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[hops]

I have been thinking, maybe we should have a system that reward GMs with a good track record of carrying games to their completion. This OP will be restructured after I get enough ideas on what people think and if they're interested.

[Harry Baldman]

... how many people qualify for one of those? The most I can think of are people who have completed a game, or run a particular type of game. For instance, Haspen might qualify because at least a couple of the Medieval Fodder games did actually end upon reaching the stated victory condition (at least two of them did, I think, but I can think of at least two others that didn't).

What qualifies as ending a game, by that same measure? Achieving its originally intended goal? That might disqualify technically complete games that didn't manage to execute their last bits and instead just jumped right into an epilogue, like Einsteinian Roulette, Multiworld Madness and my very own Life Begins At Death. Not so much dropped as gently laid down on the ground. Or would you say that having an epilogue qualifies as the game being "properly" ended? Games legitimately ending depends on their genre and construction more than anything.

[hops]

... how many people qualify for one of those? The most I can think of are people who have completed a game, or run a particular type of game. For instance, Haspen might qualify because at least a couple of the Medieval Fodder games did actually end upon reaching the stated victory condition (at least two of them did, I think, but I can think of at least two others that didn't).

What qualifies as ending a game, by that same measure? Achieving its originally intended goal? That might disqualify technically complete games that didn't manage to execute their last bits and instead just jumped right into an epilogue, like Einsteinian Roulette, Multiworld Madness and my very own Life Begins At Death. Not so much dropped as gently laid down on the ground. Or would you say that having an epilogue qualifies as the game being "properly" ended? Games legitimately ending depends on their genre and construction more than anything.

I think if the GM can gracefully end the game, even if it was not their intended plan, I'd still say that qualifies.

Also now that I think about it maybe the badges should be given more for completing games, rather than just as a "Don't abandon games" deterrent.

[Weirdo]

This is a nice system, but I'd like to see others chime in and flesh it out before I jump on.

[RoseHeart]

"Beating a dead horse until it's good and dead award"

"guilt and shame your way to the end medal"

Thank god I let go of some of the gigantic games I dreamed up- before they actually killed me.

...

Out of curiosity what is this response to?

(if my response seems brisk it's because this is called the "no-flake" and not the "completer" honor. The difference may seem subtle but it's not.)

"try new things... that you know will work, because you're not really innovating, award"

Here's my message to all the Forum Game host who beat themselves up about the games they can't finish

1. Yes you do need to move on and let go of that project. Stop living in anxiety and bending yourself out of shape trying to make that crap work.

2. If you're still passionate about the project find out what it is you love. Is it the mechanics? The story? What made you most anxious or drained your enthusiasm? Make a list of the top 3 things you liked and disliked about the project.

3. On your next attempt learn from that list and do this one thing. Make a simpler game. The video game version of this advice is if you try to make Mario and failed make Asteroids. If you try to make Asteroids and fail make Pong. You need to scale down.

~love

Spoiler: Addendum +2 (click to show/hide)

4. Set clear expectations for your players. If you're doing something bigger than you've done before just let them know. If you are just experimenting or trying something new and there's being honest a good chance it won't complete let them know. There's actually people that seek out these kinds of experimental games.

5. There's also Lots places to host your games (or try other people's). You'll be surprised equally by what is common and unique to other communities and yours. Forum games are really going through a little revolution right now. They are the unacknowledged ugly stepbrother of video games PC games app games excetera excetera excetera a lot of them could be adapted right into those things or board games or all sorts of things. A lot of board games are tested in a format like this one. [A lot of those medium's communities have forum game sections that are thriving!]

[Stirk]

Wait-are you implying that this forum isn't just a competition to see who can abandon the most games the fastest? How absurd.

[ATHATH]

Wait, ER ended? When?

I mean, I never got past reading the first 50 pages or so because having multiple simultaneous threads for a game makes reading through its archives really hard/annoying.

Also, roseheart, there's such a thing as abandoning a game too soon or moving on too quickly. You've created like 20 (exaggeration) games in the past few weeks, very few of which (if any) reached more than 10 pages. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

[crazyabe]

PTW

[RoseHeart]

Wait, ER ended? When?

