Watch the Skies!
October 16, 2015 5:28 AM Subscribe
Watch the Skies is a megagame which throws hundreds of players into the roles of world governments, corporations, the media, alien races and even the pope (Oh, don't forget the Whales) in a day long game of alien invasion*
Watch the skies is designed and run by Megagame-Makers who have been designing and running large scale multi-player games since the early 1980s.
In Watch the skies players play out the plot of X-Com , negotiating with other countries, trying to steal alien tech, attempting to nuke the moon or worrying about the Space Pope!
Watch a team from Shut Up and Sit Down playing the first (and discussing the design)
and second games here.
*Warning some aliens may or may not be invading
Watch the skies is designed and run by Megagame-Makers who have been designing and running large scale multi-player games since the early 1980s.
In Watch the skies players play out the plot of X-Com , negotiating with other countries, trying to steal alien tech, attempting to nuke the moon or worrying about the Space Pope!
Watch a team from Shut Up and Sit Down playing the first (and discussing the design)
and second games here.
*Warning some aliens may or may not be invading
I watched the SU&SD video awhile ago and it looks like a ton of fun. It reminds me a bit of the Model Congress and Model UN events that we would participate in during high school. Just, you know, without the alien invasion.
One year at a Model UN event, a kid from another school was representing Mozambique. About halfway through the weekend, he announced that his country was allying with Antarctica and forming the new nation of Mozambarctica. And then starting fighting for penguin rights.
posted by backseatpilot at 6:51 AM on October 16, 2015 [10 favorites]
One year at a Model UN event, a kid from another school was representing Mozambique. About halfway through the weekend, he announced that his country was allying with Antarctica and forming the new nation of Mozambarctica. And then starting fighting for penguin rights.
posted by backseatpilot at 6:51 AM on October 16, 2015 [10 favorites]
Ha! This is timely. We're doing WTS next weekend, on the 24th. So stoked!
posted by xedrik at 6:54 AM on October 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by xedrik at 6:54 AM on October 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
Neat, this is the first I've heard of this. It makes me think of the old Braunstein games.
posted by nom de poop at 6:56 AM on October 16, 2015
posted by nom de poop at 6:56 AM on October 16, 2015
I've enjoyed the resurgence of complicated board games as a response to video gaming. It's like "There's a fun social element to having to figure the rules out yourself and sometimes fucking them up versus a computer always getting the rules right."
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:05 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:05 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
Hey man, screw you. Don't tell me about something amazing that's only in the UK. My whole day is just wanting to play this now.
posted by Caduceus at 7:09 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Caduceus at 7:09 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
I believe there is also a group that runs in it New York that seem to be active more recently.
Or Chicago
Or Seattle
So, you could ask them if there are any games running near you soon? Or set one up yourself?
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 7:22 AM on October 16, 2015
Or Chicago
Or Seattle
So, you could ask them if there are any games running near you soon? Or set one up yourself?
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 7:22 AM on October 16, 2015
Caduceus, there are still tickets available for the game on the 24th, in Bellingham WA.
posted by xedrik at 7:28 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by xedrik at 7:28 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Hot damn. All is forgiven!
posted by Caduceus at 7:34 AM on October 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Caduceus at 7:34 AM on October 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
I've enjoyed the resurgence of complicated board games as a response to video gaming. It's like "There's a fun social element to having to figure the rules out yourself and sometimes fucking them up versus a computer always getting the rules right."
It's not a fuckup, it's a house rule.
posted by Etrigan at 7:53 AM on October 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
It's not a fuckup, it's a house rule.
posted by Etrigan at 7:53 AM on October 16, 2015 [5 favorites]
Hi all! I'm Noam, the head game designer of the MegaGame Society's version of Watch the Skies. I can tell you that there are five upcoming games games in 2015 in Bellingham (WA), NYC, Tampa (Florida), Denver (Colorado) and Erie (PA). I'm also happy to answer any questions people have about the game or how to run it in your hometown. Ask me anything and I'll try to help! :)
posted by NoamS at 8:43 AM on October 16, 2015 [28 favorites]
posted by NoamS at 8:43 AM on October 16, 2015 [28 favorites]
About halfway through the weekend, he announced that his country was allying with Antarctica and forming the new nation of Mozambarctica.
