Flying Art

Status
This article is becoming the Game Development Document (GDD) for the Flying Art table-top physical game.

This document is currently an incomplete first draft.

Associated Forum
The Forum associated with this project is located at https://wikimoma.art/w/index.php?title=Special:WikiForum&forum=3

Comments can also be made at the bottom of this page.

Introduction
Working Title: Get Off to some Flying Art

Tagline: Make, Play, Share!

Description: A multi-level 'race the clock' board game that incorporates art-making and story-telling.

History: This game has arisen as a project out of the evolving MOMA mega project. It came about as an assignment in the Game Design class in Certificate IV in Information Technology (Game Dev), a course being undertaken by David Rose as professional development for his work at MOMA. Collaborating in the development of this project are fellow NSWTAFE students: [please insert your names here to indicate your participation].

The Wiki: https://wikimoma.art is a great resource for players, developers, modders and fans.

Suitability of Form
A table top game is a perfect form for MOMA game, as it can easily embody the three intersecting primary design elements of the MOMA project; namely
 * Real life face-to-face participation
 * Fantasy and story-telling
 * The Digital Realm

A game board would be good, the mechanics of moving pieces on a board can emulate the travelling elements in the story that forms the basis of the game. Cards are visual tactile and highly extensible, as we are dealing with the visual arts, I suggest we use them too. Also papers/books as they are good for story telling and laying out symbolic and linguistic ideas.

Demographic
The game is suitable for humans aged 10+

Pre-requisites
Players need basic literacy and numeracy skills. In addition to the Game Stater Pack, this following is required:
 * 2 tables/tops (one to sit around and one for making art)
 * one digital device with access to the internet for research
 * basic student quality art supplies such as paints, markers, glue, scissors, pencils, collage material such magazines, cut out images, wrapping paper, etc
 * a sheets of A4 paper
 * the Game Master requires a stop watch (mobile phone will do), and while it is anticipated that this person will already be something of an 'artist' - it is not a pre-requisite. They do need to do the preparation though and organize the other players to attend the game session (in other words be an organiser)

Extensibility
What we describe here is the base game, built into its design is the capacity for it to extend and be modded.

MOMA's motto: Make, Play, Grow.

Genre
Some of you more experienced gamers can help with this! Let's voice chat in Discord at some stage. But how about: Physical-Creative-RPG-Fantasy-Narrative-Based?

Initial Story Ideas
Gameplay fits in to the following narrative:

On the tiny south pacific island nation state of Patonga, the mainstays of the people's economy is permaculture (agriculture), educations, aviation and tourism.

The Museum of Moving Art (MOMA) is a major employer and every month it hosts a new travelling exhibition from one of the major Art institutions from around the world - such as The Guggenheim in New York or the Louvre in Paris, even Australia's Museum of Old & New Art (MONA) in Tasmania. All except for three months when Patonga hosts it's own exhibitions and then ships them out onto the world art museum circuit.

The biggest show of the year (in which the Island is absolutely full to capacity with overseas visitors) is the month of the Patonga International Arts Festival - that is when our game is set.

At the centre of the Festival is the coveted Patonga International Arts Prize, which not only looks great on the resume but is worth $100,000 USD. Thousands of emerging artists from around the world pay $1,000 each to enter the competition: 25 are selected as Festival Winners and from them emerges one Arts Prize winner. The most valuable prize for the artists though is the kudos and the exposure, for the Patonga International Arts Exhibition does a two year circuit of 20 major international art galleries and museums (at the end of which the works are auctioned off to wealthy art collectors at Christies in London - the proceeds being used to help fund the competition).

The Festival Winners each receive a silver medal, an all expenses paid 3 week trip to Patonga for the Festival (airfare, accommodation, etc) and VIP Access to the full program of Festival Events.

The Art Prize Winner receives a gold medal and $100,000 in cash in addition to the above mentioned benefits.

What Cannes is to the film industry, Patonga is to the art world!

The aims of the game
Base Game: The players work together as a team to get the Royal Patonga flight, which is carrying the last remaining artists and their artwork, safely to the island in time for the Museum's exhibition setup deadline.

Future Levels: Explore and develop new adventures in the World of Art fantasy space. Enrichen and theatricalize gameplay by use of costume and props. Discover deeper levels of the story world; add new (and develop existing) story arcs through further gameplay as you become more familiar with the game space; broaden out and connect into the other dimensions of MOMA like the flight simulator space or pop-up real-life galleries. Play with a variety your favourite characters as the mood fits.

Structure
This draft is focussed on describing the Base Game, which is designed to be played by 5 players for 20 minutes - it is race the clock (though it could be played by 3 players and take longer if all players agree). Ideally World of Art would be played in a complete Set of 5 games (Level 1). These could be played in one long session or spread over several sessions. Players could substitute for other players as long as all roles are filled in the game.

The Sets are turn-taking, each player should have one turn at each of the 5 roles in the game (in other words, play a different role in each game).

The Base Game would work on it's own with no further progression as it reaches a conclusion at the end of play. If successful it would motivate players to continue to the next level or to extend/modify the Base Game into Spin-off Versions (all are allowed and encouraged).

The 5 Roles
One predefined character:
 * Loretta Monetta, MOMA Curator-in-Chief (Game Master)

Four characters created by players during gameplay:
 * Competing Artist
 * Artist's Assistant
 * Pilot
 * Flight Attendant

In the 2nd Game of a Set players can choose to either (1) create a new character for the role they have been given (of the 4 listed above), or (2) develop one of the existing characters. However, in Games 3-5 players must further develop the characters they have been assigned for that game and add to that character's story arc.

The Start-up Pack
The first Loretta Monetta to use any particular pack makes up the playing board and photocopies/prints out the gameplay pages before the start of the game (they will also be available to download from wikimoma.art). The decorating of the bag and boxes is part of the gameplay at more advanced levels (a kind of Easter egg) and relates to an exhibition called 'Bags, Books and Boxes' in the unfolding backstory of MOMA.
 * 1 X large sturdy brown paper shopping bag
 * 1 X cardboard shoe box
 * 1 X small carboard box
 * 1 X passenger jetliner (A32-NX)
 * 1 X cargo container
 * 2 X pieces of thick board
 * 2 X playing board cover sheets
 * 1 X dice
 * 6 X Manilla folders containing master sheets of gameplay pages

Preparation & Setting Up: Level 1
The game is hosted at a location determined by the Level 1 Gamemaster playing the character Loretta Monetta. They need to prepare the space and set out all the materials in place, and put the Game Sheets in correct and tidy order ready for gameplay to start.

How to play: Level 1

 * The players arrive at the host location which has already been set up by Loretta Monetta as described above. Meet, greet & socialize.
 * When it is time to start, Loretta calls players to their seats at the table and reads from her Flying Art: Level 1 - Game Master's Play Book, which outlines to the other players what the objectives are and how the game will proceed.
 * After this introduction Loretta hands out the appropriate Gameplay Sheets to each of the other players: (1) Artist Gameplay Sheet (2) Artist's Assistant Gameplay Sheet (3) Pilot Gameplay Sheet and (4) Flight Attendant Gameplay Sheet
 * These sheets are divided into sections and guide the players through the play at each stage of the game.
 * Stage 1: Character Development (3 mins)
 * Stage 2: Be Your Character (12 mins)
 * Stage 3: Fly to Patonga (5 mins)