On Wed, Jun 27, 2012 at 2:0= 0 AM, Robin Lee Powell <rlpowell@digitalkingdom.org> wrote:

"History" rather than "story&= quot; (the scope is much larger than "story"
normally implies), but yes.

-Robin

On Wed, Jun 27, 2012 at 02:26:19AM -0600, Jonathan Jones wrote:
> So, basically, we take turns telling a story, with some fairly simple = rules
> added to make things progress smoothly? That's sounds simple enoug= h, and
> fairly entertaining.
>
> On Wed, Jun 27, 2012 at 12:20 AM, Robin Lee Powell <
> rlpowell@digitalkingdom= .org> wrote:
>
> > On Sun, Jun 24, 2012 at 01:19:39AM -0700, Robin Lee Powell wrote:=
> > >
> > > http:= //www.lamemage.com/
> > >
> > > It's a history-construction game. =A0I have the PDF. =A0= I'm going to
> > > try to make people play it at LogFest. =A0We should do it as= a phone
> > > game, too. =A0In Lojban.
> >
> > IRC actually might be better, because it'd all be recorded. > >
> > Anyways, here's a summary of the gameplay, stolen from the PD= F.
> > It's essentially a shared world-building co-op storytelling g= ame,
> > *except* that no collaboration, or even suggesting, is allowed. > > This has (I belive, I've not actually played it) two importan= t
> > effects: (1) everybody gets to be surprised by what happens, whic= h
> > increases engagement (2) the pushy people can't dominate ever= ything.
> >
> > - --------------------
> >
> > - Humanity spreads to the stars and forges a galactic civilizatio= n=85
> >
> > - Fledgling nations arise from the ruins of the empire=85
> >
> > - An ancient line of dragon-kings dies out as magic fades from th= e
> > =A0realm=85
> >
> > These are all examples of Microscope games.
> >
> > In Microscope, you build an epic history as you play. Want to pla= y a
> > game that spans =A0the =A0entire =A0Dune =A0series, =A0the =A0Sil= marillion, =A0or
> > the =A0rise =A0and =A0fall of Rome in an afternoon? That=92s Micr= oscope.
> >
> > But =A0you =A0don=92t =A0play =A0the =A0history =A0from =A0start = =A0to =A0finish,
> > marching =A0along in chronological order. Instead, you build your=
> > history from the outside in. You start off knowing the big pictur= e,
> > the grand scheme of what happens, then you dive in and explore wh= at
> > happened in between, the how and why that shaped events.
> >
> > You are free to jump backwards or forwards, zooming in or out to<= br> > > look at whatever you want, defying limits of time and space. Want= to
> > leap a thousand years into the future and see how an institution<= br> > > shaped society? Want to jump back to the childhood of the king yo= u
> > just saw assassinated and find out what made him such a hated rul= er?
> > That=92s normal in Microscope. You have vast creative authority. = You
> > can make whole empires rise and fall at will. Dream up a utopia o= r
> > destroy one with nuclear fire. You have that power, but remember<= br> > > you=92re not alone: everyone else at the table can do it too.
> >
> > You =A0create =A0independently, =A0but =A0not =A0in =A0isolation.= =A0Each =A0facet
> > you =A0add to history builds on what other players built before y= ou.
> > You expand on their ideas, and they expand on yours. History migh= t
> > not turn out the way you expected. Be prepared to think on your > > feet.
> >
> > When you zoom all the way in to a particular moment in time, all = the
> > players share the stage and role-play together to find out someth= ing
> > we want to learn about the history. Did the crew of the Icarus kn= ow
> > the aliens were on Titan? Did the rebels really fake the governme= nt
> > crackdown? Do the knights remember the original meaning of their<= br> > > ritual vows? We role-play and see. The more you play, the more yo= ur
> > once simple summary becomes a detailed tapestry, full of meaning = and
> > surprises. History snowballs.
> >
> > What you need to play
> >
> > Microscope is for two to five players, but three or four are best= .
> > There=92s no game prep and no GM. You can play a single session, = or
> > keep coming back and exploring the same history over and over aga= in.
> >
