New type of RP

[Pulsar]

I've been debating whether to try a new style of RP here on the forum with you guys.
But, i've decided to just put the idea up and see what people's opinions are to it.

I've discussed the idea with This Land and he's allowed me to give it a try, but I'm going to run it by you guys and see what the reaction/interest for something like this is like.

So basically, the idea is that the RP would operate similar to that of how Dungeons and Dragons is played.

An RP would be made with an "RP Master" this person would control the events of the RP and set the world etc it is based in, while all the other RPers would just RP their characters as normal (obviously reacting to various events etc thrown at the by the RP master)

To use an example.

Let's say the story is based around a group of prides that have formed together to make a sort of alliance/pack. All the player's characters would be newly trained soldiers that are apart of this army. How they got their could be entirely up to the player, perhaps they were just a lone wanderer and joined under the prospect of having food and a place to stay and fighting for this alliance of prides was a small price to pay for that, or perhaps your character was part of a smaller pride that was defeated and thusly absorbed into the alliance.

The RP master would set the scene, telling you the current state of affairs and/or recent history to give the RPers a sense of what the current state of the world is that they are part of.
The RP master would control named and unnamed characters who the main players would converse with, fight with etc etc.
So for example the RP master might control the captain of this newly trained group of lions which are the RPer's characters. This captain may order the characters to go secure a new pride that has recently been found. At this point the options fan out, the order could be to make the pride join the alliance, possibly peacefully or by brute force. The Rpers might even be ordered to just kill the pride. This gives the players options, does their character agree with aggressively forcing others to join (As they were?) perhaps the character doesn't want to kill these lions. But of course then, what happens if you go against orders?
Obviously if everyone refused this would give the RP master a new line of choice, if everyone refuses, then he could order them all killed in which case the RPer's characters might find themselves under attack and be forced to try and flee. If they do that then they'd become renegades. Of course, they could simply follow orders. Or perhaps they might try to secretly plan a coup and overthrow the current powers that rule. The Rpers might even be split on their choices, some might simply want to follow orders, some might want to rebel, this would pit them not only against each other but also the current powers that rule.

That's an example, obviously the situation and choices will vary with each Rp and it's story.

The point is this. Unlike most RPs where players are forced to work off each other, they would be not only doing that, but also working off what the RP master throws at them.
I know that in some RPs it can be hard to work with other players, even more so when their reply gives you little material to use and react to.

The thing about an RP like this is that it might have to bend the god-modding rule a bit. For example, if the RP master says that as an example: during a fight with a pack of random hyena's one of them manages to get in a good hit and wounds said character. Then the RPer would have to accept that event.
I know that sounds bad, but it would prevent a player from otherwise "skillfully" dodging and/or blocking all the attacks they want.

Let's say Pulsar and This Land are in a fight with random lions, we could to our hearts content, enguage in the battle as it suited us. Maybe I decided that I don't want Pulsar to get hurt, he's too cool and awesome for that. BUT, if the RP master says that he was by sheer luck or other means, hit and injured, I would be forced into a situation I would not have been able to plan for like in most ordinary RPs.
While that might suck, it also offers a level of tension and stress I think which add to the story itself. After all, when you get hurt in real life, you don't exactly plan it.

In short, this type of RP would be one where a single member creates and shapes the world then gives a story and creates events for the other players.

What I'm hoping is that with someone leading the RP, it'll be much faster then our more general ones. Of course this would mean that such RPs would have to be run by members who have the time to run them as well as the want and will to do so.

If people like this idea then I'll create a sort of test run one with myself as the RP Master. I have both the free time and interest to do so.
Then if that seems to be a popular enough way to RP, we could start working up a system and a permanent place for them here on the forum.

Feel free to ask any questions and offer up your opinion in this thread.
If you feel there is more you need to know that maybe I didn't answer in great detail or you had a question about a certain aspect of it. I'll be more then happy to answer.

[This Land]

*sneaks in*
You know what i think of this idea Pulsar ^^, It is very good , On a rainy day or when i come back from holiday i will definitely come in and test it out with you =3.

But yes, about the controlling characters, since its a different style role-play (like the freestyle section for example) Certain rules can be altered so it wont be a problem, just as long as the member understands before becoming a part of it

[Pulsar]

Yeah, very true.

Obviously certain rules would need to be altered etc

I'll have a refresh over the current forum rules and see if any conflict with this type of RP. I'll clear everything with you before I go ahead with it.
Assuming there's even enough interest in it =P

[Deleted]

I'm interested! So long as I don't HAVE to be a kick-butt type warrior character. Maybe I could roll with a high degree of charisma.

I wonder if this would suit our fantasy RP...?

[Pulsar]

If I do make the tester RP, I'll be using something I had in mind already and have considered and worked up a lot.

