Legacy Game

This is an approximate syllabus for the Tribal Initiation "Legacy Game", in my original (late 1990's) syllabus format.

Legacy Game

Syllabus
activity
3DB:162
4 or more teams, each with 15 or more men

This game is a large, all-day version of the popular field game "capture the flag", made more complex by the addition of elements derived from Sid Meier's computer strategy game "Civilization". Several aspects of the game rules are easily recognizable.

The Legacy Game was created by the Sterling Men's Division leaders in California, I suspect some time between spring 1991 and spring 1993. I have been told that Rosomoff played Civilization, and suggested the use of ideas from that game in the T.I.

Site Layout

A large central area, roughly the size of a football field, designated as neutral territory. Within this area, there will be two smaller areas: a PX large enough to accommodate storage for all the supplies for the game (tarps, rope, buckets, weapons, etc), the production team (including cooks), shelter for the gods and any equipment that might be harmed by rain, and so on; and a Hell Hole, an area at least large enough to serve as a "jail" to hold up to about half the players in the game. Both of these areas should be surrounded by a margin of neutral territory. The neutral territory also includes two water supplies: the first (not drinkable, perhaps a pond or stream) for filling buckets with water for warfare, and the second, a table or other place to get drinking water. There should also be first aid supplies and provisions for transportation for wounded player(s).

Surrounding the neutral territory on two or more sides, will be a much larger area designated as game territory. The game territory must be large enough for each team to establish a base camp (as in the popular game "capture the flag") that is far enough from the neutral territory and from the the other teams' base camps to provide a moderate amount of protection. The necessary spacing will depend on the terrain (for example, in woods less distance is necessary because the trees block the line of sight.)

OBJECTIVE
* Build a Division that will withstand the test of time
* Score as many points as possible while surviving until the end of the game

Geography
Game Territory
   The Game is played utilizing the entire site
Flag Camp
   Each Tribe must establish a flag camp where the Tribe's flag, icons, and artifacts are stored.
PX {Note the similarity both to the military "PX" and the abbreviation "Px" for "Production"}
   The PX is a neutral zone, where players can neither kill, steal from nor harass opponent players. Knowledge Advances and useful objects can be purchased here. Currency can be obtained through accomplishing feats of skill, strength or knowledge.
Hell Hole
   A zone where players are sent when "killed" for a duration of 20 minutes.

Currency and Trade
   The currency used to purchase useful objects or Knowledge Advances is called "fish" {after Craig Fish, of the -W- region, who did the Weekend sometime in the 1980's and was a leader; his brother Lincoln did the Weekend with me.}
   Fish are earned at the PX by performing feats of skill, strength or knowledge.
   Until the "Delegation" advance is attained, only the Tribe Leader can earn fish at the PX.
   Occasionally competitive events will be announced between Tribes for rare and valuable items.

Knowledge Advances
   Knowledge Advances allow the Tribes to increase their power, obtain points, and access to better weapons and useful objects.
   Once a Knowledge Advance is obtained the knowledge is forever maintained by that tribe.
   Knowledge Advances must be paid for at the PX. Each Advance costs 100 "fish".
   An icon representing that advance is kept by the Tribe. If another tribe successfully steals the icon by bringing it back to their headquarters that advance automatically becomes theirs as well.
   Each advance must be attained in the order shown on the Knowledge Advance chart. {No clarification was given regarding the interaction of this rule with the previous rule — for example, what if a tribe that lacks the Pottery advance successfully steals the Plastics advance?}
   Points are awarded for each Advance as shown on the chart, i.e., you can earn 50 points for the Standards Advance.
   When you get a Knowledge Advance, you must inform all the men of your Tribe of the contents of the icon within 30 minutes.

