Scum: Game Fu Ingredients - Revision history

64.59.233.214: /* '''Images''' */

2009-03-13T17:59:36Z

'''Images'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:59, 13 March 2009
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	=='''Images'''==		=='''Images'''==
	http://~~www~~.flickr.com/~~photos~~/~~8077261@N08/2911439538/in/set-72157611108521927~~		http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2911439538_8d642d75bd.jpg
	http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/118083.jpg		http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/118083.jpg

64.59.233.214: /* '''Images''' */

2009-03-13T17:58:36Z

'''Images'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:58, 13 March 2009
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	=='''Images'''==		=='''Images'''==
	http://flickr.com/photos/8077261@N08~~...7611108521927~~/		http://www.flickr.com/photos/8077261@N08/2911439538/in/set-72157611108521927
	http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/118083.jpg		http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/118083.jpg

Asklepios: /* '''Other''' */

2009-03-13T15:23:23Z

'''Other'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:23, 13 March 2009
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	Hopefully this theme will be obvious from reading the game itself, though possibly in a very heavy handed way!		Hopefully this theme will be obvious from reading the game itself, though possibly in a very heavy handed way!

	* Hope, as a physical element that is as essential for existence		* Hope, as a physical element that is as essential for existence as water, oxygen, and fire.
	as water, oxygen, and fire.

	This is an interesting one.		This is an interesting one.

Asklepios: /* '''Genre Tropes''' */

2009-03-13T12:52:55Z

'''Genre Tropes'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:52, 13 March 2009
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	I'm being a bit liberal here with the interpretation, and going for a piratical feel rather than directly lifting window dressing from piratical trappings. My interpretation of the piratical genre is necessarily a bit darker and grittier than the standard Disney Pirates-of-the-Carribean take.		I'm being a bit liberal here with the interpretation, and going for a piratical feel rather than directly lifting window dressing from piratical trappings. My interpretation of the piratical genre is necessarily a bit darker and grittier than the standard Disney Pirates-of-the-Carribean take.

	* '''"Immoral anti-heroes"''' - Like pirates, the protagonists don't live within society's codes of conduct, and don't subscribe to conventional morality. They're cruel, they're capricious, they're violent and they're all boozehounds. Nonetheless, they are our protagonists, and we root for them. Just like pirates, they are hounded by civilised authority, yet somehow ~~fromt he~~ story's point of view we are able to paint civilisation as the hated opposition. This, to me, is the core of what makes Scum a piratical game.		* '''"Immoral anti-heroes"''' - Like pirates, the protagonists don't live within society's codes of conduct, and don't subscribe to conventional morality. They're cruel, they're capricious, they're violent and they're all boozehounds. Nonetheless, they are our protagonists, and we root for them. Just like pirates, they are hounded by civilised authority, yet somehow from the story's point of view we are able to paint civilisation as the hated opposition. This, to me, is the core of what makes Scum a piratical game.
	* '''"Buried treasure"''' - The stories will often revolve around hidden stashes of loot, though generally not actually chests of gold.		* '''"Buried treasure"''' - The stories will often revolve around hidden stashes of loot, though generally not actually chests of gold.
	* '''"The Black Spot"''' - Every scenario has some way of a character being "marked for death", which should give them a real sense of fear and foreboding, just like the Black Spot in treasure island!		* '''"The Black Spot"''' - Every scenario has some way of a character being "marked for death", which should give them a real sense of fear and foreboding, just like the Black Spot in treasure island!

Asklepios: /* '''Other''' */

2009-03-13T09:02:01Z

'''Other'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:02, 13 March 2009
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	* Family.		* Family.

	This is ~~a strong~~ theme.		This is another subtle theme.

	On the one hand, we have the real families of the Scum, who represent their link back to normal society.		On the one hand, we have the real families of the Scum, who represent their link back to normal society.
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	Money then (at least beyond the pocket change level) isn't something you spend in this game, and has no part in the in-game economy. It just represents the way out - the physical manifestation of hope.		Money then (at least beyond the pocket change level) isn't something you spend in this game, and has no part in the in-game economy. It just represents the way out - the physical manifestation of hope.

