Comments on: The Concept Hurdle http://bankuei.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/the-concept-hurdle/ From geekdom to freedom Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:30:34 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: bankuei http://bankuei.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/the-concept-hurdle/#comment-151 bankuei Mon, 19 May 2008 17:17:38 +0000 http://bankuei.wordpress.com/?p=256#comment-151 Hey Daniel, Do is totally high concept. There's no genre thing you can simply relate to for folks to get it. High concept doesn't mean it -has- to have tons of concept to digest, though that's usually been the fallback when the system does nothing to support the experience and it all has to be propped up by the group making it work. Again, look at the list of games I just gave Nicholas- short concepts, but still crucial to play. Hey Daniel,

Do is totally high concept. There’s no genre thing you can simply relate to for folks to get it.

High concept doesn’t mean it -has- to have tons of concept to digest, though that’s usually been the fallback when the system does nothing to support the experience and it all has to be propped up by the group making it work.

Again, look at the list of games I just gave Nicholas- short concepts, but still crucial to play.

]]> By: Daniel Solis http://bankuei.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/the-concept-hurdle/#comment-150 Daniel Solis Mon, 19 May 2008 11:54:24 +0000 http://bankuei.wordpress.com/?p=256#comment-150 Not to be the self-absorbed dude who only comments on other people's blogs where it pertains to his current projects, but... I wonder where Do falls into these categories? In stating the full premise of the setting out loud to a group of people in real life, I realized it's a mouthful. Still, it's a short read, only two pages or so. But then there's the fact that each episode could technically be in a different genre, depending on which letter you're choosing. Not to be the self-absorbed dude who only comments on other people’s blogs where it pertains to his current projects, but…

I wonder where Do falls into these categories? In stating the full premise of the setting out loud to a group of people in real life, I realized it’s a mouthful. Still, it’s a short read, only two pages or so.

But then there’s the fact that each episode could technically be in a different genre, depending on which letter you’re choosing.

]]> By: bankuei http://bankuei.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/the-concept-hurdle/#comment-149 bankuei Mon, 19 May 2008 04:12:12 +0000 http://bankuei.wordpress.com/?p=256#comment-149 You might want to look at Polaris, Dogs in the Vineyard, Bliss Stage, Galactic, Lacuna or Dread as some easier to digest High Concept games. The difference between those and the standard game is that while they do have elements you really do need to digest to fully engage the game, it's usually a lot less in terms of actual reading, and leaves a lot of room for player input. I think finding the maximum really depends on what kind of game you're making. I mean, all this I wrote about? Came about as I've been thinking about what kind of game The Emperor's Heart is- it's a High Concept game with lots of room for input. If I left it as just wuxia, it'd be a Genre game, and probably would appeal to a larger audience (though, if I wanted even a larger gamer market, I'd have to add lists of special fu powers as well). You might want to look at Polaris, Dogs in the Vineyard, Bliss Stage, Galactic, Lacuna or Dread as some easier to digest High Concept games. The difference between those and the standard game is that while they do have elements you really do need to digest to fully engage the game, it’s usually a lot less in terms of actual reading, and leaves a lot of room for player input.

I think finding the maximum really depends on what kind of game you’re making. I mean, all this I wrote about? Came about as I’ve been thinking about what kind of game The Emperor’s Heart is- it’s a High Concept game with lots of room for input. If I left it as just wuxia, it’d be a Genre game, and probably would appeal to a larger audience (though, if I wanted even a larger gamer market, I’d have to add lists of special fu powers as well).

]]> By: Nicholas Novitski http://bankuei.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/the-concept-hurdle/#comment-148 Nicholas Novitski Mon, 19 May 2008 02:40:08 +0000 http://bankuei.wordpress.com/?p=256#comment-148 This division is one of those perfectly sensible ideas I never clearly laid out for myself. Thank you for providing me with language to talk about a property of different games that is very important to me. I suppose what I'm looking for is a High Concept game with a very short list of guidelines. "The world is kinda like this, this sort of thing is cool, the game's goal is for these sorts of things to happen, here's some stuff common in other games that wasn't part of my vision, and here's a way of taking inspiration from things in your life or your favorite fiction and converting it into this world!" Maybe that's more of a "Genre" game, except the conventions are at least semi-original (Exalted is it's own thing, even though it's roots are visible and obvious) and explicitly stated. Or maybe it's a fifth kind? I just wanted to point out that some people feel that making up your own stuff is the investment, and that reading someone else's ideas and choosing between them is the easy part. There's some point along the scale of how-much-material-we-give-the-players where inspiration is maximized for the maximum number of the target audience, but I have no idea how to find it. This division is one of those perfectly sensible ideas I never clearly laid out for myself. Thank you for providing me with language to talk about a property of different games that is very important to me. I suppose what I’m looking for is a High Concept game with a very short list of guidelines. “The world is kinda like this, this sort of thing is cool, the game’s goal is for these sorts of things to happen, here’s some stuff common in other games that wasn’t part of my vision, and here’s a way of taking inspiration from things in your life or your favorite fiction and converting it into this world!”

Maybe that’s more of a “Genre” game, except the conventions are at least semi-original (Exalted is it’s own thing, even though it’s roots are visible and obvious) and explicitly stated. Or maybe it’s a fifth kind?

I just wanted to point out that some people feel that making up your own stuff is the investment, and that reading someone else’s ideas and choosing between them is the easy part. There’s some point along the scale of how-much-material-we-give-the-players where inspiration is maximized for the maximum number of the target audience, but I have no idea how to find it.

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