

1.1 Generating Missions

The Fixer is responsible for identifying and presenting mission opportunities to the team. This involves:

Sourcing Missions: Utilizing their network and contacts to find suitable jobs.
Assessing Suitability: Evaluating missions based on the team's strengths, resources, and current objectives.
Presenting Options: Offering a selection of missions, allowing the team to choose based on their preferences.

1.2 Mission Generation Mechanics

Mission Deck or Tables:

Components: A collection of mission templates categorized by type, difficulty, rewards, and factions involved.
Usage: The Fixer draws cards or rolls on tables to generate mission options, ensuring variety and unpredictability.

Mechanics:

Influence Points (IP) Cost: The Fixer may spend IP to access higher-quality or more lucrative missions.
Contact Involvement: Specific missions may require interaction with certain Contacts, affecting relationships.

Mission Parameters:

Type: Assassination, retrieval, escort, sabotage, etc.
Difficulty Level: Scaled to the team's capabilities; can be adjusted by the Fixer.
Rewards: Monetary compensation, equipment, reputation gains, or favors.
Complications: Optional challenges that can increase risks but offer greater rewards.

1.3 Presenting Missions to the Team

Mission Briefings: The Fixer provides detailed information about each mission, including objectives, potential risks, and expected rewards.
Team Input: Encourages the team to discuss and select the mission that best aligns with their goals.

Example Process:

Mission Generation: The Fixer draws three mission cards.
Evaluation: Assesses the missions for suitability, possibly adjusting difficulty.
Presentation: Briefs the team on the mission options.
Selection: The team chooses a mission, possibly negotiating terms.

2. Information Brokerage Mechanics

2.1 Controlling Information Flow

As an information broker, the Fixer manages the acquisition and dissemination of intel that can impact missions and the game world.

Gathering Intelligence: Obtains information from Contacts, data sources, or personal investigations.
Disseminating Information: Shares relevant intel with the team, withholding or revealing details as appropriate.

2.2 Mechanics for Information Gathering

Information Requests:

Action Cost: The Fixer spends IP or takes specific actions to gather information.
Roll Mechanics: Attribute + Talent, e.g., Mind + Investigation or Spirit + Negotiation.
DR: Set based on the information's secrecy and accessibility.

Types of Information:

Mission Intel: Security layouts, enemy capabilities, environmental hazards.
World Events: Faction movements, economic changes, political shifts.
Rumors and Leads: Potential opportunities or threats not directly related to current missions.

2.3 Sharing Information with the Team

Strategic Disclosure: The Fixer decides when and how much information to share, balancing the team's needs with potential risks.
Facilitating Decisions: Provides intel that aids in mission planning and decision-making.

Example Scenario:

Objective: Obtain information about a rival faction's plans.

Mechanics:

- Cost: 1 IP. - Roll: Mind (5) + Investigation (4) = 9 dice. - DR: 3 (moderate difficulty). - Outcome: Success results in learning of an impending attack, allowing the team to prepare.

3. Negotiation and Deal Mechanics

3.1 Mediating Agreements

The Fixer often acts as an intermediary between the team and NPCs, negotiating terms for missions, purchases, or alliances.

Securing Better Rewards: Negotiates higher payments, additional resources, or favorable conditions.
Navigating Social Dynamics: Manages interactions with various factions, understanding cultural nuances and etiquette.

3.2 Negotiation Mechanics

Attribute + Talent Rolls:

Primary Roll: Spirit + Negotiation.
Opposed Checks: NPCs may make opposing rolls, adding depth to interactions.

Influence of Reputation and Contacts:

Reputation Bonuses: A positive reputation may provide bonuses to negotiation rolls.
Contact Assistance: Leveraging relationships to improve outcomes.

Negotiation Outcomes:

Success: Improved terms, better rewards, or additional support.
Partial Success: Some concessions made, but not all goals achieved.
Failure: Unchanged terms, or NPCs may become less cooperative.

Example Negotiation:

Objective: Increase mission payment.

Mechanics:

- Roll: Spirit (5) + Negotiation (5) = 10 dice. - DR: Opposed by NPC's Spirit + Negotiation (e.g., 8 dice). - Outcome: Success results in a 20% increase in payment.

