Hey Amtgard, I have a modest proposal
[06/21/2011] [Fionnigan Hellblazer]It has been nearly thirty years and seven editions of the rules of play since the game known as Amtgard started in El Paso, Texas. In that time we have gone from a system in which the rules of play were written by a select group of people, much like Dungeons and Dragons or any pay for play game, and went to a system in which the rules of play are determined by the players of the game. As of the writing of this article, there is a debate flourishing concerning the next and eighth edition of the rules. This process is proving to be exhausting, mentally taxing, and divisive. I propose that we simplify this process, and ultimately streamline the rules for everyone's sake and sanity. The next edition of the rules should remove all player classes and special abilities from the game entirely, and set armor rating to a simple easy to understand system. These simple moves will simplify the rules of play, allow for the inevitable rise of the martial sport aspect of the game, and level the playing field for all those involved. The proposal that I present is dramatic, but I believe it is in the best interests of all players. I propose that we remove all classes from the game, all armor have an equal rating of seven across the whole body no matter the amount of sections that make up the armor or their placement on the body, all weapons, including bows, be available to all players, and that in battlegames all players have one life only. This change will, as I said, simplify the rules of play so that even an infant could understand them. By completely removing classes from the game we have simplified the game so that anyone with even a rudimentary amount of cognitive thought will be able to grasp how the game is played. By limiting all armor to a straight non-sectional seven points we also remove the burden of complexity that wearing armor can create for a player. We also eliminate the need for anyone to keep up with how many lives they have during a battlegame. You come onto the field with one life, and leave the field when you die, simple. Once we have enacted this proposal, the game mechanics can be summed up in less than a paragraph. That should make the game simple enough for even the smallest mind. Moving on, many feel the game has evolved to the point where it is simply a martial combat sport. My proposal will satisfy these people by removing magic, special abilities and classes out of the game entirely. Many in the game have become either jaded by the current rules or are not the least bit interested in role-playing or the actual game aspect of Amtgard. What I have proposed will bring these lost sheep back to the fold. This will increase battlegame participation by allowing stick jocks to actively participate in the game without feeling like they're flurbs, and eliminating those classes that some older players feel have been changed beyond recognition, thus allowing them to play in battlegames with renewed interest. Finally, many have argued that all of the classes should be equal. They feel like some classes, particularly the magic-using classes, are too powerful, and therefore they throw off the balance of any battlegame. By essentially transforming the game into a giant grand melee, we will have leveled the playing field for everyone involved. Also, by allowing all armor, no matter the type or amount, to be rated at a flat seven points, no matter the amount or location of the armor, we remove any advantage a fully armored fighter might have over his less armored opponent. Also, with only one life, no player can outlast any other player based on sheer amount of lives available to them during said battlegame. Imagine an Amtgard where no one will ever have to storm off the field angry that they were killed by verbal magic instead of a weapon, or someone was better equipped, or they were shattered before the other team's players. This proposal will go a long way toward resolving the issues that constant revision of the rules of play has created for our game, and, it is hoped, cut down on the workload of the Circle of Monarchs. It is also hoped that, by making these changes, we may have finally reached the perfect version of Amtgard that everyone seems to be so eager to attain these days.
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