Role Play General Chat

I've let this "discussion" continue, but that's as far as it goes. Any more squabbling, and I will hand out infractions.

We don't trash other sites or each other here. If you aren't discussing RPG ideas here, in a respectful way, you are off topic at best.

Currently, Oasis Writer has offered to help out with the RPG forum, and he still has the means to approve RPGs, Therefore, if someone does have an RPG idea, feel free to pitch it to him.

I do believe in the value of RPGs here. Because this is a writing site, I see it as a fun collaborative writing challenge rather than just a place to wage battles. It's a great way to develop interesting characters, and an opportunity to think on your feet to take your characters through situations you don't have total control over.

 

Cogito, why can't we see you in more RPGs?... i thought i was going to see you in action with rybok's, but of course raven is having his battle...

 

In a word, time. I agreed to try to give Jared Slovnyk one last run in the final Rat Pack RPG, but it never happened. As it is, my writing time has suffered from all the modding work.

Thanks for asking, though.

 

i see... you should take a vacation for a couple of weeks or so and show us all how it's done... once again set the bar high, ya know?...

 

What about something called:

Title: Isolation Theory


All your life you were isolated, you have a thought you were born isolated. No windows, no contact with other people, no sound, no speech, etc. Then one day figures come out of a light you have never seen. They manhandle you.
And throw you into a city. Sounds, lights, people. How will you react in this new environment? Will you go mad?
Why did these people suddenly throw you into a city? Are you some sort of game of "God"? This is the Isolation Theory.

 

I haven't been here in nearly a year but I'd like to post some food for thought.

The 'world' of an RPG needs to be fertile. Without some form of guidance as to what already exists and how things work, the GM is essentially handing the players a piece of blank paper and telling them to write a story based loosely around their setting and possibly the other characters. The result, more often than not, is either a lack of posts-due to lack of interest and ideas- and a definitive wandering of the characters. You can NOT count on the players to bend their creativity into a mold and make their characters act in an abnormal manner solely to kick the story into motion. The characters are created for a reason; that does not mean they should be used to enforce the plot the author has in mind.

At the same time, the world needs to be interconnected enough for the players to pursue their own interests and still interact with the rest of the group. Sure, if World A has different races, different countries, and different features to explore and exploit, how does it tie together? If the GM wants the group to follow a sort of plot (or at least have what they are organizing at least affect, and therefore interest, the player), they need to create something where the players are forced to interact with the others of their own accord. For example, if the adventuring group in a fantasy/medieval RPG are setting out to a dungeon, why are they going? Some may be interested by greed and want to get as much gold, loot, and magical items as possible to fill their pockets. Others will want to go for honor and glory. Others will go to further their own plans (the shrine on floor six is the only way to summon the necromancers spirit!) or otherwise reach their own goals. So after the adventure, why should they stick together? Sure, they had good times and may have benefitted from the grouping. But when Jack goes to sell his swag, and finds out that his last find was in fact cursed--leaving him to pursue yet another dangerous quest--why should they help? Again, money may be the issue, and sure, it's honorable to beat the hell out of a bunch of goblins (who doesn't like that? ), but why should Steve go if he's already got the secret to becoming a lich? If the GM says "hey steve, component X for the ritual is here!" it's forced and irritating. And if they've said that, I imagine that half the people playing already experienced a rather irritating and boring adventure for quest number one. So the GM tries to lead the players into another adventure by cursing Jack, but not everyone is up to it and the RPG will likely head to a grinding halt. Or maybe not. What do I know?

I'd have to give Carnapolis as a good example. (not sure if there was any drama involved after it ended, haven't been around!)

The setting was rich. The only thing that was important that the characters needed to do was to keep it in the city. And they did, because there was so much to do. You could involve yourself in the main storyline (the major gang war), or pursue your own interests, business, or whatever your character was doing. And even then, the GM did what he could to invite the players into the main story without dragging them--by offering money through the NPCs, involving their own gangs, etc. No "Hey steve, we're going to Dungeon X. Pack up." or "Steve, your house is on fire! Now you have to go help Jack, because he's the only one who can re-thatch your grass roof after you rebuild!". And especially no "Steve, the army is coming. Don't know why. Run into that cave where the other adventurers went! It's the only way out!". But he didn't have to, for the most part-the majority of the city was involved in some way with the brother's war, without necessarily being directly connected. And the RPG thrived.

 

That was an amazingly insightful post, and really helped me realize why my RPG stopped. Unfortunately, I don't think it's recoverable, but it has given me an idea for a new one.

 

MarcG, it's funny that you mention Carnapolis... i wonder where it went off to, i was looking for that and Rouge City in the archives... no signs of it...

 

So I have what I think is a pretty good idea for an RPG, if anyone is interested in running it... pretty much just setting + basis of character motivation (aka why they're there) but no real plot for the GM to run on the side. But it'd be easy enough to make one. Rather than post it in the open, please PM me if you're interested.... I'd rather not put too much info about the storyline/setting/etc. out yet if I don't have to. Don't have time to run one myself, but more than happy to help...

 

what sort of genre?

