Awesome. I'd play that.
I am creating a Ars Magica setting in modern era, but the most dificult part is create a "alternative history" and the changes of Hermetic Theory in 800 years (how many reseachers improve the Magic Theory per century?)
Ezechiel357 and BlackLiger, I think is better create another topic to discuss and to share ideas about this.
The Redcap idea seems interesting and, it occurred to me along with the Gumshoe Quaesitor game, that you could potentially make spinoff games for each of the 12 Houses. and precepts as to what the game was about. Each could be heavily themed and much more specific and narrow in terms of the precepts of it’s design. Each could feature a different game engine, so in effect you could be building twelve different games out of the one.
So:
House Bjornaer - “Heartbeast” - roleplaying out the struggle to balance one’s savage nature against the insurgence of human development through the wild lands. (A bit like Werewolf: The Apocalypse, I guess).
House Bonisagus - “Eureka!” - roleplaying the mad science of discovery in a laboratory totally out of control.
House Criamon - “Enigma” - roleplaying the surreal journey through the dark subconscious.
…and so on.
Some of these ideas would take a lot of fleshing out, admittedly, but in the hands of some creative designers as a given (competitive) project for each - it could be a series that could gain some traction.
Further to this idea, Atlas Games could ‘issue’ a House to a bunch of different well-known game designers as a challenge to create a game for that specific House. So maybe call up Rein-Hagen and Tweet to see who they’d like a crack at first….
I had an idea several years ago to reskin Talisman with ArM ideas. Magi roam around fighting monsters, gathering vis and so forth. Instead of lives they'd have grogs.... They'd be trying to be the most powerful magus to get to Tribunal aka the middle of the board.
Never got farther than the 'wouldn't it be nice' stage.
Anyhow,
Rich
I remember Talisman, tat game could take forever! But fun though. Nice idea about Grogs in stead of hitpoints. I think I still have my Talisman game somewhere.
But what would the mission of the game be? What are the winning conditions?
Just like Talisman you'd want to get to the middle of the board. It could be just that: Get to tribunal, first one wins. It could be you have to pick a card and possibilities would be whatever: defeat the big bad Diedne, defeat your fellow players (i.e., diabolists) with a Marching party, or whatever. I never really worked out that part well.
Anyhow,
Rich
I don't know about Tribunal being the goal. But it could be some Ars magica related treasure or artifact (like Bonisagus') unfinished research, instead of the Crown of Command as in Talisman. Could even be a deck to draw random things from each working in different ways. As in Talisman where the game doesn't end once someone gets their greasy paws on the Crown, they have to kill the rest of the characters, you have to use this artifact or research to win in different ways.
I mentioned this to Anna, it was her game. She wasn't aware of this thread though, so she may comment later.