Making a Quest Event Proposal

We're basically looking for "clear and legible", so please don't use a fantasy-looking font or anything else fancy.

Try to make the proposal easily understandable: separate it into sections, use distinct paragraphs, title your sections, etc. Proposals are often set up like a big outline, and for good reason.

Most importantly, bring at least eight copies of your proposal so that each Committee member has a copy to read, plus you have one of your own.

Your first sheet should be a copy of the game "teaser". It does not have to be the final draft.

The sample game proposal includes the standard "info block" ("Continuing Game 123: Feast of Darkness is a Continuing Game tavern night that will be held on February 30, 2009, at the Wesleyan University campus...") Please use this sample block, as it contains all the info that must go into a teaser, such as the date, the cost, and the need to be 18.

The Ops Committee asks that you give one hour (no more, no less) for check-in, with new players instructed to arrive when check-in first opens. If you use the sample game proposal, all this information will already be in the "info block".

Remember that just as your teaser will sell your game to the players, so too will it sell the game to the EC. The teaser matters; players do decide whether or not to come based on what the teaser says. Make sure your teaser appeals to a wide variety of players, giving a broad base of character types a reason to be at the game locale. If your game appeals to only a certain kind of character, make sure that this information comes out in the teaser so that players know what to expect and can choose characters accordingly.

Two-day games should offer food (and if your game will not, you must warn your players). Tavern nights do not have to offer food. Be sure to tell your players in your teaser whether you will be serving a meal(s), snacks, or nothing at all.

List who the GMs are, since the EC is handing official responsibility for the event over to those people. (If you want to add a new GM after the proposal date, you'll need EC approval.)

You'll want to "sell" your game beyond what's in the teaser. What will make your game particularly enjoyable? What will make your game memorable for players? What's the "big deal"?

Most GMs also include a "game philosophy" section, e.g. describing your game as "gothic horror", "light-hearted fantasy", "filled with moral dilemmas", etc. You may want to mention whether you'll be sticking to a well-designed plot tree, or letting PC decisions lead the plot. Also, include other game conceptions - will the game be party vs. party, or will the PCs be united in a common goal? Will each party have individual aims of its own? Will you not even have pre-planned parties (as is the case with most Continuing Games) at all?

Lastly, remember that Quest players (including Committee members) come in different strains: role-players, problem-solvers, and fighters, etc. Use this section to show how your game has things to do for all types of players.

Two-day games (and tavern nights serving a meal) do not have to the kitchen staff pre-arranged at the time of the proposal, but it certainly would help.

Beyond that, you do not need to have taken on all your staff by the time of your proposal. List your GMs and AGMs, plus what staff personnel you do have. Try to include which staff will be playing which NPCs unless this would spoil your plot.

Experience matters; the best way to learn how to run a good game is to have done so. If the GMs are only moderately experienced, it is highly recommended that you have experienced personnel as AGMs or important staff (and that you give them a say in organizing the game). Not only will it improve your proposal's chances, but you'll be thankful when the game actually runs. If the GMs have never been on a game staff before, you're going to have a real tough time getting your proposal to pass..

Also remember that it is just as important to pick your players as it is your staff! If you take all the so-called "good" people onto your staff, your players may end up naive and clueless. Try to make your staff both "veteran" personnel as well as some "younger" players. However, also try to avoid taking people who have never been to Quest games before onto your staff. Staff are supposed to be generally more competent with rules and conventions, and newbies just aren't, no matter how many times they read the rulebook...

Include a detailed timetable: when you'll have staff meetings, costume meetings, props meetings, and so on.

We realize that GMs can only be so detailed here while not spoiling their plot. This is ok! Be as detailed as you can.

Tell us when your check-in begins and ends (yes, this is up to you), when you hope to start the game, and (for weekend games) how late events will run each day.

If you can't go into detail about events lest you spoil the plot, at least show that you have a organized picture of what will happen: "2nd wave of monsters goes out." "3rd batch of activity." "2nd major plot event." "Ominous signs for PCs." "More treasure put out."

Be as picky as you can about numbers. Divide your budget into three sections: Expenses, Revenue, and Balance.

Expenses: Remember that while most costs are fixed (e.g. props always cost the same, regardless of your number of PCs), things like food costs vary by number of people. Account for about $4 per person per full meal, $1-$2 for snacks. Most tavern nights have either substantial snacks ($2 per person) or a full meal and light snacks ($5 per person total); most two-day games have two full meals and some snacks ($9-$10 per person total).

A game's total budget for food, props and costumes combined is usually about $100-$120 for a tavern night without meal, $225-$250 for a tavern night with meal, and $425-$450 for a two-day game. If you have special circumstances that you think warrant a larger props/costumes budget, be sure to explain them.

Please include a detailed list of props and materials needed, with costs. (Detail shows that you've thought out what monsters and costumes you'll need.) Remember that Quest's Props Manager can provide you with a list of what's already in Quest stock, and you can really really cut your expenses by using existing materials.