I mean, I never got past reading the first 50 pages or so because having multiple simultaneous threads for a game makes reading through its archives really hard/annoying.

Also, roseheart, there's such a thing as abandoning a game too soon or moving on too quickly. You've created like 20 (exaggeration) games in the past few weeks, very few of which (if any) reached more than 10 pages. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

Yes! I don't know if there's an easy way to see which threads I've started but I have started a lot of projects. Some I didn't get enough sign-ups like...

Xenobrood rivals, a game about Metroid like organisms growing and evolving and then confronting their sisters in a battle for brood supremacy.

The circuit, a 1 Pokemon vs 1 Pokemon underground battle with mechanic that are looser and more like the anime.

Smash Bros RPG, the story of Mewtwo and Kamek leading a rebellion against Master Hand with the help of mysterious newcomers.

Games that don't have a lot of posts because that's just the nature of how they are being run but they're still active.

Draxon, the story of a secret project Mega Man X activated before his death. A one player game for a friend.

Tower Defender. A woman defending a tower in medieval times.. Great game I'm proud of it and I savor it.

Honeyguide. The story of the titular bird on an island where it will use its instincts for cooperation to possibly overcoming all new challenge its species has never faced in nature.

Then I do like to try just random stuff.

Fishmancy. As ridiculous as it sounds.

I have open projects on other web sites. I do a lot of things and I love all of it I really like to see how people will react and it tells me a lot. Sometimes the same project won't work in one place and I take it to another and it works better than intended. And that's not really unique to any one place each area has a different community and it's a real surprise and I enjoy exploring them. I love what I do. Sorry you have to see my name so much.

[_DivideByZero_]

I don't see why finishing games is of prime importance. It's the journey that counts. We have a Hall of Fame in the RtD board, so if you want to rate GM's then you could just have a GM hall of fame with a list of notable works.

[Ozarck]

There was, at one point, a GM hall of fame here. it is what led me to Einsteinian Roulette - well, that and the fact that ER was on the front page in multiple threads for so long.

I forget who else was on the list - some I had never heard of ,some I had seen active in the forum.

Edit: here it is

[Stirk]

Wait, ER ended? When?

I mean, I never got past reading the first 50 pages or so because having multiple simultaneous threads for a game makes reading through its archives really hard/annoying.

Also, roseheart, there's such a thing as abandoning a game too soon or moving on too quickly. You've created like 20 (exaggeration) games in the past few weeks, very few of which (if any) reached more than 10 pages. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

Yes! I don't know if there's an easy way to see which threads I've started but I have started a lot of projects. Some I didn't get enough sign-ups like...

To see what you posted, click on your name or the profile button at the top of the page, go to "Show Posts" than "Topics". It shows every thing you ever made.

I remember when you tried to charge people for a game that never ended up taking off . As many times as I heard you say how much you love RPG games, I never really see you actually *playing* them, and only occasionally making games that end up crashing down pretty quickly. It always felt like you where in love with the idea of RPGs rather than RPGs themselves .

[MidnightJaguar]

Interesting idea. PTW.

[Yoink]

I finished a game, once. It was glorious.
I'll gladly accept one of these awards for my service in the field, thank you very much.


Oh gods I'm flakier than filo ;_;

[Weirdo]

I can see both ends here. The "it's about the journey" argument and then the "finish the fight" argument. I've run a few games on other sites, and I'm running one now by the name of Inarin. Since it's my first game I don't expect much. I doubt anyone gets it right the first time, even if they've had previous experience, because a new forum = new culture which = new interests/expectations. With Inarin, I labelled it 'Prologue' for a reason: Something chill. Right now, I'm just trying to build a rep here and I know I won't make the next ER at this point in time. Inarin is very much a weird, trippy quest with weirder concepts. My philosophy running it is, "Come in, stay for a bit, then find something heavier to strike your fancy". If you like it and wanna stick around, great! I'd love to have ya. If not; no harm, no foul. I'll see you on the other side.

Though other than what was stated, we have to figure out what 'end' means for our games. I can't say Inarin has a proper end, but I do intend for it to end (being a prologue and all). Just my $0.02.