The Airship Murder

[TheWhitePawn]

Original 6.

I changed them up the last time, but I just love the way these came out so much.

And thanks!

[Adam106]

Gorgeous!

[TheWhitePawn]

I am trying to decide on a color for the background of the rooms. I was going to do the teal that I started in The Midnight Murder, but I think that a burnt orange (more like the card backs of the Midnight Murder) would be better.

[Murder by Death]

but I think that a burnt orange (more like the card backs of the Midnight Murder) would be better.

Works for me. The rust color was already a part of the AIrship game to begin with and worked very well with the color palette you were using.

Maybe take a page from the Mystery At Sea Game. I think it's interesting that the room card colors match the color of the sea which makes up the background color of the gameboard surrounding the rooms. In other words, a color tying the rooms to the board. Not essential but a nice touch.

[TheWhitePawn]

I ended up going for a light pea-green instead. It looks pretty good.

[Murder by Death]

Where does the idea of different colors for the cards come from? The only edition where I see this as clearly evident is the 1963, in which the weapons have a black band, and the rooms a beige band (two of the few colors which would not be mistaken and/or contrast with the primary 6).

Ultimately I suppose it all depends on the design. I would think gray would be a more neutral color to match your board, but then I haven't seen the new design. Given the shading of your art, pea-green might be confused with Mr. Green, or Mrs. Peacock on first glance (I know, I know - not by any of us). But it's certainly less of a contrast than black, beige, gray, or even rust. Well as long as you don't use this theme with an expanded Hindenburg-edition featuring Mrs. Meadow-Brook...

Then again, pea-green works better with an airship than rust does, considering one thinks of the sky, the ocean and the grassy plains she will be soaring over.

[TheWhitePawn]

I can't use gray, because that's Mrs. White's color and beige is the background color of all the cards.

As for the color scheme, I design all my cards that way. I suppose it rubbed off of the 1963 edition. But it always kind of bothered me that the games would have ovals for the suspects, diamonds for the weapons and just the room cut-out for the rooms (1986 - 50th Anniversary). I think colors work better than shapes because it doesn't look as messy.

[Murder by Death]

I can't use gray, because that's Mrs. White's color and beige is the background color of all the cards.

Yeah I thought of that afterwards. Makes sense. But beige is the color you use for the weapons too, right? Or do you consider that some other color? Also it kind of proves my point, that the grey would look too much like one of the suspects, as pea-green might.

Anyway, the new card game definitely uses colors for each kind of card and I think pulls it off just fine. My only real complaint about the card game is the horrible photos of the rooms, especially using the same first-person perspective in the bird's-eye view on the gameboard.

Can't wait to see the revised color-scheme you come up with for the new board and rooms to tie everything together! Will it use only 6 rooms like the card game ... and use those rules for that matter?

[TheWhitePawn]

Oh no, if I decide to make it a card game, the rules will be revised. None of this "Sneek-a-Peek" crap.

[Murder by Death]

I would of loved to see the rooms in colour. Instead they feel more jail-cell like. On the other hand, it wouldn't seem all that realistic for the rooms to be individually colour coded.

Interesting, I wonder what would happen if in the rooms you added a single item of matching colour on the nightstands, or somewhere to match the suspects?

Also, I just realized something ... you finished this game before the reinvention was introduced. You realize you dropped the titles on the board, just like the reinvention? (e.g. "Green's Room, Mustard's Room, etc al" ... who knew you were such a prognosticator of Hasbro's trends) ... I think under the circumstances you should add them back, lest someone think this is Clue: Discover the Secrets of the Blimp!

Maybe this would be a good Cluedo game, since you already have a Clue edition, either way/or if a card game, include Rev. Green as an optional card (a la Mr. Boddy) as we discussed earlier.

[TheWhitePawn]

Really? Does it really matter whether it's Clue or Cluedo, or Mr. Green or Rev. Green?

I've watched most of the members of this forum quibble about that for years. I guess that's one thing that will never die... LoL.

As for the new edition, it most likely won't have the bedrooms at all. I think it would be neat to explore other parts of the zeppelin, or simply keep the 6 rooms from the first edition that aren't bedrooms. Then the cards will be 6-6-6 instead of 6-6-9. It would make for a shorter game and, considering this is a card game, more suited to the "travel" style.

[Murder by Death]

Really? Does it really matter whether it's Clue or Cluedo, or Mr. Green or Rev. Green?

I think it's undeniable that Cluedo is the Mother of all Clue games. Something about Cluedo and Dr. Black speaks more to a specific period to me, even though Clue has been around almost as long. There's something very European and pre-atomic age, which the name Cluedo evokes for me. And considering passenger Airship travel was uniquely European, and never commercialized in the US, Cluedo is more appropriate for this setting, in my mind.

As for Rev. Green, it is a shame really, as I enjoy both characters. For me they will always co-exist as completely separate personalities, related or not, equally relevant to both Clue and Cluedo. Granted to afford airship passage, this Rev. Green would have to be high up in the church to warrant such a trip on church business, and be a bit more sophisticated.

