Great Conjunction 2 Announcement Thread (RPG Design Contest)

[Wik]

How many of you have always wanted to design your own RPG, but have lacked the drive to do so? How many of you have railed at a rules set, decrying its "brokenness" and proclaiming to the gods "Hell, I could have done better!"

Starting January 1st, 2010, you will have the chance to put your money where your mouth is. Because it's time for the second annual Great Conjunction RPG design Contest!

Here's the basic set-up: you'll have exactly one month to put together a complete role-playing game. However, you don't get a chance to think about exactly what you're going to make until January 1st - because that's when the theme gets posted.

See, a theme gets posted to insure that all those lame internet cheaters just don't post that game they designed in 1993, back when they lived with their parents and only worked five hours a week at the McDonald's and had all the time in the world to work on "Spectre: The Wraithening". By requiring submissions to fit the design theme, it helps insure that games are new submissions (I'll also be checking the file creation date, and all that silly stuff, but I'm sure some computer geeks would be able to bypass that, so we're mostly going to have to rely on the honour system).

Last year, the theme was "magic", and it's going to be equally broad this year. I know the theme already, and I can tell you it's a little bit tighter, but not really by much.

Before you get all crazy, afraid you'll have to put forward three 200-page core books within 31 days, I'll cut you off right now. There's a 50 page limit, and I'd suggest people look towards making shorter entries. Remember, original D&D was only around 40 pages long!

Finally, I have already set aside some cash for a prize! Right now, I'm thinking it'll be a gift card for RPGNow or something like that, but if people have other ideas, I'm all ears. And, of course, I'm totally willing to accept any donations people might want to put forward.

I'll be updating this thread daily until the contest, explaining how the judging process will work, what I'm looking for as a judge, highlighting the prize (once it's pinned down), and discussing how last year's contest went.

Feel free to post in this thread if you're interested in joining, so I have an idea of how many entries there will be.

...9 more days until the Conjunction Begins!

 

[Wik]

Day 1: How is this Conjunction Different from Last Year's?

So, how is this conjunction design contest different from last year's? After all, once you've had one design contest, why do you need to do another? Why make this an annual thing?

1. Resolution

Unfortunately, there was no resolution to last year's contest. We had around eight entries that were completed - and I can tell you right now, there was an amazing variety in the games put forward. And, despite the haste in their creation, I'd say all of them were worth playing - I honestly think they were all diamonds in the rough.

However, the judge of the contest had one of those "real life" emergencies come up, and so there was no final review of the games put forward. No "winner", and no critical feedback from one source. Luckily, the contestants had become very supportive of one another and their works, and so everyone pitched in and offered their opinions on the submitted works.

This year, there will be a judge (myself). While I would love to compete in this contest (and I will, only my final submission will not really be counted as a "submission"), I would rather see the contest reach the finish line. I will guarantee, right here, that every manuscript that meets the requirements (50 or fewer pages, submitted before January 31st, 11:59 PM Pacific Time) will get an assessment by yours truly.

2. Prizes!

Yyup. There will be a prize. It won't be huge, becuase I've always been the type of person to see honour in the old Olympics, where winners got nothing more than an ivy crown and the pride of standing on the podium. Also, because I'm a cheap bastard. Right now, I'm looking at around twenty bucks of free downloads from RPGnow, though I would love to hear suggestions. I don't want to actually send out a physical prize, simply because it would cost me a fortune to send it overseas (and that really isn't fair to anybody).

And yes, I'm more than willing to accept PDF donations to send out to winners, or even runners-up. ANy suggestions on the prize front would be appreciated.

3. Duration

Those who competed last year will remember that the original conjunction had a two month deadline. This year, the deadline was cut in half. Why? Because a lot of people lost interest as the contest went on, and because really, one month is plenty of time to put something together, provided you spend a little bit of time on your project every few days. If you work on your project for even three hours a week, and type around two pages an hour, you will have a 24 page submission done before the deadline - which is a perfectly acceptable entry size.

4. Legal Ownership

One of the problems that was not addressed initially in the contest last year was the problem of legal ownership - in that some people started work on their project, and then realized they didn't want to post it on the web and give away legal "ownership" of their product.

This time around, I want to state right now that anything you put forward is legally yours, and no one in the contest (or ENWorld, I'm sure) can take what you've submitted and publish it without your permission. If you're worried about your work getting put all over the place or stolen, I'd suggest submitting it as a PDF, and putting a watermark on every page.