 

Might be considered slightly sci-fi but more realistic. Although there is a lot of room to work with. Basically it's "normal" people and a "normal" place, for the most part.

 

I guess I'll just post it anyways.

So the main concept would be that the characters are in a purgatory of sorts. When they died, they arrive--not remembering the trip--in a surreal city, with a sort of "off" perfection and impractical/discomforting angles (like a room with corners of all 110 degrees rather than 90, ala Lovecraft). All in all an odd place, named The City by residents. They appear as they did when they commit their greatest sin during their life...so the man who died of old age but killed a family in his 30s would appear in his 30s... As far as the criteria for sin, I'll leave the system up to the GM..could probably leave it up to the players. To leave the city, they must redeem themselves in some way, based on how they lived their life. Or they can embrace the city and stay there, even after they have earned a chance to "move on". But the city is an odd place, and long time residents are odder still... but that doesn't mean that everyone there is a cold-hearted criminal. Who knows? Maybe everyone ends up there..
The City itself functions fairly normally. And if someone dies and hasn't redeemed themselves, they merely rearrive at the gates, tabula rasa--just as they did the first time and with no knowledge of the city, and everyone forgets them. So if someone dies, they just start again from the beginning.

I have a few ideas for the NPCs/events if anyone is interested.

 

That reminds me of one of the layers of hell in a mod for Civilization IV called Fall from Heaven 2. This link gives a full list of the layers of hell in the game's lore.

Ironically, I was also about to post the idea of making an RPG through the layers of hell as per Fall from Heaven 2.

 

.........

 

I see a single yet significant flaw in your RPG MarcG. It fully envelopes the idea of giving the players full freedom to do as they please. But, it gives no reason as to why someone would actually do something. Something has to happen that makes the character(s) want to act, no, need to act. You need a disturbance, something that will give the character a reason to act.

Also, I have an idea for an RPG.

Setting: Fantasy style world; swords, castles, magic, elves, etc.

Takes place on a floating archipelago/cluster of islands. The relative positions of the islands don't change but they float along the worlds oceans. Because the islands float they have come in contact with other cultures, inspiring myths about islands like Atlantis, The Isles of the Blessed, Antillia, etc. In addition to that though the creatures of myths from just about all cultures are based on animals from these Islands. I.E. the greeks and egyptians saw a sphinx from the islands; the Europeans, dragons; the native americans and the arabs, the thunder birds/rocs.


Plot: Totally up to the players.

Two of the larger islands have been at war for ages, so long that the original crime has been forgotten. Recently though Kings/Emperors/Dictators/President of the islands have died (old age/disease/assassination/) and the heirs/new elected official/etc. have taken their places. From there players decide what happens.

Uniqueness: Almost totally player controlled. The setting is a cluster of islands, so its very easy to just add on islands and races whenever need or wanted. So players can be of any race that they can imagine (elves, humans, dragon people, scorpion clan, sentient jellyfish falcons, etc.). More than that though, rather than the GM taking control of the kings/rulers that position will be available to the players, as will every other possible position (mercenary, king, government official, peasant, religious leader, rebellion leader, etc.). Of course, the GM will not be left out. I/someone else will take the role of a character at some point or another, a character with a pivotal enough position to greatly affect the story. Also, to help prevent the RPG from dieing, new players will always be accepted, and anyone who doesnt post in a week without a proper excuse will be assassinated/murdered/eaten by a wild hog/etc. and someone else will be able to move into that position.

Personally the idea appeals to me. What do you guys think?

 

That really is very similar. Makes me want to re-install Civ4 so I could check it out, but my tired laptop couldn't handle it.

Heh. I do have a few ideas about different additions/plots. I suppose not everyone would be motivated by trying to get out of the city. Figured if the setting was interesting enough I could discuss it with whoever decided to GM it. Still just an idea. Can't do a whole lot with it myself but I liked it enough to post it. Doesn't mean everyone else will though.

While personally I'm not sure if I'd play a fantasy based RPG (I played D&D alot a while back in a fantasy setting, so I don't know why). But it does seem too open. I find it easier to post as a reaction rather than to initiate when other people are involved, so I never liked to interact with other characters outside of the main plot of Carnapolis. Sucks to plan out a sequence of events then change it just because someone else gets involved. Or have to battle another character. Because mine is clearly better. Another thing to keep in mind is allowing too much 'player content'. If players are interested in a setting to start, it might change when half the gameworld becomes some ridiculous joke. Not everyone has... agreeable?... ideas. So the 12 year old crossdressing king that won his kingdom in a game of hopscotch will probably not be looked upon favorably. Not to say that would be suggested or allowed (for the sake of atmosphere, of course!) but just to give an overexaggerated example.

It could work. But I'm not sure how big of an interest there is in RPGs at the moment. Lots of people either taking or preparing for exams. It'd be a good time to build a world/characters, though. And maybe try to drag a few people out of the chatbox into this lonely little forum.


