whining...aka I have an idea...but

[kumakami]

so I have a really great challenge idea but have run into a snag....there is a prize i wish to give to the winner but I am so Broke....so for the hell of it this is what it would be (if I could afford it)

contestants would have 3 months to write a game. it must be...

*Between 80 and 120 pages in length
* Size for 2.5 inch x 3.5 inch paper
* formatted in .pdf
* covers must be included and must be 300dpi TIF files.
* Have full layout with pictures, Pictures must be B&W and either of your own making or public domain of some sort.

Note: the theme of the book I have yet to think of due to this stumbling block

the winner would get 15 copies of their book printed with FULL color laminated covers. Note unless you also buy a ISBN it will NOT be sellable You can purchase ISBN numbers online at https://commerce.bowker.com/isbnsan/sta ... n/isbn.asp, and you can make barcodes for them at http://www.tux.org/~milgram/bookland/#online


for those wondering the total cost for the prize will be......around $25.50 US before shipping for a 15, 100 page books of that size. I'm just that broke, cause to me that peanuts for a good competition.

[Chainsaw Aardvark]

This sounds like a wonderful idea, but I must admit I lack to money to back it up as well. What would be wonderful is if we had enough adverting or other revenue from this site that say once a year or so the best game/collection of items could be published under the 1km1kt label.

However, before we try more contests, perhaps we should start a discussion of what went right or wrong with the last one, and get some more input on how to do this in the future. Admittedly, working on a popular game like Team Fortress 2 is a bit different, but my friend who runs the TF-2 mapping group has actually gotten shirts and video cards donated to support the contests run by that group. I'm not sure if we could get similar deals with some publisher.

Is 2.5x3.5 even a standard size? Its less than half the size of the average note card (3x5) while the and a paperback is about 4x7.

As to some possible topics... Well we're entering 2010, so Arthur C. Clarke immediately comes to mind. Either something focusing on zerust/alternate history space colonies, being lost on a ship etc. Or we could note that 2009 was the anniversary of both the Berlin wall coming down ending the cold war, and Russia's first A-bomb test, which started the war. Something that focuses on those two events could be interesting.

[kumakami]

I think starting up the contest topic on the mod forums would be a great idea. in the end I think we truly need to keep the momentum for the last one.

as for some other questions 2.5 x 3.5 is a playing card's standard size. Most CCG's print both cards and their rule manuals in that size. I would be trying to use as their the one that had the mini book pricing that starting my mind a going.

I like the idea of the mini book for a spy game of sorts...... would be fun. I keep thinking how hard character sheets will be to make in the size format.

[SheikhJahbooty]

If you had some method of abbreviating attributes or kept skills to a minimum you could totally fit a character on a playing card size character sheet. I'm thinking of Traveller or Mnemonic ().

[kumakami]

Oh I was sure it was possible, just fun to see people try

[DavidEBest]

Very interesting. When I first read your post, I assumed the rulebook size you posted was a typo. I like small form factor rule books, but I never thought of trying to write an RPG in a CCG rule book.

Good idea!

[kumakami]

I was looking over the POD site for another project when I came across the cost for the Mini books....my first thought was "wow that is a cheap cost, wonder if you could make a RPG that small?"

When you think about if we can have one page rpg contests then why not this?

[DavidEBest]

There are a few options I could think of to fund the contest prize.
* Put a donate Paypal button on the contest website. It might not cover the entire prize, but it could at least offset the cost.
* Have a $2 or $3 entry fee, with a provision that all the money will go to the prize.
* Find a sponsor. You might want to see if Superior POD would be willing to sponsor, or trade the prize for advertising. I would think that a community that writes RPGs (and games in general) would be a prime target market for print-on-demand - especially from a company that can also do CCG-style cards on demand.

As far as themes go - I dig the idea of the mini-book as a primer/pocket handbook/field guide. To build off your spy example, the book could be themed like a new agent pocket guide.
This could work for lots of genres:
* A spell primer for a Harry Potter themed game
* The logbook / diary of a explorer (Lewis & Clark, Darkest Africa, Mars, etc.)
* A Monster Index (ala PokeMon)
* The last scrawled ramblings of a madman pushed over the edge by some sort of cosmic horror
...

Something else - if funding wasn't an issue, I would add an additional prize - a sheet (or whatever the minimum order is) of CCG card character sheets.

[kumakami]

well looking at card pricing.....My head hurts. The idea for a cheap entrance fee might work. however if money was NO option... the prizes would be as follows

4th- 15 copies your game.

3rd- 15 copies and 1 full color Gm's screen (must have all content before hand)

2nd- 15 copies, 1 game cover poster , and 3 full color Gm's screens (must have all content before hand)

1st- 15 copies, 2 posters (cover and 1 of your fav pics from the book) , 15 gm screens

[misterecho]

For insperation look at microlite d20
http://microlite20.net/files/Microlite2 ... ssence.pdf