Revenue: the money coming in. (Cost per staff times number of staff) + (cost per player times number of players). Pretty simple, eh? Game costs are typically $10 for a tavern night, $15 for a tavern night serving a full meal, and $20 for a two-day.

Balance: aka profit. Revenue minus Expenses, assuming the number of estimated people is accurate. Bringing in a sizeable profit does matter, since it pays for the storage space, weapon upkeep, etc.

Tavern nights do not need to serve a meal.

If you are serving a meal(s), list what your kitchen staff plans to serve. You must include a suitable vegetarian option at all meals, and you may need to account for kosher, vegan, allergies, etc. as well. Your teaser should ask people to mail the GMs with dietary issues.

Some elements of CG events will need special approval. You can either include them in your game proposal, or you can take them to the CG GWC after your game proposal passes.

What Needs Approval?

Any of the stuff listed on the CG Materials page. (Please see that page for more info.) In brief:

• money
• treasure
• magic items
• new monsters
• significant new locales
• significant persons
• special rules

For significant persons: consider the materials on the Character Proposal page; these give an indication of how "important" a person is. In general, a character that would need approval to be played as a PC should be mentioned to the GWC.

Existing monsters do not need approval. Note that "canon is canon": a creature not listed in the canon materials (that is, the Bestiary), doesn't yet exist and will need approval.

Monsters and creatures that are "local" to the game locale do not need approval. That is, a creature that will have no presence and no impact upon any future events, such as a unique creation, does not need approval. (Note that the "game locale" refers to the area in which the game actually takes place, not the entire country/continent/etc in which the game is set.)

What If There's Stuff We Can't Tell You?

See the page on Getting Secrets Approved.

The actual EC meeting is really quite casual. We joke around a lot. It's not like a stuffy business proposal, so don't be nervous.

Something to remember about the proposal process: you're bringing forth a proposal, not a discussion topic. The Committee is not going to say that they love your proposal or that they don't like it. Nor are they necessarily going to offer improvements; they take it as is. You're proposing a game, and the Committee says yay or nay.

This is in the interest of keeping things professional. What it means is not to take anything personally! Just because the Committee doesn't accept a proposal doesn't mean they didn't like it. Maybe they just didn't like one part of it, or maybe they loved the whole thing and there was just another really good proposal running against you. Don't get too let down. Afterwards, ask for advice, improve the proposal, and bring it back next time around! Believe it or now, several of our most successful games were accepted on their second try.

Here's how the process works:

1. As said before, bring a copy of your proposal for each Committee member. Also bring anything else that might be helpful.
2. When your turn is up, you come before the Committee, pass out your sheets and info. The Committee will first take some time to read through it. Most proposers simply sit there and fidget at this point.
3. After that, you have a few minutes to speak on behalf of your game. If your proposal is as good as it should be, you may not feel you need to say anything ("Well, everything I'd want to say is right there on my proposal.") But anything you'd like to emphasize, do it here.
4. After you're done speaking, the Committee will begin to ask its questions. This may start to feel like an attack at some point. Don't take it personally! Just because the Committee is chock full o' questions doesn't mean they don't like your game; they ask lots of questions of everyone. Additionally, most of these questions are not being asked because the Committee is disturbed about a section, but rather because they want to clarify it for themselves. So please, don't freak. They're not really jumping down your throats, even if it seems so.
5. Then you're done, and you wait for the Committee's decision. Usually more fidgeting occurs here. Good luck!

Proposing Via E-Mail

The EC really dislikes proposals via e-mail, preferring face-to-face meetings. A simple question-and-answer that takes 30 seconds face-to-face can drag on for three days via e-mail. We've found that the process can be painfully slow, and causes a lot of frustration on everyone's part. This will be even more true if there's anything contentious in the proposal, or if the EC has any concerns whatsoever.

As such, the EC discourages e-mail proposals. If you can't make the proposal meeting for some reason, we would much rather have an AGM propose your game in person than do the proposal by e-mail.

However, there are occasionally times when an e-mail proposal is unavoidable. If you find yourself proposing via e-mail, please:

• Overshare. Write your proposal so that the EC won't have any reason to ask you any questions whatsoever. Tell the EC more than they might need to know. If this means you might have to expose a few secrets, then so be it; trust the EC not to spill the beans.
• Check your e-mail often. If you are able to check your e-mail multiple times a day, please do so, especially during the workday. This allows questions to get handled quickly.
• Write back. If the EC is uncomfortable with (for example) your teaser, and you've decided to revise it and send it out again, tell them you're doing so – rather than everyone wait in silence until the EC gets your revision.
• Do everything as soon as possible, including sending the proposal out. As the process will take quite a bit (some e-mail proposals have taken weeks to pass), you will want to get a jump on things.