Further, while you are required to submit a COMPLETE RPG (ie, a group can sit down and play your game without any outside materials beyond dice and whatnot), it doesn't necessarily have to be an indepth RPG. In other words, you could submit your game as "Fast Play Rules", in the hopes of drumming up interest for whatever product you'd like to release down the road.

 

[Wik]

Day 2: What To Include

A lot of people go overboard in their submissions, and promptly get overwhelmed. Remember - it's better to work on a realistic project over something that is going to "revolutionize the hobby" that never gets released. You don't have a huge number of pages to work with (50 pages at most), and you only have 31 days.

I think a good number to aim for is to write a page a day. But that's just me.

So, what to include?

Mechanics

This is an obvious one. A set of game mechanics that cover whatever it is your game is about (ie, combat, exploration, kingdom ruling, or whatever else). I should point out that I prefer simple, versatile mechanics (such as those from Savage Worlds or the d6 System) as opposed to "realistic" mechanics, though I'm not going to be super picky when I judge. So long as they work, I'm happy. But make sure your mechanics can at least do alright when covering situations not necessarily covered by the rules.

Character Rules

Include info on how to create characters. Make sure the character choices available to the player are broad enough to allow some player choice. This doesn't mean that players should be able to create everything (they shouldn't), but should instead mean that each player can create a unique character that still contributes to the game.

For example, if you're creating a game based around the movie Aliens, every character is probably going to be a space marine. If you make a game where only the "Space Marine" class is useful (and being "Lost Child" or "Company Bureaucrat" offers no real value to the group), that's no good. But if you make a game where each PC is a space marine, but each PC has a differing skill set (he's good at explosives, she's fast on her feet, etc) then we're good to go.

GM Stuff

Something I realized near the end of my submission last year: you're better off to write up, say, five or six monsters and then include rules for creating new critters. As opposed to writing thirty or forty monsters (because, even if all 50 pages were dedicated to monsters, it still might not be enough for campaign play). Ditto for magic items, cyberware, NPCs, or whatever else. If you include ideas for the GMs to work with, I think you'll do alright.

Setting Info

I don't necessarily mean "this is the world". Instead, present what your game is about. If it's about dungeon adventuring, make sure you present that in your game somehow. Provide an idea of what PCs are expected to do in the game, to provide GMs a starting point. On that note, it might be a good idea to include half a dozen adventure ideas, or maybe even a mini adventure or something.

 

[arscott]

sweet. can't wait to start.

 

[jmucchiello]

I have a mechanic I want to experiment with. If I like the theme, I'm in. (And I need to start writing again by hook horror or by crook.)

 

[macrochelys]

Really looking forward to this. Can't want to start.

 

[Wik]

I have a mechanic I want to experiment with. If I like the theme, I'm in. (And I need to start writing again by hook horror or by crook.)

Well, remember, the themes are very broad. Last year, it was "magic", and this year, I can guarantee it'll be something perhaps even broader (or perhaps slightly less, depending on how you look at it).

Now, the sub-themes are a bit less broad, but you don't have to use all (or, really, any) of them.

 

[Wik]

So, in less than 24 hours, the contest begins. Which made me realize, I should post my judging criteria. Because, it's kind of lame to write something, when you have no idea what it is you're writing for. So, I'll present the check-sheet I'll use when evaluating entries. It looks a lot more organized than it will actually be, but it is at least a starting point.

Writing Quality:.......3 points
The quality of the writing is important. A "0" means the work is nearly illegible. A "1" means there are frequent typoes, misleading statements, and so on. A "2" is your average manuscript - there will be problems, but they aren't huge. A "3" means the writing is crisp and very easy to understand.

Organization:..... 2 points
How well organized and laid-out your submission is. A "0" means it makes absolutely no sense (the skill rules are buring in the combat rules, it's impossible to find anything!). A "1" is your typical manuscript (at least two of the following: Table of Contents, placement of topics in places where it at least makes sense, and a consistent organization scheme). A "2" means it is very well organized (all of the above, plus perhaps an index, or "see page XX" cross-referenced throughout).

Main Theme Implementation:.... 4 points
How well your game follows the main theme. Remember, the Theme Is Loose in this competition, so it shouldn't be hard to tie a lot of your game into the theme.
A "0" means your game does not tie into the theme, at all. This will be automatic "fail".
A "1" means you have to stretch for the theme to work, or the theme is just so lamely incorporated (ie, the theme was "horror", and you present a western that has a few pages of horror material tacked-on).
A "2" means the theme is present, but it doesn't dominate the game - someone describing the game would probably only see it as part of the game, not something that the game is truly "about". A "2" might mean the theme is present, but not always well thought-out.
A "3" means the theme is present in the script, is well-thought out, and is probably found in a few different parts of the game (it's not just "western horror" in the monsters section... you'd probably get the horror vibe even when making a PC, or when reading the rules).
A "4" has all of the qualities of "3", but also incorporates the theme in a unique way (without "stretching" it!), and is found even in parts of the game where you might not expect it (for example... your "horror" theme is found in the gear lists... and the table of contents!?)

