Simplifying Game Notation

Omnia does not use conventional game notation. You will not see a number followed by a "D" to denote how many dice you roll as you might in other role-playing games that use a dice pool system of resolution. At the game table, you might hear, "My Ability is five," or "The Difficulty is three," or "Being slimed is a penalty of one to all actions." In print, it would read, "My Ability is 5," "The Difficulty is 3," and "Being slimed is a penalty of 1 to all actions." It would be nice to dispense with out-of-character terminology entirely, but this isn't Fudge (despite my affection for it). So, the numbers stay.

In the past, I have been driven to distraction trying to find an effective method to notate binary randomizers (see "Binary Dice Notation" in Decidedly Six-Sided,) but two role-playing games solved the problem long ago, by which I mean Ghostbusters: A Frightfully Cheerful Roleplaying Game and Prince Valiant: The Storytelling Game. Unburdened by alphabetic signifiers, these games simply used the bare numerals in their quantitative glory. The plan was sheer elegance in its simplicity (to quote numerous villains from The Middleman). Nonetheless, I felt there were possibilities for improvement at least in a typographical sense, which may aid in learning the rules and referencing them later. With an eye toward this objective, I wrote the following as an appendix of sorts to the rules of Omnia:

Game Notation

Whenever a numeral is in boldface, it refers to the number of standard randomizers to be used in resolving an Ability test. So, an Ability rated at 3 would mean three six-sided dice (odds-and-evens), three binary dice, or three coins, with the capacity to generate a number between 0–3.

Whenever a numeral is underlined, it indicates a target number, or Difficulty. Thus, a task might be expressed as Difficulty 4. A character must equal or exceed this number in an Ability test to succeed at a given task.

Whenever a numeral is in underlined boldface, it refers to the number of standard randomizers applied as a penalty to an Ability test. For instance, a character with an Ability 3 and a Moderate Wound 2 would roll three dice for the Ability test and two dice for the penalty. The penalty result, if it exceeds 0, is then subtracted from the Ability test result.

In short, numerals that are in boldface stand for randomizers and numerals that are underlined stand for target numbers to beat.

In other words, Agent 86 uses his Ability as a Secret Agent 4 to defuse a time bomb (Difficulty 2), but he is hampered by a Condition of Sleep Deprivation 1. Godspeed, 86!

Omnia and Jargon

One of my guiding principles for Omnia is the avoidance of gamer jargon. I try to write the rules in plain language in order to remove as many barriers as possible for those who might be new to the hobby or have other challenges. I like to think also that it will preserve comprehensibility for those who might stumble upon the game long after current popular jargon has become obsolete. The rules are meant to be understood and usable by anyone; they are not meant to confound the uninitiated with acronyms, neologisms, or misuses of existing terms. They are meant to be accessible to all.

All for all.

I've written more about gamer jargon in "Deliberate Obfuscation in Gaming" in Creative Reckoning.

Omnia Update 2024-01-20

The rules of Omnia ought to be as concise as possible, but I envision an additional annotated edition that will furnish a wealth of examples and explanatory notes. I would also like to release editions focused on single genres using only examples specific to the genre and possibly including settings, adventures, adventure seeds, and other relevant material.

The concise edition ought to be released in at least two formats: PDF and digest-sized zine. I am considering a third format, but it depends on just how concise I can make it. I might have to create a condensed edition to make it work.

Regardless of the format or density, the rules will be the same across all editions and formats. The difference will be in the presentation.

This Will Be the Year

I thought I might entitle this article, "Will This Be the Year?" That, however, would only herald procrastination, and although I am skeptical of New Year's resolutions, it is time to make a commitment to the unveiling of Omnia. I will release Omnia in 2024 so I can concentrate on writing gameable content for it and actually running it. I resolve that this will be the year.