Leaka: It might work as an interesting prompt to explore a character. As far as an RPG goes it sounds rather unappealing. A big part of why RPGs are interesting is to interact at least with one or two of the other players. If everyone was simply thrown from a chamber, why would they seek out other people who had been similarly isolated? Or how would they be drawn together? What would they even do? Assuming they know the language of the area they're in, which is a longshot if they've been absolutely isolated their entire lives, what would they know of morals? Could someone who has never seen another living thing comprehend how anyone else felt about stealing, assault, or murder? Would they know it was socially unacceptable, or even feel that it was wrong? Which, while leading to potentially interesting situations, I'm not sure how well it'd work in an RPG.

And assuming the isolation was of a rather protective variety instead (ala bomb shelter with just grandma and grampa for 30 years), why would everyone leave isolation around the same time?
I don't mean to nitpick and I hope you don't take any offense. Just hope to offer an extra view on your idea...

 

You have a good point MarcG. I don't expect to post that anytime soon due to exams and such. And of course any ideas would have to go through the GM first. most anything could be allowed and some comic relief would be good. but too much would be bad

 

Another idea for the dump:

RPG name: Last one alive

After a cataclysmic cosmic event, (I'm thinking a merging of two galaxies or something) the human inhabitants of your colony are flung from their home star and cast adrift in the vast bleakness of space. Without a sun to power it, the planet's energy slowly depletes as more and more of it is cast away into space or converted to unusable forms. Now, thousands of years after the event, the remaining humans desperately struggle for a way to leave the planet or, having given up on such hope, turn against one another in an attempt to be last one alive.

 

Okay here is my idea in a little more detail.
Okay.
So you know in the ocean.
You're so of isolated from other animals, you don't just use sound to interact with others, you use temperature, vibrations in the water, and there has been a study that sharks and other animals can sense emotions.
So being isolated may make you as human being more keen to these abilities. You can interact through vibrations strumming your fingers on a wall and you feel the vibrations from that persons fingers to yours, temperature....like cold could mean you're alone, emotions to sense when your group is in danger or not.

The reason they would stay close together would be that they sense they are in the same predicament. And they peak up language as they go by. Just because I know people wouldn't like a silent RPG.

And basically they are being monitored by scientist. So I suppose some people could be scientist if they like it old school.

 

abcu_2: I like it. So the players need to find a way to escape OR kill the others. Heh.

Leaka: So they can see, right? Hmm. If tthey've been in 'total isolation', then they've had NO sensory input. No changing temperature, no tapping on things... regardless. Emotion is something you infer from breathing, body language, etc. Not 'in the air'. If sharks can "sense emotion", then they're reading the body language--fear is pretty similar between all animals. And it's not something you can pick up easily. If most of the group hasn't been around people before, then they probably aren't going to be able to read body language, least of all understand the others intentions. And people who have never before communicated with another being could not in the least bit comprehend a series of taps on the wall from someone else. Plus... human skin is not the best at telling temperature. Sure, you can feel hot or cold if whatever is being touched happens to be influencing the slightest breeze significantly or it's touched, but we can't see heat like a snake can. Absence of the use of one sense cannot extend the ability of another beyond a certain point.

So it basically boils down to a bunch of people wandering around, scared, wincing at the slightest light, sound, or breeze, then meeting with others who have no way of communicating with them significantly and sticking together so they can be studied.

Why not take the basis of that, that they have not used one of their major senses before (sight, hearing, etc.) and that the scientists who are studying them had them somehow raised without them, or even without knowing such things existed. And then releasing them from the scientists' mock world into the real one, or something along those lines, while giving them the sense they did not know they had. Then they could at least know a human language (braille, sign language, or regular speech) so that they could communicate with the rest of the group...

 

Just as a note, animals can sense things like fear not do to body language but do to the hormones that we give of when we are scared. Of course, the only reason something like a shark can sense that is because they can smell a drop of blood from a mile away... And that's only if they're under water...

 

Still not something the human body is, for the most part, capable of.

 

Very true. Now, if these people had been injected with the DNA of certain animals (or something along that line) they could have super shark smell, feel electrical pulses like an electric eel, use bat/dolphin like echolocation, etc. And those abilities are generally instinctively used. That would work.

 

After thinking a real long time, I had an idea:


Title: Worlds on Fire

Briefly what it is about: A planetary experiment went across the Milky Way. Mars, Earth, and Venus were the main part of the experiment. The experiment was to find efficient ways of energy without harming the planet further. Some other planets Neptune, Uranus, jumped on board as well. A slip up in one facility could ruin another. Earth had a malfunction and it stopped all operations of the other laboratories..since they had no communication. When Earth couldn't get back up online an alarm was sounded. All civilians were evacuated. Weeks went by and the first military poked his head to see all the clear. Life was gone. The world a wasteland. In just weeks Earth became a "dead" planet. All the other planets had similar fate. That was three years ago, now all the planets are considered to be Dead Planets. But then one planet flickers with life and everyone watches it.
The Dead Wars have begun, everyone will fight for that planet to be the superior race. The race that survives. Which side will you choose?

Extra information: People will have a chance of being Martian, Uranian, Human, Venian[venus], Neptunian[Neptune], and Saturian[Saturn].

 

Hey Leaka, when did you get back?