Speed Gardening Guerilla

Speed Gardening Guerilla (SGG) is a Guerrilla Gardening game. It is a short-term variant of the original Gardening Guerrilla which takes place during 2-6 months. SGG is played in a number of rounds of 24 hours each. Players score by planting seedlings and by stealing seedlings from their opponents to raise them in their own planting spots. Speed Gardening Guerilla is suitable for game environments where players can enter and exit the game at will.

Preparation

The moderator specifies the number of 24-hour-rounds and the exact play area. The play area should be large enough that players can act autonomously without necessarily meeting other factions. However, encounters should be possible and players must be are able to discover and spy on each other.

The moderator prepares a fixed number of plant seedlings that are appropriate for the season and suitable for the planting sites that players might find in that area. Seeds are not recommended due to germination time.

Some material to label the plants is required as well. A scoreboard is recommend, as well as badges for the players.

Game Starts

Players who are present at the start of the game join one of the three factions, so their member count is roughly equal:

1. Red Faction: LPI ("Local Plant Initiative")
2. Green Faction: SoS ("Sisterhood of Stem")
3. Blue Faction: "Leafz"

The players should have access to a map of the game area and to the rules of the game.

Each faction is handed one initial seedling. They are given appropriate time (two hours are suggested) to plant the first seedling within the game area.

Gameplay

The game then proceeds in rounds of 24 hours each. During a round, a faction can make the following moves:

Planting

A faction plants their seedlings in one or more places ("planting spots") in the play area.

A planting spot should enable your plants to grow without mutual disturbance but be identifiable as one continous location (i.e. not exceed, say, 1 - 2 meters in diameter).

When a faction has planted the seedlings they currently possess they may ask the moderator for the next batch of seedlings (see #Plant distribution).

Moving plants

A faction may relocate one of their planting spots at any time. All plants at a particular location (the planting spot) must be moved together, and planted in a single new location.

Stealing one plant from their opponents

A faction may steal one plant from a rival planting spot, and add them to one of their own planting spots. From then on, these plant belongs to them.

Hints

The players within a faction should come to an agreement on the best strategy for choosing the numnber and locations of their planting locations, bearing in mind the available sunlight, the chance of being detected, etc. Should all the plants be planted immediately, or some held in reserve? Should the plants be fed and watered, or will this risk drawing the attention of other teams? Relocating a plant may keep it safe, but may affect its growth. Talking to the plants may be helpful.

Plant distribution

Each time a faction has planted all the seedlings they are given out, they can ask the moderator for a new set. The moderator supplies plants to the factions according to the Fibonacci-Series (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 ....). This goes on until all plants are distributed. Each plant carries a label with the name/color of the faction the plant is distributed to.

Scoring

tbd.

Rounds and Reporting

A round takes 24 hours. After each round there is a scoring meeting. Each faction is required to send at least one representative to the meeting. Activities that should take place in the meeting are: Scoring, discussion of the game, introduction of new players. Players must join a faction when entering the game. It is also appreciated that players who leave the game do this during the meeting. If somebody decides to stop playing, they may not re-enter the game afterwards.

For scoring, each faction reports two numbers:

1. the number of their current planting spots
2. the number of plants in their largest spot

Ground rules

Players are allowed to:-

• Lead other teams astray.
• Try to bribe other players to find out their planting locations.
• Use super fertilizer.

Players are not allowed to:-

• Destroy any plants including other teams' plants.
• Submit false information to the moderator or mislead the moderator in any way.
• Use seedlings or other plants which were not given out by the moderator in order to submit them for the game count. (They can plant other plants for camouflage etc.)
• Move plants outside of the playing area.
• Travel through the playing area with a flamethrower.
• Kidnap the moderator to learn the whereabouts of other faction.

Planting sites must be accessible to all players. (For example, seeds may not be planted in an enclosed space to which only certain players have a key.)

Each game move must be carried out in one action. For example, it is not permitted to excavate and temporarily store an opposing team's plant before replanting it. Another example: factions can only steal one plant at a time. After adding the plant however, they can visit the enemy plantation again to get the next plant.

Treat all plants, including enemy plants with respect. Avoid any negative impact on plants, soil and other facilities and inhabitants in the game area.

If players are in doubt about the application of these rules, they should talk to the moderator. The moderator may move plants or exclude players, as a result of rules being broken. The decision of the moderator is final.

Game end

The game ends at the prearranged time. The players meet up with the moderator and tour the planting sites together, to determine the winner. The winner is the faction who owns the largest planting (measured by the number of plants in the planting). In addition, a prize is awarded for aesthetic criteria. The moderator may award other prizes, such as for the most ecological faction (using no artificial fertilizer), or the most creative guerrilla strategy.

The game moderator can, during the game, record the location of the planting locations as they change over time, and make this information available to the players after the game is over, with a discussion of strategies.

About the Name

"Speed Gardening Guerilla" is the German name for "Speed Gardening Guerrilla" - as a fact German guerilleros have to cope with the missing "r" for a long time. Looking for that "r" would be tedious though.