Warfare
   Players can be killed by another player only by "liquidation" using a legal weapon.
   "Dead" players must go immediately to the Hell Hole for 20 minutes.
   Weapons can not be stolen from a dead player. {No clarification on what happens to the weapon — does the dead man take it with him to Hell, does it get returned to the PX for resale, or does it go to the dead man's base camp for reuse by another allied player?}
   Knowledge icons and flags may be stolen from a dead player.
   Water for weapons must be attained from the designated source. Drinking water may not be used for warfare.
   If a tribe's flag is stolen and successfully returned to another Tribe's headquarters that Tribe is dissolved and those players join the victorious Tribe. 500 points are awarded to the victorious tribe.

Gods
   Gods are the ultimate authority in rules disputes
   Gods can change rules, give advice, inflict penalties, and otherwise control all aspects of the game.
   Advice can be attained from local gods by recital of the "prayer".
   The prayer: (Raise both hands and a leg into the air) "I don't know what I'm doing; I'm out of control; and I need help!" (repeat as needed)

Artifacts
   Artifacts can be built by a Tribe once they have attained the Knowledge Advance of Ceremony and appointed a Shaman.
   Each complete Artifact is worth 1000 points.

Chests of Fate
   Occasionally a player may come upon a "Chest of Fate"
   Inside the chest is a number. Bring the chest to the PX and your fate will be revealed.
   All fates are not happy ones.

Other Rules
   1. The game starts at the sound of the opening horn.
   2. The game ends at the sound of the closing horn.
   3. An opposing player may be killed by "liquidating" him with a legal weapon.
   4. Water for warfare can only be attained from a designated source. Drinking water may not be used.
   5. Gods control all aspects of the game. Their authority is final.
   6. No one can be killed or objects stolen in a neutral zone.
   7. You must have a cloth band of your Tribe's colors visible at all times.
   8. Flags and icons must be placed within 10 feet of the ground, visible from 270^o of approach, and located within 20 feet of the center of your base camp.
   9. You are responsible for your own health, safety and well-being.
   10. Rules will be kept on an honor basis.
   11. During periods of suspended play, all opponent's base camps, icons and flags are off limits.
   12. No smoking on the site except in approved areas.
   13. Potentially injurious or violent behavior is not allowed.

Gods' Rules

{Other rules not specified above, that were in effect during the TI on 19970621 or 19980815, follow:}

This is a non-contact game. In combat (non-neutral) territory if a player touches a player from another tribe, both players are "dead" and go to the Hell Hole for 20 minutes.

Warfare water may be obtained only with buckets, which can be purchased only after the "Pottery" advance is obtained.

The "Weaving" advance makes it legal for a tribe to purchase rope, and the "Construction" advance makes it legal to purchase tarps. Once both of these are obtained, they can be used to construct defensible structure which the players can use as a shield against "liquidation".

The weapons: water pistols (become legal when the "Plastics" advance is obtained), water balloons (become legal when the "Prophylactic" advance is obtained), and cannon (a "funnelator" slingshot, used for launching water balloons, becomes legal when the "ICSD" advance is obtained).

When the "Confidentiality" advance is obtained, the tribe's local god will no longer give help to the other tribes by reporting his tribe's strategic operations to the other local gods.

When the "Ownership" advance is obtained, the tribe's players may purchase and wear shields (an approved item from the PX, such as a plastic trash bag) which make the player invincible to "liquidation". The player is not killed even if hit with water in a part of the body not covered by the shield. However, acid nullifies this advantage (see next rule).

When the "Dedication" advance is obtained, all of the tribe's weapons shoot acid, which penetrates the shields (but not the tarps) of any opposing tribes so equipped.

I did not discover or learn the function of open house (given by the "Enrollment Program" advance) but I suspect it allows players to solicit members of another tribe to switch their allegience.

I did not discover or learn the function of continuity (given by the "Tradition" advance) but suspect it causes the gods to stop doing things that interfere with leadership or communication.

As implied by the foregoing, the Gods did manipulate the game in somewhat unpredictable ways. In most instances the Gods' choices appeared to be aimed at maximizing opportunities for learning.

Knowledge Advances Chart

To draw the chart, place the 50-point Advances in the first row in the order given, then place the 100-point Advances in the second row, and so on. Draw arrows to show which Advances in each row are required to get the advances in the next row.

