Help Me Find A WW Theme
 

I was thinking about what I wanted to do for my next WW game but I don;t know everything that has been done in teh past, so I was wondering if you could fill me in on these genres:

Spy genre (think more James Bond and less Get Smart, but classic spy genre. Cool gadgets, totally over the top world ending plot, and tons of hot chicks to sleep with and later fend off their fiendish murder attempts)

Norse Mythology (ah, but this time, will the bad guys ultimately win? Complete with its own Ragnarok, trolls, giants, linnorm, and deities. Who wants to wield a big hammer?)

Chinese/Japanese martial arts (complete with cool fighting skills and unbleiveable stunts. Think more Hero/House of Flying Daggers/Crouching Tiger/Akira Kurasawa and less Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan)

Jr. High School Teenie Boppers (What happens when a nerd manages to inflitrate the jocks? Will they find him or just manage to give each other Atmoic Wedgies?)

Classic 40's era Film Noir (complete with gumshoes, deady dames, and corrupt officials where the only trustworthy person is a corpse and a non-smoker must be bad)

Time Travel (featuring a game ability to change previous lynches and bring back dead people but instead lynch other people)

Post-apocalyptic (Either a mutant tortured wastleand, sorta like Gamma World or Wasteland or Fallout, or a more cyberpunk oriented world like Mad Max, Road Warrior, and so forth.)

Hollywood Wannabes (with wanna be actors and actresses trying to get into film, find their way through a maze of agents, producers, talent, entourages, and ultimately try to get cast in a new major picture. Who will be seen by millions and who will end up making low quality porn? Lynching in this game would instead be career ending moves that forever taint your name (porn, scandals, discovering you have a conscience, etc)


Anyways, these are just some ideas I brainstormed while thinking about what I wanted to do. What do you think? Ideas? Thoughts?


-Anxiety

One quick note, any GM who would like to use one of these ideas is welcome to do so. Good luck with it!

Mythology - I did an Egyptian themed game that referenced the gods. Barkeep has a Greek gods game under development that I believe involves playing dieties, as opposed to worshippers of the gods.

Martial Arts - I had the "Chuck Norris" game that was basically ninja vs samurai. Lots of room for expansion/creativity in this area.

Time Travel - SnDvls ran a game where this was a key component.


Lot of fun sounding ideas in those themes - even the ones I mention above are all good options for a different perspective. Good luck with your brainstorming.

Just since its on your list, the short game I'll likely start up next monday (assuming sndvls game is done by then) is going to be a james bond theme. I figured it was a good theme for small/simple/beginner games without being generic :)

Dola,

I don't see any problem with themes being repeated over time. Its kind of silly to do another Jack the Ripper game right after having one, but I don't see any reason why we can't have another Star Wars type game or Jackie Chan type game or such from time to time. It feels like forever since we did those anyways.

I just would make sure the original game maker of such isn't planning on doing a sequel or follow up to it soon that you might be short circuiting.

you actually touched on my next small game theme but I'mm gonna keep that to myself.

if you decide on Time Travel let me know I can help on what did and didn't work in my game.

I'm still gonna do the Hatfield/McCoy complex game eventually, though being at the bottom of the list gives me plenty of time to put it together.

The other big game idea I'm kicking around is based on the DaVinci Code, if anyone wants to do something with that go for it.

My next short game will be about a chili cookoff.

I'm also in the camp that has no problem going back to past settings. Generally, I doubt we'll be running out of ideas anytime soon!

Y'know, a Get Smart game could be really fun, too.

I was thinking about something along similar lines. A Cold War game set in Berlin in the 1960s.

I like the post apocalyptic and Norse Mythology idea.

I also think using similar or same themes is fair game, but agree it is probably right to check on sequal rights first.

I have had a few ideas, but I claim first right to them! ;) Well, unless you really want to run them.

1. Congress-- that's right, Congress. Three factions. Two large ones (Repubs and Dems). One small one (the wolves) are the Independents, but they act like Dems and Repubs. Lots of things to do here--mutliple faction conditions, congressmen removed for scandals or simply being voted out. It's just an idea base, but I have thought of a lot of ways to go with it.

2. Survivor-- I think the show has already been used, maybe even this concept. But if not, cool. Just like the real show, except there's a real killer in the group. You're trying to find the killer to stop him--or the host to stop the damn game cuz people are dying (the cameras are still rolling, because, hey, what's better ratings than actual death and killing?). You're also still trying to win a million bucks.

3. Winter Meetings-- Go into the meetings with a roster of known values, and scouts' guesses on others. Sprinkle in some free agents and agents, and go at it. Every day, the worst GM gets fired.

VOTE Dave Littlefield

I've seen survivor done as a WW game and it was AWESOME. They had tribes, challenges, with in-game rewards, the whole bit. Players were honor bound to only read their thread and the "communal" thread and it worked well. They've actually done it a couple of times. I know it was a lot of work and the game actually had co-moderators. One who ran the Survivor aspect, and one who ran the Werewolf part. I think there's a lot of stuff that could be done with survivor.

I like the COngress idea, actually.

The Film Noir Idea sounds wonderful. A little Sam Spade, a little Philip MArlowe. Someone could even be Asta the dog from the Thin Man. :D

Another Idea...How about a game based on like either 10 little indians or Murder by Death?

I am doing the teeny bopper idea for my simple game with a twist. (not a game twist, just a flavor twist)

My large game is coming up in a few. I was hoping some of you had some newer ideas.

Here's an idea that's been percolating in my head, but the audience would have to be very satire friendly -

You are a group of fundamentalist Christians trying to worship the Lord when one of you is outed as a homosexual! The righteous among you try to ferret out the truth as you uncover a den of liberal-idolatry amongest the group!!! It's the God-fearing Only-the-King-James-Original-For-Me Fightin' Fundies versus the sinister and satanic influences of libralism and sex!


-Anxiety

Would you believe a werewolf?

:D

That would have to have the cone of silence :D It would be a must.

I think, from various things I've read in your Magic articles, that your background is such that is meant as good humored fun. However, I still wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole.

I was considering a game that involved angels and demons and the building of a cathedral and decided THAT might be too controversial.

Hmm, I think I could have a lot of fun with roleplay in Anxiety's proposed game :)

Did anyone do "Transformers" or "GI Joe"?

No.

I almost did a transformers game once. I would love if someone did that. It actually is something I remember somewhat ok. (As long as it was the original transformers. I don't know any of the stuff from those dino-bots on).

Well, I can tick off two of these now with my small and large games complete.