Editing Kingdoms: Creating the Court (section)

=Overview=

Creating the Court is a descriptive process - each player will need some sheets of paper, and something to write with. Adjudictors who want to do this more formally might create an A4 template for each for each Piece, with the players writing in the top half and the bottom half left blank for the Adjudicator to enter game-rules related information.

When the players write, they should be concentrating on the imagery that they evoke... for all its gamist structure, ''Kingdoms'' is at its core about the ''narrative''. A paragraph of descriptive prose for each piece is the bare minimum, though players who feel they want a little variation might choose to couch their prose in the form of a story, or might even feel that they would like to present poetry! Regardless, what we're looking for is something that you can be proud of, not just a list of bullet points or a scattering of words and phrases.

The only exception to this is the Eight Armies - in this case, a list of eight bullet points is ''exactly'' what we're looking for. We'll come back to them momentarily.

Traditionally, the King and Queen should be described in the first person, and other pieces in the third person.

When writing up your pieces, it can be tempting to try to "power-game", for example describing invisible ghost armies, teleporting demon kings and bishops with mind control powers. This is not a good idea. The game systems in place balance out any advantages with suitable disadvantages, and if you don't balance your characters then the Adjudicator will do it for you.

Instead, just approach this as an exercise in creativity, and understand that restraint is as important as imagination. Aim for imagery and mood, and let the Adjudicator deal with the numbers!

Of course, that isn't to say that you should be dismissive of grand strategy or ignorant of the rules. If, for example, you build a court that is 100% focused on aggression, pillage and plunder, then don't be surprised if they end up weaker at defence and other factors. Generally, balanced strategies work well, but it never hurts to have a ''little'' focus.
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