The GOG.com is doing a great job, am I right or am I right? Therefore I would like to support them. Alas, I cannot buy as many games as I wish because my schedule is pretty busy already. So here is the deal: I pay for the game (GOG.com is happy) give it to you (you are happy) and you play it instead of me (I am happy). Fair enough, right?

The catch is I want something in return. I want a bit of your imagination! So, to keep it short: just a few lines below you can find an unfinished journal entry and your task is to complete it. I don't care about how you write it. It can be formal, grotesque or totally psychedelic. It's up to you. It just has to be totally awesome, kick-ass style, nothing less! Originality strongly desired!

Furthermore, it doesn't have to be related to any game, just keep to the general theme. And another thing: I don't care too much about the language (I guess I make some mistakes here and there as well) so don't hesitate to take part in this contest if your English is not perfect.

Additional rules:
- just one essay per person
- up to 500 words (roughly)
- you can post your essay here or send them by PM
- the deadline: 10th April 2012
- and the most important yet: PRIZE - you can choose one of those games:
Age of Wonders (one of the series)
Disciples (one of the series)
Heroes of the Might and Magic (one of the series)
Lords of Magic: Special Edition
(but write me about it AFTER you actually win)
I chose them because in my opinion they are great and fit nicely to the journal entry I wrote (actually I was inspired by Age of Wonders journals). But as I said before - you don't have to relate your essay to any of those game!

And finally the unfinished journal entry:

The battle is lost. My troops - scattered. My case - almost certainly doomed. Refugees are slowly reuniting under my commandment. They fear. And it seems they fear more to stand against the enemy without a leader than to be disciplined for the lost battle. But I know better. It wasn't their fault. It was mine. I shall discipline them nonetheless as the compassion is the sign of weakness. And I cannot allow myself to admit weakness. Or should I say... I cannot allow myself to become even weaker! What's happening with me? The battle was not impossible to win! But I just couldn't manage to guide my troops properly. I was... I was... distracted... I knew I should have prepare for the battle, send some scouts, deliver some rousing speech to boost the morale, this sort of things. Or at the very least I should have polished my sword! And yet... I had done none of this. I just waited and couldn't gather my thoughts... How could it happen? All my life I pursued my goals with a single-minded devotion! But since yesterday I am... totally distracted! And it is all because of...

I hope everything is clear. Just ask a question if not (although this weekend I will probably be offline)

I already sent you my entry, just wanted to say that it's perfectly fine to let people post their stories on the forum. We had these kind of contests before and we never really had any issues of such type, the gog forums are decent enough in that way. Also that way both participants and other people can have a bit of fun reading entries and commenting on them.

But it's your contest, so feel free to do as you like.

Updated my journal.

Person on GOG tried to pay me to do homework.

It's nice to learn that there are great people here. My apologies that I underestimated you, I'm really sorry. I've already change my rules - you can post your answers here (or send them via PM if you like)

Already sent mine about half an hour ago but seeing as other people signed here after they'd finish, I will too.

Thanks for the contest, it was fun writing the rest of the journal entry :)

Alright, Here's my entry:

... The bloody stupid dice that only roll 1's. My plan was perfect, Invade Africa through brazil and if that fails make another attack from Southern Europe, my clear superiority in numbers was a guarantee to success. Instead my army crumbled like old biscuits against the tiny forces of the defenders. And now i stand here, awaiting my opponent's turn, knowing that all is lost. I will make a last stand, at least his victory will be a bloody one, but alas the campaign is over.

Such has always been my fate in this game.

By god, i swear i hate Risiko!

So far so good. I already have my type from what I got but I guess there will be more...

I sent you PM 23 hours ago and you didn't respond so I will ask here. Is it problem if my entry is 690 words?

That's strange, I was writing the reply and I thought I clicked "send it". Either you didn't get it or (most probably) I didn't really send it to you. Anyway, 690 words is a bit too much. Try to cut it down a bit. By "roughly 500 words" I mean that the tolerance is about 10-15% so 550-575 words is the actual limit.

