The reverse engineering challenge

[Kevin Allen Jr]

So after some observation of other designers and talking to some folks (thanks Shreyas) I had this idea for a design contest:

Thesis-
Speaking generally, the last thing in most RPG books is a character sheet. Character sheets are the thing that players most use to interface between the design of the game and actual play. Character sheets have ranged from beautiful and elegant to ugly and neigh-useless. The design of these play-tools should be pushed further, not just asthetically but also their relationship to the games they belong to.

The challenge- Design a character sheet. NOT A GAME. Just a character sheet. You have 2 weeks to do this. Everyone may submit a design, but they may only submit 1.

At the end of the two week entrance period the sheets will be randomly distributed to the designers (you will not get your own). Using only the character sheet as a guide, the designers will have an additional 2 weeks to design a game that uses that character sheet.

The designers will then reveiw the games and vote on a winner using set criteria (all designs will be posted on the web for public veiwing).
Some sort of cool prize awaits, and certainly the accolades of your peers.
Character sheets may be sent to my email: kevin_allen_jr AT hotmail DOT com. Please send PDFs if able, other formats are fine, they are just more work for me.

start of contest Aug 14. Character sheets accepted untill midnight Aug 28. Design assignments will be given out on the 29-30 (don't worry, they will all be released at the same time, i just want to give myself a window to get the work done). Completed designs must be submitted by Sept 13.

If you only want to design one half of the contest:
i'm gonna say yeah, go ahead, it looks like a pretty even split between folks who want to design just sheets and just games. If you ONLY want to make a game, just send me an email saying so, that way you get a sheet when they are all submitted.

if this ends up being grossly unbalanced (i get 10 sheets and 3 people who want to design games) people who designed sheets and games will get preferential treatment. I don't know what to do if the scales tip the other way. Suggestions?

as to including a game name on the cha sheet, yeah thats a little lame, but i don't think illustration or symbology is. Do with that what you will.

i'm very interested to see how chaotic and abstract these sheets get, and then how the games wrangle them together.

To work, you monsters.

[iago]

I'm terribly intreeeeegued.  I'll probably be up for it.

[thwaak]

Count me in.

[marknau]

I've sent you a sheet. Please clarify how much text (if any) we should be using in creating the sheets.

[iago]

My sheet's sent in.  Gods help whoever gets it. :)

[Darcy Burgess]

This is awesome fun.  My sheet's in like Flynn.

Here's the sister thread over at Story-Games.

Did I mention that I'm stupid-level giddy with anticipation?

Giddy I say!

[NeuroZombie]

OMG... This is right up my alley as I really do like creating character sheets, and sheets are honestly the first thing I look at for any new rpg that I come across. I am in, so long as I can find the time!

 :(  Working a comic-con this weekend, so....

[Zach]

I've sent you a sheet. Please clarify how much text (if any) we should be using in creating the sheets.

I concur. Many useful sheets these days contain the core rules of the game, leaving the receiver of such a project with little to do but add color and expand upon any apparent paradoxes.

[BeUrgaust]

Mine is in! and I got pip happy.

[Dustfather]

Mine is in too!

[thwaak]

OK, got my character sheet in to Kevin. I'd like to apologize now for whoever gets my sheet. Heh.

[Kirk Mitchell]

I sat down and cranked out a tasty treat. This is why I should not listen to Modest Mouse or Mogwai. Printing it on a laserjet printer would be best, so the paper won't get soggy.

Love,
Kirk

[BeUrgaust]

Oh seven days and I'm itching to get one of these sheets.

[NeuroZombie]

Oh seven days and I'm itching to get one of these sheets.

Yep :)

[gwangi]

Some of you who provided sheets are just plain cruel! A lot of the sheets are awesome, but I look at some of them and think "Please God Nooooo!" I laughed my head off at the one that had Wm. Shatner's picture on it, at the end of some sort of life path. Very funny.