Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ultimediation a recreational game or a serious game?
Ultimediation is a purely recreational game, but in the background, it contains a message of non-violent communication and, as a result, its author hopes it can contribute to a lasting peace. You can play Ultimediation with pleasure without noticing this message, simply by immersing yourself in the action. At the same time, the author hopes that some players will notice this message and, perhaps, act on it.
How is peace restored in Ultimediation?
This recreational game is inspired by Nonviolent Communication® (hereinafter referred to as NVC), developed by Marshall B. Rosenberg.
NVC is a powerful method of conflict resolution. Marshall Rosenberg applied it in many countries and contexts: schools, families, prisons, relationships between law enforcement and communities, as well as in armed conflict zones such as Rwanda, the Balkans, and the Middle East.
The basis of NVC rests on the premise that all human beings, regardless of their identities, share the same fundamental needs: freedom, autonomy, respect, peace, food, security, understanding, recognition, contribution to life, love, and many others.
Mediation according to the NVC method consists of connecting conflicting parties at the level of their human needs. The objective is to reach a point where each party is able to understand its own needs, to recognize and respect those of the other, without necessarily satisfying the demands made.
According to Marshall Rosenberg, if the conflicting parties can be brought to this stage, resolution becomes inevitable. The people involved then find strategies themselves to mutually satisfy their needs, and do so with pleasure.
Thus, in Ultimediation, peace is restored through the "mediation" action, which allows drawing "mediation" cards to identify the human needs of each conflicting side.
In this game, the author draws inspiration only from the first step of the NVC mediation process: empathic listening to people in conflict. This listening aims to identify the emotions and needs hidden behind judgments and criticisms.
The subsequent steps of the process will be represented in future games.
What is the difference between restoring peace and winning the war?
The author believes that when a war is won, victorious sides generally impose very unfavorable conditions on the vanquished, without real consideration of their needs. This lays the groundwork for new wars: the resulting peace is not lasting, but rather resembles an imposed truce.
Observation of history shows that humanity has lived for several millennia in a state of almost permanent war, punctuated by truces. From this perspective, one could say that peace has never really existed, and therefore it is not a question of "restoring" it, but rather of "establishing" it.
Establishing peace consists of creating conditions in which human beings understand each other, respect each other's needs, and cooperate to find the best strategies to satisfy them. For a more complete vision of the art of peace, the author invites consulting Bertrand Badie's eponymous work.
Why can Ultimediation be seen as a game pointing towards lasting peace?
Lasting peace requires understanding and respecting the human needs of all. Ultimediation aims to raise awareness among players about the importance of these needs in the context of military conflicts.
The author believes that if this understanding were widely shared, wars would become unlikely.
Why are there aliens in the game?
In the game, mediation roles are embodied by human beings. The aliens represent the protectors and the teleporter.
The choice of a science-fiction universe, featuring aliens from a highly advanced civilization, is linked to the game's mechanics: it's about teleporting billions of people and "canceling" the complete destruction of entire continents, all with a team of 4 to 7 characters.
This requires powers and technologies so advanced that humanity is unlikely to master them by 2100. This date was chosen as the horizon for a world war to be sufficiently distant from the present to avoid any traumatization, while remaining close enough to encourage reflection on building lasting peace.
Why is Ultimediation presented with the slogan "a very, very, very cooperative game"?
In this game, cooperation is maximized thanks to the following elements:
- There is no turn order. Only one rule applies: one action at a time.
- In each round, each character has three possible actions, with no obligation to perform them in a specific order.
Points 1 and 2 are essential to allow the group to brainstorm together and collectively implement the best game tactics and strategies. - Some actions can only be performed cooperatively, by simultaneously using the action capacities (action cubes) of three characters. These include canceling long-range attacks and long-range teleportation.
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There is a strong interdependence between protectors and mediators.
Mediators are protected from attacks when they are within the protectors' force fields.
They can also cancel attacks from these fields.
Protectors and mediators are therefore encouraged to coordinate their movements to optimize their respective abilities.
Where did the idea for the Pyramids of Consciousness variant come from?
Originally, this variant stemmed from an idea proposed by the game testers, who suggested it would be interesting to have a second way to win the game.
Starting from this suggestion, and considering that lasting peace will require a higher level of humanity's consciousness than today, the author envisioned the concept of the pyramids of consciousness.
These symbolize the arrival of an energy—which could be likened to wisdom—from the universe, accelerating collective awareness to a point where wars are no longer relevant.
How were the style and illustrations chosen?
The illustrations were chosen by the author to highlight the contrast between the beauty of the Earth, humanity's heritage, and the destruction caused by war.
On the game board, one can thus see some emblematic monuments of humanity, but also enchanting illustrations representing the beauty of childhood. The colors were selected to highlight these treasures and reinforce their emotional impact.
Through this, the author wishes to invite reflection and, perhaps, encourage a stronger commitment to building lasting peace.
The illustration style for the main face of the game box was deliberately chosen to be out of step with current trends: more schematic and simpler. This choice aims to put more emphasis on the atmosphere and the message of peace than on visual detail.
Why do the Population tokens have different colors?
The colors are exclusively intended to highlight the diversity of humanity.
They have no meaning in the game's mechanics.
What games inspired Ultimediation?
Two games inspired the author.
The first is Monopoly. However, it was not the game's mechanics that served as a reference, but its creator, Elizabeth Magie, the author of Monopoly. You can learn more about this in the "About" section.
It's important to know that the author was not a gamer and was unfamiliar with contemporary board games. A few years ago, his stepdaughter received Forbidden Island as a gift. This game had a dual influence on the author.
Firstly, he discovered that a cooperative game could be exciting. Secondly, this influence became apparent later, during the development of Ultimediation: it was the flood cards that struck him. A similarity can also be observed with the "Attack" cards in Ultimediation.
Today, it's interesting to note that some board game critics remark on a resemblance to Pandemic, even though the author was unaware of that game. However, they don't highlight the proximity to Forbidden Island, which was the only game that truly influenced Ultimediation's mechanics.
Now, the author also notices the similarities with Pandemic. Reflecting on how he could have arrived at these similarities without knowing that game, the answer becomes clear: when trying to model the management of global crises—such as viruses, wars, or other disasters—through a team of a few characters, one almost inevitably arrives at similar approaches.
Will the game be published in other languages?
Yes. An English version is in preparation and will be offered during a crowdfunding campaign on Gamefound.
Other languages, such as German, Polish, Greek, Spanish, and Italian, are also being considered for the continuation of the project.
Will there be a sequel to Ultimediation?
The project includes Ultimediation 2, which will offer, in a playful way, one or more subsequent steps of the NVC mediation process.
The author is currently thinking about possible game mechanics.