Agent Kujan's Scene Framing Mechanic

This is a toy role playing game, purpose of which is to suggest a scene framing rule. I don’t know if the rule would make for a fun game, or if the whole thing would just crash. But here it is:

The Custom Agent’s Office
A Toy Role Playing Game

So, everyone chooses a character, name, some background. Definitely a goal of some kind: where they want their character to go, or succeed at or whatever.

Pick someone at random, they frame a scene, and start playing it out. Can be anything that player wants. From then on, other players can jump in on the current scene and express their incredulity. They then have to frame a new scene around the details of their doubt.

(Right? The idea is that the interrupter is Agent Kujan from The Usual Suspects. “I don’t buy it.” “Convince me, show me every last detail.”)

So the idea, very strongly inspired by Mr. Baker, is that on the one hand, you have credibility. Each player has the right to doubt, and revoke credibility in the scene. That’s the purpose that a resolution mechanic serves.

What that’s connected to is a scene framing mechanic. You revoke your credence at the cost of framing a new scene – or with the benefit of the new scene I suppose.

One of the things that results, I think, is that it’s a winning strategy to bring other characters into a scene, because their players will be more likely to buy into a scene that they’re a part of. Or, if nothing else, they may be too distracted playing the scene to doubt it.

The obvious break that I see is if everyone’s goals are unrelated, or aren’t in conflict. On the other hand if the goals can’t be reconciled, then who’s going to extend credibility in the first place?

It needs a bit more substance before it could be played, but I think it’s worthy of the extra effort.