DarkSpace Transmission 0.01.02 Design - Motivation
I first encountered the idea of alignment when I began playing tabletop role-playing games in the early 1980s. My introduction came through Tom Moldvay's Basic Dungeons & Dragons booklet. At the time, I found alignment to be a fun and fascinating way to look at the world. In that Basic set, just like in the Shadowdark RPG, there were only three alignments: Law, Chaos, and Neutrality.
When I eventually picked up the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules, I discovered how much the alignment system had expanded. For quite a while, I enjoyed playing with all the possibilities and debating the nuances of what it meant to be Lawful Good, Chaotic Evil, or somewhere in between. As I grew older, I began to miss the simplicity of those three original choices from that 64-page Basic D&D booklet. Years later, when Than Gibson introduced me to Shadowdark, I was thrilled to see a return to that streamlined approach. It’s become one of my favorite TTRPGs to run and play.
That said, I’ve never been entirely comfortable with the idea of Chaos being inherently evil. For me, Chaos has always represented creativity, and it’s often in the most Chaotic moments of a TTRPG that players and GMs genuinely shine.
When Than and I began discussing DarkSpace as a concept, I knew the traditional fantasy alignments wouldn’t work for a science fiction/fantasy setting. I wanted something that preserved the simplicity of the past while feeling fresh and relevant. That’s when I came up with Motivations.
As a DM/GM, I’ve always asked my players what motivates their characters. Some provide detailed five-page backstories, while others struggle to articulate much at all—especially newer players. Reflecting on my experience teaching ethics to young people, I drew from those lessons to create the three foundational Motivations in DarkSpace.
When creating a character in DarkSpace, you’ll decide:
Is your character virtuous? Are they driven by loyalty, justice, courage, and the many other noble ideals that have inspired sentient beings throughout history?
Are they a survivor? Do they prioritize protecting themselves, their friends, and their family above all else?
Or are they vile? Are they motivated purely by self-interest, willing to destroy anyone or anything in their path to get what they want?
These questions form the basis of Darkspace characters, offering simplicity without sacrificing depth.
I hope you enjoy exploring this new approach as much as I’ve enjoyed crafting it.
Warm regards,
