In 1970 a professor of comparative government studies and classmates at Bakersfield Community College invented and began to play a non-board based role-playing game similar to the then popular "Diplomacy". The game was based on a set of imaginary nations and power groups residing on earth and in outer space. Playing the game provided a sort of class laboratory in international relations.
The emphasis of the game was on creating and acting through characters who parlayed as individuals or in teams to negotiate and arrange diplomatic alliances and agreements. The game became so much fun for the players its original purpose as a class lab changed. The game came to be never ending and constantly evolving. While one power or group might gain a temporary dominance (with some powers destroyed and new ones born), there would never be any final ultimate victor or winner.
The game came to be known as "Lunacy" because one of its first major powers was based on the moon and called “Luna”. And the players thought that was funny. It quickly became great fun to refer to oneself as a “devoted Lunatic”.
As time went on individual members of the group came and left. The beloved and much respected professor eventually passed away. The primary base of operations moved from Bakersfield to Sacramento, California, where new players were recruited from classes at Sacramento State.
The game continues today under the guidance and coordination of its original Game Master, Steve. Small groups of friends get together from time to time in a local restaurant or sandwich shop and/or exchange e-mail to play and keep its ever-changing story lines going. And registered Yahoo! members can access Steve’s original internet site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LunacySTG/ .
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