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Project Critical Collapse

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benshelmars
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Critical Collapse is in its development stages but nearing completion as a board game. My purpose for starting this topic is to acquire a team of self motivated and resourceful individuals. The original game was developed while I was in prison under the name "War & Economics", since I was incarcerated for a long time it went through vigorous testing, Critical Collapse is a modified version of what I originally developed.

A GAME OF CONSEQUENCES
"Sooner or later comes a crisis in our affairs, and how we meet it determines our future happiness and success. Since the beginning of time, every form of life has been called upon to meet such crisis." - Robert Collier
"Shall I tell you what I find beautiful about you? You are at your very best when things are worst." -Starman
What is Critical Collapse? Well first of all it is a game, but Critical Collapse is not a game for everyone, not because it is difficult or complex, which in many ways it is, and not because it is time consuming (a game session can last from a few hours to days), but because it attempts to teach social and environmental lessons we face in our world today and one that we face within ourselves everyday. For this reason Critical Collapse is not for everyone, but maybe it should be, because the lessons could change the world as we know it and ourselves in the process. Of course many players of Critical Collapse will have fun with the game, which it was designed to do also, lessons or no lessons learned. The lessons Critical Collapse attempts to teach are unique for each individual. Each individual may have similarities with their understanding, but they are personal, introspective and reflective. One thing for certain is that one experiences a change within themselves usually after the first gaming session.

The game engine TripleA is where I would eventually like to port it.
So in having said the following if you are someone who would like to be involved in any aspect of its creation, please join in.

Dralius
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You might do better

Ben

There are many talented game designers here that could help you with all aspects of the board game itself if that’s what is needed. Unfortunately most of us couldn’t code our way out of a paper sack.

You might do better finding help with getting your game ported to TrippleA at a video game design board.

Here is one I found with a quick yahoo search

http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums/

good luck.

benshelmars
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Porting

Thank you Dralius,
The port is for the future, I am new to forums and the like doing my work off-line with scraps of paper and the like. I would like to post my makeshift rules, art and whatnot but I really don't know the proper etiquette to use etc. Most of all I love working with teams because thats where the real magic happens.

GrimFinger
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benshelmars wrote:So in

benshelmars wrote:
So in having said the following if you are someone who would like to be involved in any aspect of its creation, please join in.

I'm in.

benshelmars
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I'm In!

Glad to have you GrimFinger,
I have a rough but unfinished pdf of the game I have been compiling the document in Scribus, do you know how I can make it available to all those caring to tear it apart?
And again thanks.

GrimFinger
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I had Scribus on my computer,

I had Scribus on my computer, once upon a time ago. But, I deleted it a while back. Perhaps you could save your work in PDF format. Try that.

benshelmars
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PDF

A rough PDF exists. I have that from Scribus, Where can I upload it?

GrimFinger
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benshelmars wrote:A rough PDF

benshelmars wrote:
A rough PDF exists. I have that from Scribus, Where can I upload it?

Try a free file host, such as http://www.mediafire.com/

benshelmars
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MediaFile

Thanks, checking it out now. When I have it uploaded I'll post the link.

Here it is, remember its a work in progress just a rough.

http://www.mediafire.com/?wwdcvtfchqi

Katherine
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Hi Ben, I'd like to have a

Hi Ben,

I'd like to have a look at Critical Collapse, it sounds interesting. I am a newbie to game design so know very little and may not be of any help.

benshelmars
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shazzaz

Welcome shazzaz, we are all new at something, but if you are like most living creatures, then you are not new to game design. Puppies and kittens do it all the time, and so have we.

Katherine
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Bah ... my connection is too

Bah ... my connection is too slow and it will be an hour before I can look see. I will check it out later.

GrimFinger
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benshelmars wrote:Thanks,

benshelmars wrote:
Thanks, checking it out now. When I have it uploaded I'll post the link.

Here it is, remember its a work in progress just a rough.

http://www.mediafire.com/?wwdcvtfchqi

I've downloaded the document, and have only briefly browsed over portions of it, at this point.

Clearly, you've put a lot of thought into it. It's a tad on the complicated side, which will limit your player base. I understand the reason for the generic continents, but I think that the attraction would probably be greater if you focused upon major real powers, instead (USA, European Union, NATO, Russia, PROC, etc.).

All in all, though, my first impression of the game is very positive.

benshelmars
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Major Powers

Originally I did, however the players results were nearly always biased towards a political slant, but you still may have a valid observation. We can create several models, fictitious and real world. I'll continue compiling the rules from my scraps and notes, and maybe create a real world board again.

thanks.

GrimFinger
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I haven't read through it

I haven't read through it all, yet. The core issue with generic nations, though, is that they tend to come across as having less flavor than either a real nation, or a fictional nation with a background story to establish the setting and context.

benshelmars
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Background story

GrimFinger wrote:
I haven't read through it all, yet. The core issue with generic nations, though, is that they tend to come across as having less flavor than either a real nation, or a fictional nation with a background story to establish the setting and context.

Admittedly a background story is a prime igniter for imagination and does produce more continuity. The debate still echoes in my, "how can one eliminate the prejudice toward a Nation?" and succeed in getting the message across?
GrimFinger, please keep me thinking on this, maybe just because I think these prejudices are blinders to reality doesn't make it true. Oh you got me thinking again.....

Katherine
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hi Ben, After a brief read of

hi Ben,

After a brief read of the PDf...

I want to play this game it looks challenging, but I agree with GrimFinger on the generic nations.

Personally I thiink that there needs to be some prejudice toward the nations as our prejudice influences our decision making. If you want to try and eliminate all prejudice, it might be best to go with ficticious nations.

