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Archive => Archive => Forum Game Awards => Topic started by: ashersky on December 18, 2015, 11:18:10 am

Title: 2015 Flavor of the Year: Voting
Post by: ashersky on December 18, 2015, 11:18:10 am
Flavor of the Year
We all know that writing flavor can be a hard and grueling task.  This award recognizes those mod specifically who put the time in to choose, implement, and write flavor that improves the game experience, while not disadvantaging players who don't know the flavor.  Players, mods, and spectators should nominate the most spectacular flavor used in a game in 2015.

M66: Paris Mafia (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=13735.0) by UmbrageOfSnow
M69: GOP Mafia (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=13872.0) by faust
M71: Harry Potter II: JK++ (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=14209.0) by EFHW
RMM19: LOST Mafia (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=11890.0) by faust
RMM25: Buffy/Angel Mafia (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=12917.0) by faust
RMM26: Mistborn Mafia (http://forum.dominionstrategy.com/index.php?topic=13382.0) by ashersky
Title: Re: 2015 Flavor of the Year: Voting
Post by: Teproc on December 18, 2015, 11:57:11 am
Offended that Flavorless didn't get in.

ETA : The poll is not hidden ash, I'm guessing that's unintended.
Title: Re: 2015 Flavor of the Year: Voting
Post by: yuma on December 18, 2015, 05:16:35 pm
Ash asked me to write up summaries for each of the nominees. I will do my best, but since I was absent for 2/3rds of the year please feel free to correct or add any information...

M66: Paris Mafia by UmbrageOfSnow  - writers and artists in the 1920s and 1930s ranging from Zelda Fitzgerald to Dos Passon to Gertrude Stein.

Example of flavor:

Quote
Scott Fitzgerald offered to escort his wife to the police station downtown.  They never arrived.

The next morning, the police found the Fitzgeralds washed up on the shore of the left bank of the Seine, not far from where James Joyce had been discovered.  The death was ruled "Death by Misadventure."  It was decided they had drank too much and gone for an ill-advised swim.  But although they were both drunks, Scott was a strong swimmer, and Zelda was afraid of the water.

While identifying the bodies at the morgue, Gertrude Stein pulled a damp note from Scott's right breast pocket.

M69: GOP Mafia by faust - the 2016 presidential election candidates from the GOP ranging from The Donald to Marco Rubio to Lindsay Graham. Flavor was written as if articles from a newswire.

Example of flavor:

Quote
Ted Cruz may not become president, say Supreme Court judges

In a much anticipated decision, the Supreme Court ruled today that only those born within the borders of the United States receive the status of a natural-born citizen. This unexpected decision bring Ted Cruz's presidential campaign to an aprupt halt. Many Republicans have criticised the ruling.

Only natural-born citizens may become President of the United States. Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz was born in Canada, a fact which has sparked some discussion on whether or not he is eligible to become president. In the past, many legal experts agreed that he could, leaving but a small minority that opposed this point of view.

This small group, led by legal activist Larry Klayman, has since taken their cause up to the Supreme Court. The Court judges have decided to disagree with the general opinion in a close vote, leaving many commentators astonished. "This may have been one of the least expected decisions this court has made in the last years, and the least justified since their ruling on gay marriage", said fellow presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

Cruz himself has accepted his defeat - for now. "It is obvious that liberal judges have used this matter to find a way to weaken opposition for the Democrats", said Cruz. Still he said that he had no choice but to accept the ruling, stating he would make it a priority to get a law change until 2020, "to put an end to discrimination against American citizens with a different background". He would then consider running again in 2020 and has warned the press not to write him off just yet: "I'll be back!"

M71: Harry Potter II: JK++ by EFHW - characters were from the Harry Potter series (Harry Potter, Ron and Hermione included) with the scenes sourcing their material from the end of the fifth book. Some of the flavor was provided by the characters themselves.