50-point Advances:
Pottery (allows use of buckets)
Weaving (allows use of rope)
Construction (allows use of tarps)
Delegation (allows use of delegation)
Standards

100-point Advances:
Plastics (requires Pottery) (allows use of water pistols)
Meeting Hall (requires Weaving and Construction)
Team (requires Delegation and Standards)
Relationship With Women (requires Standards)

150-point Advances:
Code of Honor (requires Plastics and Relationship With Women)
Ceremony (requires Meeting Hall) (allows use of artifacts)
Confidentiality (requires Team and Relationship With Women) (allows use of secrets)
Prophylactic (requires Relationship with Women) (allows use of water balloons)

200-point Advances:
Dedication (requires Code of Honor) (allows use of acid)
Tradition (requires Ceremony and Confidentiality) (allows use of continuity)
Ownership (requires Confidentiality) (allows use of shields)
Community (requires Prophylactic)

250-point Advances:
Enrollment Program (requires Dedication) (allows use of open house)
Sponsorship Program (requires Tradition)
Point Program (requires Ownership)
I.C.S.D. (requires Community) (allows use of cannon)

300-point Advance:
Division (requires Enrollment, Sponsorship, Point Program, and I.C.S.D.)

350-point Advance:
Tribes (requires Division)

500-point Advance:
Legacy (requires Tribes)

Icons

Here is the text of the Knowledge Advance icons:

POTTERY

Concomitant and essential to the Agricultural Revolution was the invention of POTTERY. For seasonal crops and domesticated animals to be really useful, sturdy and waterproof containers were necessary to hold and protect the surplus until needed. Also, throwing water on enemies was greatly enhanced. Liquid could easily be transported in large quantities to wherever needed. POTTERY was essential to the growth of substantial populations.

WEAVING

As man's need for clothing his nakedness outstripped his supply of animal skin, the art of WEAVING developed. It allowed easily grown fibers such as cotton, hemp, flax and jute to be braided or knotted together to form a crude cloth. Rope was also made to help in the construction of buildings, hauling of heavy objects, and fastening.

CONSTRUCTION

Advancing beyond the use of mud bricks and mortar to build his homes and walls, ancient engineers responded to the need for protection using more elaborate materials and techniques. CONSTRUCTION made possible new structures, such as aqueducts, fortresses, meeting halls, and palaces.

DELEGATION

When a leader is chosen amongst men, his first obligation is to discover, learn, and master his duties and responsibilities. More often than not he will first attempt to accomplish this task alone. He does this for three reasons: to accumulate first-hand knowledge of his job, the lack of management skill, and mistrust of his followers. Without direct knowledge or experience he may lack the confidence to manage and direct subordinates to perform successfully. Developing a good management instinct might allow him to discern problems and solutions without first-hand experience, but this is not usually reliable. Finally, trusting his men to perform the duties assigned to them with dedication and right intention is an obstacle many leaders never overcome. The art of DELEGATION is a blend of first-hand experience, instinct, trust, and management technique that allows a leader to successfully increase the work performed by his office through his relationship with others.

STANDARDS

Throughout our history, certain behaviors have become unacceptable, and others desirable, defined by civil and religious law or social influence. Without these restrictions and guides, our lives would be chaotic and very unproductive. We take for granted the conformity of action that allows us to be productive and useful together. But the chaos of life before man codified his laws can be glimpsed in a group of men first attempting to develop a purposeful relationship. At the start, the relationship is confused and evolves into a battle for control, ego to ego. But if the purpose of the group is strong enough, a mission beyond the immediate needs of the individual may be defined. Once that mission is understood, the struggle to succeed ultimately points to a set of behaviors that are desirable and those which are not. The agreement to adhere to these STANDARDS is vital to the successful accomplishment of the mission. Without them chaos, anarchy and purposeless control will infect the group relationship like weeds in a garden.

PLASTICS

One of the spin-offs of research in the refining of oil was the discovery of PLASTICS, organic compounds that can be molded under heat and pressure. PLASTICS appear to be wonders of the Industrial Age and were found to be cheap and sturdy substitutes for more traditional materials in all manner of uses. Most welcome was the invention of WATER PISTOLS, which allowed tribes to defend and attack with well-armed striking forces.

