What's in a Name?

[Korbel]

"Knives and Knaves"

Watch out guys, this is going to be a blast: Brigands & Brigandines!

[Agamemnon]

"Knives and Knaves"

Watch out guys, this is going to be a blast: Brigands & Brigandines!

..that got a good chuckle out of me. Well done. We can then later expand our modern game by calling it Brigands and Brigadiers.

[Marras]

Yeah, that would be cool

[nemedeus]

"Bloodboilers"
"Men with Swords"
"Bastardiers" (we can invent words right?)

I'm not good with titles.

[thirtythr33]

1. The character-motivation gameplay. That internal conflict, moral dilemma, and hard choices are the highlight of the game.

To hit this aspect, a X or X combination is probably better than X & X. For example, Knight or Knave.

Other alliteration ideas:
Sword and Sallet
Strife and Sword
Blood and Belief
Bleed for Belief
Barter in Blood

Blood at the Crossroads

I actually quite like this one. Similar suggestions:
Blood in the streets
Pound of Flesh
Heart's Discontent
Flesh and Blood
Violent Delights
The double edged sword

Other ideas for "snappier" versions of "A conversation in steel":
A Blade's Discourse
A Blade's Expression
Call of Steel
Cry of Steel
Dance of Steel
Dancing Blades
Dancing Steel
Debate with Steel
Discourse in Steel
Language of Steel
Steel's Dance
Steel's Language
Steel's Tongue
Steel's Voice
Violent Discourse
Weapon's Expression
Clash of Steel
The Sword's Dilemma

[nemedeus]

"Overcome"

would be good if the game was first and foremost about some central struggle. SA can have that effect, but they don't have to :/

[dysjunct]

After some consideration, I'm doubling down on "Sword & Scoundrel."

The first word perfectly describes the combat focus: primarily low-tech. It is also not too specific: Rapiers & Rakes (and similar titles) puts too much focus on a sword associated with a particular time/place, but BoB is more expansive than that. (Also: "rake" suffers from too many synonyms.)

The second perfectly describes the protagonists. Of dubious moral character but not outright evil, the way (say) "Cutlasses & Cads" or "Villains & Volgues" would indicate.

Most of the other suggestions focus either on the combat side of the game, or on the identity or role of the protagonists, but not both. BoB is about both things though, and the title should reflect that.

By keeping the nouns singular, it avoids too much of an OSR feel. "Swords & Scoundrels" feels much more OSR-ish to me. "Sword & Scoundrel" to my ears sounds more individually-focused, which I think is accurate for a protagonist-driven game.

So Agamemnon, I think you had it right the first time when you named your blog.


(Also considered and rejected:
- Losers & Lucerne Hammers
- Dastards & Dopplehanders
- Ranseurs & Rogues
- Fuckwads & Fauchards [also might cause search engine problems]
- Scalawags & Spetums
- Ne'er-do-Wells & Naginatas [might work as asian splatbook expansion]
- Black Sheep & Bec de Corbins
- Heels & Halberds
- Miscreants & Morningstars
... I could go on.)

[Agamemnon]

1. The character-motivation gameplay. That internal conflict, moral dilemma, and hard choices are the highlight of the game.

To hit this aspect, a X or X combination is probably better than X & X. For example, Knight or Knave.

Other alliteration ideas:
Sword and Sallet
Strife and Sword
Blood and Belief
Bleed for Belief
Barter in Blood

Blood at the Crossroads

I actually quite like this one. Similar suggestions:
Blood in the streets
Pound of Flesh
Heart's Discontent
Flesh and Blood
Violent Delights
The double edged sword

Other ideas for "snappier" versions of "A conversation in steel":
A Blade's Discourse
A Blade's Expression
Call of Steel
Cry of Steel
Dance of Steel
Dancing Blades
Dancing Steel
Debate with Steel
Discourse in Steel
Language of Steel
Steel's Dance
Steel's Language
Steel's Tongue
Steel's Voice
Violent Discourse
Weapon's Expression
Clash of Steel
The Sword's Dilemma

If only Joe Abercrombie hadn't beaten us to using the partial quote, "The Blade Itself" would have been a good one here. There's a lot of good turns of phrase in there, quite a few of which would make good novel titles. A Blade's Discourse, in particular. For a game title, though, we need something punchy and catchy -- particularly as we need to overcome the disadvantage of rebranding. We're going to be trying a kickstarter in the very near future. I don't even want to think about that right now.

