Which Games Have The Favor Economy Built Into The Rules?

Greentongue · December 25, 2021, 11:39:06 AM

Considering how important to human interactions favors are, I'm surprised that there doesn't seem to be games that include Favors as a mechanic.
Are there games that do and I have just overlooked them?

"Favor Economy" being a system that keeps track of who owes who favors and how big each favor is.
Maybe even includes an aspect of the favor having different values to each side of the relationship.
Also things like family or "Blood Brother" having permanent favors that can't normally be "used up".

KingCheops · December 25, 2021, 02:41:38 PM

Altered Carbon (which I think is Cortex?) has something sort of like that. However, it is tracked by dice not by specific favors.

Shadowrun 3rd edition had a pretty complex system expansion for their Contacts rules in the Shadowrun Primer I believe. Favor tracking and Friend of Friend rules in addition to tracking mechanisms for word to get back to the wrong people when using contacts on a run.

Klytus · December 25, 2021, 03:23:18 PM

Games with a merit/flaw or advantage/disadvantage type system almost always have a way to represent favors and debts. Savage Worlds has Connections as an Edge and Obligation as a Hindrance, both of which model the favor economy. d6 Fantasy has Contacts as an Advantage and Debt as a Disadvantage. GURPS has Favor as an Advantage and Debt as a Disadvantage. Is that the sort of thing you mean? Or something more like a trackable stat like Hit Points?

Ghostmaker · December 25, 2021, 06:43:02 PM

Eclipse Phase, with its reputation system, could be construed as similar.

Spinachcat · December 25, 2021, 08:30:15 PM

It's a notable part of the Legends of the Five Rings setting. Since 1e, there's discussion of how a gift (or favor) is received and what obligations it causes. How PCs deal with the repercussions is reflected within the Honor system.

However, I don't think you need it codified into any rules. "You owe me one" has been the boon/bane of many of my Traveller adventures over the decades.

Lunamancer · December 25, 2021, 09:25:11 PM

Quote from: Greentongue on December 25, 2021, 11:39:06 AM
Considering how important to human interactions favors are, I'm surprised that there doesn't seem to be games that include Favors as a mechanic.
Are there games that do and I have just overlooked them?

"Favor Economy" being a system that keeps track of who owes who favors and how big each favor is.
Maybe even includes an aspect of the favor having different values to each side of the relationship.
Also things like family or "Blood Brother" having permanent favors that can't normally be "used up".

AD&D 1E, if you use the loyalty system. There are some enumerated favors which have associated loyalty modifiers. The game has fairly detailed social mechanics in general that go entirely overlooked.

Kyle Aaron · December 25, 2021, 10:27:08 PM

An interesting question. I remember thinking about this in regard to the old Anglo-Saxon "tything."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tithing

We've certainly roleplayed it in some campaigns over the years. I'm not sure if it needs game mechanics when it's between PCs. NPCs of course we've got things like the D&D loyalty rules, as mentioned above.

HappyDaze · December 26, 2021, 12:21:33 AM

FFG's Star Wars: Edge of the Empire uses Obligation as a measure for favors and more.

Thondor · December 27, 2021, 04:28:56 PM

First thing that sprung to mind was Technoir.

This is mostly about your contacts and such owing you or possibly you owing them. I can't remember the exact details, but there is a section specifically on your sheet for this sort of thing. I'll have to dig out the book when I am back at home.

Not sure if most Apocalypse World games have "strings" but Monsterhearts does. You can gain and lose strings on people through play - it's been a while, and I am mostly thinking of 1e, but strings can be lots of things - childhood friend, mentor, and yes favours. You can use strings to better manipulate others and get them to do what you want.

Greentongue · December 28, 2021, 06:58:45 AM

I would think that as important as they are in Real Life, more games would include it.

KingCheops · December 28, 2021, 09:22:20 PM

Quote from: Greentongue on December 28, 2021, 06:58:45 AM
I would think that as important as they are in Real Life, more games would include it.

Not a game designer myself but I'd assume that since it is so important in real life most designers would just assume this is something players can handle without needing codified rules. Honestly actual rules do seem rather burdensome.

Bren · December 29, 2021, 02:36:01 AM

En Garde, published in 1975, had explicit mechanics for Favors which were often crucial in gaining offices and positions. So mechanics for favors have been around almost as long as published RPGs have existed. Flashing Blades, published in 1984, had a lot of inspiration from En Garde. And so not too surprisingly, Flashing Blades had rules for favors and influence. These were connected to the Social Rank system, which had mechanics. Though the use of favors and influence had some mechanics, it was mostly based on GM guidelines and rulings. I adapted the rules for Favors and Influence from Flashing Blades when I ran an Honor & Intrigue campaign. Since all three systems had similar rules for Social Rank, adaptation was not difficult.

Greentongue · December 29, 2021, 06:43:59 AM

Quote from: KingCheops on December 28, 2021, 09:22:20 PM
Not a game designer myself but I'd assume that since it is so important in real life most designers would just assume this is something players can handle without needing codified rules. Honestly actual rules do seem rather burdensome.

I have noticed players go with what rewards them in game terms. If you give EXP for looting, players will loot. If you give EXP for establishing a NPC network, players will establish a NPC network.

Greentongue · December 29, 2021, 06:45:10 AM

Quote from: Bren on December 29, 2021, 02:36:01 AM
I adapted the rules for Favors and Influence from Flashing Blades when I ran an Honor & Intrigue campaign. Since all three systems had similar rules for Social Rank, adaptation was not difficult.

That sounds interesting.

tenbones · December 29, 2021, 11:34:24 AM

I'm not trying to be sarcastic - but "favors" are just... roleplaying right?

I mean Contacts is ubiquitous to all my games (whether there is a mechanic attached to the system or not) I keep huge lists of Contacts and acquaintances for my player's PC's in my campaigns which are more often than not HUGE springboards to a lot of drama and conflict since all my NPC's worthy of being an actual "Contact" has their own agenda(s).

So I just notate, notate, notate and update things between sessions.