Submitted by Rich Stokes on Tue, 23/01/2007 - 15:14.
Hey everyone,
Just a quick note to say that the first round of voting is in and Umläut has made it into the top 4 and on to the second round of voting!
Needless to say, I am very happy indeed! Especially so given the stiff competition and the general quality of entries to this contest.
Submitted by JoE PrincE on Mon, 08/01/2007 - 11:44.
The setting design challenge has been good to me, even though I didn't get anywhere with my own entry.
Contenders has been blessed with not one but two new settings: Revolutonaries and Umlaut. Hopefully this will help more people get the game as the boxing flavour tends to put off some role-players (until they actually play anyway).
Revolutionaries, penned by th CE's own Malcolm Craig is a very rich, evocative and detailed setting. There's plenty about it on these forums so go and read up! Ghastport, where the action happens is a fascinating demon engineered Weimar Germany. There's so much story potential and so many different ways to take your Revolutionary. Is the country destined for another great war? The mechanical tweaks make a lot of sense and build in a character's devotion to his party.
Submitted by Malcolm Craig on Sat, 30/12/2006 - 12:44.
So, the setting design challenge is now finished. It's far from perfect. hell, I wouldn't even call it an alpha-version of a game setting. However, it does achieve what I set out to do: create a world where revolutions and political action could take place. I'm quite sure that Joe will reel back in horror at what I've done with Contenders and I'm fairly certain that the modifications to the mechanics will actually need some playtesting in order to get them actually working properly.
All the above being said, there is some good stuff in there (well, in my opinion anyway). Maybe not enough to warrant taking the game and its ideas any further, but certainly enough to warrant the time spent on it.
Submitted by Malcolm Craig on Sat, 23/12/2006 - 13:24.
Well, my entry for the setting design challenge is nearly done. So, here's another excerpt from the text, looking at various aspects of the society and culture of Ghastport.
Cheers
Malcolm
Policing, Crime and Punishment
The stricture of the post-war peace treaty mean that Ghastport is severely limited in the military forces it can have. This even extends to the police force, leading to some interesting situations…
When the monarchy was in power, they kept tabs on their enemies and political agitators through the 1st Bureau of Public Affairs, a not so secret secret police agency of some repute and few morals. With an ease that amazed observers, the 1st Bureau neatly segued into the post-war set-up, becoming the Committee for Social Order, or simply The Committee. An entirely plain-clothes operation, the Committee keeps a wary eye on revolutionaries and agitators of all stripes, reporting back to their masters in the government.
Submitted by Rich Stokes on Mon, 18/12/2006 - 13:00.
I wasn't going to enter this contest, but since I had a neat idea for a setting and since Joe seems to like the idea of this, I'm working on a setting for Contenders.
Umläut: Contenders for the Throne of Steel
Vicious Demons.
Mighty Axes
Flaming Skulls.
These things adorn the covers of hundreds of Heavy Metal albums every year.
Heavy Metal. The very name itself drips with power, testosterone and hair spray. Warriors on the stage of history, wielding their axes and mics they do battle for glory! Trusts are forged and betrayed, mighty empires rise and fall, the only truth worth living for is Metal.
Submitted by Malcolm Craig on Sun, 10/12/2006 - 13:44.
So, work progresses on my entry for the Transatlantic Setting Design Challenge. I decided ona bit of a name change. UnRealpolitik was crap, so in keeping with using the Contenders mechanics to run a political game, I've simply entitled it 'Revolutionaries'.
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