Characters and Index Cards

The ideal character sheet for Omnia consists of a few index cards. One card lists the character's capabilities. One card is used for tracking wounds and other conditions. Other cards may be added to list equipment, accomplishments, etc. Cards can be easily rearranged to suit the player, and cards can be added as the character's experience expands. Perhaps most importantly, the moderator can make copies of the players' most important cards for easy reference. This reduces unnecessary out-of-character inquiries (such as, "Do you have an Ability that lets you do x?") that both break immersion and waste time. And they are infinitely customizable. The power of index cards as a tool for role-playing has been known since the dawn of the hobby, and I can perceive no reason not to make use of it.

[See also "RPGaDay 2023: Day 26 (Favourite Character Sheet)" in Applied Phantasticality.]

All Things in Moderation

What is the most neutral term for "one who runs an adventure"? Referee? Judge? Game Master? "Referee" sounds too neutral—like a nonparticipant who is there merely to observe and occasionally impose penalties. "Judge" sounds more active, but in a strictly judicial sense. Judges adjudicate, but they don't create. "Game Master" is a loaded term and less than desirable (to me, at least) for reasons I describe in "Promoting Clarity in Gaming" in Creative Reckoning. "Moderator" is my own preference (again for reasons explained in the aforementioned article), and since this is my game, it will be the official term used in Omnia. (Although "Omnipotent One" has potential...)

Omnia Update 2023-08-31

There will probably be two versions of the primary Omnia rule book—one with illustrations and one without. I might make dual versions for the supplements as well. Eventually, I might even commission art for additional illustrated versions to reflect different styles. But I am getting ahead of myself. I need to tweak several rules, playtest the game, decide which Creative Commons license to release it under, and release it. Then I can focus on the style and method of illustration.

The Tone of Omnia

Omnia is a personal project meant to appeal to myself and those who share my preferences in a role-playing system, and as such, its tone is direct, informative, and, I hope, instructive. I have no intention of adopting the corporate tone typical of most commercial projects. There will be no "hype." There will be no negative advertising. There will be no fill-in-the-blank press releases. There will be no attempts to appeal to the lowest common denominator. There will be no assumption that readers are gullible. I shall assume that those who play Omnia and read Omnia Pro Omnibus are intelligent, imaginative, and discerning. I wish to write what I prefer to read: honest communication between parties with a shared interest. Life is too short and too precious to be wasted on business speak.

Omnia Guidelines of Visual Presentation

The most salient complaint I have about most role-playing games is their visual presentation. If I cannot get past the visual barriers, I cannot even begin to address the rules, concepts, or even the quality of the writing itself—at least, not without difficulty and a certain amount of resentment. More than once I have had my enthusiasm for a game extinguished by those responsible for its layout and typography. With this in my mind, I have made this list of guidelines for the visual presentation of Omnia and all supplemental material. I intend to adhere to these principles, and I encourage anyone who contributes original Omnia material to do so as well.

Typefaces and Type Sizes (Fonts)

Above all, the typeface ought to be as legible as possible and of a size that can be read effortlessly by most readers. For printed Omnia material, I intend to use Atkinson Hyperlegible, which was created to maximize readability (especially for those with impaired vision and/or dyslexia). For material presented on sites such as this that do not offer Atkinson Hyperlegible, I am using Arial [or Cardo currently]. In both cases, I shall be using a standard size of 12.

(I learned about Atkinson Hyperlegible from Accessible Gaming Quarterly, which will be using it in future issues.)

Color and Contrast

The text and background ought to contrast as strongly as possible without being uncomfortable to the eye. In most cases, the text will be black and the background will be white to promote readability.

Layout

Layout ought to follow a logical flow. It ought to be uncluttered and simple to follow.

In printed material and PDFs, chunks of information will be confined to a single page or a single spread as much as possible. This makes it easier to use at the gaming table.

A Kindred Manifesto

Quite coincidentally, on the near-eve of my release of Omnia, an article appeared from Revenant's Quill entitled "Brutalist Adventure Game Design." I say coincidentally because my design philosophy for Omnia has been guided by every single principle of this manifesto without any thought of the Brutalist movement. There are a few other design principles I have kept in mind as well (many of which are shared with those of Fudge), but those described in the aforementioned article are core. I mention this here because I am comforted by the fact that I am not alone in my design goals and gaming preferences.

All for All.