	I shied away from making Hope an actual stat in game. Sorry!		I shied away from making Hope an actual stat in game - it wouldn't really have fit. Sorry!
	<br><br><br>		<br><br><br>

Asklepios: /* '''Other''' */

2009-03-09T17:05:14Z

'''Other'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:05, 9 March 2009
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	Hopefully this theme will be obvious from reading the game itself, though possibly in a very heavy handed way!		Hopefully this theme will be obvious from reading the game itself, though possibly in a very heavy handed way!

	* Hope, as a physical element that is as essential for existence as water, oxygen, and fire.		* Hope, as a physical element that is as essential for existence
			as water, oxygen, and fire.

	This is an interesting one.		This is an interesting one.

Asklepios: /* '''Other''' */

2009-03-09T17:04:56Z

'''Other'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:04, 9 March 2009
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	=='''Other'''==		=='''Other'''==

	* Board game. (I moved this out of rules, because put here it could be a setting element instead.)		* Board game. (I moved this out of rules, because put here it could
			be a setting element instead.)

	Not using the rules of board games, but rather used them as inspiration points for the various stories. The idea of Cluedo with Chavs was actually my starting point, but I decided to move beyond this into a bigger picture, to make the game less of a scenario and more of a complete setting. I've kept the original Cluedo scenario in there as a sample story, of course.		Not using the rules of board games, but rather used them as inspiration points for the various stories. The idea of Cluedo with Chavs was actually my starting point, but I decided to move beyond this into a bigger picture, to make the game less of a scenario and more of a complete setting. I've kept the original Cluedo scenario in there as a sample story, of course.

Asklepios: /* '''Images''' */

2009-03-09T17:03:33Z

'''Images'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:03, 9 March 2009
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	The first picture to me says two things - first of all, its run down, but secondly it looks like a place where people can feel like they belong. It has a sense of home to it. In a way, this reflects the setting of the ''Council Estate'', which is suffering wear and tear, but which the protagonists see as their home.		The first picture to me says two things - first of all, its run down, but secondly it looks like a place where people can feel like they belong. It has a sense of home to it. In a way, this reflects the setting of the ''Council Estate'', which is suffering wear and tear, but which the protagonists see as their home.

	The barbed wire and the prison camp, however, gave me the idea that the game should be contained within a small space, where the Scum can run rampant, but that they are closed into it, both metaphorically from lack of social mobility, and literally, by the fact that outside of the estate the police will arrest them. Hence the Estate becomes the prison camp, the police the prison guards, and the law is the barbed wire fence. ~~In fact~~, ~~I figured why not go~~ the ~~whole hog, and have actual~~ barbed wire ~~around the estate?~~		The barbed wire and the prison camp, however, gave me the idea that the game should be contained within a small space, where the Scum can run rampant, but that they are closed into it, both metaphorically from lack of social mobility, and literally, by the fact that outside of the estate the police will arrest them. Hence the Estate becomes the prison camp, the police the prison guards, and the law is the barbed wire fence. Visually, this picture could easily represent part of the estate as well - its a place where barbed wire atop fences is not out of place.

	=='''Other'''==		=='''Other'''==

Asklepios: /* '''Other''' */

2009-03-09T16:36:53Z

'''Other'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:36, 9 March 2009
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	Hopefully this theme will be obvious from reading the game itself, though possibly in a very heavy handed way!		Hopefully this theme will be obvious from reading the game itself, though possibly in a very heavy handed way!

	* Hope, as a physical element that is as essential for existence as water, oxygen, and fire. ~~(Yup, this was in the last challenge, but no-one used it. It will recur until someone steps up to the challenge )~~		* Hope, as a physical element that is as essential for existence as water, oxygen, and fire.

