Hiring a writer - Vote on the writer you prefer!

[tiagocc0]

Then I have to stick with what I have written, one of the reasons I'm asking the codex for opinion is that they have prior knowledge about the competitors that I do not have.

 

[tiagocc0]

Sorry, I didn't understand why you have duplicated your post and just changed 'what they've written here.' to 'what they've written for this role.' while removing the 'The differences between those two should be important to you as the designer.' part.

 

[Mother Russia]

Just curious, how much will you pay the selected writer?

 

[tiagocc0]

Just curious, how much will you pay the selected writer?

About this much:

The prize:

At March/2013 I will run a Kickstarter campaign, from this campaign I can ask from $3.000 to $5.000 to the writer.
So I can only hire after this date, if the Kickstarter campaign is successful.
Another option is to accept a share of the profits (like all the other members) so the Kickstarter funds will be used for other stuff and you can start right away.
It is also possible a combination of the two, but asking for money on Kickstarter will give you a smaller % of the profits compared to the above.
I'm ok with whatever the winning writer chooses.

 

[Mother Russia]

Just curious, how much will you pay the selected writer?

About this much:

The prize:

At March/2013 I will run a Kickstarter campaign, from this campaign I can ask from $3.000 to $5.000 to the writer.
So I can only hire after this date, if the Kickstarter campaign is successful.
Another option is to accept a share of the profits (like all the other members) so the Kickstarter funds will be used for other stuff and you can start right away.
It is also possible a combination of the two, but asking for money on Kickstarter will give you a smaller % of the profits compared to the above.
I'm ok with whatever the winning writer chooses.

Nice. How much writing is involved? Approximately, how many words in total? Also, do you expect the potential write to work full time or part time? How much time will he have to complete the writing process?

 

[tiagocc0]

I was speculating about 0.08 per word:

Hmm, so 3000 USD at 0.08 should give me 37500 words?
My main documentation has about 4000 words right now and I haven't started component/technologies/story yet.

Might be a bit more, the writer will have to rewrite all the components, technologies, species descriptions as well as our campaign text and possibly our manual.

Time is not a problem, there won't be deadlines, you work as much as you can, everyone on the team is like that.

 

[Mother Russia]

I was speculating about 0.08 per word:

Hmm, so 3000 USD at 0.08 should give me 37500 words?
My main documentation has about 4000 words right now and I haven't started component/technologies/story yet.

Might be a bit more, the writer will have to rewrite all the components, technologies, species descriptions as well as our campaign text and possibly our manual.

Time is not a problem, there won't be deadlines, you work as much as you can, everyone on the team is like that.

That's a very fair deal tiagocc0.

Have you selected your writer yet? I might be interested, though I won't be sure until 2-3 months down the line. But since you will only begin your Kickstarter in march or so there is enough time.

If you've already chosen you writer from the folk in the polls though, that's cool!

 

[tiagocc0]

We are actually running another competition with stricter rules and a well defined challenge: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...e-writer-you-prefer.78359/page-4#post-2403026

You may participate if you want.

 

[Mother Russia]

We are actually running another competition with stricter rules and a well defined challenge: http://www.rpgcodex.net/forums/inde...e-writer-you-prefer.78359/page-4#post-2403026

You may participate if you want.

Thanks!

 

[Syl]

I voted OlivettiFever.

His concise style fits a video game really well and it is easy to understand. Telengard as a close second.

 

[tiagocc0]

I voted OlivettiFever.

His concise style fits a video game really well and it is easy to understand. Telengard as a close second.

Thanks for your vote and opinion, I highly appreciate it.

 

[tiagocc0]

For those interested in participating, I've updated StarLife website with lots of information besides the race descriptions.
You can check it here: http://site2.purpleorangegames.com/

I will update the first post.

 

[sser]

Well, voteless, I'll try and see what I can do anyway.

A wordslinger with nothing to lose? Time to pour a drink.

 

[tiagocc0]

Well, voteless, I'll try and see what I can do anyway.

A wordslinger with nothing to lose? Time to pour a drink.

I really liked how you separated the text from the gameplay description, your style even became a rule on this new competition.
Thumbs up for you!

I haven't voted yet, I will read everything again when I have the time.

 

[Excommunicator]

Sorry, I didn't understand why you have duplicated your post and just changed 'what they've written here.' to 'what they've written for this role.' while removing the 'The differences between those two should be important to you as the designer.' part.