> > You=92ll need a stack of index cards and something to write with,=
> > along with table space to lay everything out. Smaller cards, like=
> > blank flash cards, work even better because they take up less spa= ce
> > on the table.
> >
> > [snip]
> >
> > teaching step 1: explain the concept
> >
> > First, read the =93What Is Microscope?=94 section out loud. Inste= ad of
> > reading it all yourself, have the other players take turns. Then<= br> > > say:
> >
> > =93The author of the game says I should read this part to you bec= ause
> > it=92s really important: All of us sitting at this table have =A0= equal
> > creative =A0power. =A0At =A0times =A0we=92ll =A0have =A0different= roles and
> > authority, but we=92re all equal participants and authors.
> >
> > =93It may sound like I=92m running the game because I=92m going t= o be
> > explaining a lot about the rules, and I may interrupt and jump in= to
> > clarify how the game is played. But I don=92t have any more autho= rity
> > than anyone else when it comes to actually playing the game -- > > there=92s no GM.
> >
> > =93Now that we know what the game=92s about, we=92re ready to get=
> > started.=94
> >
> > teaching step 2: game setup
> >
> > Follow the steps in =93Starting a New Game.=94 You can read the f= irst
> > one or two paragraphs of each step out loud or just summarize, as=
> > you prefer.
> >
> > Players new to Microscope may try to brainstorm too much detail > > about the history during the setup. Don=92t hesitate to jump in a= nd
> > tell players to save those ideas for later. Follow the steps
> > rigorously.
> >
> > =93Microscope =A0is =A0a =A0little like Poker: you want =A0to =A0= keep =A0your cool
> > ideas close to your vest until you use them. If the rest of us kn= ow
> > what you=92re going to do ahead of time, it=92s not as interestin= g.=94
> >
> > teaching step 3: explain play
> >
> > =93Now =A0that =A0setup =A0is =A0done, =A0we=92re =A0ready =A0to = =A0start =A0play. =A0We
> > already know more about our history than we did when we came up w= ith
> > the single sentence idea, and as we play we=92ll find out more an= d
> > more.
> >
> > =93The =A0basic =A0structure =A0of =A0the =A0game =A0is =A0that = =A0we =A0keep =A0going
> > around the table adding to the history, making either a Period, a= n
> > Event or a Scene. For each rotation there=92s going to be one pla= yer
> > called the Lens, and that player is going to pick a particular Fo= cus
> > that everything we create has to relate to. So if the Focus is a<= br> > > city, each player is going to get to add something to the history=
> > that somehow relates to that city. It=92s a topic to keep us all = on
> > the same page.
> >
> > =93If you make a Period or Event, just describe what happens as t= hough
> > we=92re seeing it from a birds-eye view. You=92re in charge, =A0a= nd =A0the
> > rest =A0of =A0us =A0are =A0eagerly =A0listening =A0to =A0hear wha= t =A0you =A0have =A0to
> > say. =A0If =A0you =A0make =A0a =A0Scene, =A0we =A0all =A0pick cha= racters and
> > role-play to find out what really happened in that moment of
> > history.=94
> >
> > - --------------------
> >
> > -Robin
> >
> > --
> > http://singins= t.org/ : =A0Our last, best hope for a fantastic future.
> > .i ko na cpedu lo nu stidi vau loi jbopre .i danfu lu na go'i= li'u .e
> > lu go'i li'u .i ji'a go'i lu na'e go'i li= 'u .e lu go'i na'i li'u .e
> > lu no'e go'i li'u .e lu to'e go'i li'u .e= lu lo mamta be do cu sofybakni
> > li'u
> >
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> >
>
>
> --
> mu'o mi'e .aionys.
>
> .i.e'ucai ko cmima lo pilno be denpa bu .i doi.luk. mi patfu do zo= 'o
> (Come to the Dot Side! Luke, I am your father. :D )
>
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--
http://singinst.org/= : =A0Our last, best hope for a fantastic future.
.i ko na cpedu lo nu stidi vau loi jbopre .i danfu lu na go'i li'u = .e
lu go'i li'u .i ji'a go'i lu na'e go'i li'u .e = lu go'i na'i li'u .e
lu no'e go'i li'u .e lu to'e go'i li'u .e lu lo mam= ta be do cu sofybakni li'u

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