Revision [25145]

This is an old revision of NewOrleansGameScaffold made by AnnCarpenter on 2012-01-07 03:00:56.

 

This is a page which will serve as a scaffolding for building up the 1880s game.

Game Specifications
To do:

Looks good

<#kate: Hey all. Been thinking about my character (gasp) and was wondering if we could tweak some of the years so that her respective ages could make sense? I'm hoping to have her be 21-22 in 1880, while arriving at the orphanage around 9, putting the "start year" around 1867-68 rather than 1865. I was also hoping she would be the 4th or 5th of the PC's to arrive as well. Not sure if any of that works, but let me know. Happy character developing. Kate. #>

<#ann: I don't have a problem with that. I did some initial investigating, and while the majority of orphanages were single sex, I did find records specifically in New Orleans that referenced sending both male and female children to the same institution, and other records that talk about the Blank Orphanage for Girls and Blank Orphanage for Boys, which imply sister schools, so that's not too much of a problem. I have found numerous references to integrated schools in New Orleans in this period (thought by the end of the century that had changed), so if we decide to be an integrated orphanage, I think we can let that slide. I'm still looking for more detailed information about what it was like to live in an orphanage in this time period, but signs seem to indicate that schooling would be important. Almost every reference to NO orphanages mention 'good education' (though of course the official press is hardly going to say otherwise.) Most mention teaching girls to sew, and several say they teach boys 'a useful trade'. At least one orphanage in NO was doing the laundry of hotels and steamboats, so that might be something to think about.) #>

<#bill: The other option is that was make the game happen earlier....like 1878 or so. I think I would prefer that option, but I can go either way. #>

<#court: Shifting the timing either of the ways mentioned is fine with me! And I think my character would be good arriving at the orphanage earlyish, so that shouldn't be in conflict for arrival order! -ct. #>

<#jonah: JP: I have no problem with that date adjustment. If you have something cool in mind, I'd say let's go for it. (As an aside, don't forget that the new wiki syntax works! I've updated the above text to use the new stuff. #>

<#kate: Syntax in use! Also, I hope these work. Orphans and Orphanages and Orphanages They might be interesting reads and suggest some different family dynamics than just having both parents deceased. - kate #>

Timeline of potential events (to be added to as needed - maybe links to emailed correspondence or other pages when developed?)
Kelly's random thoughts (These are muteable but might give people some things to incorporate) :

1) I think the orphanage is run as a business...my gut is that its attached or nearby a factory / hotel thing and the orphanage provides for the children but they are expected to work at the business "getting real world training to make them productive members of society." (In other words free labor in exchange for room and board).

2) I think the business was heavily involved in the civil war, but with it over, has seen better times. (example if it was a hotel it housed soldiers, if it was a factory it made munitions, etc.)

3) I think the business is run by the male half of a couple, while the female half runs the orphanage. (I can also see the whole family being involved...oldest daughter cooking the kids food, oldest son working as the foreman at the business).

4) I think the orphanage has a tall tower or spire that the kids can climb up and look out over the city.

Ill add more as my brain churns, others can feel free to add as well.

<#kate: I'd like a balcony (maybe iron wrought like they have in all those pictures) where you can hear music and maybe see some of the fancy folks in town. -Kate #>

<#ann: If there is a high tower, would we need a balcony? I sort of like the idea of sneaking out on the roof/tower to listen to the music. It gives it a forbidden air. In response to being a factory/hotel, I would vote for the hotel. There's much more varied work and more physical work in running a hotel than in working in a factory. Learning to sew, do laundry, cook, etc can be useful skills. -Ann #>

<#kate: I'm cool if the tower = balcony. I just wanted a place where my character could hang out (sneak out more probably) and listen to music. In reply to the hotel / factory - could we do both? The girls at the hotel, the boys at the factory? I hate to be stereotypical but I feel like the guys would be put to work in a more physically demanding environment (hauling stuff, chopping, working with machines) while the girls might be more the laundry, cooking route. Either way works for me really, just wanted to voice the option. Since my hope is to have a musically inclined character, could there be a piano in the hotel? - Kate #>

<#ann: It's the physical nature of doing laundry and baking bread that I'm counting on to build my muscles! Sewing is tedious and sedentary, but that's about the only household task that is not back-breaking. But I'm down with making it a hybrid hotel/factory if that's what we want. There's more scope there for people being able to either gain a skill they want to have or make their lives miserable in a particular way, whichever path they want to take with the character-Ann#>

NeedsKelly
NeedsJonah
NeedsBill
NeedsCourt
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