No that was just a rewrite of a post that I thought hadn't worked properly the first time. Gone now. If you want people to vote on it based on what else they know of a poster then you're right to keep it the way it was but it'll probably be obvious who will win. Not entirely an equal opportunity but up to you


I think these descriptions should be very concise and well-structured. These descriptions are after all delivering specific pieces of information people need to make informed choices in the game. I do like grotsnik's style but I think it's too verbose when there will be a large number of similar entries to read through right from the game outset. I would aim for something which can be broken up with sub-headings so people can easily navigate through them. I think the "retro" feel of the game will make people expect that conciseness in the text as well. Based on the most effective end result, I think telengard's write-up is probably the most appropriate - sser's is quite similar - but I think both could also use some additional colour. I think there's a balance that needs to be reached

You could always offer a heavily abridged version of each entry as the intro paragraph and then expand on it in the following section. I've seen it before in a few games, I forget which ones

 

[sser]

Well, voteless, I'll try and see what I can do anyway.

A wordslinger with nothing to lose? Time to pour a drink.

I really liked how you separated the text from the gameplay description, your style even became a rule on this new competition.
Thumbs up for you!

I haven't voted yet, I will read everything again when I have the time.

Where do we submit the new documents? Mine's already finished.

 

[tiagocc0]

Sorry, I didn't understand why you have duplicated your post and just changed 'what they've written here.' to 'what they've written for this role.' while removing the 'The differences between those two should be important to you as the designer.' part.

No that was just a rewrite of a post that I thought hadn't worked properly the first time. Gone now. If you want people to vote on it based on what else they know of a poster then you're right to keep it the way it was but it'll probably be obvious who will win. Not entirely an equal opportunity but up to you


I think these descriptions should be very concise and well-structured. These descriptions are after all delivering specific pieces of information people need to make informed choices in the game. I do like grotsnik's style but I think it's too verbose when there will be a large number of similar entries to read through right from the game outset. I would aim for something which can be broken up with sub-headings so people can easily navigate through them. I think the "retro" feel of the game will make people expect that conciseness in the text as well. Based on the most effective end result, I think telengard's write-up is probably the most appropriate - sser's is quite similar - but I think both could also use some additional colour. I think there's a balance that needs to be reached

You could always offer a heavily abridged version of each entry as the intro paragraph and then expand on it in the following section. I've seen it before in a few games, I forget which ones

Thanks for your opinion!

If I read just the winner from the poll there you're right there's no point in it, but I can also check who else got voted.

Where do we submit the new documents? Mine's already finished.

Damn, you're fast!

You can submit it here, but only after Saturday 22 December 2012.
You will have to hold it a bit.

 

[sser]

I shall write alternatives in the meantime, then.

 

[Angthoron]

Think we can turn in one copy of each only, though.

 

[tiagocc0]

On other news:

Version 0.5 of the Tactical Combat Module is available here.
I will make a PDF document explaining how to play, modify and what was made and will be included later.

EDIT: Here's the PDF document explaning the tactical combat, what's in and what's missing and how to edit it to make your own ships and components!
http://www.purpleorangegames.com/TacticalSpaceCombatModuleAlpha05_LastRevision.pdf

 

[tiagocc0]

You can now turn in your text.
From now until Monday 7 January 2013 I will be accepting entries to the competition.

Remember you must submit both texts together and after you submit you may not change them or submit another entry.

 

[sser]

Alright I guess I'll post mine now.

My theory is that this would be a great primer for more in-depth analysis of each species. Sword of the Stars, for instance, might open up with an overview and then delve into details of how the species reproduces, how its society works, etc. But you can't fit all that into the opening lines without making a lot of sacrifices in the process. Given the short blurb, I think it needs to convey the general feel of the faction in a sort of codex-y way, as if one observer traveled the galaxy and these are his notes; at the same time, it also needs some omniscience to be of use to the player reading it. It's a hard balance to find. I also sought to integrate faction strengths and weaknesses throughout all sections, weaving them into the narrative without being gamey or intrusive. Hopefully they become obvious.

I also believe that factions need to have certain antagonists or opposites; there is no light without darkness, and no darkness without light. Factions should help illuminate one another, showing a connected world but also one of many differences. I took up The One for this purpose, as the complexity and disunity of the humans is almost the exact opposite of a faction who is aptly named The One for a reason. Thus, The One get included in the "observation" and "dialogue" portions. Speaking of the dialogue, I was uncertain how exactly it was wanted because manuals are not great platforms for writing natural dialogue. It just doesn't lend itself to normative story telling (he said, she said, etc.). So, instead, I went for something more scientific which would be an intelligence transcript; a paper one might find in a bureaucrat's cabinet. I wanted something that displayed not only the unique traits of the humans, but also The One's. Tying factions together like this throughout a manual can give some semblance of a realized world.

