Are certain countries associated with certain games? Use a broad
definition of games, like sports. Kind of no, kind of yes. It
would be fun to ponder why certain societies are linked with certain games.
Mostly tradition, but other stuff too.
Atoms get together to form molecules. I thought of making a card
game with that. It's about filling valence shells with electrons.
There are grabby slappy games. If the conditions are right you grab
the object or ring the bell faster
than any of your opponents (which can and does lead to injury).
Let's make something that is like that and is not like that.
For the new concept, grabbing/slapping an object should depend on
body language and mind games and discreet communication.
If we get it right, you want to slap the card in the middle of the
table, under the right conditions. How do you know the right conditions?
By watching Ralph. But if it's time for you to move, Ralph or someone
else might pick up on that and slap the card.
Or something along those lines. Oh, and don't get suckered into
slapping the card at the wrong time, or you will lose.
So Nunavut, the Canadian territory. Not just Canada's north, but
far north. Like the picture above. Population: almost nobody.
What if you had a modern board game made from someone there? What would
it be like? Would the game be any good?
Imagine what it would be like to be a decision maker for the German
Army in the spring of 1944. Note the timing, and the situation at that specific time.
The Battle of Atlantic had been lost. Infantry had been eaten up mostly by
combat in Russia. The introduction of long-range P-51 fighters allowed
bombers to reach into Germany and bomb important targets. As a result,
German fighters were forced to intercept, and these fighters and pilots were
attritted. The recent "Transportation Plan" meant that Allied air power
had pummeled transportation and much else in northern France.
Fuel always was a problem.
The Allied invasion of Europe is coming,
but where and when? Get it right and you stop the invasion.*
Get it wrong and you lose the war.
The evidence shows there will be a landing in Pas de Calais, so
forces and attention were moved there. Would the Allies
land in more distant Normandy, where they don't have a port
immediately available? Maaybe. There is evidence that the Allies will
land in Norway. Southern Europe is possible too. Confusing.
* On D-Day the Allies landed five divisions by boat into France. Germany had
90 divisions in France. The panzer divisions were the important ones.
Here are some things to get the imagination going, with an
emphasis on speculative fiction, science fiction.
- Eurovision -
If you were to science fictionise this, you would get .. Eurovision.
A huge, colourful event that everybody is talking about, stakes involved.
Costumes and dance.
- Knights of the Zodiac -
I saw an advertisement for Knights of the Zodiac, a still picture of
a man and a woman. I can't even tell what era it is. The important
thing here is the name.
A dedicated group of special security people, while the
word Zodiac provides a mysterious zing of fantasy. Symbols.
- Dark North -
Dark North is the name of a podcast about Canadian crime. Neat name.
For fiction, think organised crime, behind the scenes. But with a sense of place.
So you're producing a board game. Imagine having the best people on
the job, the best designer, the best developer, the best artist, the
best marketer, I guess supply chain manager, etc.
Consider any group activity that requires a group with individuals who
are good, even the best at their individual job.
Mission Impossible or some such.
Making a Hollywood movie, get that script and foley artist and editor
and the trailer people. A company for your software idea.
- Prime -
Among all the numbers out there, certain numbers are special, almost
like they have a special power.
So you've got some kind of catch-the-bad-guys plot.
There is a special team,
where each individual is the cream of the crop
for one type of skill.
Plugged in to the authority and information of government departments,
but left to do their own thing.
- Cyber Tracker -
Gathering intelligence, but in its own world.
- The Japan Cipher -
Two and a half words I came up with in my youth when I got into ciphers.
Dice Tower had a thing where they listed their top three smells.
I find this is an interesting topic of conversation that can go in
unexpected directions.