MEETING HALL

Whenever groups of men have gathered on a regular basis, they soon developed a need for privacy and security. As their bond grew, intimate emotional exchanges occurred more frequently; objects were charged with important values and meanings. As the importance of the meetings grew, a consistent time and place became important. The MEETING HALL was built to house the icons, provide a safe and secure environment, and give consistency to their relationship.

TEAM

When man first gathered together the relationship he established was loose and fragile. There was little in the way of danger, and food was plentiful. As times changed, dangers increased, food was scarce, and man was called upon to perform more complex and difficult tasks to survive, his need for a deeper and more dependent relationship developed. The hunting techniques of early man demanded precisely coordinated action and specialized abilities to outwit and out-maneuver animals much larger and stronger than man. Eventually this mode of interdependent and coordinated action evolved into a mobile striking force capable of taking on opposition many times greater than the sum of its component parts. The TEAM is the modern equivalent of this hunting/fighting pack, and is defined as a group of individuals acting in a coordinated effort who subordinate their personal aspirations for a common goal.

RELATIONSHIP WITH WOMEN

With primitive man, gender was not an issue for discussion or debate. Language was not highly developed and man and women had clear roles in the social group defined by strength, intelligance, and skill. Men found women to be only tolerable in small doses, with strange interludes of copulation every few months. The differences between men and women were so vast that little relationship could develop except for the servicing of immediate needs. As language developed and sex was discovered, the relationship between men and women became more intricate, complex, and incomprehensible to man. For reasons unknown to historians this trend continued until the modern era when Women's Liberation changed the rules once again. The RELATIONSHIP WITH WOMEN has been an enigma and mystery that no one has yet been able to explain.

CODE OF HONOR

As men and women spent more time with each other, made possible by technical advances and more leisure time, the hereditary gender roles caused more friction. The well-ordered, quiet, and sophisticated culture of women, family, and child-rearing could not tolerate the foreign element of the hunter/warrior for long. As the need for war diminished, the warrior became a dangerous luxury. In order for man to exist in these roles, his birthright, he needed to develop a CODE OF HONOR that would enforce a limit to his actions, show allegiance to societal values, and bond him and his fellows to an honorable and purposeful existence.

CEREMONY

As man's relationship grew more sophisticated and intricate, certain activities were repeated over and over again. The more important of these activites became endowed with special significance, either to elevate the impact of activity, or to bring special attention to the way in which it was performed, perhaps to preserve a set of actions that worked best. In many cases the activity took on a spiritual dimension, developing an interpretation that appealed to the higher self of man. Birth, death, mating, and the onset of puberty were marked with special rituals. Planting, harvest, and celestial cycles were given rites as well. Preparation for the hunt or battle, the return of the victorious, and the initiation of a new warrior received special services. As a CEREMONY became more formalized, it became fixed in the culture and acted as a bulwark against time and the imprecise passage of knowledge from generation to generation. The tribal Shaman's role is to protect CEREMONY from improper changes or inappropriate interpretation, and to use it to advantage to insure the survival of the tribe.

CONFIDENTIALITY

Man's need for secrets stems from his competitive nature. A successful competitor will use information as a weapon if at all possible. The prevention of harmful information falling into the hands of the enemy became a necessary and highly valued trait of the warrior. The power of secrets is often overlooked. Great meaning and importance is often invested in an object or activity merely by giving it a secret status. To this day, trust between men is dependent to a great degree on the ability to keep a secret. CONFIDENTIAL means "entrusted with confidence" and is a hallmark of the relationship between warriors and honorable men.

PROPHYLACTIC

With the discovery of sex, the baby soon followed. Not until the late 20th century however, was the connection made between the act of intercourse and the birth of the child nine months in the future. As the Industrial Age gave people much more leisure time, the level of sport fucking increased proportionately, and so did pregnancy. Scientists responded to the need for a birth control device by inventing the PROPHYLACTIC, or condom sheath, to prevent the little fish from reaching their spawning grounds. Concurrently these devices were found to make marvelous tools for the delivery of large amounts of liquid, exploding on contact with their target.

