24 Hour Game

[philreed]

For years I've considered creating a 24 hour comic.

http://www.scottmccloud.com/inventions/24hr/dare/dare.html

But maybe it would be more fun to create a 24 hour RPG. A 24 page RPG completed in 24 hours. Any others out there think this would be fun? Maybe we could stage a weekend when several of us do this at once and then share the results at the end of the weekend.

[Jonathan Walton]

Actually, I've thought about that for a while now.  The problem is that RPGs don't have a set number of pages or concepts to work out.  Part of the fun of the 24 Hour Comic is that you do one page every hour.

Maybe we could simulate that if the project had to include artwork and layout too.  You'd write a page, sketch some pictures, and do the layout for it all in a single hour.  Then, you'd move on to the next page.  At the end of it all, you'd have a 24-page PDF.

I'd be up for something like that.

[philreed]

AMaybe we could simulate that if the project had to include artwork and layout too.  You'd write a page, sketch some pictures, and do the layout for it all in a single hour.  Then, you'd move on to the next page.  At the end of it all, you'd have a 24-page PDF.

I'd be up for something like that.

I should have been clearer. At the end of 24 hours we would each have a PDF that is a completed 24 page game (maybe 25 if we include a cover). Then trade PDFs with everyone involved.

This would be fun.

[Ron Edwards]

H'm,

I like the idea that format is irrelevant. In fact, I was under the impression that a 24-hour comic was not constrained to creating one page per hour; it's a retroactive rate issue, not a 1 page:1 hour issue as you go.

I also don't think any length limit would be appropriate. If the creator calls it a "complete" game, well, then that's one of the interesting individual variables that will be revealed by having lots of these.

H'mmm ... it might also be interesting to leave the kind of RPG completely open, to distinguish this project from Mike's twice-yearly Iron Chef exercise.

I don't have the 24 hours to spare ... but if I did, I would be on this instantly. Phil, you're nominated - define the project a little further, and initiate it whenever you'd like.

Best,
Ron

[philreed]

Here's a first shot at something:

Inspired by Scott McCloud's "24 Hour Comic," the 24 hour game is an exercise in forced creativity. Can you create, in a 24 hour period, a complete roleplaying game including all system design, writing, artwork, production, and conversion to PDF? This exercise allows you to test the limits of your own abilities.

The Rules:

No pre-planning. You may not work on the RPG before your 24 hour period starts. This means no pre-creation of a system, no preparing vignettes or setting text, no artwork . . . nothing! It is understood that your 24 hour game may use elements of previous ideas, dreams, or game systems but you agree that all work on the game is to be done in a single 24 hour block of time.

No Limit on Size. My original idea was that the 24 hour game would be a 24 page RPG. Ron Edwards suggested that there be no size minimum or maximum and after some thought I agree with him. What do you feel is a complete RPG? This exercise will show the world what your concept of complete is.

You Must Do All Of the Work Yourself. This means no friends assisting you with editing or artwork. Do it yourself. Show us what you can do. Clip-art is, of course, legal.

All Participants Trade PDFs at the end of the project. When the chosen weekend is over all participants will exchange PDFs. This is your chance to see how your work measures up against that of others operating under the same duress as yourself. This may very well be the most important part of the exercise since you're very likely to learn some new ways of doing things just by looking at the accomplishments of others.

What Happens If I Don't Finish?

There's a very good chance that many of the participants will not complete a game within 24 hours. These unfinished projects should still be shared with the group and, if your head isn't in too much pain, you should consider completing the RPG as you have time,

Who Will Participate

Anyone who wants to. Post here if you want to be a part of this experiment.

When Will This Happen?

This is open to discussion. I feel a weekend would work best but what weekend exactly?



Inspirational Link: http://www.scottmccloud.com/inventions/24hr/dare/dare.html

[Jonathan Walton]

In fact, I was under the impression that a 24-hour comic was not constrained to creating one page per hour; it's a retroactive rate issue, not a 1 page:1 hour issue as you go.

Yeah, and I think Phil implied that in his response to me.  24 pages in 24 hours.  It doesn't matter when you do individual pages.

I also don't think any length limit would be appropriate.

Well, I think it would be okay to do MORE than 24 pages, but doing less seems to violate the whole idea.  I could whip up a complete game in 6-8 hours, complete with artwork and layout, but it would probably only be 6-8 pages long.  The real fun of a 24-hour project is that it should be a squeeze to complete it all in 24 hours.

