Stephen Martin made the very interesting suggestion that the DQ list answers the questions collectively, so here you are - please feel free to put your 2c in...


Readers will probably want a general introduction to the Seagate Guild of Adventurers, so correct me if any of these statements are incorrect: The Seagate Guild of Adventurers are a multi-gm roleplaying group, mainly based in Auckland, New Zealand. The name is based on a Guild in the fantasy campaign world, Alusia, which was the default gameworld for SPI's 1980 roleplaying game, DragonQuest. They've been running a DragonQuest for over fifteen years [how long?] and they've published fifty-nine issues of "The Seagate Times", a journal of the events in the Guild (which is written largely from a gameworld perspective), have built a wiki (hosted at: http://www.dragonquest.org.nz/), developed the DragonQuest rules system and engaged in massive elaborations of the game world.

Q: How was the Guild formed? Who have been the main drivers of the game and the organisation?

Q: How many people have participated in games run through the Guild of Adventurer's over the years? How many GMs and players do you currently have?

Q: Could you explain how the Guild (the real world one) operates? Do you have a committee of management or similar? A regular meeting location?

Q: I notice that the Guild's rulebook is based on first and second edition DragonQuest with numerous revisions. Could you explain the choice of game system and edition, especially in reference to third edition DragonQuest. Also, what are the major rules changes have you made and how have you gone about making (and enforcing) these changes?

Q: You've made some extensive expansions to the Frontiers of Alusia map to the extent that it is now a fully developed gameworld, with a map vaguely related to Earth (although I note that Australia doesn't exist anymore and Aotearoa has moved to off the coast of "Africa"!) but also with some input from other game worlds (e.g., the Lunar Republic, with Dragonewts, a Moon Goddess and Glowline is reminiscent of the relevant part of Glorantha). Tell you tell us how the world was put together, how long it took and who were the main contributors?

Q: One of the more challenging aspects of a multi-gm game is the possibility of conflicts in narrative direction, characters and even events occurring synchronously. How have you dealt with this?

Q: A campaign that has been running for this long must have seen some major changes to the gameworld and some extremely memorable moments. Could you share some of these events?

Q: How would a gaming group become an official part of the Guild's campaign? What if the group is "geographically challenged" living in, for example, the West Island of New Zealand?


-- to unsubscribe notify mailto:dq-request@dq.sf.org.nz --

On 25/08/2008, at 11:18 , Lev Lafayette wrote:

> Stephen Martin made the very interesting suggestion that the DQ list  
> answers the questions collectively, so here you are - please feel  
> free to put your 2c in...
>
>
> Readers will probably want a general introduction to the Seagate  
> Guild of Adventurers, so correct me if any of these statements are  
> incorrect: The Seagate Guild of Adventurers are a multi-gm  
> roleplaying group, mainly based in Auckland, New Zealand. The name  
> is based on a Guild in the fantasy campaign world, Alusia, which was  
> the default gameworld for SPI's 1980 roleplaying game, DragonQuest.  
> They've been running a DragonQuest for over fifteen years [how  
> long?] and they've published fifty-nine issues of "The Seagate  
> Times", a journal of the events in the Guild (which is written  
> largely from a gameworld perspective), have built a wiki (hosted at: http://www.dragonquest.org.nz/) 
> , developed the DragonQuest rules system and engaged in massive  
> elaborations of the game world.

I'm not sure of the exact number of years but it is closer to 25 than  
15.

> Q: How was the Guild formed? Who have been the main drivers of the  
> game and the organisation?

I wasn't there so anything I would say would be hearsay - at least  
some of the people who were there are still in the campaign so I will  
let them answer.

> Q: How many people have participated in games run through the Guild  
> of Adventurer's over the years? How many GMs and players do you  
> currently have?

The answer to the first must be in the hundreds. The second could be  
answered by a statistical analysis of recent games I expect. I am sure  
someone wll do the legwork here.

> Q: Could you explain how the Guild (the real world one) operates? Do  
> you have a committee of management or similar? A regular meeting  
> location?

