Topic: Other Projects?
Started by: Mike Holmes
Started on: 8/25/2005
Board: Black and Green Games
On 8/25/2005 at 7:01pm, Mike Holmes wrote:
Other Projects?
You've already mentioned plans for at least one other game. Any hints as to what we can expect out of your new venture, Em?
Mike
On 8/26/2005 at 12:06am, Emily Care wrote:
Re: Other Projects?
Hi Mike!
Nice to actually meet you at GenCon, Mike. Glad we did get to play a game together after all, thanks to Joshua & his great demo of Under the Bed.
Mike Holmes wrote: Any hints as to what we can expect out of your new venture, Em?
Well, it's all just hints right now, to you and me both. I have a laundry list of projects & right now I'm turning them over in my head to see which has the most real bite in it. From the amount of games cropping up in Indie-Games and those talked about at the Con, I'm thinking we are all in for a fresh crop of ideas, so what comes from me will surely be influenced by our collective mulling. The ones I'm musing on right now:
Shooting the Moon Two characters vie for the love of a third, the Beloved. Think Philadelphia Story, Keeping the Faith or Fairy Tale trials of love. With strong co-authorship of characters, and emphasis on well-supported creation of adversity. Second in the "3 Quick Games about the Human Heart" cycle. I actually have the art already lined up to be drawn by the incomparable Jenn Manley Lee creator of Dicebox, which is an incentive in its own right to finish the game.
city of the moon Powerful and creative women in the Imperial court of classical Japan struggling to reach their destiny--social triumph, or heart's desire--and the tradeoffs made for each upon the way. This was my entry to the latest Iron Game Chef tournament, but I'm thinking that the mechanics need to be more cooperative, rather than competitive between the players. Perhaps taking a leaf from Vincent's concept of "underwriting" characters that he talks about in his Ars Magica knockoff (soon to be renamed, I hear). It was such fun finding gorgeous color illustrations for this game, that I'm toying with having it be primarily intended for pdf format (though there would also be an elegant & beautiful monochromatic print version) since that liberates me financially & gives folks the ability to make a copy for themselves if they so wish. Bill Mudron, creator of Pan is on my wish list to do art for this game.
Others still on the back burner are Under my Skin third and most challenging of the 3QH games, slave revolt in Rise Up and mad-lib world creation meets human-alien first contact in Sign in Stranger (which idea came from IGC Simulationist from oh so long ago, thanks again, Mike!).
But, right now, chances are good that the word "moon" will be involved in whatever comes next! : )
best,
Emily
On 8/26/2005 at 2:55am, Ron Edwards wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
I'd sure like to see the Geisha game developed. During GenCon, in our discussions, I failed to shoehorn in my intense relationship to The Pillow Book and Barry's Gifford's incredible homage to it, Still Life with Traveler. Which you simply must read.
No, I was too busy being a big weepy pussy about the Berlin Wall. Next time! Japan, court women, art, Shonagon, and Gifford.
Best,
Ron
P.S. Oops, forgot this wasn't my forum. Let me know about boundary-crossing and all that.
On 8/26/2005 at 5:18am, Ben Lehman wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Can I just say I really want Under My Skin?
yrs--
--Ben
On 8/26/2005 at 8:12am, Gregor Hutton wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Sounds good. I quite liked the competitive element of City of the Moon, maybe I'm asking for an impossible ideal in having cooperative competition?! Could it be done?
On 8/26/2005 at 1:17pm, Ron Edwards wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Hi there,
Gregor, you might be interested in my essays "The Provisional Glossary" and "Gamism: Step On Up," in the Articles section (top of page). I make a lot of points about how effective and enjoyable competition is a form of cooperation. Or more briefly, there are thousands of words up there that boil down to answering your question with Yes.
Best,
Ron
On 8/26/2005 at 6:01pm, Emily Care wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Aha! I think I've found me a playtester! Thanks, Gregor. I'll send you a draft when time comes. : ) I think I'll have to see what works & how for city of the moon. I'm open to whatever is actually the most fun: fully cooperative, fully competitive, some wierd mix, dunno.
Time to go re-read the essays.... Advice is welcome on the topic too. Or, actually, I'll start a new thread for that next week.
best,
Em
Also, I got my first citation for "designing over the 1 moon limit", ratzenfratzen... Watch out all you other designers--only one celestial orb at a time!
And, Ben, do you still have dibs on the title "Under my Skin"? Infractions everywhere!
On 8/26/2005 at 8:43pm, Andrew Morris wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Whatever you come up with, Emily, I
On 8/26/2005 at 8:45pm, Andrew Morris wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
[Damn "no editing" policy. Grrr...]