	This is an interesting one.		This is an interesting one.
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	This plays with the idea that the protagonist's primary motivation is to get out of the estate, and to make it in the world beyond. The main obstacle to this is poverty, and this makes money something that is symbolic in game - something that you acquire in order to reach the dream of leaving the estate.		This plays with the idea that the protagonist's primary motivation is to get out of the estate, and to make it in the world beyond. The main obstacle to this is poverty, and this makes money something that is symbolic in game - something that you acquire in order to reach the dream of leaving the estate.

	Money then isn't something you spend in this game, and has no part in the in-game economy. It just represents the way out - the physical manifestation of hope.		Money then (at least beyond the pocket change level) isn't something you spend in this game, and has no part in the in-game economy. It just represents the way out - the physical manifestation of hope.

			I shied away from making Hope an actual stat in game. Sorry!
	<br><br><br>		<br><br><br>

Asklepios: /* '''Genre Tropes''' */

2009-03-09T16:35:08Z

'''Genre Tropes'''

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:35, 9 March 2009
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	=='''Genre Tropes'''==		=='''Genre Tropes'''==

	* Pirates ~~(Parrots, Jolly Roger, Safe Port, Swashbuckling)~~		* Pirates

	~~Three things, it says, so~~ I'm ~~dropping~~ the ~~swashbuckling~~.		I'm being a bit liberal here with the interpretation, and going for a piratical feel rather than directly lifting window dressing from piratical trappings. My interpretation of the piratical genre is necessarily a bit darker and grittier than the standard Disney Pirates-of-the-Carribean take.

	~~The~~ '''~~Parrot~~''' is, of ~~course~~, ~~the mobile phone. No scum is complete without the constant sound of text message alerts~~ and ~~squawks from NPCs on the line~~. ~~In a way~~, they ~~fulfil the same role as parrots in pirate stories - they let the scriptwriter interject with humorous comments without having to introduce a whole new character.~~		* '''"Immoral anti-heroes"''' - Like pirates, the protagonists don't live within society's codes of conduct, and don't subscribe to conventional morality. They're cruel, they're capricious, they're violent and they're all boozehounds. Nonetheless, they are our protagonists, and we root for them. Just like pirates, they are hounded by civilised authority, yet somehow fromt he story's point of view we are able to paint civilisation as the hated opposition. This, to me, is the core of what makes Scum a piratical game.
			* '''"Buried treasure"''' - The stories will often revolve around hidden stashes of loot, though generally not actually chests of gold.
	~~The~~ '~~''Jolly Roger''' is gang-colours~~, ~~or marks of tribal identification. I~~'~~ve made it a bit more explicit by having the skull~~ and ~~crossbones as the main gang symbol of the protagonists~~. ~~Essentially though~~, ~~in piratical fiction the "Jolly Roger" is a sign that~~ our ~~ne'er do well~~ protagonists ~~have arrived~~. ~~It is a sign of contempt for~~ authority, ~~and a declaration~~ of ~~war against society~~. ~~It invokes shudders of fear from "normal people". Sounds like a gang marking~~ to me~~...~~		* '''"The Black Spot"''' - Every scenario has some way of a character being "marked for death", which should give them a real sense of fear and foreboding, just like the Black Spot in treasure island!
			* '''"Gold over loyalty"''' - The Scum say they're all watching each others backs, but really they're just looking for a spot to put the knife in, and they'll sell each other out for small amounts of cash.
	~~'''Safe port''' is ''"the flat"''~~, ~~which we talk about more in the rules. The council estate~~ is the ~~equivalent~~ of ~~the high seas, but once back in your apartment, you can lock the door and have~~ a ~~kip in peace, knowing that you're not going to get knifed, because your mums there keeping an eye on you~~.		* '''"Mutiny"''' - There's an Alpha scum, but everyone's always looking to take his place.

	I'~~m going to play up other piratical themes as well:~~

	* "Buried treasure" - The stories will often revolve around hidden stashes of loot, though generally not actually chests of gold.
	* "Gold over loyalty" - The Scum say they're all watching each others backs, but really they're just looking for a spot to put the knife in, and they'll sell each other out for small amounts of cash.
	* "Mutiny" - There's an Alpha scum, but everyone's always looking to take his place.

	=='''Images'''==		=='''Images'''==