I'm guessing he thought of the word "Mozambarctica" first and then asked if he could represent Mozambique. Well done, kid.
posted by straight at 9:48 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm guessing he thought of the word "Mozambarctica" first and then asked if he could represent Mozambique. Well done, kid.
posted by straight at 9:48 AM on October 16, 2015 [2 favorites]
If only I could trust the weather along I-95 in December, I'd be making a surgical strike to NYC no question.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:36 AM on October 16, 2015
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:36 AM on October 16, 2015
If I was good/smart I would have put up links to the groups running the games in case anyone was interested in playing :P
Erie, PA: November 21st: tickets currently on sale!
Tampa, Florida: December 5th, tickets currently on sale!
Denver: December 6th, tickets go on sale soon
NYC (this is the group I'm a part of): December 12th, tickets on sale Monday December 19th at 12pm EST
There will be a bunch more games in Chicago, Seattle and a couple of other places in January/February/March timeframe in 2016 as well. Hope to see you all at the NYC game, I promise it's tons of fun!
Also: I can tell you in two different games the new country of Crussia was born from the ashes of China and Russia :)
posted by NoamS at 12:09 PM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Erie, PA: November 21st: tickets currently on sale!
Tampa, Florida: December 5th, tickets currently on sale!
Denver: December 6th, tickets go on sale soon
NYC (this is the group I'm a part of): December 12th, tickets on sale Monday December 19th at 12pm EST
There will be a bunch more games in Chicago, Seattle and a couple of other places in January/February/March timeframe in 2016 as well. Hope to see you all at the NYC game, I promise it's tons of fun!
Also: I can tell you in two different games the new country of Crussia was born from the ashes of China and Russia :)
posted by NoamS at 12:09 PM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]
Come to Boston! We can definitely scrounge up at least one team from Mefites.
posted by backseatpilot at 2:06 PM on October 16, 2015
posted by backseatpilot at 2:06 PM on October 16, 2015
Also I love how the other teams in the playthrough videos all are acting like they are the no-goodliest no-goodniks up to no good, but it turns out they're all working towards peace. That's my kind of play style.
posted by backseatpilot at 2:07 PM on October 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by backseatpilot at 2:07 PM on October 16, 2015 [3 favorites]
Watching the SU&SD videos, this looks so amazing.
posted by nom de poop at 2:45 PM on October 16, 2015
posted by nom de poop at 2:45 PM on October 16, 2015
Re: Boston, it seems worth noting that they ran this at PAXEast this year, and I presume (hope?) that it'll be run there again in 2016.
posted by explosion at 3:02 PM on October 16, 2015
posted by explosion at 3:02 PM on October 16, 2015
Why wait?
Also, getting PAX tickets has become a bit of a hassledrag.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:26 AM on October 17, 2015
Also, getting PAX tickets has become a bit of a hassledrag.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:26 AM on October 17, 2015
I'm signed up to WTS4 in London early next year.
It seems like such a long time to wait.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 1:54 PM on October 18, 2015
It seems like such a long time to wait.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 1:54 PM on October 18, 2015
Turns out my wife has always wanted to see NYC in December. So if I can get a ticket for the December game when they go on sale tomorrow, I'm in.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:44 PM on October 18, 2015
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:44 PM on October 18, 2015
(Ticket got.)
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:02 AM on October 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:02 AM on October 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
There's also a Boston game, "From Beyond" that sounds like a sister of Watch the Skies happening next month on the 14th. I've signed up for that one too.
Seriously, this is the sort of game I would have killed for in high school.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:41 PM on October 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Seriously, this is the sort of game I would have killed for in high school.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:41 PM on October 19, 2015 [1 favorite]
Looks like I missed this thread. I played in the June Chicago game and was part of the control/GM group for the Chicago game a couple of weeks ago. It's really fun and I think it'd be perfect for an IRL meetup.
posted by michaelh at 5:21 PM on October 28, 2015
posted by michaelh at 5:21 PM on October 28, 2015
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I also, really, really want to be the Space Pope with my Moon Vatican.
posted by mayonnaises at 6:25 AM on October 16, 2015 [1 favorite]