Overview:
Human. In some languages, the word is a curse, in others, a term of some fascination. Hailing from their homeworld of Earth, the species has entered the arenas of celestial combat with much controversy. They are physically weak and of average, unfocused intelligence. Low life expectancy cuts into their large populations as they value even the most worthless of members. A complete lack of exemplary traits has confused most observers as to how humans ever reached the cosmos to begin with.

But these weaknesses are what define the species. While most in the galaxy deify the strong, humans hold contempt for their greatest conquerors, preferring to celebrate the powerless overcoming the powerful. Human language is rife with phrases that cannot be translated: ‘victory from the jaws of defeat’, ‘out of nowhere’, and most peculiar, ‘luck’. It is the grasp of concepts beyond the measurable that make humans dangerous, particularly because these concepts are so difficult for most other species to understand.

One cannot ignore the hatred humans have for one another, though. The species is easily turned on itself from quite simple differences such as geography, language, and even colors. Governments rise and fall with alarming frequency, instability proving to be the norm. But these penchants for civil war have also spurned the species into a fevered obsession with weapon advancements. Human ships are some of the best in the galaxy and achievements in robotics have balanced out physical strength deficiencies.

While the inhabitants of the galaxy treat the species with derision, behind closed doors there is much agreement that human unity would be most dangerous.

Advantages:
- Endless internal warfare has molded humans into keen ship builders. Human ships are inherently sturdier than most, granting large bonuses to ship armor.
- Human pilots carry strange relics into battle, ranging from four-leafed clovers to rabbit feet. Human ships have bonus crit-chance.

Disadvantages:
- Human malevolence. Unrest penalties are higher for newly-conquered planets.
- Government instability. Humans incur upkeep penalties during war.

Observation:
When The One met a ragtag collection of human fleets on the outer rim of Sector 19, the A.I.’s calculations assured itself victory and commenced the battle. They lost. In the after-action reports, The One’s records state, “Outnumbered and outgunned, enemy pilots took paths most unwise. Cause for The One’s defeat needs further calculation.” A decade later, The One has yet to conclude the matter.

Second Text:
This is the recorded conversation between two human interrogators and an assassin sent from The One. Names withheld, the interrogators are listed as A and B, the assassin as Z. The assassin is the alleged gunman of a successful entry and assault on President Alec Tszyu’s transport ship in sector [REDACTED].

A: Alright, let’s [sound of chair screeching] started.

[Sound of paper and folders.]

B: Is this right?

A: Let me see. Yeah.

B: Alright.

[Chair screech.]

B: Let’s begin. Do you know why you are here?

Z: Yes.

B: Do you know who you attacked?

Z: Yes.

[Muffled talking.]

A: We’d like to know, are you under your own control?

Z: The One was sent. I am The One. The One are me.

B: Are they watching us right now?

Z: Yes.

A: Why did you kill President Tszyu?

Z: The One calculated that [sound of machine] President Tszyu would unify human factions.

A: And…

Z: The One sought the preservation of human civil war. The One was not alone in this calculation.

B: There were other benefactors?

Z: Benefactors were [sound of machine] numerous. Your [sound of machine] leaders have failed to broadcast my presence aboard the [REDACTED]. They state a human from another faction fired the weapon used to [sound of machine] terminate President Tszyu. The One calculated this course of action.

[Muffled talking.]

A: Let’s change the subject. Do you fear us?

Z: The One does not feel fear. The One calculated that human unity would be [sound of machine] most unsafe.

B: Unsafe for whom?

[Sound of machine.]

Z: Everyone.

 

[tiagocc0]

Thank you very much for your entry sser!
The first text has about 487 words and we set 300-400 words maximum. Is there something you would like to cut or would you like to redo the first text?
I can allow you to change your text once.

Anyway, pretty good text, I liked it

 

[sser]

While I much prefer its original state, I'll naturally respect the rules. I think I was able to preserve most of it, even when losing almost 90 words in total.

By the way, if you want a narrative-focused aspect to the game you might want to consider writing a short story, novella, or novel and digitally publishing it (possibly for free) to garner more interest.

 

[tiagocc0]

While I much prefer its original state, I'll naturally respect the rules. I think I was able to preserve most of it, even when losing almost 90 words in total.

Thanks

By the way, if you want a narrative-focused aspect to the game you might want to consider writing a short story, novella, or novel and digitally publishing it (possibly for free) to garner more interest.

That would be great but would cost a lot more than planned.