Barf Forth Apocalyptica

powered by the apocalypse => Dungeon World => Topic started by: tonydowler on July 11, 2010, 02:55:18 PM

Title: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: tonydowler on July 11, 2010, 02:55:18 PM
I forsee this hack eventually producing a full set of rules. I think it makes a lot of sense for these rules to join the huge trove of old-school renaissance open content game materials out there!

So from here on in, I'm working towards a set of rules that can be released under creative commons and/or the Open Gaming License.

The problem with this is that I can't release anything under the OGL and use "D&D" in the name! So ApocD&D needs a name change. I'm leaning towards "Apocalypse Box". Is that a dumb name? Anyone have another suggestion?
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: C. Edwards on July 11, 2010, 03:43:44 PM
Beyond the connection to AW, does it even make sense to have "Apocalypse" in the title? If you plan on adding in some apocalyptic setting stuff then I totally see it. If not, then I think it will just be misleading. Unless you're looking to incorporate the whole "points of light" thing, and spin it as being post-apoc?
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Shreyas on July 11, 2010, 04:09:37 PM
How about

- Dragons & Dungeons
- Hit With Sword
- Gaol Raiders
- Adventure Quest
- Gelatinous Cubeslayer
- The Monsters Down There
- Crypt Cleaners
- Barrow-Sackers
- Down Dusty Stairs
- Underground Adventures
- The Dungeon Experience
- Platemail & Polearms
- Dragonbreath

Honestly, I think the six old-school D&D stats are more problematic than titles. Game titles are a dime a dozen.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: John Harper on July 12, 2010, 12:38:56 AM
Definitely ditch "apocalypse" from the title.

If you want a little wink to AW, maybe "Dungeon World?"

Shreyas' are good too.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: benhimself on July 13, 2010, 11:40:24 PM
If you want a little wink to AW, maybe "Dungeon World?"

Great minds think alike! (http://apocalypse-world.com/forums/index.php?topic=95.0)

But I doubt I'll actually go anywhere with Dungeon World, so if you want the name, Tony, feel free to it!
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Johnstone on July 14, 2010, 03:37:41 AM
Now to Loot the Dungeon.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Hans Chung-Otterson on July 14, 2010, 04:09:26 AM
I'm partial to "hit with sword" myself.

But Dungeon World's good too.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Michael Pfaff on July 14, 2010, 01:27:11 PM
My vote goes to Dungeon World.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: philaros on July 14, 2010, 06:44:55 PM
Now to Loot the Dungeon.

*applause*
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Bret on July 16, 2010, 09:10:29 AM
Dungeon World is an existing product by Fast Forward Entertainment. If you plan on going forward with that, contact them first to see if they're still using it. I kind of doubt it since it was an OGL product and I only saw it for a short time after its release in 2003, but it could still potentially cause problems for you if they're still selling it.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: saintandsinner on July 16, 2010, 03:45:46 PM
Apocalypse Dungeon

or

Dungeon Apocalypse? 
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: sage on August 03, 2010, 09:25:01 PM
I vote for Dungeon World. In fact, I vote for it so hard, I made a new version of the rules and just called them Dungeon World. :)
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Tavis on August 16, 2010, 12:28:10 PM
Having advocated the idea that D&D is the apocalypse (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_258/7683-D-D-Is-the-Apocalypse), I support keeping 'apocalypse' in the title.

'Apocalypse Dungeon' would be pretty straightforward.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: sage on August 16, 2010, 01:21:56 PM
I think it kind of depends on what audience this is for. If everyone who plays this hack has played AW, then yeah, Apocalypse Dungeon is cool. On the other hand, if this hack is more of a stand-alone thing, people are just going to be thrown off by it. I talked to my brother about "Apocalypse D&D," telling him all this cool stuff the game has, and his first question was "so what was the apocalypse?"

I think this hack has legs of its own, so I'd prefer a name that didn't confuse people not familiar with AW.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: tonydowler on August 16, 2010, 02:54:23 PM
Tavis: yes, a thousand times yes!