Example of flavor:
Quote
“Molly, No!” cried Lupin.  “What have we done?” He sank down with his head in his hands.  It seemed like there was a long time where nothing happened.  Everyone else stood around looking at each other, as if they couldn’t take in the new information.  Then out of nowhere there was a sudden intense flash of white followed by a criss-crossing of beams of colored light that were gone an instant later.  Everyone had spots before their eyes and couldn’t see anything for a few moments.  When their eyes had recovered they were shocked to see someone lying on the floor.  Ron (aka e). There was no mark on him to show how he had died.  “The Avada Kedavra curse,” whispered Sirius.  Ron didn’t change appearance, so he must have been himself, not an imposter.  He was a Member of the Order of the Phoenix.  Hermione  and Ginny were crying as Prof. McGonagall pointed her wand at the body.  It rose about a foot in the air and floated under her direction to a spot against the far wall.  Kingsley covered it with his cloak.  Hermione became overwhelmed with grief. “You can’t die, you never kissed me! I mean, how long does it take you boys to make a move? I waited for three years you pimple-headed dunce! What were you waiting for? You should really have read a book about girls or love. In fact there should be a class just for boys, called 'How to Interact with Girls.' You know who could teach that class? Snape or Filch. You know why? Because both of them have 100 times more game than you have when it comes to the ladies!” She sobbed and Harry put his arm around her shoulders and talked to her softly.  “We need you Hermione, you’re the smartest one here.  Help us!”  She nodded tearfully and stood up straighter, though pale.   Luna came over and handed her a piece of chocolate.  “This fell out of Ron’s pocket, I hope it helps.”

RMM19: LOST Mafia by faust - flavor was inspired from the well known TV show with characters ranging from John Locke, Sun-Hwa Kwon and Michael Dawson.

Example of flavor:

Quote
I need to be more careful from now on. One of the survivors, I do not know which one, found my journal and apparently didn't like what I wrote there, because he decided to burn it. I guess I'll stick to the habit of another passenger and call everyone I talk about by nicknames I make up.

By my personal count, this is the 49th day we spend on this island, still hoping to be rescued. We have accomodated ourselves reasonably well by now, and food and water gathering runs smoothly. But out there are other people who have some kind of grudge against us - people like Ethan (no need to give nicknames to dead men, right?). Only yesterday, that crazy jungle chick showed up and told everyone how these guys were going to attack us. Well guess what - nothing happened. Whoever suggested listening to that French woman? I think it must have been Teproc.

In the meantime, a group of people decided to grab some unstable dynamite to blow up a hatch door they found in the middle of the jungle - to hide from the Others. Clever reasoning, man. For all we know, the Others could be right behind that door. And one of them got blown up all across the jungle along the way. Don't worry though - he was not one of the guys I like.

What they found behind that door was, as rumor has it, a weird underground science lab from like the seventies. They also met some other crazy guy who told them they had to push a button every couple of minutes to save the world. Guess what? They listened to him too. There's way too much listening to weirdos going on on this island, if you ask me. (Noone asks me, of course, because why talk to sane people?) A computer that needs button pushing every so-and-so minute? Please. Even back in hippie time, it should have been possible to program a routine for that. The whole thing is clearly a hoax, though a very impressive one.

- Unknown author, excerpt from a journal washed ashore in Fiji, 2009

RMM25: Buffy/Angel Mafia by faust - Flavor comes from the well known Vampire slayer series and spin off. Characters ranged from Tara Maclay to Dawn Summers to Spike.

Example of flavor:

Quote
Angel and Buffy sit in a car, waiting. "Remind me again how this will be helping us track down the bastards that murdered Xander?", Buffy snaps impatiently.

"The woman that just went in that building is Lilah Morgan, Vice President of Wlfram&Hart's Special Projects Division. No supernatural incident in this city happens without her knowledge, in fact I suppose most of them are actually caused by her firm. We know that they're working to open a portal into a hell dimension, and we assume that they're the ones who caused the permanent darkness", replies Angel.

"Great", says Buffy, "so why don't we just go after her, beat the shit out of her, and see what she knows?"

"You mean torture? Come on, we're better than them. Besides... they undergo special training. It's unlikely that we will get any information from her that she doesn't want us to have."

"So what's the plan?"

"She's apparently running some errand for Wolfram&Hart. We'll find out who she's doing business with. And... well, I suppose then we'll beat the shit out of them."

"Now we're talking!"

"Look, the door opens. There she comes..."

RMM26: Mistborn Mafia by ashersky - flavor comes from the fantasy book series by Brandon Sanderson. Characters included: Rebellious Skaa, Lord Ruler's Anger and Survivor's Thug. I am sure I am missing some context here so feel free to fill it in.

Example of flavor:

Quote
The mists were heavy overnight.  They found their way into the little crevices in the walls, trickled over window ledges left cracked for comfort, and swirled into odd shapes that were too ominous for most to watch.

But our visitor stayed out, completely comfortable.  He found it interesting, watching those who slept, those who pretending to be asleep.  He thought today would be another interesting day...