[Ephemera] First thoughts, and intentionally failing.
jackson_tegu:
Yeah, of course, whenever you're ready - i just wanted to stick my foot in the door here, firmly, be like "This. This is something i want to be able to hold, someday." But i don't get everything i want, either, and i'm ok with that.
UserClone:
So I'm thinking that those youthful hopes, dreams, triumphs, tragedies, pain, and embarassments will be written on one torn-out page each, and each player will have (a number...maybe three or four?) of them, keeping them private. And when another player fails, you can give them one of your papers (trusting that person with this private, true information about you), in which case they automatically succeed, and you both scratch off one of the boxes on your grid (getting closer to growing up and putting aside childish things). However, if no one has the courage to trust that player with one of their private memories of their childhood, then ALL players must scratch off a box, and give one of their memories to Coyote by tearing it up and throwing it away. Such a sobering failure makes us all grow up that much faster.
It will be noted at the beginning of the game that there is to be no judgment or discussion when someone does or does not choose to share one of their memories to strengthen a comrade, and that it is entirely up to the receiving player what they do with anyone else's secret past...so play with people you think you can trust (though it's helpful if they don't know LITERALLY everything about you).
More as thoughts develop.
Jacob Bouvier:
I have no clue if I'll be randomly selected as one of your playtesters, but I'll throw my hat into the "pretty please I'd like a copy anyway" ring, just in case you feel generous and your hand hasn't cramped too much.
UserClone:
I may decide to make an electronic version for the sole purpose of judging, with the request that no one distribute (or even keep) the file after judging, and in exchange, I will send any of them who wants one a copy of the physical book. That way I can still participate in the contest. If by some freakish stroke of bad taste lots of people want one, I'll see how much it would cost to print it out as a scoutbook, because writer's cramp. Also, poor penmanship, so SLOOOOOW.
UserClone:
Okay, so thoughts on the dice mechanic:
On the one hand, I like the regulating effect of using the median of three equal-size dice, I find it distasteful to waste dice rolls. In that spirit, I'm thinking that when a challenge comes up in the story, everyone will roll the dice of their choice, while performing some ritual, like saying, "...and Coyote cast the bones," and the LOWEST LOW die will decide who must meet the challenge. The HIGHEST HIGH die among all dice rolled indicates who may offer aid. This way, the player who rolls the dice with the fewest sides (and thus the greatest chance of failing to meet or beat a 5 with her median die) is more likely to be the child who must meet the challenge, thereby creating more opportunities for the other child to Offer Aid and, in doing so, share part of how she (the helper) became who she is with him.
I'm thinking that under no circumstances is anyone obligated to read the secret of someone Offering Aid, though it is within their rights to do so (and again, it's important to remember that no one may pass judgment upon anyone who fails to read a secret, or upon the person whose secret you are reading). I'm definitely thinking that this is a better game if you go into it writing down very private things that can potentially make you uncomfortable for others to know about you.
Also, when the player who can offer aid fails to do so, all players must scratch off the HIGHEST die size box they have left (in that category of rolls, or in any? not sure yet), which brings them closer to adulthood. Also, Coyote will claim one secret memory from each player if this happens, thus reducing all players' ability to Offer Aid.
I think Offering Aid will be as simple as this: you give of yourself one secret memory to the player who has failed, describe how you Offer Aid, and how that turns failure into success (more on how to describe Failure or Success later).
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