Anyway, I'll be interested in any guidelines that Phil manages to write up.  

It'd be neat too if, like Iron Chef, the participants could post results and bits of the game on a Forum thread as the contest takes place.  However, that might be too much to ask, since everyone would be focused on creating their game and not writing on the forums.

EDIT: Cross-posted with Phil.  I still believe that setting a minimum number of pages might be important.

[bluegargantua]

All Participants Trade PDFs at the end of the project. When the chosen weekend is over all participants will exchange PDFs. This is your chance to see how your work measures up against that of others operating under the same duress as yourself. This may very well be the most important part of the exercise since you’re very likely to learn some new ways of doing things just by looking at the accomplishments of others.

I'm interested in this concept.  However, this also brings up a new question:

I can't create PDF's!  What do I do?

My proposed solution:  HTML is also an acceptable format.

I suppose that if it *must* be a PDF, I'll just play the shadow game and compete during the same period of time and just put up my "unsactioned" results for perusal.

later
Tom

[Simon W]

can it be based on a book or tv/movie etc or does it have to be pure invention?


Bluegargatua wrote

I can't create PDF's! What do I do?

There are free pdf makers out there blue. Try here

http://www.pdf995.com/

Gideon

[philreed]

I think it should be an original creation. Being inspired by other things is cool and all but I think you'll be happier in the end if you don't write "The Simpsons RPG."

And I think creating HTML files for a game would be cool. But it's worth looking into the free PDF creators. Or maybe we should revise things to make it legal for a participant to have his work converted to PDF by someone else.

Maybe this should be an exercise in working with others and artwork by others is allowed. But only if you acquire that artwork during the 24 hour period. Ideas?

[anonymouse]

I vote for "no outside help at all". If converting to .PDF is unavailable, we just need to determine what other filetype(s) will be acceptable; .DOC could work as a substitute, I think.

[Thomas Tamblyn]

I agree on the no-help thing for what its worth.

Sure, some people can't draw worth spit, but importantly, time spent doing art is time spent not brainstorming and time spent not writing the game.  Art for these won't be eyecandy, its putting work into creating a feel for the game and that can be done just as easily through writing or layout.

My big reservation about this project is, a game about WHAT?

its all very well to say make an rpg in 24 hours but surely there needs to be some starting point or (I for one) will spend that 24 hours just deciding WHAT rpg I'll write.

Howabout all aentrants have to submit a game idea - that necessitates some thinking ahead of time, but everyone gets the same advantage.  Oh - and if halfway through you realise that its going nowhere but your mechanics are perfect for idea Y then you finish Y and submit it- Thats cool too.  Or at leask I reckon it should be.

[philreed]

Determining in advance what your game will be about kills a lot of the challenge. Creativity under pressure can often result in something you would have never done if you were given time to sit and think.

And if your idea of a complete RPG means no artwork then that's fine. As I mentioned, the end result of this project will show others what you consider a complete RPG.

[anonymouse]

Let's decide on a time, then. It's rather hard to say, "We're going to have a little event (not really a contest, I imagine) to write RPGs based on a time constraint," and then expect everyone to not think about what they want to do. ;)

So:

I'd say start at 9:00 AM local time, on Saturday. End twenty-four hours later. We need to have some central repository for the .pdf and .doc files, I imagine; is the Forge up for that? Or should someone create some quick web-space on Geocities or such?

[Jonathan Walton]

Can't people just post links to their finished PDF on this thread?  Surely each of us can find some webspace to put it in.  I'll volunteer to host anyone that can't find anything.  That way we can go check everyone else's out and the forum will log what time they're posted.  

And if we're going to vary by time zone, why do we all have to start at 9?  I probably won't get up and rolling until pretty late on the weekends.  Say, start whenever you like, but projects are due by noon on Sunday.  That mean that Chris (Pale Fire), if he decides to participate, would get his in by midnight our time, since he's over in Taiwan.

[anonymouse]

The trick is to still limit it based on twenty-four hours of work time.

What about this, then?

When you begin work on your project, post to the thread. Then, within 24 hours, post the link to it (you're right in that we don't have to centralise distribution).

I guess at that point, we really don't even need a specific start-time. How about designating what's left of April as 24-Hour RPG Month? ;) Pick a 24 hour period, write your thing, post a link.