Game Overview
Earth is threatened by the planet smashing supergravity weapons of Galactic Overlord Taran the Terrible. A small group of elite human agents have been sent on a one way rocket trip to the world of Tarantium in a last-ditch effort of interstellar diplomacy to save the Earth from being ripped apart.
This megagame will be run at the Wellycon boardgame convention on Saturday 5 June 2021. The game will run from approximately 10.30am to 4.30pm with a short lunch break. There are some game roles available for players who only want to play for part of the game. Tickets for Wellycon are now available through the convention website. Once you have a Wellycon ticket, download the Casting doc, and email Dillon at grand.vizier@gmail.com with your top three picks for role in the game.
Game Objective
This is a hobby game for entertainment. We play to find out what happens, especially:
- Does Earth survive? Can the meddling Earthlings prevent the destruction of their home world? What compromises and sacrifices must be made to make this happen? If Earth survives, what other world will be destroyed in its place?
- Does Emperor Taran the Terrible survive? Will the oppressed people or their feudal overlords rise up against their immortal leader? Will the Imperial ministers and armed forces remain loyal? If Taran falls, what happens to the Empire and its people?
What do you mean by Romance?
This megagame is inspired by classic tales of the sword and planet genre, where small groups of people from Earth must figure out how to survive in an alien world. Those were in turn often referencing the chivalric Arthurian romances and their tales of errant knights. In these tales, people encountering each other for the first time tend to quickly become firm friends or dangerous enemies. Romance of the Seven Worlds will have an opt-in romance mechanic to encourage this emergent play that will encourage unexpected alliances and rivalries. This aspect of the megagame is 100% platonic, and does not require physical contact between players.
For more information on the Romance mechanics, see this blog post.
Why Seven Worlds?
Over the ages, Emperor Taran has captured six worlds in orbit around their home world of Tarantium. These worlds have been preserved for their aesthetic beauty, and to produce food and other resources to feed the hive cities of the imperial capital. The noble families engage in chivalric warfare and Machiavellian intrigue to gain enough imperial favour. The Guilds fight to preserver their privileges and monopolies. Meanwhile the Common folk of the subject world suffer oppression and fear. Earth could become the seventh world of the Empire – but only if one of the existing six subject worlds is destroyed in place of Earth.
Game Roles
All game roles are gender agnostic. For the Earthling and Imperial heir roles, opting in to the Romance minigame is strongly recommended. The number of roles available is indicated in brackets.
Update 18 May: 22 of the game roles have been cast, and all of the Guild and Commons roles are taken. The remaining roles are Imperial heir, Imperial Minister, the Ace Pilot from Earth, and one Noble role. If there is something you like about a role that has already been cast, contact Dillon at grand.vizier@gmail.com and we can try and work out a role that would be fun for you.
Emperor Taran the Terrible (1) the eternal ruler of the galaxy. This is the only character in the game who cannot opt in to the romance minigame. The Emperor rules through fear, not love.
Imperial Ministers (3+) the trusted servants of the Emperor with extensive powers and privileges. Each aspires to be recognised as the Emperor’s right hand, and seeks to avoid being executed for failing their Emperor.
Earthlings (3) – a billionaire science entrepreneur, a celebrity journalist, and an ace pilot. They only have six hours to save the Earth!
Imperial Heirs (1+) – the children of Taran the Terrible, who have survived a deadly decadent court to reach adulthood. This is a role with little inherent influence – unless the Emperor dies – so it is recommended for players who can be self-starters and seek their own fun in the game.
Nobles (6+) members of the families who rule over one of the six subject worlds of Tarantium. Nobles are expert pilots and duelists, responsible for the military defence of their home world against meteor swarms and the covetous eyes of other nobles. All the families compete for imperial favour by rendering worthy tribute found in the hazardous wilderness regions of the seven worlds.
Guilds (6+) are the masters of an organisation with an imperial charter granting them specific privileges, such as literacy, science training, and a monopoly on the supply of key technologies. If you want to focus on science discoveries, this is the role you want.
Commons (7+) are the ordinary people of the subject worlds and imperial capital, who live in hope of a better life. Anyone needing to sway the loyalty of a world, or to recruit large armies needs the support of the common people.
Finally, we have the Outlaws (1+), a mix of rebels, smugglers, and pirates dedicated to the overthrow of Emperor Taran. Because you do not have strong military forces, you will need to think creatively and recruit allies if any rebellion is to have a chance of succeeding.
For more information, please download and read the Casting Guide (click on the download button below).
Casting
Casting will be done on a first come, first served basis. This is different from our past practice. As soon as you have purchased a ticket for Wellycon please email grand.vizier@gmail.com with your top three role choices in the game, whether you want to be a rebel, and if you want to opt in to the Romance game.
Because there are a lot of gaming options at Wellycon, a small number of game roles will be available for people who only want to commit to a few hours hours of the megagame. These roles will be as Imperial Ministers or Outlaw Space Pirates.
Constraints of the Pulp genre
This megagame is based on the tropes of fictional genres, especially the pulp comics of the 1930s. Players will be able to attempt any plausible course of action, and Control will adjudicate the outcomes based on pulp principles established before the game and the current state of the game. There will, however, be no further reinforcements from Earth, invasions by space elves, or “I Win” buttons.
Draft Rules
Draft rules can be downloaded (PDF). These rules will be finalised a week before the game. Send any feedback on the draft rules to Dillon at grand.vizier@gmail.com.