Integrating Resource Management with Existing Mechanics

Consistency with Core Mechanics:

Attribute + Talent System: Resource Management actions use the same dice pool mechanics, ensuring familiarity.
Influence Points: Function similarly to other in-game resources, making them easy to track and understand.

Ease of Understanding:

Clear Guidelines: Define how Resource Management actions work, with step-by-step instructions.
Simplified Tracking: Use the character sheet to record IP, mission options, and information gathered.

Engagement and Fun:

Meaningful Choices: The Fixer's decisions have tangible impacts on gameplay and the narrative.
Collaborative Planning: Involving the team in Resource Management enhances group cohesion and investment.

Practical Examples: Resource Management in Action

Scenario 1: Mission Preparation

Objective: The team is preparing for a complex infiltration mission.

Fixer's Actions:

- Gather Intel: Uses Information Brokerage to learn about security measures. - Cost: 1 IP. - Roll: Mind (5) + Investigation (4) = 9 dice. - DR: 3. - Outcome: Success provides detailed security protocols. - Negotiate Terms: Attempts to secure better mission rewards. - Roll: Spirit (5) + Negotiation (5) = 10 dice. - Opposed Roll: NPC rolls 8 dice. - Outcome: Success results in additional payment or equipment. - Present Options: Offers the team the mission with the gathered intel and improved terms. Scenario 2: Navigating a Social Dilemma

Situation: The team needs to pass through a territory controlled by a hostile faction.

Fixer's Actions:

- Contact a Mediator: Uses a Contact to arrange safe passage. - Cost: 2 IP. - Roll: Spirit (5) + Negotiation (5) = 10 dice. - DR: 4 (challenging due to hostility). - Outcome: Success secures a temporary truce. - Information Control: Decides how much to share with the team about potential risks. - Strategic Disclosure: Chooses to inform the team fully to ensure preparedness.

Ensuring Balance and Engagement

Limiting Overuse and Maintaining Balance:

IP Economy: The finite nature of IP requires the Fixer to make strategic choices.
Opportunity Costs: Spending IP on one action means less available for others, adding depth to decision-making.

Avoiding Overemphasis on the Fixer:

Team Involvement: The Fixer includes the team in decisions, such as which missions to accept or how to allocate resources.
Shared Spotlight: Missions and challenges require diverse skills, ensuring all players contribute significantly.

Transparent Mechanics:

Clear Communication: The Fixer explains the mechanics and outcomes of Resource Management actions to the team.
Feedback Mechanisms: Encourages open dialogue about the Resource Management system's impact on gameplay.

Simplifying for Ease of Understanding

Visual Aids and Tools: Use mission cards, IP trackers, and information sheets to organize Resource Management elements.
Examples in Rulebook: Provide illustrative scenarios and step-by-step guides.
Gradual Introduction: Start with basic Resource Management actions and expand complexity as players become comfortable.

Enhancing Engagement and Fun

Dynamic Missions: Resource Management allows for tailored missions that align with the team's interests.
Impactful Decisions: The Fixer's choices in managing resources have significant effects on the game's direction.
Collaborative Strategy: Involving the team in planning and resource allocation fosters a sense of camaraderie.

Conclusion

By solidifying the mechanics of Resource Management for the Fixer, we create a system that is:

Engaging: Offers strategic depth and meaningful decisions that enhance the gameplay experience.
Intuitive: Aligns with existing mechanics, making it easy for players to understand and utilize.
Balanced: Ensures the Fixer's abilities contribute positively without overshadowing other players.
Integrated: Seamlessly fits into the world of Infinite Frontiers, reflecting the game's themes of negotiation, information control, and resourcefulness.

This system empowers the Fixer to effectively manage resources, facilitating missions and interactions that drive the narrative forward. It adds richness to the game, creating opportunities for impactful storytelling and collaborative play.

Next Steps:

Playtesting: Implement the Resource Management mechanics in game sessions to gather feedback and refine.
Rulebook Inclusion: Incorporate detailed explanations, examples, and tools into the Infinite Frontiers rulebook.
Player Resources: Provide templates and aids to assist with managing IP, mission options, and information flow.

Rulebook

Developing Resource Management for the Fixer