Morra Universal Cinematic Game System Alpha Slice, April 2019 Table of Contents MORRA UNIVERSAL GAME SYSTEM: DEVELOPER NOTES ......................................... 5 What is an Alpha Slice? ...................................................................................................................................... 6 Key Features ...................................................................................................................................................... 6 Thank you! ......................................................................................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER TWO: DEFINING A GENRE ................................................................................... 9 The Writer’s Room ............................................................................................................................................ 10 Genre Roadmap ................................................................................................................................................ 10 Step One: Define the Target Audience ............................................................................................................... 10 Step Two: Define the Rating and Content Descriptors of the Series .................................................................... 11 Step Three: Determine the Media Length .......................................................................................................... 12 Step Four: Write a Movie Trailer/ Elevator Pitch for the Series .......................................................................... 12 Step Five: Budget .............................................................................................................................................. 12 Step Six: Create the Genre Archetypes .............................................................................................................. 14 Step Seven: Skill Adjustments ........................................................................................................................... 15 Step Eight: New Genre and Archetypes Qualities ............................................................................................... 16 Step Nine: The Story Bible ................................................................................................................................. 16 Step Ten: Crossovers ......................................................................................................................................... 17 Step Eleven: Reference Material........................................................................................................................ 17 Step Twelve: Plot Threads ................................................................................................................................. 18 CHAPTER THREE: CHARACTER CREATION ................................................................... 19 Step One: The Writers’ Room ............................................................................................................................ 19 Step Two: Selecting the Archetype .................................................................................................................... 21 Step Three: What’s Your Motivation? ................................................................................................................ 22 1 Step Four: Assign Points to Attributes ............................................................................................................... 29 Step Five: Assign Points to Skills ........................................................................................................................ 33 Step Six: Assign Points to Qualities .................................................................................................................... 38 Assigning Starting Quality Points ....................................................................................................................... 38 CHAPTER FOUR: CORE RULES ............................................................................................. 40 Cast of Characters ............................................................................................................................................. 40 Dramatic Moment ............................................................................................................................................. 41 Dramatic Moment – Cast Complications ............................................................................................................ 44 Dramatic Moment – Director’s Flare .................................................................................................................. 45 One Story/Many Acts ........................................................................................................................................ 46 One Act/Three Scene Structure ......................................................................................................................... 47 Contract Negotiations ....................................................................................................................................... 50 Consequences ................................................................................................................................................... 52 Equipment ........................................................................................................................................................ 56 MacGuffins: Advanced Equipment .................................................................................................................... 56 Experience ........................................................................................................................................................ 58 CHAPTER FIVE: CINEMATIC QUALITIES ......................................................................... 60 Quality Limitations ............................................................................................................................................ 60 General Qualities .............................................................................................................................................. 61 Creating New Qualities Guidelines .................................................................................................................... 81 Reference Material: Theory and Practice of Magic ............................................................................................. 82 Casting Magic .................................................................................................................................................... 89 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF TECHNOLOGY ................................................................... 91 CHAPTER SEVEN: GENRE: PUNCHING NAZIS ................................................................ 92 2 Punching Nazis Credits ...................................................................................................................................... 92 Target Audience and Rating: PG-13/R ................................................................................................................ 92 Punching Nazis Inspiration ................................................................................................................................ 93 Punching Nazis Budget ...................................................................................................................................... 94 Punching Nazis Archetypes ................................................................................................................................ 94 Genre Factions .................................................................................................................................................. 98 American Armed Forces .................................................................................................................................... 98 Skill Adjustments ............................................................................................................................................ 102 Genre Qualities ............................................................................................................................................... 104 Punching Nazis: The Story Bible ....................................................................................................................... 108 Reference Material: Theory and Practice of Magic ........................................................................................... 116 Mastery of Magic ............................................................................................................................................ 116 The Origin of Magic ......................................................................................................................................... 116 Reference Material: Theory and Practice of Technology 1940s Technology ...................................................... 117 Reference Material: Director’s Challenge: Change One Thing ........................................................................... 120 Reference Material: Sample Plot Threads: ......................................................................................................