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Re-theming
When we acquired the international license for RRR, we started thinking about a good storyline as a frame for RRR's fantastic gameplay. The conflict between religious and secular powers that the original RRR is based on no longer seemed the live and emotional topic that it used to be, so we wanted to draw on something else. And since the game is about conflict we needed a clash, one in which the opponents would use the same methods but hide them under altogether different masks. The Arab Spring – the most recent outburst of the civilization clash between the East and the West – appeared to us an ideal theme. With this kind of theme the title wasn't very far away. Inspired by Benjamin Barber's works, we decided to follow the heavy "CLASH" with the ambiguous "Jihad vs. McWorld".
Re-thinking
CLASH: Jihad vs. McWorld is a logic game in which the opponents start out on an equal footing – but just like in chess, the balance is over once you choose who begins the play. Placing a "blank" Citizen on the board and giving him a direction, the player endows him with political beliefs, thus upsetting the initial equilibrium. Players can increase the number of their followers (or decrease the number of the opponent's followers) by using the tiles on the board or neutral tiles. This system blends perfectly with the game's storyline in which the opposing sides of the Arab Spring wage a ruthless campaign for the society's minds using their henchmen and external resources (that is, resources from outside the countries under revolution) that are available for both opponents. We positioned the events of the Arab Spring as part of a bigger clash, another outburst in a conflict that had been going on for decades.
The mechanisms of the game allow players to inflict destruction, influence followers, change places on the board, and even affect the way characters act, which is a perfect representation of the chaos, complexity and brutality of the current events in the Middle East. Thus, the storyline is no longer a forced overlay on the game's rules – in CLASH it perfectly complements the game's mechanisms. Rather than yet another logic game, CLASH is a kind of simplified representation of mechanisms of a social-political conflict.
Re-drawing
With the storyline and title settled, it was time for artwork. Since the game has a serious theme, we decided to choose Przemek Wolny who then came out with a unique and deep concept. Mixing humor, realism and grotesque, Przemek's illustrations are something unprecedented in the world of board games. They will surely provide a refreshing change against the "nice and politically correct" designs that prevail in the market today. (You can see more of his work on his website.)
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The most important piece of a game's artwork is the box. Our first concept, inspired by the cover of Benjamin Barber's book, was a traditionally dressed Muslim woman holding an attribute of Western culture.
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It wasn't as dynamic as we wanted, so we dropped it. The second concept also drew on contrast, using the game's title literally, but adding more dynamics and controversy. We mixed images of two, shall I say, pop-cultural icons of the conflict between the East and the West.
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The project was approved and Przemek moved on to the next stage.
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With the finishing touches applied, the final version of the cover was presented on BoardGameGeek, thanks to the courtesy of W. Eric Martin in a new game round-up on BGG News.
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Re-action
And it was a real bump. We, as EU citizens, didn't expect this kind of reaction from the other side of the Atlantic. Although our armed forces have also been actively involved in the war on terror, we underestimated the emotions of Americans, who have carried the main burden of combat (also in terms of casualties). In addition, the upcoming election in the USA, along with methods of discrediting the current president, gave the cover a second meaning that we absolutely hadn't intended, something we had been unaware of from our perspective. Comments by several users made it clear to us that they saw the cover as offensive to their beliefs and emotions, and that this version was unacceptable.
Re-construction
Far from politicizing and never intending to offend anybody, we started working on a different version of the cover. We continued with the concept of a clash, but now shown by a juxtaposition of characters in the illustration.
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With some space cleared in the process, we added pieces of artwork that made the entire design more dynamic and dramatic.
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To make sure the cover was as non-political as possible, we also decided to remove the flags. That gave us even more space we could allot to the background (or maybe leading?) actors of the game – members of the outraged crowd.
Without the flags, the cover characters are no longer straightforward and can be treated as typical representatives of the East and the West.
Re-union
This is how the concept, title and artwork of CLASH: Jihad vs. McWorld were born. Recounting this story, we'd like to use the occasion to apologize to all those who felt offended by the first version of the cover and thank everybody for the valuable feedback and opinions that helped us to understand the perspective of gamers across the Atlantic. The determined stance of BGG users made us change our minds and it is our belief that it was to the benefit of the entire project. We're very satisfied with how the cover looks now; it's better than the one presented first on BGG. The amount of emotions it stirred says something about why most board game storylines are set around abstract or historically distant themes.
Once again, thank you for all the opinions – after all, we don't publish this game for ourselves but for you. If you want to know more or want to talk about CLASH: Jihad vs. McWorld, you can download the English rules (PDF) from BGG and feel free to come to our stand at Spiel 2012 during the trade fair in Essen.
Michał Ozon
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