[Jul+Aug 2018] - Games - Discussion Thread

[xiagan]

Games


Pollice Verso by Jean-Leon Gerome (1872)

Games are incredibly important for us humans (and probably for other fantastical races too). For children they're safe environments to learn just about everything. For adults (who of course are so wise that they don't need to learn stuff through games or make-believe) games have entertaining, socializing and - depending on the game - lots of other values.

Panem et circenses. Hunger Games. Quidditch. Thud!
We find a thousand card or dice games in countless taverns; amphitheaters and arenas in fantastical metropolises; gods who use human pawns or humans who gamble with gods.

Your story has to be about a game. Doesn't matter if three copper coins, the MC's life or a civilization is at stake, if they play ball, cards or fight to the death.

Let the games begin and may the odds be ever in your favor!

Rules:

1. This must be prose or poetry.
2. The story has to be about a game (see above).
3. Prose must be 500-1500 words long.
4. Poetry must be 100-750 words long.
5. One story per person or writing team (not per account).
6. You will be disqualified if you exceed the limits, full stop. That's why they're called limits.
7. Your entry can't be published somewhere else before.
8. This is a writing contest, not a "I have written something like this ten years ago" contest. So if you happen to have a story that fits one of the themes, I'd like it to have a mayor overhaul/edit. Work for it.
9. Please add your story's word count and, if you have, your twitter handle.
10. Please put your story in [ spoiler ] tags to make the thread easier to handle. You can find them above the smileys under the B.
Bonus rule: We consider voting in a contest you're taking part in a given. Others take time and effort to read the stories - you should do the same. A small community like ours lives from reciprocity and this contest needs stories as much as votes. 

Extra rule: If your game requires some kind of explanation or stating of the rules, you get 250 words extra to do so.

If you want so submit your story anonymously you can do so by sending it in a personal message to @xiagan.

Entry will close July 31st/August 1st, 2018 and voting will begin somewhere around the same time too.

All members are eligible to join. If you are not a member you can join here. Sign up is free and all are welcome!

The winner will have their piece displayed on the main Fantasy Faction website sometime in the next months.
Submitting a story counts as published. The author retains all rights to their work.

Please post your entry here.

Note: This thread is only for questions or discussing this month's writing contest. Good luck!

[xiagan]

Sorry for being late, I needed to pull a @Lanko to show my support for a Brazilian win in the world cup.

[JMack]

Another great topic! Soooooooo many possibilities.

[tebakutis]

Okay I have been stupid lazy regarding contests due to having so much else going on, but if I don't write a story for this topic, I feel like I should turn in my writing contest regular card.

I WILL DO THIS THING.

[The Gem Cutter]

The game’s afoot, the dice mid-air, so come and join us if you dare,
For fun, for profit, for wealth, for fame, it’s not the player who’s to blame,
The odds are long and chances slim, the game says only one can win,
So come and join us, play your best, but keep your cards held tight to chest,
Play the player’s what the wisest say, there’s nought to lose nor bet to pay,
But is the player not a game as well? With scores to keep and risks to quell?
And is the game itself a piece upon a broader, darker board,
Where unseen hands move players round, drawn by unseen cords?

[ScarletBea]

 

We had a feeling this theme would strike a chord

[Bender]

Does it have to be about the game itself, event happening within the game... a la a hunger game fight, or

Is a game theme permissible, like a story set in a stadium in midst of a football game. The game is the main theme setting, but the events happen outside the game.

?

[ScarletBea]

Does it have to be about the game itself, event happening within the game... a la a hunger game fight, or

Is a game theme permissible, like a story set in a stadium in midst of a football game. The game is the main theme setting, but the events happen outside the game.

?

Rules: 2. The story has to be about a game.
Not: The story's setting is in a game.
 

[JMack]

Does it have to be about the game itself, event happening within the game... a la a hunger game fight, or

Is a game theme permissible, like a story set in a stadium in midst of a football game. The game is the main theme setting, but the events happen outside the game.

?

Rules: 2. The story has to be about a game.
Not: The story's setting is in a game.

Though as long as rule 2 is satisfied, of course the setting can be in a game.

[Jonathan Ryan]

Finding myself inspired by Winston Churchill 🙄😎

"War is a game that is played with a smile. If you can't smile, grin. If you can't grin, keep out of the way till you can."

[ScarletBea]

Halfway in the month... no stories yet?
I hope you're all writing

[Carter]

Halfway in the month... no stories yet?
I hope you're all writing

I would not have thought I'd be the first one to reply to this after 4 days, but there you go.

I'm working on one.  Got a draft finished and now need to work on it some more before I'll be able to let anyone see it.  It's currently too long and looks like it needs to get longer though but I'm hoping I can get it back until control rather than having to abandon it and write by back-up idea. 

[The Gem Cutter]

Point of order: would a trial as part of graduation be considered a game? I am thinking something like Harry Potter's Triwizard Cup.

[ScarletBea]

I would say it's valid, but it might then depend on the person reading/voting... what do you think, @xiagan?

[Alex Hormann]

Point of order: would a trial as part of graduation be considered a game? I am thinking something like Harry Potter's Triwizard Cup.

I'd say it's a game. Like the Olympic Games.