Sage: I'm currently working on the assumption that Dungeon World is a Sage LaTorra game, but I'm planning to steal it back eventually. :)

And, curiously enough, I made up a huge T&T megadungeon a few months before I first heard of Apocalypse World (but when folks on SG were talking about post-apocalyptic games a lot). I called it the Apocalypse Megadungeon:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37996594214@N01/3263252117/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/37996594214@N01/3263252117/)
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: sage on August 16, 2010, 03:03:26 PM
Cool, I'll run with that.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: akooser on August 16, 2010, 07:19:41 PM
How are megadungeons handled in Apoc D&D any different then the shorter dungeons?

Maybe this might need a new thread?

ara
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Johnstone on August 17, 2010, 05:39:54 AM
I talked to my brother about "Apocalypse D&D," telling him all this cool stuff the game has, and his first question was "so what was the apocalypse?"

And you answered "You're the apocalypse, 'cause you kill every damn thing in the dungeon," right?
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Michael Pfaff on August 17, 2010, 08:56:22 AM
I talked to my brother about "Apocalypse D&D," telling him all this cool stuff the game has, and his first question was "so what was the apocalypse?"

And you answered "You're the apocalypse, 'cause you kill every damn thing in the dungeon," right?

Ha! Nice.

I can see D&D definitely being "the apocalypse". Most settings are essentially the ruins of a previous fallen civilization with ancient, powerful magic items [technology] scattered in monster infested dungeons. Even the newest edition uses the "points of light" as a default, where the points of light are small settlements (hardholds) surrounded by an encroaching darkness full of monsters and danger (fronts). The only people able to really go out and kick some ass are the PCs.

So, is D&D set in an apocalyptic world? Certainly. But, I think when people hear the word "apocalypse" they don't really associate that with D&D. They likely associate it more with a "dark ages" atmosphere, where light vs. darkness is a big theme, compared to survival and morality in post-apocalyptic media.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: sage on August 17, 2010, 01:17:52 PM
Yeah, I'm sure there are all kinds of similarities, but the first thing that comes to mind with that title is likely to be D&D + post-apocalyptic wasteland full of burned out cars. That could certainly be an awesome game, but maybe not the expectation to set.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Michael Pfaff on August 17, 2010, 01:48:30 PM
Yeah, I'm sure there are all kinds of similarities, but the first thing that comes to mind with that title is likely to be D&D + post-apocalyptic wasteland full of burned out cars. That could certainly be an awesome game, but maybe not the expectation to set.

That's pretty much what I'm saying.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: sage on August 17, 2010, 01:53:20 PM
And I'm agreeing. :)
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Jeff Russell on August 17, 2010, 04:16:59 PM
Damnit, forums are not for agreeing! Obviously there's some veiled argument/flame/mortal insult in your seeming concordance of views! :)

That being said, yes, I agree that "Apocalypse" in the title these days is going to conjure some Mad Max associations. But I think the more interesting question is do you want to try to push that word into some new associations, and/or use them to illuminate the "apocalyptic" traits of D&D? (e.g. "Oh, huh, I was expecting the Humungus and Orc Warg Gangs terrorizing halflings with boomerangs, but you know what? Even 'normal' D&D has a lot in common with that kind stuff. Who knew?). That's probably an overly ambitious aim for an RPG title, but I think worth thinking about.
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: Michael Pfaff on August 17, 2010, 04:21:12 PM
I think you could do that with a different title and a good "game description."

Dungeon World for example, and a description of why it's a "world full of dungeons."

Either way works.

I am confused about whether Dungeon World and Apocalypse D&D are two separate projects... Eh?
Title: Re: Where's this Hack Going?
Post by: sage on August 17, 2010, 04:23:44 PM
Me too. :)

For now, I'm planning more new stuff in my version of DW for PAX. I don't have a clear idea of how that relates to anything Tony's doing (aside from the fact all my work is based on his).