The guild is run by "The Gods". In the past that was the group of GMs  
(and the very occasional player) who would bother to turn up to  
monthly Gods' meetings where rule changes and campaign events were  
discussed. I only attended a very few of these. Now-a-days rules  
changes are discussed on the Wiki and this email list and voted on at  
Gods' meetings held directly before the quarterly Guild meeting. Once  
a quarter on the second Sunday of March, June, September and December  
the whole Guild meets at a community hall (which one changes from time  
to time depending on what can be booked). Adventures are announced for  
the next quarter (in character usually by the GM involved) and people  
sign up according to level of adventure/day of the week/GM they want  
to play with/etc. These days adventures are often pre-announced and  
pre-booked on the Wiki. Pre-booked adventures aren't new, but they  
used to be arranged less publicly. There are a few committees whose  
membership is decided by the Gods and is usually only changed when  
someone wishes to step down or leaves the game. There is a Membership  
Tribunal which certainly used to sign new character forms to say they  
were properly rolled up. I am not sure how often that is done these  
days. There is a Grievance Tribunal to handle disputes. The Guild  
meetings are run by a God, and who this is changes fairly regularly on  
an ad hoc basis. People who attend the Guild meeting make a donation  
to pay for the Seagate Times and the hall hire.

> Q: I notice that the Guild's rulebook is based on first and second  
> edition DragonQuest with numerous revisions. Could you explain the  
> choice of game system and edition, especially in reference to third  
> edition DragonQuest. Also, what are the major rules changes have you  
> made and how have you gone about making (and enforcing) these changes?

When I joined the Guild (about 15 years ago) the rules were the 2nd  
Edition modified by the GMs kit. Often there would only be one set of  
rules per adventuring party which made them rather hot property during  
the evening. Many colleges have been rewritten to a greater or lesser  
extent, and a few new ones added. There have been major changes to  
many sections of the rules. At one time a whole new ruleset was  
proposed and a lot of work was put into "Adventurer", but it failed to  
find popular acclaim and so the many changes were melded into the DQ2  
ruleset and we set about publishing our own version. This means that  
most players actually have their own copy of the rules now.

> Q: One of the more challenging aspects of a multi-gm game is the  
> possibility of conflicts in narrative direction, characters and even  
> events occurring synchronously. How have you dealt with this?

There are a number of ways. Firstly many GMs have their own areas of  
Alusia where they rule supreme, or run adventures on other planes.  
When GMs wish to run games in shared areas such as Carsala, and they  
will affect the course of history they consult with other GMs and the  
Campaign Committee which exists to try and manage world wide events.

> Q: A campaign that has been running for this long must have seen  
> some major changes to the gameworld and some extremely memorable  
> moments. Could you share some of these events?

Well the Seagate bridge has seen a lot of strife over the years. It's  
been destroyed on numerous occasions, once by an undead whale I  
believe. There has been a long story arc concerning the Dark Circle.

> Q: How would a gaming group become an official part of the Guild's  
> campaign? What if the group is "geographically challenged" living  
> in, for example, the West Island of New Zealand?

Generally those groups away from Auckland that are part of the Guild  
are formed by ex-Guild members. As a general rule a new GM has a  
process where their first game or so as a player who is an experienced  
GM is in the party to help them out and check that they aren't a total  
loony. While I would think gaming groups in those places would be  
welcome to use our ruleset and world, I am not sure how we would  
decide to integrate them into our campaign.

I hope that has been of some use,

Clare
(Ithilmor, Dellith, Mordrin, Daisy, Nendil, Prydera)


-- to unsubscribe notify mailto:dq-request@dq.sf.org.nz --

[...]  
> They've been running a DragonQuest for over fifteen years [how  
> long?] and they've published fifty-nine issues of "The Seagate  
> Times", a journal of the events in the Guild (which is written  
> largely from a gameworld perspective), have built a wiki (hosted at:
http://www.dragonquest.org.nz/) 
> , developed the DragonQuest rules system and engaged in massive  
> elaborations of the game world.

I'm not sure of the exact number of years but it is closer to 25 than  
15.

Response: I believe the *shared campaign* started in 1981, or possibly
even 1980 [check with Mike Young & Jeff Leddra who were GMing at the
time], although individuals had been playing previously in separate
games.

MP


-- to unsubscribe notify mailto:dq-request@dq.sf.org.nz --

As my last post bounced after three weeks lost in email limbo
Im just testing I can reply to th current threads

Helen


-- to unsubscribe notify mailto:dq-request@dq.sf.org.nz --

> Q: How was the Guild formed? Who have been the main drivers of the game 
> and the organization?

