Alpha Centauri 2

Other Games => Racing the Darkness Megagame => Topic started by: Trenacker on August 09, 2025, 11:52:19 pm

Title: What is the Racing the Darkness Megagame?
Post by: Trenacker on August 09, 2025, 11:52:19 pm

Racing the Darkness us a multimedia fan fiction project in the setting of Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. It introduces a variety of new factions, technologies, and other game mechanics. This creative, not-for-profit work, like the game on which they are based, speaks to the Big Question asked by Brian Reynolds in SMAC--a question that has occupied Earth’s greatest thinkers since time immemorial: how shall we now live?

A megagame is a multiplayer roleplaying game that borrows ideas from board games, roleplaying games, wargames, and tabletop simulations. In Dungeons & Dragons, each player takes the part of individual heroes. In this game, each player will take the part of an entire faction. Just like with board games, there are rules. And just like in roleplaying games, there is a referee who helps facilitate the experience.

The term “megagame” is relatively new, but there is a very good chance you have run into megagames in a variety of settings and under a variety of names without ever realizing it. In the military, they are called professional wargames. In business, they are called tabletop exercises. Online, you may have played in a Grand Strategic Roleplaying game or a Story Debate.

Title: Re: What is the Racing the Darkness Megagame?
Post by: Metaliturtle on August 16, 2025, 03:56:12 am

I am interested.  I looked at the spreadsheet, but minimal exposure to this type of Game.  Curious if one could be had on a forum.

Title: Re: What is the Racing the Darkness Megagame?
Post by: Trenacker on August 16, 2025, 08:26:06 pm

There are many forum-based megagames alive and well on other forums. SpaceBattles has a sub-forum for Story Debates. On Sufficient Velocity, they are called Grand Strategy Roleplaying Games.

An Alpha Centauri megagame was played on the now-defunct The Frontier back in 2014. And before that, Europa Universalis was played on Paradox's discussion forums.