Smart versus the Termite Queen is a seriously demented minigame set in the current day. Ninjas kidnap Jeff, and it's up to Gail, Doug, and Smart, Ryan Smart, to save the day!
One birthday a while back, Ryan Smart was treated to a birthday scenario where he was set up as a secret agent, besieged by ninjas. There have been a couple of occasions where ninjas have cropped up again.
In July of 2001, Gail and Dig Freedman came out for work and for a wedding. On Friday night, over some nice port, Ryan created The Italian Renaissance Wine LARP on the fly. We were highly amused. On Saturday, the three of them went off to a wedding, leaving me to think. In two hours, this game was born.
When the three of them returned from the wedding, the three characters sheets (with in-jokes) were taped to the door. Stuff was strewn all over my living room, like the place has been searched, and I'm not there.
Before too long,
they got a videotape of a complete stranger
reading the introductory text ala
Mission Impossible. Then it was on to rescue me, held
hostage by the notorious Termite Queen! (pictured here,
sans disguise)
The game was designed for three players and five NPCs. It ran for an hour or so. The game was written and designed with the help of Susan Giusto and Tim Lasko. Pete Brillinger and Cheryl Knoepler provided invaluable assistance in their NPC roles.
It proves that you can do something extremely silly and brief in a panicked two hours, if you're desperate enough and have crazy friends. And there was some very nice vintage Warre's port (an '85) to celebrate afterwards.
© 2001-2005, all rights reserved.