The Great Conjunction (RPG DESIGN CONTEST)

[feuer_faust]

I'm still mulling over the possibilities. In all likeliness the thing may end up being committed to word processor on February 27th...

 

[Nellisir]

I'll tentatively throw my hat into the ring. I go back to school Jan 19th, so free time may evaporate after that point...or it may not. I don't have a setting or anything yet, but at least now I'll be subscribed to this thread.

 

[Halivar]

Here's my tentative Table of Contents. Peruse, and salivate! (or groan, as the case may be)

[sblock]

1. Introduction to Magus
   1. The dice-pool mechanic
2. The Game World
   1. The Landsreich of Aquillon
      1. Politics of the Landsreich
         1. The Imperial Seat
         2. The Council of Great Houses
         3. The Holy Church of the Light
      2. Magic in the Landsreich
      3. Economy of the Landsreich
3. Making a Character
   1. Skirmish Stats
      1. Build
      2. Agility
      3. Cunning
      4. Charisma
      5. Skirmish Role
         1. Swordmaster
         2. Jaegermaster
         3. Rogue
   2. Fiefdom Stats
      1. Holdings
      2. Production
      3. Vassalage
      4. Military
      5. Office
         1. Great Lord
         2. Bishop
         3. Guildmaster
         4. General
   3. Mana Pools
      1. Inferno
      2. Tempest
      3. Adamant
      4. Vitality
   4. Leadership Traits
4. Skirmish Rules
   1. Playing with Miniatures
   2. Playing without Miniatures
5. Grand Army Combat
   1. Playing with Miniatures
   2. Playing without Miniatures
6. Managing a Fiefdom
   1. Raising levies
   2. Acquiring New Vassals
7. Magic
   1. Managing Mana Pools
   2. Spell List
8. Running the game
   1. Facilitating Cooperative Play
   2. Facilitating Competitive Play
9. Enemies & Allies
   1. Skirmish and Dungeon Enemies
   2. Example NPC Fiefdoms
   3. Notable World NPC's
10. Example Campaign: Cleansing of the Vale

[/sblock]

 

[Jack7]

I had a paper to finish but that's over now.

So I've started in on the Modular Design system I'm going to employ with this game.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

Here is me formally bowing out.
I haven't come up with anything at all.

My apologies

 

[feuer_faust]

Here is me formally bowing out.
I haven't come up with anything at all.

My apologies

Still a month and a half to cook something up.

 

[fuindordm]

Here's my tentative Table of Contents. Peruse, and salivate! (or groan, as the case may be)

Looks really intriguing, Halivar! How about a title and summary paragraph for me to add to the roster?

I like the idea of bringing in dominions at the very start of the campaign, rather than near the end as D&D does it.

Ben

 

[Wik]

Here is me formally bowing out.
I haven't come up with anything at all.

My apologies

Ah, don't be intimidated! We're only 25% of the way through things.. I mean, I only have about ten pages of actual work finished!

If you don't have any big ideas, simply start with "If I were re-making D&D, this is what I'd do...". And keep adding on ideas that you get. Pretty soon, you'll have a game figured out. As for mechanics, just take ideas from a few different sources, try to blend them so that it all makes sense, and go from there.

Of course, if you don't feel confident about it, then maybe it's better to bow out now. Still, though, it sucks to see you go. I'm sure you can put together something good.

 

[EP]

Just how much leniency will there be in the scoring for these? I'm on page 26 and there's still the actual magic itself to cover, but I have a lot of material that could be expanded but will stretch my copy beyond 50 pages.

For example, my submission uses biomechanical suits to harness the surrounding radiation and process it to creating spells. The suits are mentioned and established, but I may not have enough room to get into the schematics of the suit and provide some sample suits. Is it enough just to mention the suits or will it cost me?

It's basically the typical submission problem: too many words, not enough space.

 

[Jack7]

Just how much leniency will there be in the scoring for these? I'm on page 26 and there's still the actual magic itself to cover, but I have a lot of material that could be expanded but will stretch my copy beyond 50 pages.

For example, my submission uses biomechanical suits to harness the surrounding radiation and process it to creating spells. The suits are mentioned and established, but I may not have enough room to get into the schematics of the suit and provide some sample suits. Is it enough just to mention the suits or will it cost me?

It's basically the typical submission problem: too many words, not enough space.

It's not my contest EP, so I'm not establishing any rules of engagement. But I can give you a piece of advice regarding writing. Recently I wrote a paper for the Naval Postgraduate School detailing an idea about intelligence networks. I had only five pages, single spaced, 12 point type to encapsulate my ideas.

The paper was based upon a much longer and more formal theory paper on the same subject matter (but with a different emphasis, the emphasis of this paper was on giving suggestions to the next administration on Homeland Security matters through the CHDS, the emphasis of the original paper was on the general development of small-scale, functional private intelligence networks) but this paper required wholesale editing of my original ideas.

The point being that I could not submit my original paper, I had to change the emphasis, and had very limited space for presentation. Therefore I severely excised and redacted my theory paper, extracted the relevant and necessary parts, collated the information needed, and therefore arranged a paper which fit the requirements of the assignment. My original theory paper remains available for public publication in another format, and with a different emphasis, when I wish to do so (it is in private circulation now).

My advice, as a writer, is to meet the necessary parameters and rules of the contest, but write what you want. Develop the body of your work as you wish and then pare and edit as necessary to meet actual guidelines and restrictions, if you want to enter the contest as it is described. You will always have your more well developed opus for publication elsewhere with another party at another time.

Or you could do as I am doing. I will not be competing in the contest directly. That is my work will be available for voluntary review but I will not compete because I intend to exceed restrictions and more importantly because I intend to seek publication of my work later on, and many of the ideas I present will be proprietary and I wish to secure them.

So if you're using the contest as stimulus to develop a significant and involved work I'd suggest it doesn't much matter, but you can't expect to exceed guidelines and win the contest. You will be disqualified for exceeding guidelines.

If however you do want to compete and win the contest then the best thing is to develop the work you really want to write, then edit that down to produce a sub-work or smaller version of your real project that will meet guidelines. You'll always have your larger and more involved work to do with as you wish at another time.