DEDICATION

Beyond fighting for his survival, man started to develop the ability to envision his own future. This led to the building, inventing, and creation of complex things that had no obvious or immediate point, except in their completion, and even then perhaps only to the visionary. In order to accomplish this he needed to push himself physically and emotionally beyond the point of convenience and comfort, past the ridicule of his fellows, and overcome his own doubts and fears. The great inventions, works of art, and revolutionary ideas all originated with men of vision and DEDICATION.

TRADITION

TRADITION, like ceremony, is a hedge against the ravages of time and the imprecise passage of knowledge from generation to generation. The evolution of a set of actions or beliefs may take a lifetime or several lifetimes. The mark of a successful culture is the ability to carry over the knowledge and wisdom from generation to generation and build upon the work of its ancestors. TRADITION assigns a special value to a system of actions or beliefs that places it beyond the experimentation of novices, and marks it as a priority for passage to the next generation. The respect for TRADITION in a culture allows for the accumulation of wisdom and knowledge, as well as cultural and social value.

OWNERSHIP

Beyond dedication to a purpose and completing tasks with excellence is the state in which a man makes a full personal investment in a cause. The performance of his mission mirrors the character, including his standards, his flaws and his merits. As his OWNERSHIP increases the needs of the task start to shape and mold the man to suit it. If decisiveness is necessary, then he will develop that trait. If sensitivity to emotion is needed, he will acquire that ability. If the purpose or task that he has chosen is worthy, honorable, and true to his commitment, then the evolution of his character will be enhanced by OWNERSHIP.

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY is a multi-tiered, many dimensioned, highly intricate network or relationships. It is usually associated with a specific geographic area, a common belief, or an economically advantageous relationship. Perhaps at the dawn of man all of these associations were true: defense, economic advantages of scale, religion, and territory were matters of life and death. In modern times, community serves a less visible function and therefore seems all too often to be a fossil of the past. But more and more, sociologists are beginning to find evidence that much of the moral decay and violence in our society might be due to the lack of a community structure. Divorce and dysfunctional families may also be more common without a community as a resource. Community and Relationship go hand-in-hand, and thus man should treat community with the same respect and deference as they do a long-term committed relationship. Men should not try to be community-helpers but do their tasks, exhibiting proper guest protocol.

ENROLLMENT PROGRAM

The first stage of the Weekend Cycle, ENROLLMENT is where the spirit of the Men's Weekend begins. The selfless battle to pass on the masculine legacy has roots that go back to pre-historic man, when the arts of fire-making and tool-making had to be passed from father to son. The richness of his legacy and wisdom grew through the ages, but in our rapidly feminized times our social agenda has made all things masculine suspect or the object of scorn. The men who have given their time, sweat, and emotional blood in the enrollment program blaze a trail to which we all owe our gratitude. Without their efforts to awaken our spirits and lift us out of self-indulgence, none of us would have had the privledge and honor of doing the Sterling Men's Weekend.

SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

The second stage of the Weekend Cycle, SPONSORSHIP bonds us to our responsibility and obligations to bring our own men from downstairs to upstairs. The Men's Weekend owes much of its success and effectiveness to the way in which the men make the journey to its doors. The care and dedication of the Sponsor and his careful preparation of his applicant make the difference between the Men's Weekend becoming a life-changing resource or just an interesting experience.

POINT PROGRAM

The third stage of the Weekend Cycle is bringing the new men into the fold of the Division. The purpose of the POINT PROGRAM is to impart the hard-fought lessons and wisdom of the Division and to "keep them on the rails of the Weekend." The POINT PROGRAM is the distillation of experiences of many failed and successful teams. It is designed to set a strong, solid foundation for the new team and its members. A new team can avoid most debilitating or fatal conditions by successfully completing the POINT PROGRAM. The men selected for the honor to deliver this program are the most experienced, toughest, and savviest leaders. The future of the Division rests upon the Point Men and the POINT PROGRAM.

