Tactego Interlude: We Need a Theme
Posted by Rob Herman at July 3rd, 2007
Among game designers there is disagreement about the importance of the theme. Some say that it should come before everything else and drive the design of the mechanics; others, that you should come up with the best mechanics possible and then put on an acceptable theme.
Here I’d like to argue a point that only sounds trite at first: The theme should be added as soon as it is needed. So, for instance, if the designer is inspired by a certain theme, well, then that theme should be there from the beginning. Goodness knows the inspiration is critical! If the designer is inspired by a certain set of mechanics or idea in the game flow, and the game can be designed entirely without a theme, then the game can have a theme added at the last minute or even left abstract.
In the design of Tactego, I now find myself with many ideas for units to use, certainly many more than can comfortably fit into a game. Doubtless a decent game can be made with several combinations of these; but who has the time or inclination to try every single one of them out? Even if we could, that wouldn’t tell us which is best or most fun. Therefore, I believe that this is the time to pick a theme, and let that help guide my choice of which pieces to use.
(Reader Ephraim Glass’s favorite units also sound like a good place to start to me; we’ll probably start there.)
As for what theme to use? The Napoleonic theme of Stratego definitely doesn’t excite me. I’m a big fan of fantasy but I think it’s overdone. One idea I kind of like is rival bandit lords fighting over stolen treasure in pre-Renaissance Europe. Another is a much more abstract game focusing on competing tribes of animals (cats are stealthy, wolves like being in packs, elephants are just big, etc.)
Tribes of animals was also one of my first thoughts. You had mentioned that you like fantasy and I think that the two ideas can be combined in a novel way. You could use animal spirits from tribal societies of the pre-Columbian Americas. Coyote, jaguar, serpent, hare, and monkey all invoke potent imagery while tapping a fresher vein of fantasy material than the usual goblin and ogre fare.
Clearly, this game should be “Geeks vs. Dorks” The different teams are different geek subcultures. Unix coders are antisocial, but individually powerful. Glomping Anime Girls are individually weak, but have good team powers. etc.
Ephraim Glass: I like that a lot–as you say, it’s both evocative and fresh. I think I’ll run with it.
drobviousso: That’s either brilliantly horrible or horribly brilliant. It’s also such a good theme for a Steve Jackson game that I think I’ll pitch it to them with no game even attached–they should jump on top of it.
“either brilliantly horrible or horribly brilliant”
That’s going in my Gaim profile.