Posted August 13, 2020 by thecybersteam
First big change: new name. The game is now called Alter Moderns, which I think better fits the game's aspirational quality. I like the active verb "alter" in front of the plural noun "moderns" because it's more participatory. It also hints to an ongoing project rather than an absolute state, which is what "alterity" suggested and I don't think that was ever really something one little game could fit. I also like the idea of "moderns" being plural not just because I want this game to be a method of exploring different ways of being, but also as an allusion to "the commons" as something that belongs to and is of interest to everyone. For now I like the spirit of the name.
Otherwise, I've gotten a lot more eagre with the backspace and I've removed many redundant or confusing rules. That makes the game less systems-heavy and lets the narrative play of the thing emerge more cleanly. Along with general copyediting i'm getting happier with how it's shaping up. Still a work in progress but the work is coming along. More examples are needed and there are still some segments of the game I wrestle with cleaning up.
I've begun early, early discussions about in-game art but that's still a ways out yet. But all's coming along well enough.