After some consideration, I'm doubling down on "Sword & Scoundrel."

The first word perfectly describes the combat focus: primarily low-tech. It is also not too specific: Rapiers & Rakes (and similar titles) puts too much focus on a sword associated with a particular time/place, but BoB is more expansive than that. (Also: "rake" suffers from too many synonyms.)

The second perfectly describes the protagonists. Of dubious moral character but not outright evil, the way (say) "Cutlasses & Cads" or "Villains & Volgues" would indicate.

Most of the other suggestions focus either on the combat side of the game, or on the identity or role of the protagonists, but not both. BoB is about both things though, and the title should reflect that.

By keeping the nouns singular, it avoids too much of an OSR feel. "Swords & Scoundrels" feels much more OSR-ish to me. "Sword & Scoundrel" to my ears sounds more individually-focused, which I think is accurate for a protagonist-driven game.

So Agamemnon, I think you had it right the first time when you named your blog.

It does have a strong marketing punch to it, I think. And, as mentioned, it hits a lot of the major points: Hints at the combat, the protagonists roll. It clearly sounds like the title of a game, and It is also a play on Sword & Sorcery which both feels a bit clever and hints at and associates itself with the genre while maintaining distinct from it (not unlike the way Steampunk is phrased in such a way as to draw on the association with cyberpunk).

- Fuckwads & Fauchards [also might cause search engine problems]

That one got me. 10/10.

Higgins made the joke that we could effectively establish our own "Weapon and Slur" sub-genre. I almost want to just make it a running joke to refer to the game by different increasingly terrible pairs of terms every time I mention it somewhere.

Don't take that for the matter being settled, though. Definitely open to other suggestions if we find one that's catchier.

[nemedeus]

Like, an equal alternative to Sword & Scoundrel that still includes "bastard" would be

Blade & Bastard

i guess it doesn't feel punchy enough.

Bastards in the Breach?

GAWD i hate namefidning

[PsiPhire]

I may be in the minority here, but I hate the name "Sword & Scoundrel." It sounds too much like an OSR clone to me. If I heard the name mentioned somewhere, I probably wouldn't look into it further since I dislike OSR games.

[Marras]

One more

In the Company of Bastards

[EinBein]

I may be in the minority here, but I hate the name "Sword & Scoundrel." It sounds too much like an OSR clone to me. If I heard the name mentioned somewhere, I probably wouldn't look into it further since I dislike OSR games.

I second that. I'm no fan of Scoundrel, because it sounds so tame to my ears, much more like a gay porn title . Bastards sounded rough and gritty. However you combine it, I'd prefer Bastards.

Edit Disclaimer: Of course I've gay friends myself and am by no means homophobe, so take it with a grain of salt...

[Marras]

Personally I don't care if the name is associated with whatever porn or not as I already know what this game is about. The same might not apply to those who will be exposed to the game later on and are then potential customers.

Anyway, Bastard in one form or other would be good. Keeping this in mind, two more.

Bloody Bastards
Magnificent Bastards

Or just Bastards

[nemedeus]

I stand by what i said originally: I currently like the suggestions with "bastards" in it more than any other.

[Benedict]

Personally I prefer keeping the Bastards thing no matter what.

Was considering one of

Bloody Bastards - Marras beat me to it.
Bastards+Wenches - Not with a & or and, with a +. Direct reference to Verhoven's FLESH+BLOOD. Also refers to female characters as well.
Bastards - Marras beat me to it again!

Imho plain simple BASTARDS! would be best. Capitalized with an exclamation mark.

No matter what you guys finally choose, please don't loose the "A Game of Passion, Violence, and General Skullduggery" line. That's simply perfect.