....I'm looking forward to playing it.
On 8/26/2005 at 9:46pm, Gregor Hutton wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Emily: No problem, I'll easily be able to get some open-minded and challenging participants from the University roleplaying club, and Steve. So, yeah, count me in.
Ron: thanks for the heads-up, I'll get reading. Much appreciated.
On 8/27/2005 at 6:37pm, Andrew Norris wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Hi Emily,
I've got people chomping at the bit for Philadelphia Story-like gaming. We'd be happy to help playtest.
On 8/28/2005 at 5:23am, Emily Care wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Awesome. Thank you, Andrew, Gregor, Andrew. Okay, this is me--heading to the drawing board. More details to follow...
On 8/28/2005 at 7:51am, Shreyas Sampat wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
I'm waiting hopefully for more City of the Moon material. I found the Iron Game Chef pdf a little tough to digest; it was very concise!
On 8/29/2005 at 1:26am, Allan wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Count me in for playtesting Shooting the Moon. I'm interested in using Breaking the Ice as a two-player minigame within a larger Sweet Dreams group session. The only thing missing is the potential for a third character to complicate the romance and win over the beloved. Then a series of interlocking love triangles can connect a large cast of characters, as in Midsummer Night's Dream.
I'm also really interested in hearing more about Sign In Stranger. These are some of the same themes of Fingerprints, the setting I've been sitting on that Breaking the Ice shows me it's possible to do. Like you were saying, I expect a lot my next design ideas to be influenced by the collective pool. But I will take that to it's own thread.
Definately looking forward to more things Black and Green.
On 8/29/2005 at 1:54am, Brand_Robins wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
I have some friends that are starting up a game of city of the moon in the next week or two. I'm trying to get them to sign up here so they can talk about it, so more news should be a comin.
On 8/29/2005 at 1:37pm, Emily Care wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Hi Brand,
Great! I'll be curious to hear how that goes. I apparently I left out part of the resolution process, so I'll be sure to take a look at it in the next couple of days & post some revisions here.
Are the folks who will play classical Japan buffs?
best,
Em
On 8/29/2005 at 1:40pm, Emily Care wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Hi Brand,
Great! I'll be curious to hear how that goes. I apparently I left out part of the resolution process, so I'll be sure to take a look at it in the next couple of days & post some revisions here.
Are the folks who will play classical Japan buffs?
best,
Em
On 8/29/2005 at 3:43pm, Brand_Robins wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Emily wrote: Are the folks who will play classical Japan buffs?
To varrying degrees, yes. One of them is working on a degree in East Asian stuides, and another one is a big geisha fan (though I have been told that it isn't a geisha game, as the geisha proper didn't appear until a later period), and the third I only know from parties.
The one getting the degree in the field is a little hesitant to talk about the game here because she's worried about telling you that things are historically wrong when she knows that isn't the point neccisarily, but if I can't get her to post, I'll at least pass things along.
P.S. I talked about this in <a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/brand_of_amber/72720.html">my livejournal.
On 8/29/2005 at 4:12pm, Emily Care wrote:
RE: Re: Other Projects?
Brand_Robins wrote:Emily wrote: Are the folks who will play classical Japan buffs?
To varrying degrees, yes. One of them is working on a degree in East Asian stuides, and another one is a big geisha fan (though I have been told that it isn't a geisha game, as the geisha proper didn't appear until a later period), and the third I only know from parties.
Yay! Not geishas! Yes, indeed. That would be a very different period, one I'm much less familiar with, and one which would have very different issues, I believe.
The one getting the degree in the field is a little hesitant to talk about the game here because she's worried about telling you that things are historically wrong when she knows that isn't the point neccisarily, but if I can't get her to post, I'll at least pass things along.
I'm sure that there are many inconsistencies. I tried to minimize the ones that I introduced knowingly: ie dance & calligraphy as arts, the form of the drinking party games--those I didn't research, just made up ones whole cloth inspired by the practice that seemed doable for modern gamers, and, of course, the very idea about seeking to create a masterwork, or to perfect your craft. Though there was much competition amongst the literati for social acclaim over a turn of a phrase or a collected work, I don't know that the women who were doing these things were doing it in the "artiste" mindset that is evoked by the game. The influence of women at court is something I need more info on as well. I'd be very interested to hear your friend's perspective, and would hope she would understand where I veer away from reality for the needs of the game. But, as I said, I'd like it to be based on informed choices if possible.
Now to go check out your blog. Cool!
best,
Em