Participation
Harem Son Saat is designed as a narrativist game, which means that the main purpose will be the co-creation of the story. It will use preparatory workshops before and after the game. It will use a few light, non-intrusive meta-techniques. For the purpose of drama, and creating hard situations, players will be asked to prepare their character and use a play to lose approach. The requirement will be to play the character in a cohesive way, but also to play for the others.
Languages on the game
The game is language neutral, meaning that the characters have the same language skills than the players. The game will be played in English and French. Workshops will be mostly in English, with French translation when necessary. Roles will fall into three categories: English-speaking, bilingual, French-speaking (to be precised upon sign-up)
Within the game context, English will stand for Turkish, the main language at the Sultan’s court. French will be considered the international diplomatic language, to be used by all foreign characters and in diplomatic relationships. Bilingual characters will serve as bridges and all translation will be in-game dialogue.
Gender and character design
The game will incorporate three distinct groups, all with their own constraints. Roles may be masculine, feminine or neutral (eunuchs are considered as such). The preferred gender for the play is to be specified upon sign-up.
Fateplay
Characters will also be defined through their fateplay (destiny to be acted over the narration) and transparency, which may vary depending on characters.
They will be ranked on a scale from 1 to 5 (1 being light on fateplay and transparency, 5 heavy with important constraints, usually for high-ranking characters and position of power).