The Colossus of Atlantis

Facilitator: 
Dr Dillon Burke

This is a strategy roleplaying Megagame, incorporating themes from the Bronze Age of Classical Greek history, Plato's writings, giant steampunk robots, the Cthulhu mythos and the gonzo pseudo-history of Atlantis.

At the start of the game most players are members of an Atlantean noble House, as it starts to use its superior technology to conquer the world. Key player activities include exploration, governing colonies, trade negotiations and warfare. Teams compete in technological research to build the best bronze colossus to smash their way across the landscape, and in occult research to summon eldritch horrors to devour their enemies. The temptations of power being what they are, corruption can set in and doom may fall on Atlantis.

A megagame is a combination of strategy boardgame and live action roleplaying, where the players compete in teams against other groups of players. Success in the game requires imagination, dedication, and the ability to make decisions while under pressure. Megagames have attracted a bit of media attention over the last year, with the success of the "Watch the Skies" megagame, and the Facebook group Megagame Makers now has over 1,200 members worldwide.

Unlike some LARPS, there are no hidden secrets or bait and switch plots, instead the player facing rules of the game facilitate emergent gameplay. In the Colossus of Atlantis, players can swear mighty oaths in the Temple of Poseidon, with dreadful consequences if they break their vows, or they can present legal cases in front of the sacred Kings when other players engage in dishonourable behaviour.

Anyone wanting to assist with game control or playtesting should contact the designer, Dillon Burke, at grand.vizier@gmail.com. Further information can be found here: http://housewar.org/Megagames.php

System: 
Megagame
Number of Players: 
15-35
System Knowledge: 
Not Needed
Genre: 
Gonzo Classical Greece
Genre Knowledge: 
Not Needed
Role-playing Knowledge: 
Not Required
Style: 
Team based strategy RPG
Classification: 
GA
Scored: 
N