David's thread for working things out

[dmkdesigns]

FORSAKEN

Is there truth in what they speak,
  "Once in exile, always an exile?"

Going home is never without challenge
Especially when promises have been broken.
It's up to you to decide, singularly, or in fellowship
How to tend to all that remains, departed
According to the thorny nature of these things
Treacherously done, or nobly intended
According to plan, fortune, and fate. However,
None can escape the darkling burden
Of losing everything beneath the firmament
Over time, as trust, love, honor, and beauty
May come crashing down--gilded dreams to ruin--
When going home forces exiles like us to recall
That which each has surrendered
And the costs to make it right.

[dmkdesigns]

FORSAKEN

Is there truth in what they speak,
  "Once in exile, always an exile?"

Going home is never without challenge
Especially when promises have been broken.
It's up to you to decide, singularly, or in fellowship
How to tend to all that remains, departed
According to the thorny nature of these things
Treacherously done, or nobly intended
According to plan, fortune, and fate. However,
None can escape the darkling burden
Of losing everything beneath the firmament
Over time, as trust, love, honor, and beauty
May come crashing down--gilded dreams to ruin--
When going home forces exiles like us to recall
That which each has surrendered
And the costs to make it right.

Hello!

My name is David Miessler-Kubanek and this is my first Game Chef attempt.
I thought it might be fun to summarize my game entry in a very loose sonnet form.

Here are some notes unpacking my ideas a bit. I look forward to discussing this more with everyone here.


I'm interested in developing a game about Exiles--characters who had to leave "home" for one reason or another, breaking promises made there, and then are returning to deal with the fallout because of a compelling need to do so.

This could be to an entitlement, such as a crown or a love interest, or revenge and/or redemption (perhaps the Exile was imprisoned like the Count of Monte Cristo, bespelled by fairies, or assumed dead like Odysseus), etc. depending on the setup.

The "home" is that shared iconic dramatic space for the game, much like in a play. It could be a castle, a neighborhood, a tavern or headquarters or something more particular or vague, but regardless, a place of value to the Exiles.

The challenge of going home to deal with the forced forsworn life (by choice or otherwise) left behind is the main thrust of the game. Deciding what the broken promise or promises would be part of the setup. The cost of repairing or remaking things is developed throughout the game as things change with actions initiated by the Exiles and influenced by other Exiles or by the other people in the game group.

As for singularly, or in fellowship, this game could be between two people, a Player and a GM (perhaps "GMless", but I haven't gotten that far yet). As a group the promises broken or events leading to becoming Exiles could be interesting with everyone returning separately or at once to take care of the remains.

I see Nature as the main stat with a continuum range so that for example there are two ends of the spectrum: Treachery and Nobly. You may automatically succeed with an action performed with Treachery, moving you one place to the left, but others at the table get to decide how that complicates things. If you act Nobly then you have to roll dice, draw from a deck, or pull from a Jenga tower, though if you succeed you have greater authorship over the outcome and the marker moves one place to the right. Perhaps there is a kind of currency in the game as well to help grease the wheels?

This is part of the plan, fortune, and fate section between doing something you know will succeed, which may only help you long term, attempting something which might help you, and meta-gaming things.

The thought of losing everything is if your Exile fails to achieve their goals set out at the beginning of the game before they go "home."

Trust, love, honor, and beauty are just a few possible themed goals that would fit in this game and are Shakespearean as well.

The crashing down part is again the failure and may be a reference to actual game play, especially if a Jenga tower is involved, but more broadly as avoiding the doom of trying to change what has changed.

That which each has surrendered / And the costs to make it right again emphasizes what was lost and what might bring the Exiles together to deal with their forsaken world.

-David-

[dmkdesigns]

I've posted my information at the official Game Chef site.

Here is a copy.

Chef(s): David Miessler-Kubanek / dmkdesigns.
Title: Forsaken.
Link: http://dmkcreative.com/images/forsaken%202011%20half%20final.pdf.
Elevator Pitch: Forsaken is a game about Exiles who seek reconciliation for broken promises in order to change their legacy at home.
Word Count: 2,916.
Eligibility: Yes.

-David-