The legend is there where once too many players for one GM and so a multi GM 
campaign was created by those early players, which grew and adapted into the 
current organization but that was over twenty five years ago and just what 
the truth is you'd have to ask one of those early players.
The main drivers of the Guild are its players, after all, all gods play even 
if not all players choose to be gods.
The strength of the Guild is it's a Multi GM campaign, where after a time GM 
burn out and Real life issues tend to break up RPG groups; in the Guild, 
Gods can take a break and just play or players take time off for real life 
issues and return to the campaign months or even years later.


> Q: Could you explain how the Guild (the real world one) operates? Do you 
> have a committee of management or similar? A regular meeting location?

Clare covered most of it; as an organization the Guild is basically a 
democracy. Gods get to vote although all members get to discus issues though 
the list and the wiki and there is some stuff that gets taken to the whole 
guild meeting for a vote.
Becoming a god is as simple as GMing a game (and not being ruled a loony) 
and the requirement of having an experienced GM on that first game is 
usually easy to meet.
The Guilds multi GM system revolves around a 3 month playing period and the 
common campaign rules regulating character progression, players show their 
records to each GM they play with who checks any advancements since the last 
game are within the rules and signs it off for play. During the Play period 
each smaller group is governed only by the campaign rules and the God, GMing 
that game. Then we have a guild meeting, swap stories, arrange games for the 
next three months (players find new GMs or vs.) and the gods vote on any 
issues that need voting on.

>
> Q: I notice that the Guild's rulebook is based on first and second edition 
> DragonQuest with numerous revisions. Could you explain the choice of game 
> system and edition, especially in reference to third edition DragonQuest. 
> Also, what are the major rules changes have you made and how have you gone 
> about making (and enforcing) these changes?

At a guess... we use first and second edition DQ as our base cause that's 
the books those early players had to work with and getting RPG rule books in 
this country was not so easy as ordering on line makes it today. After that 
well, first there would have been Guild 'house rules'  which where recorded 
in the GMs kit and other places and basically we just skipped 3rd ed 
completely and continued to 'fix' 2nd ed to fit with our campaign style.
Major changes? anyone got an orginal to compare with?
I know character generation got changed, Many colleges have been changed and 
some added. Many Skills have been changed.
As  for making and enforcing changes, we talk, we make proposals, we 
discuss, we amend, some things get complex and go to committee and when we 
think we have the change right we vote to play test it and then after that 
either more fixes are made and more testing or we vote it to rules... or 
not. True Democracy at work.

>
> Q: You've made some extensive expansions to the Frontiers of Alusia map to 
> the extent that it is now a fully developed gameworld, with a map vaguely 
> related to Earth (although I note that Australia doesn't exist anymore and 
> Aotearoa has moved to off the coast of "Africa"!) but also with some input 
> from other game worlds (e.g., the Lunar Republic, with Dragonewts, a Moon 
> Goddess and Glowline is reminiscent of the relevant part of Glorantha). 
> Tell you tell us how the world was put together, how long it took and who 
> were the main contributors?

With a 25 + year campain and each GM over the years adding a bit here and 
there.
The 21st century and the creation of the wiki have made it easy for Gods to 
be swapping information and high lighted areas that are 'blank; for new GMs 
to fill in.

>
> Q: One of the more challenging aspects of a multi-gm game is the 
> possibility of conflicts in narrative direction, characters and even 
> events occurring synchronously. How have you dealt with this?

Most GMs have their own patch, for stuff that spills over we let other GMs 
know when and where. As only a few GMs are running adventures at any one 
time there are very few continuity conflicts.
And we have the campaign committee to help work the multiple visions of what 
could be into one whole.
The three month timing between Guild meetings both in the real world and the 
game world helps keep characters from being in two places at once, each new 
Adventure starts for both the player and their character with that meeting. 
All the games are synchronized diverge during play and are resynchronized at 
the next meeting.
>

The Guild took first and second edition DragonQuest a system that was 
perhaps more flexible than some of the RPG  systems available here in NZ at 
the time and over time adapted it to its current form. It took the seed of 
the Frontiers of Alusia map and grew it into a game world.
In a world of on line gaming, of computers generated worlds, of TV and DVD 
we of the Guild still get together once a week as some of us have done for 
the past 10, 15 or more years to play together in person.
We still give up our Sunday afternoons 4 time a year for the guildmeetings, 
and its not for the rules system, its not for the game world, its for the 
people that bring it all to life. That something that makes our Campaign 
work is the people in the Guild past and present. Its been a fun 15 yrs 
guys, here's to the next 15 being even better.

Helen
(Thorn, Rowan, Aaron)


-- to unsubscribe notify mailto:dq-request@dq.sf.org.nz --