Rulers of Pegolia 2023 - Weekly Results

#1

As suggested by @DeReel, a separate thread for my game reports. I also want to make this a place not to just post my links, but have discussion, both of the play and the game itself.

As a context, the players (besides me as a GM with a GM nation), are 10-11 years old. I am using Roll For Shoes behind the screens to resolve the actions weekly.

So far we’ve had an introductory blogpost and a first week.

So far the observations do far are:
• Since there are schools where I only am one day a week, lessons have a tendency to fall away during Hollidays, feast days, projects, etc. Which makes it harder to keep it weekly.
• The kids are realizing how slow talking to each other through messaging is. Send a message one week, having to wait the next week as the other party receives it and has to write a reply, …
• Meanwhile, I told them that in their own classroom, if they want to just talk to each other and plan, that’s allowed, but they seem to want to work against each other. Oh well, let’s see how that resolves.

3 Likes
#2

Thank you!
I love how the situation is full of potential. I’ve fond memories of floor wargames, but a wider approach (using roll for shoes allows all sort of ideas) is much more promising.

1 Like
#3

The root of this idea was “What if I could teach about using responsibilities, using the examples of the king, emulating a game like Civilization.”

This game went through many iterations. A board game that went on for too long, a simulation with good and crooked rulers that influence how a city is run, which also went on too long …

Then I heard about the game of Diplomacy and how someone’s teacher used it in a classroom where things progressed each lesson, and I started dreaming. I started writing a system, quickly learning that young players don’t read rules. I used Risus behind the screens, but that was still too complicated. Now I’m trying Roll for Shoes, which means no Resource Management, no categories to think in, etc.

Let’s see how it goes. I’m hopeful that it might be something that I can ‘publish’ for free as a teachers resource soon-ish.

1 Like
#4

And week 2! I was a bit faster with processing it this time.

#5

The spies are a good proxy to experiment conflict.

1 Like
#6

And here’s the update:

It’s interesting to sea how serious they are taking it. With one group, since last time took way to long, I told them I’d set a timer for 15 minutes, after which they could no longer write actions for the coming week. They even shushed me to be quiet so they could write. I have never seen them this concentrated.

Also interesting to see how they will deal with missing reactions. I keep reminding them to make sure they react to everything. They keep ensuring me they did. I keep finding out they didn’t. Oh well, they reap the fruit of it now, with escaped spies.

1 Like
#7

It’s a perfect space to learn: what they do matters. When you have a space like that, you sure are concentrated.
And they can do more things they can think of. So they forget things: logical consequence (if you squint).

If you want them to check reactions at any cost, you could have a peer check they have played their reactions for the turn. But that’s peer control, and that’s mean. Maybe something like a token, or simply a paper note, in a specific place or position (tilt or flip)could be a reminder. Or a timeframe for reactions. Materializing reactions one way or another?
Sorry, I was just thinking outloud, that was my game tinkering brain taking over.

1 Like
#8

Every week they get a list describing what happened. They get to react to that.

#9

Sorry for the short reply. I got interrupted. Those are good ideas. The Peer-Control is not for me (especially since they might be keeping secret info from each other). Maybe instead of making it a bullet point list I should give it squares the can put checkmarks in? But on the other hand, they might come up with their own strategies. Perhaps next year, or next ‘season’ (after easter vacation) I could make video-reports of me handling every turn, a bit like how Adam Koebel did with the Far Verona Faction Turns. But that seems like a lot of work. Not sure I’m up for that.

What do you mean with this? I am not offended if you think my consequences are not entirely logical, but I’m curious and want to learn.

#10

More than checkmarks I was thinking something even more material. Like “the reaction card” or one sticky note for each reaction.

I was linking the fact that they enjoy freedom with the fact that they forget some cause and consequences. Like when a beginner tries chess, or investigation: they see mostly the things they want, but lose sight of a lot of others. Whereas an experienced player follows the logical links to cover more situations more steadily.

To me the links betweens facts in any narrative game are more “narrative” than strictly “logical”, so I say the links are “logical if you squint”. That comment was very unclear and unnecessary, but certainly not pointed at you.

1 Like
#11

Oh, okay, then I agree. It’s part of the fun seeing them figuring things out.

1 Like
#12

Sorry for the long silence. Two more weeks have passed, the home crunch became too much, and the game has ended this week. I will hopefully write something about it in the weeks to follow, as I will have two weeks of easter vacation.

1 Like
#13

The Final Write-Up of the Year, but please, discussion is encouraged below:

1 Like
#14

Hi, I’m a bit sad you pulled the plug. I’m a bit sad for Wildekinde too: as a player, knowing in advance when the game will end is a way to time my effects. In that regard, Berticobella benefits from the timing.

I would like to work with you on how things could get smoother for the next group. Instead of replacing parts like you intend, I’d move them around and add a layer. Like: a spy phase, with letters and all, is fun and makes them write :wink: But for a other actions, a spoken declaration will be much faster, informed and dramatic. So I think the complexity you note can be relieved and directed to this spoken phase. And maybe the end of the academic year is not the right time for you to work on that. What do you think?

1 Like
#15

Maybe we can do a brainstorm over the summer months?
• The main thing for me is that the kids should be able to take a turn in 15 minutes MAX, preferably shorter. Because there are other things I still need to do. So yeah, maybe like checking boxes, etc. Talking to each other is more difficult if you are not in the same school, so that is why I would think of each classroom in the game playing one kingdom instead, so they could talk to each other normally, while having to rely on snail mail for other communication.

• For me it should also go more quickly on my side. Which is why I’m thinking making pre-printed sheets where I can track projects easily, track consequences, etc. Cutting down from seven to three kingdoms will make things easier for me as well.

• Wildekind is me, I purposefully didn’t do a lot. There was already so much going on that a GM-led kingdom wasn’t needed.

1 Like
#16

Hi!
After seeing a discussion with Mickael Low LuckOfLegends on Luna Uni, I want to join an english speaking community that deals specifically with the topic of education in narrative games. Do you know any?

1 Like
#17

Not specifically, no. Unfortunately.

#18

Well in the meantime I got these addresses:



But do they work in the antipodes is to find out.