The Brokered Convention MegaGame

By Andrew Stackhouse



WHAT IF Cruz won Indiana, or Bush won New Hampshire?



WHAT IF Sanders had Super Delegate support or O’Malley had proved viable?



WHAT IF the primaries did not produce a nominee, and instead delegates were free to select a Presidential candidate at a BROKERED CONVENTION?



When you watch House of Cards, do you root for the Underwoods? Were you a Model UN junky? An RPG gamer or LARPer who wants to test your skills in a contemporary setting? A wonk who wants to see if you are smarter than the pundits? If so, then join us on June 18 for The Brokered Convention, a simulation of the intrigue, back room deals, and media circus at the fictitious Freedom Party’s nominating convention, where you will struggle to nominate a presidential candidate who can win in November without destroying the party in the process.



In The Brokered Convention, you can choose to play a candidate, party official, delegate, or a member of the media. Your character’s unique background and beliefs will shape not only which candidate you vote for, but also the aspirations and vendettas that will inform the deals you are willing to make in return for your support. Amidst the wheeling and dealing, the party will have to put on a show for two competing News Networks with their own agendas by carefully negotiating prime time speakers who can sway the nation, while fighting to tie down any loose cannons whose appearance on a news broadcast could tank the polls.



Unlike Watch the Skies, everyone in The Brokered Convention is on the same team – except for the reporters from Yak News and KMBYA – but ultimately playing for themselves. In this game, there is no map, no units, and no currency – players will have to rely on their wits, their power of persuasion, and their ability to make deals – or double cross the right people – to get what they want. Some roles, like the candidates, the party officials, and the reporters, will require making speeches. The game will consist of eight turns, each simulating one morning and one evening of a four-day convention.









Player Roles:



After signing up, you will receive a detailed briefing that will provide a background on the Freedom Party, the primary process leading up to the convention, and a detailed description of your character. These are the roles that are available:



At the Convention, there are three Candidates vying for the conservative Freedom Party’s nomination. A player in this role will have to try to pull away a clear majority of delegates to their cause, or else find another way to make their mark on the convention, the party platform, or the potential administration. A Candidate will need to pick another player as their running mate, find supporters in key battleground states, build their campaign coffers, and make a good impression on the press, or else get punished in the polls.



Most players will be Delegates consisting of politicians, business leaders, and activists, each with a unique set of beliefs, goals, and vendettas. Every Delegate will begin the game aligned with a particular candidate, but then must decide whether to continue to vote for the candidate who most closely represents their beliefs, the one most likely to win in November, or whether to trade their vote to help achieve their personal agenda. A few Delegates will have additional responsibilities: A Head Delegate will lead each regional Delegation, and will be responsible for counting votes, and keeping lesser party members in line. Delegates assigned as the Floor Manager for each Candidate will act as a loyal lieutenant to whip votes and help manage their Candidate’s campaign.



The player literally running the show is the Party Chairperson. Tasked with producing a candidate for the general election who can beat the Unity Party’s nominee, this player will face the challenge of placating the various factions within the party, while giving the Media the impression that the process is not at all contentious. This will be the only person with the ability to call for a vote, as well as the person tasked with determining who will give the nationally televised Prime Time Speech each night, leading to the final nominating speech on the last turn.

Two other Party officials are the Rising Star and the Old Guard. The Rising Star is quickly leapfrogging her way into the national spotlight. The Old Guard was the Freedom Party’s nominee four years ago and lost to the outgoing incumbent. Neither participated in the primaries, but both have considerable pull with the Media, and could be powerful allies, running mates, or even, if the stars aligned, the Party’s nominee.



Ultimately, everyone will be trying to impress the News Networks. Players will be organized into two competing 24-hour News Networks – the conservative Yak News that is supportive of the Freedom Party, and the liberal KMBYA that is sympathetic to the opposing Unity Party. Players will have to scramble to turn rumors into facts, get the scoop on whose votes are in play, and uncover the shady deals going on behind the scenes, all while trying to drown out the innumerable voices screaming for air time. Like the Delegates, theProducers and Reporters for both Networks will each have a unique agenda. The networks will have regular “broadcasts” during which they report the news to the rest of the players.



The game will be run by a small team of control umpires, whose primary job will be to take the Media reports, the Prime Time speeches, and the results of any votes, and produce national polls showing how the candidates stack up against each other and their potential opponents in November. Players will be able to turn to Control for “staff” inquires – trying to verify promises, hear what the folks back home think, or any other research that could be produced by a hypothetical team of over-caffeinated, under-paid policy wonks.





FAQ

Will there be a break for lunch?

We will have lunch around 1:30, however we do not have plans to stop the game to eat. Water will be available in bottle form, with a water cooler right outside of the main room. No alcohol is allowed. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions.





Where can I park? How can I get there from the CTA?

There is a parking lot adjacent to the building, and 4 others within half a block. They should all be around $15 for the day. All CTA L lines exit within 3 blocks of the venue.





Can I sign up with a team?

Technically yes, however there are no teams in the game proper, save for the media (as outlined above).





I have another question?



Did that count as the question? Just kidding! Please direct all inquires to chicagomegagames@gmail.com! For more info on the Chicago MegaGame Society please visit chicagomegagames.com



