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Post by Ymbert Montgomery on Oct 19, 2021 22:01:02 GMT
This is the shortlist. All names are works in progress! Suggestions, questions, feedback all welcome. Ug: The Prehistoric GameSetting: Cavemen and Cavewomen! Hunting and gathering! Probably more Flintstones than historical. (I don't care it's ahistorical. Everyone wants to hunt a T Rex). Ideas: Possibly some kind of technological progress. (Can your character be the one to discover fire?). An intelligence stat that limits what words you can use to communicate IC. (Int 5: Complex sentences. Int 1: Grunts and describe your actions). Advantages: I think this could be very funny. It's also a very novel setting. Disadvantages: The danger with funny games is making them playable over time once the joke is old. Not as many options for politicking. High School Movie
Setting: A Fictional High School. Possibly American in feel, possibly more Grange Hill. Maybe 80s or 90s rather than modern, mostly because I think I'd embarrass myself trying to write modern teenagers.
Ideas: A set campaign time (over five years or seven if I include sixth form). The obvious cliques (goths, jocks, nerds etc.). End of year exam results.
Advantages: I really like the set campaign time idea. Lots of source material.
Disadvantages: The big one here is that the PCs would be minors which needs careful handling if I want to avoid unnecessary controversy.
Underground City
Setting: A sprawling byzantine underground city, vaguely inspired by Neverwhere, Gormenghast etc.
Ideas: Secret societies. Lots of different occupations and goals. Hunting alligators in the sewers.
Advantages: It's a blank slate to work with and having lots of conspiracies gives character options.
Disadvantages: It's also possibly the least relatable setting for most players. Would it work as well at small player numbers?
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Post by Father William Souris on Oct 19, 2021 23:15:17 GMT
To avoid the High School age side of High School Movie have you considered something like a Space Fleet Academy?
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Post by Monique Adelina De'Ath on Oct 20, 2021 13:51:34 GMT
Out of the three listed, I would opt for Underground City as my preference but the other two also seem 'do-able'
Jim has added the Space Fleet Academy idea, good idea, for my two penny worth I offer the alternatives of a Western (Cowboy) environment as there seem to be precious few of these around nowadays or something more specific which, like the High School proposal has a defined timescale to it as it covers an actual period of history, a conflict in fact, The War of Northern Aggression, aka The War between the States (Yankees would refer to it as the Civil War - which of course is nonsense - apols to Garrett again as we have conversed on this before and have differing opinions!). In both you have a known subject area and already a base of people who will know and have interest in the eras.
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Post by Ymbert Montgomery on Oct 20, 2021 15:20:37 GMT
I think, on purely practical grounds, if I did the Western Cowboy idea it's an area I know too little about, with lots of gamers who know the period far too well for me to think that's a good idea!
(Incidentally, if you like that period I recommend the boardgame Founding Fathers by Rick Heli. I've been vaguely considering running it on here when I have time).
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Post by huillaume on Oct 20, 2021 15:28:38 GMT
To avoid the High School age side of High School Movie have you considered something like a Space Fleet Academy? While no easy to find now, there was a EG! like module for Traveller related to the Naval Accademy (I'l look for the exact reference) On it, the Characters were cadets in this academy (there was the Navy and Marine divisoins of it) and they tried to reach status among peers, academic points, etc... As a curiosity, it was set on a world where there was a code duello (though cadets were officially forbiden to duel), so duels could also happen, and the Navy and Marine cadets were not in as good terms as they should (sounds familiar?) |
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Post by Jacques Bougiedure on Oct 20, 2021 15:33:50 GMT
Other ideas:
CyberPunk setting: A variation on the Underground, has the advantage that is it set in the near future so you could leverage the modern world but put your own spin on it. Avoids the complexity that inclusion presents in a more historical setting.
Anime/Manga setting: Giant robots battling alien invaders anyone?
