Just jotting down some ideas for a future IOT. This by no means implies anything about any other games I am currently running or plan to run.
Respice et Prospice: A Collegiate University IOT
In the fictional town of Bedcaster in Westmorland the Bedcaster University is located. In this game players manage various colleges within the Collegiate system of Bedcaster University. They have to manage finances, attract students, ensure a good student quality of life, excel in sports, and of course do that academic success thing.
Sign Ups:
Required informations is as follows
Name: Think of something that sounds right, often University colleges are named after famous people from the area, Saints or things like Kings and Queens.
Head: Name the head of your college you might also want to mention a bit about them as this is essentially your character for the game.
College Motto: Every college needs a motto, though they don't necessarily have to be in Latin, they often are.
College Value: Pick one, see later for the options
Bar Name: Every college has a bar where the students can drink and socialise. Name your bar!
Genders: Pick from either All-Female, All-Male and Mixed. These days the majority are mixed, but we can't beat good old traditionalism can we?
Gowned: Do you have gowned weekly formals or do you go for monthly mega formals? The latter is much more popular in the bigger and more modern colleges.
Spending: Each College has 5 points to spend on either age or facilities, see later
History: Since age spending must be confirmed with me if you pick Ancient or Victorian people who select those may want to wait for a while.
Layout: If you wish to stipulate a layout do so here. Be aware of your facilities when doing this. Older Colleges might want a Quadrangle and all Colleges Bathouses are place near to the river. If you took something such as Architect's Touch you might want to say what quirky feature it is. I will take what you say here into consideration when drawing the map.
Each college has 5 spending points at the start of the game. These can be spent on Age or on Facilities. Note that if you pick the Age of Victorian, Red Brick or Ancient there is a 4/8/2 limit on numbers. So If you pick the two oldest you will require GM confirmation before it is official.
Facilities:
Library: Increases the potential of your students and their satisfaction. It offers a place to study and a wealth of books to choose from.
Great Hall: A grand dining area. Not a simple refectory but a great hall filled with portraits of previous masters and the perfect location to host the best formals.
Boathouse: Really a staple of Collegiate University life. How else will your college win the boat race?
Sports Complex: Elite Sportsmen make very rich and grateful Alumni. Also its always good to see ones college at the top of the sporting ranks.
Lecture Spaces: Conferences are a good source of income for a college, so being able to host them is just wonderful. Its also good for the students.
Extra Accommodation: MORE! The more students the more money we make and the better our college becomes! Who could argue with that?
Gardens: Somewhere beautiful to sit and read or revise as nobody really has time to read for pleasure do they?
Chapel: The centre of the College's spiritual life. Which is a key think in any self respecting college.
Wine Cellar: Formals are made better when there is huge amounts of wine only a windy stone corridor away.
State of the Art Computer Suite: Technology makes the world go round, and so does the money that this facility could provide us with in the future when our student are the best programmers in the University.
Family Accommodation: Postgraduates like Family Accommodation it means they can bring their annoying children and demanding spouse to university with them. Luck for us too - more people to charge for rent.
Architect's Touch: Maybe the architect who designed the college was high at the time, maybe he was just mad. Whatever it is it gives us one of the most unique college looks around.
Performance venue: Maybe its a giant stage, maybe its a concert area. Whatever it is it makes us look good when visiting artists choose our college to perform. Also it lets the student rabble put on the odd show now and again.
Massive JCR: Sometimes it is good to let the students have their way. Sometimes you get to the top of the collegiate pile by having the biggest and the best JCR making us the college with the most societies, the largest bureaucracy and the most active student community.
Ages
5 - Ancient: Free Chapel, Boathouse, Library, Great Hall, Wine Cellar and Garden.
4 - Victorian: Free Chapel, Boathouse and Library. May choose between a free Great Hall, Garden or Wine Cellar
3 - Red Brick: Free Chapel, Boathouse and Library.
0 - Modern
College Values
Eadem mutata resurgo: You are dedicated to academic excellence, and of course excellence in as much else as you can be
Non nobis solum: An emphasis on traditional practices and the integrity of men makes this college what it is. Must be Gowned.
Aime le meilleur: Big and brilliant, the everyman's college. A wonderful sense of community where all are welcome. College may not be gowned.
Non vestra sed vos: Old school equality. A tight knit small community where all are welcomed. There are likely to be more Bursaries. This college may not be younger than Red Brick, this college may not have Extra Accommodation.
Fides nostra victoria: A college with a more religious community feel to it. Must have a chapel.
The Game
Each year is divided into 4 turns: Michaelmas, Epiphany, Easter and Summer. Each one corresponds to a term apart from summer which is the break between Easter and Michaelmas. Each year will last from 1-2 weeks real with each turn being a few days.
The Budget
There are 4 main ways a college gains income
1) University Budget: granted at the start of each academic year
2) Accommodation Costs: Taken from the students once each term
3) Alumni Donations: Given to you by Alumni whenever they feel generous
4) Conference fees: Gained from holding conferences
There are 4 main expenses too
1) Maintenance: Maintaining stuff, taken away from you each term
2) Grants, bursaries, and Scholarships: allowing the poor to grace our mighty institution and the intelligent to afford more alcohol.
3) Events: Paying for freshers week is serious business
4) Expansion: Building new stuff
Colleges can set Accommodation costs as well as the amount that goes to GB&S and along with Maintenance these things are done automatically each turn. The budget from the central university is handed out each year and is subject to the college's performance in the last year. You can also make applications for more money in order to be able to afford new facilities.
Expansion: The first stage of expansion is to pay a surveyor/architect/guy to give you a quote on how much it is going to cost. After that materials workforce and so on must be paid for until the construction is complete.
Glossary:
Under Construction