Your depiction of each ficticious nation and the behaviours of it's peoples will influence player predjudice. At least you have some control on how much.

The down side of creating ficticious nations is that you will need to watch out for your own prejudices as you write their stories.

Using real nations will automatically bring a player's existing prejudice to the table, outside of your control.

GrimFinger
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benshelmars wrote:Admittedly

benshelmars wrote:
Admittedly a background story is a prime igniter for imagination and does produce more continuity. The debate still echoes in my, "how can one eliminate the prejudice toward a Nation?" and succeed in getting the message across?

GrimFinger, please keep me thinking on this, maybe just because I think these prejudices are blinders to reality doesn't make it true. Oh you got me thinking again.....

I haven't actually played your game, as is, so take my input on it at this stage with a grain of salt.

As far as prejudice within the context of the game is concerned, though, prejudice of some sort of other is a common fixture in game design. Orcs often hate elves. The poor may hate the rich, or at least envy them, even as the rich hold the poor in disdain. In games, one may be an assassin, or a thief, or any of a number of other things. That doesn't mean that one wants to kill or steal in real life. Likewise, that one plays Nazi Germany or even hostile space aliens in a game does not mean that they embrace such driving motivations and prejudices in real life.

Successful games can have generic positions, of course, but with each degree of complexity built into a game, one will lose a portion of the potential overall player base. Even hyper-complex games can have a niche and a corresponding base of players, but sometimes, one can offset the negative impact that complexity has upon player base by utilizing proven thematic elements, rather than rely upon generic flavoring.

benshelmars
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Control

Thanks shazzaz, GrimFinger and you have valid issues, this is where team work becomes crucial, I will continue to compile the rules so there is a complete guideline for play testing (albeit with room for modifications). Also let me know what you may need from me and in what formats and I will do my best to comply.

GrimFinger
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Error

On page # 2:

EPs gained form GP will be added to the new turn's total.

Correction: "form" should be "from"

GrimFinger
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Can you send the text of the

Can you send the text of the document to me in either Microsoft Word format or in ASCII text format?

If so, then I will correct (or highlight) typos/errors as I come across them, and then just send them back to you in one document, rather than post each time that I find one.

benshelmars
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Saving as Text

Well I may have realized why you got rid of Scribus, give me some time to try and export the file.

GrimFinger
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Actually, I found that I

Actually, I found that I still had an older version of Scribus installed on an older hard drive, after I posted previously about having deleted it. I never messed with Scribus much, so I can't really judge it too harshly.

I can just track errors/typos that I find, and send a single text file to you at some point down the road, and then you can manually make changes to your PDF file or to your Scribus format file, if you prefer. It's hard to have a lengthy document like that, and not have any typos in it.

benshelmars
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Errors

GrimFinger wrote:
Actually, I found that I still had an older version of Scribus installed on an older hard drive, after I posted previously about having deleted it. I never messed with Scribus much, so I can't really judge it too harshly.

I can just track errors/typos that I find, and send a single text file to you at some point down the road, and then you can manually make changes to your PDF file or to your Scribus format file, if you prefer. It's hard to have a lengthy document like that, and not have any typos in it.

True, even though I reread it at least once in a while, my eyes don't seem to see the errors. If I can't convert the format we will come up with a plan I'm sure.

Katherine
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hi Ben, printed the pdf - I

hi Ben,

printed the pdf - I will pm you after the weekend with anything I find. No doubt I will have heaps of questions, too many for the forum.

benshelmars
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Printed

shazzaz wrote:
hi Ben,

printed the pdf - I will pm you after the weekend with anything I find. No doubt I will have heaps of questions, too many for the forum.

Hey shazzaz, printing may be a little premature, recall this is just a rough draft, I do understand that hard copies make it easier, but it can be quite expensive ink wise. As GrimFinger has already mentioned there are typos, but since I am still compiling form ancient notes (some not in the most organized filing system in the world, "namely my dysfunctional system"), there are bound to some modifications and whatnot. The enthusiastic interest and help I have already seen is truly phenomenal, I really did not expect such quickness and was caught off guard. I now find myself going through all my notebooks and pads, notes stuffed in books etc.
I am not new to gaming but I have done very little Internet stuff. You guys are really educating me in more ways than one.

Thanks.

benshelmars
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shazzaz wrote:hi Ben, Using

shazzaz wrote:
hi Ben,

Using real nations will automatically bring a player's existing prejudice to the table, outside of your control.

After going over my ancient notes, using real nations was not only ruled out because of prejudices but also from a design stand point. The research involved was beyond my capabilities, tectonics, industrialization, natural resources not to mention the mathematics. Real World would require a significant mind shift toward harder science etc. I would need a much large team, time and money, all of which I do not have.

But I have been pondering the other concepts you both have mentioned about fictitious nations... what if a small deck of cards each describing a different "national" role were introduced, the other players wouldn't really be aware of the other's ethos? The control would still be with the designer somewhat, and add greater diversity. I'll give it more thought.

benshelmars
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Sort of a Web Page of Projects

Here is the address to my makeshift web page I have a link to the Critical Collapse Document here http://tfmarciniak.synthasite.com/

I have made some of the corrections suggested but I'm sure there are many more.

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Katherine
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Hi Ben, Ignore the above post

Hi Ben,

Ignore the above post - these appear occaisionally but whoever it is hasn't researched their target market particularly well ...

If there was a way to block nominated links from being posted I'm sure the site would be blocked by now.

you could open a journal if you want to continue discussing your game.

benshelmars
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Starting Journal

Good Idea, will start it today.
Thanks

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