Here's a question, especially since I know the LGE is one of your favorites: Do you play with the Poison Chalice? If so, one could easily play with the two Greens – one extra suspect instead. It would play the same. In the case of the card game, you could chose one or the other, or play with both, dropping another character. Just a little fun and variety – as i think Winning Moves tried to do with the addition of Mr. Boddy and the random victim. Of course you'd have to design the Rev. Green card! LOL

[TheWhitePawn]

To me it's all the same. I have no preference of Clue or Cluedo. And since Cluedo was released after WWII, they're both post atomic-age. Pratt called it Murder before it was commercially released.

Maybe I should just call this "The Airship Murder."

As for the suspects, Mr/Rev Green has always been my least favorite of the 6, so it doesn't really bother me about which is in the game. Now, if some of you like him as much as I like Mrs. White then I guess I can see the attachment.

[Murder by Death]

since Cluedo was released after WWII, they're both post atomic-age. Pratt called it Murder before it was commercially released.

Too literal.

I was talking about the "feel" of the game. Whether the game was called "Murder!", "Clue", or "Cluedo" is irrelevant. Considering Rev. Green was always a character from the beginning and the fact that Parker Brothers made the changes they did to secure a trademark, and to Americanize it, I feel the two games would have ended up as they are regardless if they shared the same name, or Waddingtons had not changed a single aspect of Pratt's patented game.

That said, I actually am happy that they are called by different names as they reflect the differences I see. To me, Cluedo is closer to Murder! that Pratt envisioned. First, the name is a Latin derivative, which instantly makes it more "classical" and aristocratic. More importantly it ties it to the old world atmosphere which Pratt created originally in 1943, so literal or not, Cluedo embodies Pratt's pre-atomic, pre-war Edwardian sensibilities full of English aristocracy, class structure and Victorian virtues, inspired by the popular Agatha Christie novels which flourished in the time-period between the 20s and 40s. War-wearied Pratt embraced that nostalgic world with Murder! and romanticized it. And that's what the name Cluedo says to me.

Parker Brothers' Clue on the other hand, is definitely post atomic, both literally and figuratively. They didn't get their hands on the game until well after the war ended at a time when America was booming. Mr. Green then, is the epitome of the rich American capitalist. In fact he's almost redundant as to some degree that's the figure Col. Mustard represents in British culture. Our Col. Mustard then becomes a McArthur/Eisenhower-like figure. Distinguished Dr. Black is replaced with the vulgar Mr. Boddy. But gone is the charm of pre-war America, and in with the corrupt scandals of America's wealthy elite in the New England country estates of the great industry-barrons and politicians. Even the box-art is thoroughly progressive ... what on earth is Miss Scarlett doing up on the piano bench in such an undignified position?

Anyway, that's how I see it. Maybe I read too much into the games, knowing the history now, but there you go.

Maybe I should just call this "The Airship Murder."

Works for me. Have you given any thought to the story? Like where is the Airship flying from and to? Or will you not have an elaborate set-up?

Now, if some of you like him as much as I like Mrs. White then I guess I can see the attachment.

LOL, yes I think you have to. There is more than one opinion in the world afterall!

[TheWhitePawn]

[Murder by Death]

Ah yes, those are very nice.

I was just looking at the suspects and weapons and noticed Mustard is roughly the same color as the weapons. And this green is fairly similar to Green. It's more of an olive, no? But having never noticed the Mustard relationship before, I think this is not actually the problem I thought it might be.

Very nice. Taken as a whole, a very complimentary palette. Makes the card colors really stand out. But will you have any contrasting colors on the board design itself?

[TheWhitePawn]

Thank you.

And as for the board, I was thinking of doing one of two things.

Either a similar design to Super Cluedo Challenge and the Dunhill Cluedo, where each room if a separate color, or something like 1972 Clue, where the room displays only the flooring or a pattern design.

I don't want it to be too busy since everything about this set is very clean looking.

[Murder by Death]

each room if a separate color, or something like 1972 Clue, where the room displays only the flooring or a pattern design.

Actually in a departure from almost every Clue/do game created, I would love to see something really unified. I wonder what it would look like if you did the rooms in blocks of color with silhouetted items in them? A simplified version of your existing Airship design if you will. Sort of combining the Dunhill & '72 feel with what you've been doing on the cards. I think the '72 is one of the best examples of a unified theme, except it doesn't quite translate to the weapons and suspects cards. But using the silhouette shading in the rooms would tie this edition together like no other.

[TheWhitePawn]

That's a good idea. I'll give it a try. Maybe this will be a full sized edition instead of a card game after all.

So in the process of updating the game, I took out my old Airship Murder. I was shocked at how well I made the first one. The cards look more professionally made than many Hasbro editions and the lamination is perfect. I'll have to repeat the process for this new set.

I also forgot how cool the actual zeppelin looked on the card backs. I am thinking of adding one to the new designs. Let me know what you think.

[Murder by Death]

See how the entire set turns out with the board first.

I like the airship personally, but I also miss something about the simple line. In fact I almost which you could incorporate that drop letter break in the line somehow as the overall theme. Maybe some combination which incorporates both.