Post by Krall on Jul 1, 2017 17:33:31 GMT
The Monthly Telephone Map Game
Hello! Welcome to the Monthly Telephone Map Game's main thread. If you're unsure what the MTMG is or how it works, then you're in the right place!
A telephone map game is a game somewhat like the kid's game "broken telephone" (sometimes known as "Chinese whispers"). The players are arranged in a chain, and the player in the first position makes a map representing an alternate history scenario. This map is passed on to the next player who makes their own map set in the same apparent timeline as the map they were given, and then passes their map on to the next player, who does the same. As each player only sees the map of the previous player - not any of the earlier maps - and only has the information on that one map to work off of, each player's interpretation of the timeline is unique and occasionally contradictory. Sometimes the game produces a coherent series of maps, and sometimes it produces a mess that shifts across time and space with maps overlapping and contradicting one another - either way, it's fun.
The Monthly Telephone Map game is, well, a monthly telephone map game that I'll be running out of this forum. Each month a new round of the game will open to players, and when everyone playing in a round has finished their maps I'll post them all together on here.
That's the short version, at least. The full version, including all rules, requirements, and restrictions, is below:
A telephone map game is a game somewhat like the kid's game "broken telephone" (sometimes known as "Chinese whispers"). The players are arranged in a chain, and the player in the first position makes a map representing an alternate history scenario. This map is passed on to the next player who makes their own map set in the same apparent timeline as the map they were given, and then passes their map on to the next player, who does the same. As each player only sees the map of the previous player - not any of the earlier maps - and only has the information on that one map to work off of, each player's interpretation of the timeline is unique and occasionally contradictory. Sometimes the game produces a coherent series of maps, and sometimes it produces a mess that shifts across time and space with maps overlapping and contradicting one another - either way, it's fun.
The Monthly Telephone Map game is, well, a monthly telephone map game that I'll be running out of this forum. Each month a new round of the game will open to players, and when everyone playing in a round has finished their maps I'll post them all together on here.
That's the short version, at least. The full version, including all rules, requirements, and restrictions, is below:
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The Schedule and Deadlines
Each round will begin on the 1st of each month, when the Gamemaster (that's me!) will post a thread for it in this forum. People wishing to play in that round may post in the thread, and the Gamemaster will add them to the roster for that round. The first player in the roster will make the initial map for that round, which they will pass to the Gamemaster who then passes it on to the next player. When a player receives a map, they have 1 week to make another map that is - as far as they can tell - set in the same timeline as the one they were given. This deadline may be extended (but never shortened) by the Gamemaster as circumstances permit. The first player has 2 weeks starting from the beginning of the round to make the initial map. Once the last player in the roster has finished their map, the Gamemaster will post all the maps together in that round's thread, at which point people may comment on and discuss the final results.
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The Roster and Registering to Play
- The only way to register to play in a round is to post in that round's thread - contacting the Gamemaster via PM or any other means will not be accepted.
- You may register to play in a round at any time after it's begun and before it ends, even if the round is already underway.
- You may not join a round that already has 10 players.
- You may register to play in several rounds at the same time.
- If you don't want to be the first player in the roster, or would otherwise prefer a specific position in the roster, please tell the Gamemaster when you ask to join the round. Conversely, if you're willing to act as the first player for that round please tell the Gamemaster so they can avoid giving the task to someone who's unwilling or not ready.
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The Maps and Their Requirements
- Your map MUST plausibly exist in the same timeline as the one given to you.
- Your map MUST be at least tangentially related to the one given to you. As a rule of thumb if the subject of the map you were given and the one you've made were on Wikipedia, and they'd link to each other or both link to a page on a common subject, then it's valid.
- Your map MUST NOT contain much in the way of a text description. Map labels, titles, and a short description are acceptable, but extensive explanations and large amounts of text are not.
- DO NOT show your map to anyone other than the Gamemaster until the round is finished. Once the round has finished you may do whatever you like with your map.
- When you've finished making your map you MUST pass it on to the Gamemaster.
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That should be everything. If you have any comments, criticisms, or questions please feel free to ask them here - or send me a PM!
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