HELP! Japanese Setting - I need pictures!

[thatdarncat]

I'm looking for some help. I'm starting a game of Mage (well, modified Mage) that I'll be setting on an island in the Sea of Japan. I'm looking for some help on actually creating the culture and traditions, based on Japanese culture.

The characters are going to be students, aged 13-15 who attend a Jr High or High School in the main city on the island. I'm asking players to create a fairly detailed character history and personality but no character sheet - their characters have no clue about magic.

I want this game to be more focused on story than rules - I don't want a player saying "my character has Mind 2 and Corrispondance 2" I'd rather they said "I can tell what people are thinking, how best to approach and communicate with them, and I'm really good at finding what I want to find." We'll be playing online: Play by post, Play by e-mail, Play by IRC and Play by IM will all be possible - I am not going to require that people work as a group if they do not want to.

 

[alsih2o]

i have printed sevral links via my "history in your game" threads on mondays

 

[hong]

Re: HELP! Japanese Setting - customs and traditions

I'm looking for some help. I'm starting a game of Mage (well, modified Mage) that I'll be setting on an island in the Sea of Japan. I'm looking for some help on actually creating the culture and traditions, based on Japanese culture.

The characters are going to be students, aged 13-15 who attend a Jr High or High School in the main city on the island. I'm asking players to create a fairly detailed character history and personality but no character sheet - their characters have no clue about magic.

Well, that rules out Magic High School, so it looks like the only alternative is Ninja High School!

 

[alsih2o]

Re: Re: HELP! Japanese Setting - customs and traditions

Well, that rules out Magic High School, so it looks like the only alternative is Ninja High School!

hong shows his cultural insensitivity by not even mentioning pirate high school

 

[hong]

Re: Re: Re: HELP! Japanese Setting - customs and traditions

hong shows his cultural insensitivity by not even mentioning pirate high school

D00d, pirates aren't Japanese. Everyone knows pirates come from Hong Kong and Taiwan.


Hong "and isn't Kazaa Dutch?" Ooi

 

[alsih2o]

Re: Re: Re: Re: HELP! Japanese Setting - customs and traditions

D00d, pirates aren't Japanese. Everyone knows pirates come from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

again with the asia-centrism, you are completely ignoring the contributions made to piracy, magic and ninja-dom by my small tobbacco farming, coal mining hometown and i think you are doing it just to make me mad!

 

[Alzrius]

Re: HELP! Japanese Setting - customs and traditions

I'm looking for some help on actually creating the culture and traditions, based on Japanese culture.

The characters are going to be students, aged 13-15 who attend a Jr High or High School in the main city on the island.

Most things that drive home culture in a game are, IMHO, the little things. Mention things like the school uniforms, how teachers, not students, change classrooms every hour, high school entrance exams, etc. and that should be enough.

I'd offer more specific help, but just saying "Japanese culture, and my players are junior high students" is pretty broad.

 

[thatdarncat]

Re: Re: HELP! Japanese Setting - customs and traditions

Well, that rules out Magic High School, so it looks like the only alternative is Ninja High School!

Nah, just means they don't see the Magic High School coming

oooo Ninja Magic High School...

 

[thatdarncat]

Re: Re: HELP! Japanese Setting - customs and traditions

I'd offer more specific help, but just saying "Japanese culture, and my players are junior high students" is pretty broad.

I'd forgotten about the high school enterence exams ^_^;; So you've already been a help, thanks!

I guess to start maybe some festivals, extra curricular activities, that kind of thing would be a help.

What time does school start and end? do they just have a lunch break, or do they get morning and afternoon breaks as well? How much time is there between classes?

How much choice do you have over what subjects you take? In Jr High? High School?

 

[thullgrim]

do they go to school year round with various small breaks or do they have a long summer vacation?