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Post by Jacques Bougiedure on Oct 20, 2021 15:35:18 GMT
While no easy to find now, there was a EG! like module for Traveller related to the Naval Accademy (I'l look for the exact reference)The module was High Guard. I still have a copy  I would be less enamored of a military academy setting as they tend to be very rigid. Students at University however...college is a time of experimentation especially as young adult are free of parental control for the first times in their lives (Sex! Drugs! Rock 'n' Roll!) |
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Post by huillaume on Oct 20, 2021 16:53:24 GMT
To avoid the High School age side of High School Movie have you considered something like a Space Fleet Academy? While no easy to find now, there was a EG! like module for Traveller related to the Naval Accademy (I'l look for the exact reference) On it, the Characters were cadets in this academy (there was the Navy and Marine divisoins of it) and they tried to reach status among peers, academic points, etc... As a curiosity, it was set on a world where there was a code duello (though cadets were officially forbiden to duel), so duels could also happen, and the Navy and Marine cadets were not in as good terms as they should (sounds familiar?) While no easy to find now, there was a EG! like module for Traveller related to the Naval Accademy (I'l look for the exact reference)The module was High Guard. I still have a copy I'm afraid not. While HG has the Naval Academy, it's only as one term rolls in CharGen. What I refered to was the module named MIlitary Academy that appeared in JTAS 26 (GDW Challenge magazin, issue 26) I would be less enamored of a military academy setting as they tend to be very rigid. Students at University however...college is a time of experimentation especially as young adult are free of parental control for the first times in their lives (Sex! Drugs! Rock 'n' Roll!) This is a module where several players are in the Academy (be it MIlitary, Naval or Marine), and it's played by weekly actions where they accrue Peer Status and(or Accademy Status. Peer status is how popular you are, while Academic Status is about your studies.Of course, most actions that give PS are not the same that give AS... Of course, it can be adapted to any University... |
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Post by vinlander on Oct 22, 2021 15:29:31 GMT
I wasn't going to weigh in on this, but I did have a thought -- place the game in an embassy, and everyone is a diplomat operating in a foreign country. Social activities, junkets, espionage, etc.
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Post by Father William Souris on Oct 22, 2021 15:36:00 GMT
I wasn't going to weigh in on this, but I did have a thought -- place the game in an embassy, and everyone is a diplomat operating in a foreign country. Social activities, junkets, espionage, etc. Sounds like Babylon 5! |
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Post by Jacques Bougiedure on Oct 22, 2021 20:40:03 GMT
Other ideas:
Crime Boss: a prohibition era empire building game where players build a criminal gang to dominate the city
Path to the Throne: Different factions vie with each other to place their pretender on the throne. Could be medieval-theme or futuristic star kingdom
Spy vs Spy: An expansion of the Liminal EG! espionage where each player is a spy working to give their nation an advantage (or as a counter-spy to sabotage their nation in favor of another)
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Post by huillaume on Oct 23, 2021 13:41:10 GMT
Two possible new settings: 1) Medieval nobles:when I played EG! first, back in the early 90's, we also played another game based on Pendragon Nobles Book where every player started with a Banneret and a small fief. I sometimes have thought in recovering the concept, but probably based on Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy, so that no script history (Arthur) was set. The game was run seasonally, with actions being done by month, and economy based on the Nobles Book. 2) Republic of Rome:Players would represent either senatorial families or factions of the Republic. this would be in several sub-setting: - Early republic (circa 1st Punic War: Rome is not yet a dominant power, and the main goal would be a collaborative game to make Rome survive and grow, while trying to become the leading family/faction
- Middle Republic (circa 2nd-3rd Punic Wars: Rome is stronger in a dual power Mediterranean (Rome/Carthage), and the risk for Rome to fall is not so great (but still exists, as Cannes proved).
- Late Republic: (after 3rd Punic War: ROme is the dominant power, with little challenges to its security aside from internal struggle caused by the Republic being no longer a viable way to control such an Empire. Social problems become the main challenge, and Roman factions in the Senate see struggle for internal power as their main goal.
As you see, each has its challenges and oportunities for fun... |
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Post by Ymbert Montgomery on Oct 23, 2021 15:35:00 GMT
I love Republic of Rome. Great boardgame.
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Post by huillaume on Oct 23, 2021 15:43:55 GMT
I love Republic of Rome. Great boardgame. So do I, and I concurr. |
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Post by Ymbert Montgomery on Nov 23, 2021 0:26:35 GMT
A question (partly inspired by me reading old RPG arguments from the late 70s).
How do people feel about rules/secrets not available to players?
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