I.C.S.D.

Community Service projects began as a way to make the purpose of the Sterling Institute manifest in the world. Men's and Women's Teams spontaneously developed the idea of performing physical work projects in the community for worthy causes. Much of the initial development of Community Service projects was done in the Toronto area and spread quickly to the rest of North America. As the idea caught on larger and larger projects were done involving entire communities. The program was brought under the umbrella of International Community Service Day and the Sterling Community Service Foundation. ICSD projects range in complexity from a simple mural to building entire buildings from scratch. ICSD is a way of bringing the purpose and spirit of the Weekends into the community at large and inspire people who may never have the chance to experience the Weekends directly.

DIVISION

The Sterling Men's Division was born out of the commitment of a secret cadre of men who were known as the "KEEPERS". These men had proven their dedication and loyalty to the Men's Weekend and had survived in the world without a support system to keep them connected to and filled with the Weekend and its teachings. The concept of the Division came from the experience of men on teams immersed in the feminine environment of the Communities, and provided a program whose purpose was to deliver the "Weekend without walls." The first Men's Division ever formed was in New York City, and thereafter spread to South Bay, Boston, Vancouver, Santa Cruz, and East Bay. The creation of the Division caused a rift in the Communities which collapsed shortly afterwards, and the Family of Women was developed by the women to take its place. The Division has since evolved into the primary vehicle for the preservation, maintenance, and delivery of the masculine legacy as espoused by the Sterling Men's Weekend.

TRIBES

When a Division is successful its membership increases and a point comes at which the intimacy that made it so successful becomes too difficult to maintain. This is the time when the Division must start to split into units of smaller size. The process of splitting is often traumatic and difficult. Relationships are strained, new bonds formed, and men called upon to step up to new responsibility. Each TRIBE must develop its own leadership and structure, and more importantly its own sense of identity. Much of the creation of new identity starts with the rejection of the past and a wholesale reinvention. This process is almost identical to the stages of a father/son relationship. The "killing of the father" to enable the son to establish his identity is a necessary step, bringing self-confidence and hard life-experience, but it is also a very dangerous course of action. While we are denying our legacy we become vulnerable to any number of influences, some fatal. Being conscious of the value of tradition and legacy gives us a path back to make amends with our fathers, and thus become a truly successful man.

LEGACY

LEGACY is the embodiment of all knowledge, character, and skill that can be passed on from generation to generation. In the Division it consists of tradition, ceremony, code of honor, standards, social and political structure, leadership skill, culture and character. In the headlong feminization of our society it will not be long before all remnants of the masculine legacy will be destroyed. The Men's Division is charged with the protection and preservation of the core of masculine legacy, delivered to us by the Sterling Men's Weekend, against the forces of feminization, so that future generations, our sons and sons of our sons, may have the privilege and opportunity to "be the men they have always wanted to be."

Other principles written in the same style

COLLECTIVISM

Collectivisim is the desire and tendency for men to emphasize the needs of the many over the needs of the few. Collectivism and its counterpart (INDIVIDUALISM) confer advantages and carry disadvantages that affect all men and their organizations. These positive and negative aspects come into sharpest relief after a group of men decides to establish official policies about priorities.

As men embrace the many issues that are highlighted by conflicting priorities, four ideals come into focus: CONFORMITY and TEAM SPIRIT (individual and group parts of Collectivism) help bind together those men who relinquish personal efficiency and flexibility in order to attain important group objectives. But those alone are insufficient without CREATIVITY and FREEDOM (components of Individualism), which are the fuel that drives each man's innovation, achievement, excellence and success. Almost every core value or standard has at least one of these four ideals at its source: conformity, team spirit, creativity, and freedom.

Men who can successfully navigate the waters of COLLECTIVISM (and Individualism) will find themselves stronger, wiser, and better equipped to cause greatness in themselves, their fellow men, and in the community at large.

This page was written in the "embarrassingly readable" markup language RHTF, and was last updated on 2025 Sep 22.

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