Just to make it clear: I'm willing to pay for Heroes of the Might and Magic V (+ Assassin Creed) even though it was released after I started the contest. But still - it belongs to the series so you can get it if you wish (and win the contest of course)

a woman. Root of all sin. When my troops needed me most, I was lying in a tent with a woman. She wasn't with me for love, it was a slave we took from a village we burned to the ground. But it was fun with her nonetheless, but while I was in my tent, satisfying myself my troops were afraid of the coming battle. They needed few words from their leader, they needed to know my plans...and I let them down. My primal urges were more important for me, than winning the battle.
I really should start accusing most of my subordinates for war crimes, running from the battle, but what is the point? At this moment if I would do that, I would only encourage them to rebel against me. My choices are either to run away with as many soldiers as possible, or to lead one last assault, it would be suicide, but at least I would die with a sword in my hand. I heard a magic explosion outside of my tent.
I ran from my tent as fast as possible to see the glorious sight of violence, massacre and my troops flying through the air. Our enemy found us. No time to lose, I WON'T die as a coward. I saddled my war-horse, I started casting spells with one hand, and I held my sword in the other.
My remaining troops looked at me, I don't know what they were hoping for me to say so I told them the first thing that came to my mind.
"TO WAR, TO VICTORY! TAKE AS MANY OF THOSE SONS OF JACKALS AS POSSIBLE WITH YOU TO HELL! TO GLORY!"
I don't know how I did it, but that speech inspired them, they fought as fiercely as group of lions. I couldn't help but smile, I spurred my horse for it to run faster and rode to the front lines, from the distance I started casting every spell I could think of at our enemy. Lady Fortune smiled at me and I managed to hit few soldiers even from that huge distance. Soon I was at the center of the battlefield, I blew a group of them up with fireball spell, cut some soldiers in half with my sword, but I was quickly surrounded. They killed my horse first to get me on the ground. But what they didn't know, was the fact that it's foolish to surround a Battlemage. I smashed the ground with my fist, which resulted in a small Earthquake limited to only my closest vicinity and the rampage begun. I buried my sword deep into the guts of a soldier who was stupid enough to approach me. I am not sure for how long I will be able to survive, but I won't go quietly. I will go kicking, screaming and stabbing. The way every dog of the military is supposed to go for his divine trial. The soldier way.






Here you go

New work:

The soldier that keeps following me. He keeps telling calling himself Ryan, and he constantly regales his excitement for the morning burning scent. Such a disturbed young man, carrying on about a list that supposedly once belonged to a weapon's maker, of what I know not. Compared to his constant ramblings, the entire western front seems like a wasteland of silence. If only I could tell him, "Frankly young sir, I don't give a damn.", but it's not my place. The only thing left is to assign him in a group of other contemptible bastards, their only purpose to suffer an inglorious defeat so that my men can try to take the advantage. Evening falls ever slower now, shells exploding like the apocalypse, haunting our camp. And every night I fear for the fate of my lieutenant John Winger, who has been missing for a fortnight.

Tomorrow I make my move. The baron, and his red army shall fall to our forces, even if I must see the death of everyone who follows. The morning departure will have to be quick, with clear skies in the wild blue yonder, there will be no place to hide by sunrise. My soldiers, I pray that we all shall continue on, our battles victorious, our future found, our courage remembered. If you see me fall, I have faith that you will carry on to the end with dignity and resolve, even if I will no longer be there to share it with you.

Ryan, a word left to you, in case the light of this day shall see my last breath; I never liked you. I expect your death to be miserable, for the misery that you helped create within me. If you still live by this battle's end, as do I, my sword shall be sent to hunt you down, if only to quell the noises you leave in my head. And no fury shall have been known before, nor will one be known since, that moment I find you, and ensure that your fate is merely to feed the earth of your blood and bones. And likewise, to the rest of your new group, shall be seen that they be pulled asunder by the strongest of our remaining beasts of burden, to see your organs flailed in the open and your screams a symphony to signal our chance to rest.

The moon is high now, so I close these words off with the knowledge that even with honor lost these past days, I have the chance to redeem it. Rest well my soldiers, and to you the Baron, I hope your dreams are vivid with your demise, for it is surely the last thing you will know in this world. To slumber, and to victory, may we be watched over and onward.






(If you can catch them, there's a dozen or so war movie references in there, have fun with that)

Wish I would have seen this earlier. Too tired to enter now. Good luck to everyone.

I know you said you don't have time. But your journal entry reminded me of this Great Fan fiction project based on the "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" TV show.

http://tib.cjcs.com/terminator-the-connor-wars-ttscc-season-3-fanfic-project/

I would enter but I really need to be studying!

And the winner is... WBGhiro! With his amazing journal about the board game "Risk". Check it out yourself: And a short comment from my side: There were a few splendid essays but it was the only one for which my reaction was "Wow! I would NEVER thought of that!" and as I stated at the beginning originality was the most desired feature. Good for you WBGhiro that I am a big fan of "Risk" as well otherwise I wouldn't probably understand some hilarious parts like "Invade Africa through Brazil". That was just perfect!

So! The game is yours. If you choose HoMM 5 please respond ASAP as the special offer will soon expire.

Congratulations!

And thanks for everybody who took part in the contest. It wasn't easy to pick just one winner.