The Great Conjunction II (RPG Design Contest)

Wik · 1st January 2010, 10:18 AM

...Let the games begin!

Have you ever found yourself reading an RPG, only to exclaim "Why, a trained monkey could do better!?" Well, now is your chance to be that trained monkey. It's time, my fellow Enworldians, to put our money where our collective mouth is.

How? A one month RPG design contest. That's right - starting now, all you lucky entrants get until February 1st, 2010, to put together a complete role-playing game. Good luck!

The Big Theme

This year's big theme? It's an easy one.... Discovery. Exploration, the discovery of the unknown, and unraveling mystery. An "Old school" theme of RPGs that sometimes gets overlooked in the modern era of RPGs. Let's bring back that sense of discovery in RPGs! How? Well, that's up to you!

Other Things to Incorporate

There are also some sub-themes, which can be used as you see fit. These sub-themes are 1) A Criminal Element, 2) Religious Mania, 3) Hazardous Magic, and 3) Sentient Constructs.

Work/Submission Window

You can start now, if you'd like - only submissions that have a creation date from 2010 will be considered. You have until midnight, February 1st, 2010 to get something in to me. Late entries are not going to be accepted.

Size of Submissions

There is a maximum document size of 50 pages - which is plenty to work with. As Jdrakeh pointed out last year, that's Holmes BD&D rules + 10 pages. Think about that for a second, and realize this means you have a LOT of room for design work.

Where to Submit

Post a link or a copy of your work in this very thread. Make sure I can read it! I'd prefer it if submissions are in PDF form, but MS Word documents are also great.

How judging works

As I mentioned in an earlier thread, I will be following a criteria when I judge. After all, there is a prize to be won, so let's make sure things are fair. (I did mention the prize, didn't I? No? Oh, well then... there's a prize).

Here's the relevant info: Great Conjunction 2 Announcement Thread (RPG Design Contest)

Okay, there it is. Feel free to ask any questions you'd like, and by all means, post stuff early so you can get feedback! Now, with all that said, get to work, trained monkeys! Mush, mush!

jdrakeh · 1st January 2010, 11:34 AM

I'm in, provided that "real life" doesn't get in the way again.

Jack7 · 1st January 2010, 01:19 PM

If it's Discovery, Exploration, Mystery, and a Criminal element, then I'm in.

That's for Damn sure.
All of those are interests of mine.

I even had a dream this morning about a crime organization out of Russia using a new type of communications/encryption device. I wrote and sketched it this morning when I woke up 'cause I could build it myself. But I'm gonna forward the idea on to some of my buddies.

Anywho, I got some ideas about how to play this contest. (Actually I was anticipating the contest would be about psychic abilities, but this is far better and more timely to me.)

I'll study the project components in detail later, work up a basic proposal and design sketch, and maybe I'll get a rough outline worked up before work starts next Monday.

I hope nothing will interfere and I'll get to finish it. I also hope a lot of people will compete. If there's anything that needs to be brought back to modern RPGs it's real Exploration and Discovery.

Very good project idea.

Wik · 1st January 2010, 05:25 PM

Looking forward to both of your entries! And, funnily enough Jack, I was thinking of "psychic abilities" as one of the initial themes.

I should point out now that the list of sub-themes were randomly generated. I had a longer list, and I randomly rolled some to see what would come up. Turns out they worked pretty well - I have a few ideas for each. I'll probably try to put something together... but I have no idea what, yet.

Jack7 · 1st January 2010, 10:05 PM

I've developed a few title possibilities:

THE LOST ARTS OF EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY

TRAVERSAL

THE TRESVADDER

Right now I favor Traversal.

I've written up a very rough outline, some design parameters, and created two documents, one for design notes, the other as the actual project framework structure.

But one thing I've also decided on from the last contest. It will intentionally, in style and format, be unlike any RPG book or manual I've ever seen.

And I'm gonna make mine genre non-specific.

Wik · 1st January 2010, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack7

I've written up a very rough outline, some design parameters, and created two documents, one for design notes, the other as the actual project framework structure.

Yeah, that's what I did for mine last year. It's a good system to work with.

Jack7 · 2nd January 2010, 01:49 AM

I also now have a Work Plan/Schedule.

Dividing the month into work days I have basically 20 of those, not counting today. I have allocated 13 days for the construction of the work, which will compel me to average between 3.8 and 4 pages per day.

If I lose time on a particular work day then I hope to make that up on free time during the weekends.

This will leave me between 7 and 10 days for editing, re-writes from my initial draft, to collect supplementary materials, and to make corrections, redactions, and additions.

If I can maintain that schedule I will finish a little bit early.

jmucchiello · 2nd January 2010, 02:21 AM

So far I've thrown out a dozen ideas as either needs more space or "been done to death". Still at the drawing board.

RandomCitizenX · 2nd January 2010, 04:29 AM

Have my basic mechanic in mind as well as the setting, just need to work in one of the sub themes. Hopefully life and work will allow me to finish the job this time.

Wik · 2nd January 2010, 10:08 PM

I've got an idea kicking around in my head, too. It's going to involve pirate ships, tropical islands, and criminal havens. And the PCs get their own ship to explore with. Equal parts Firefly, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Isle of Dread. I want to design the whole thing to be the perfect system for a "west marches" style of game (for those unfamiliar with the West Marches...
ars ludi » Grand Experiments: West Marches )

As for the system itself... I don't know. Still unsure about that.

MortalPlague · 3rd January 2010, 01:50 AM

I had an idea for a bar fighting RPG, but I don't think that would fit 'discovery' very well. It would also be lacking on the 'depth' side of things. Ah well, back to the drawing board.

jdrakeh · 4th January 2010, 04:57 AM

I've at least locked down a title. . . . "In Search Of. . ."

I think I'm going to use a stripped down and re-tooled version of my Bastard Sword mechanic tweaked slightly to recreate an "OD&D" feel with a few twists.

Wik · 4th January 2010, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdrakeh

I've at least locked down a title. . . . "In Search Of. . ."

I think I'm going to use a stripped down and re-tooled version of my Bastard Sword mechanic tweaked slightly to recreate an "OD&D" feel with a few twists.

Ha ha, yeah, the title is so hard. Right now, I've got "Discovery". Which is, um, lame.

And I have no idea what mechanic to go for. I want something that has some wiggle room so PCs can "level up" decently... but I don't want it to go too far. I'm thinking a die mechanic sort of like that in Earthdawn could work. But so far, no clue how to go about it.

I did decide that PCs start the game with no magic, whatsoever. Which should be an interesting twist (and saves me from having to design a "balanced" magic system!).

jdrakeh · 4th January 2010, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wik

Ha ha, yeah, the title is so hard. Right now, I've got "Discovery". Which is, um, lame.

I think you misunderstood. "In Search Of. . . " is actually the title.

Quote:

I did decide that PCs start the game with no magic, whatsoever. Which should be an interesting twist (and saves me from having to design a "balanced" magic system!).

Interesting!

Jack7 · 4th January 2010, 12:31 PM

Quote:

I think you misunderstood. "In Search Of. . . " is actually the title.

I immediately thought of Nimoy. And Atlantis, of course...