Sub-Theme Implementation:.... 3 points
This works a bit differently. I'll mark each sub-theme you include, and take an average of them. Each will get marked as a "0" (sub-theme is jarring and awful), "1" (Sub-theme is tacked-on, but at least interesting) and "2" (interesting sub-theme, incorporated into the game, and meshes with the primary theme). If you include ALL of the sub-themes, and none of them get a rating of "0", you get a bonus point.
For the record, I think it's a smarter idea to just tackle one sub-theme and get the 2 easy points. Going for 3 points here will be difficult.

Mechanics:.... 4 points
Game mechanics are obviously important. I prefer rules-light systems, but I'll try to overlook my bias when marking. "Game Balance" means little to me, though. This category is really hard to grade except by "what feels right"... I imagine most games will grade around a 2 or 3, with 1s and 4s being used only in special situations.
0: Rules are incomplete, or are so confusing they become practically unplayable.
1: Rules are fragmented, have jarring inconsistencies, or make little sense.
2: Rules work, but might not be all that clear.
3: Rules make sense, they implement the theme, and are fairly unified (if there are "sub-systems", they at least follow the main mechanics of the game).
4: The rules make perfect sense, are very easy to GM for, and make perfect sense in consideration of the game's theme.

Concept:.... 3 points
The basic idea of the game is worth points. Basically, if I described your game in one paragraph, how would it sound? This gets marked a bit differently.
If your game is "original" in how it approaches things, it gets a point. Note that you can make a D&D clone - if you do it in a new and interesting way, you get a point.
If your game is "thought out", you get a point. In other words, you have put some thought into ways your game world's realism could be broken. You don't need to be super exact... what I'm looking for here is more along the lines of "there's a reason cowboy PCs are going to be hunting vampires", more than anything else.
If your game has an actual "concept" that makes it easy to remember, you get a point. Basically, you're aiming for a concept that won't get lost in the shuffle - make it so I can remember your game six months down the line. How will your Western Horror game be different from, say, Deadlands? You don't need to make a gonzo game or anything, but at least make it a bit different from the other games out there.

Playability:.... 4 points
How playable is your game? This isn't a mechanics thing... this is a "can Wik actually play this game and have an idea what's going on?"
If there are at least a couple different options open for character types in play, you get a point (ie, if the PCs are all vampire-hunting cowboys, you don't get the point... UNLESS there are options for those PCs to notably stand apart from their companions in an interesting way).
If there is an adventure in your game, or adventure ideas, or even some sort of random table to create adventuring sites, you get a point.
If I can see a group learning this game and actually playing it for a session or two, you get a point. i.e. - the game is meant to be played, as opposed to some thereotical exercise. This should be an easy point!
If the game is one that can be handled easily around the table, you get the point. If there are elements in the game that could be confusing, and you've made the effort to explain how they actually work, you'll still get the point (in other words, if you have an intricate game system, make sure you include examples!)

Depth: .... 2 points
"Depth" indicates whether the game has long-term potential.
0: The game is a one-shot, or is functionally a one-shot. Basically, I could play this game maybe three times with the same group before it got old.
1: The game has the capacity as a "side game" or "pickup game". It probably has PC advancement rules and options, and should have a range of items or monsters - or, better yet, ways for the GM to create his own material.
2: The game could conceivably host longer-term play, or could be used to run numerous "one-shots" without it ever getting old. There are ways for the GM to create his own material, and there are numerous adventure options available.


Now, as you can imagine, this criteria isn't perfect. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm more using this is a guideline for marking over anything else - a means to make sure my grading is fair.

Now, with that... less than 24 hours to go!

 

[Plane Sailing]

Really cool idea, Wik.

I probably won't be able to carve out the time to participate, but I'll keep an eye on the theme and if I have any inspiration I'll join in!

Cheers

 

[GlassEye]

Just keepin' it on the radar. I didn't discover the thread for the last Conjuction until it was nearly over. Not entirely certain if I'll be posting a submission for this Conjunction, yet, but I'll definitely be reading with interest.