how easy or hard is it for new DM/Narrator to try and run this game? currently reading and re-reading the rulebook as much as i possibly can before i can take a look at "case of example" and how easy is it to run "case of signal fire"?
Hi! I would say that the mechanical operation of the game is surprisingly smooth for most groups and most GMs - this is something I credit to one of the inspirations, Bluebeard's Bride, which made me aware how much a tabletop party often operates as a sort of single organism. All playing the same detective tends to go smoothly.
The place that people seem to find difficult is in constructing a Case and in generating new rolls as they go, which (I hope) the Case of the Signal Fire can help with by giving you a bunch of pre-written investigations, actions, and of course mystery scenario. There's also the advice section in the rulebook, which contains the principles I've used when constructing Cases, but I understand that putting together a mystery can really be a challenge. But, I have gotten feedback that Signal Fire is relatively easy to run - it's not an extremely tight mystery, but I've found players really enjoy the location, setting, and clues involved, including with World players (GMs) who haven't run very many games before.
So, using Signal Fire, it should be relatively easy; more challenging would be making your own Case. I would consider the actual mechanical operation of the game pretty beginner-friendly, though I would recommend a character-creation session for assembling the Detective (and, if your group's relatively new as well and uncertain, you might use the pre-written Player Component suggestions for Signal Fire, though tbh I think most groups pretty quickly come up with their own facets of their own Detective with those as vague guidance).
Let me know if you have any other questions or concerns!
i see, i will take a look at "signal fire" case once i feel like i got the gist of it but since you are here then i can ask this:
shouldnt there be at least one quick sheet or how to play summary for the players/detectives? or reference for mix success and failure and full success and what makes deja vu etc? although i could create a refrence papers myself for players and anyone who tackle tho
this paragraph isnt a question but more so a revelation i had the other day when i searched if anyone tried running your game, and someone did but its in world of fallout series and this is when it hit me, YOUR game can run in many worlds or universe and it would fit perfect, things like gotham city in dc world or town of silent hill or even as simple as era of sherlock holmes. it hit me because one of 12 skills you created for character sheet is exofamiliar and then thinking this skill fits in silent hill lol
I'll be honest, there's no quick summary sheet because when I tried to mock one up it felt more confusing than helpful; my layout skills are unsurprisingly self-taught, and that kind of density can be hard to use to effectively communicate. There is a table to reference for consequences and options for rolls in the book, but I couldn't figure out a good way to compress it and other reference details.
As for setting flexibility, that's very much an intentional part of the game's design. I wanted Detect or Die to be about a specific scenario, which could occur in all kinds of settings, with all kinds of mysteries. The amnesiac detective is a very flexible narrative!