Although, that being said, I suppose this type of RP could work with the fantasy RP you guys are doing. But no one that is apart of that RP is exactly overly active.
I'd be rather reluctant in allowing someone to run an entire RP when they aren't really on the forum much and showing interest.
It is after all; one thing for a member to go silent in an RP, at least people can work around that. It's another thing for the person running the RP to go silent, that'd stop everything.
That's why this idea would only really work with someone who has the free time and want/determination to run an RP and create content etc and keep it running.

[Deleted]

I thought you meant you'd do it:).

[Pulsar]

I would be, but I'd be making a new RP, I wouldn't be using any currently existing one here on the forum.

But, that being said, it looks like there isn't any interest from the members for something like this.

[cheezeegriff]

This sounds pretty cool to me actually. Sorry - I read it a while ago and thought I posted, but obviously not. Of course it will depend on the scenario but I generally like the idea of a roleplay being moderated by an impartial judge/dungeon keeper:). Count me in too.

If the roleplay takes off, we're bound to get more interested members too:).

[Pulsar]

The scenario I had in mind was something along the lines of the example I gave.
All the RPers characters would start out in the same situation, they'd all be new recruits just recently finished training in an army.
The set would be that the army they are in is the military force of what is referred to in the RP as "The Empire".
The Empire itself is a collection of prides that joined by various different means, some joined willingly, some were forced into joining, less they face death. The alliance of prides controls fast and ever expanding land.

The premiss is that the RPers characters would face the challenges of having to deal with the Empire, I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say that I have a fair few events and charters in mind that'll make the RP quiet interesting.
And as a note, no, even though your character may start out in the service of the Empire, they don't have to stay in it. But, obviously to go against the Empire you'd have to then deal with all those still loyal to it.

I plan on having several named characters who will offer various different options to the RPers, also given the fact that the Empire is a vast population of prides, there will be many nameless characters too.

Hope that gives you some insight into it.

Keep in mind that this will be a test RP, so I didn't want to make anything too complicated or too loose.

If anyone else has any questions feel free to ask here. Either about the RP itself or about the new structure of how the RP (and hopefully future RPs) will be handled.

[Deleted]

Ok, I'm very VERY interested in roleplaying this sort of roleplay and your world sounds very intriguing! But I'm less interested in playing some "new recruit" soldier-type character. I'd prefer to avoid claw-to-claw conflict if I could. Is there a way I can do this? As a healer?

Ooh, I know: how about a diplomat? Seeing as you mentioned "securing new prides" up there, and there being lots of prides in the empire, who would quite often need to have their tempers soothed, they'd need someone with a silver tongue, wouldn't they?. Perhaps they could be her first assignment - and the soldiers are there if diplomacy doesn't work. I'd be willing to roll another character too - a fighter, if you let me do this:).

Also, This Land: will you be roleplaying?

I've got a character idea for her too. I'm going to write it out:D.

Edit: Ok so I designed this quickly: tlkgoeson.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=orig&thread=3759. I took a bit of creative license so if there's anything you don't like, Pulsar, I'd be happy to change it. I'm assuming her downright ignorance would form an interesting conflict with other party members and would spice things up well, and will design another character to roleplay a new recruit (if you want), if you think this is a good idea.

I'm actually getting quite excited now:).

[shalion]

I've done the "dungeon master" style of RP in the past. I think it would be interesting to try this out with more than just two people, which is my experience.

However, I don't think we ought to close ourselves off here to one setting. I mean, a band of rebels against an evil empire? Hasn't that been done to death? Also, I'm of the mind that a group of four or five people have NO chance at all of toppling an established empire, evil or not.

Why not consider a more open world approach? Maybe the RP master can open with a lush description of an environment where the RP is taking place. The scenario could be that a bunch of rogue lions are forming their own pride. The first person posts and then the second person joins them, and then the third writes themselves in, as they stumble across one another. That's the way you get them all together.

As for how to move the story along, there's any number of possibilities. What about an Ahab-like character with a deep obsession with finding or killing something that joins or charges the group with a particular task?

What if we compose the group from members of two opposing lion prides? And each group sends out agents against the player party?

We could also set the background so that lions are being challenged for dominance from another predator species. Or perhaps an invasive species from a foreign land. Or we could have lions in general facing revolution from the hereto "lesser" species they used to rule.

Lion politics seems to be a good source for tension in Lion king fanfics, so maybe we can set the stage just after a turbulent assassination as well. We could have one dominant pride struggling with the power vacuum left after the loss of the pride leader with both the former spouse of the deceased and a blood relative trying to assert themselves, leading to group fracturing and war. Maybe a smaller, previously ousted pride takes the opportunity to attack from the outside as the larger pride is fracturing.

The player group could be faced with the choice of trying to save the previously dominant group, or siding with the intruders or one faction or another. But honestly, I think that the player group ought to be pressed for survival while everything collapses around them.

That's just a couple ideas. I'm trying to stay within the confines of what's reasonable for wild lions.

Having said that though, I feel that there ought to be room for non-lion characters like foxes, wolves and wild dogs.

[Pulsar]

I admire your enthusiasm Shalion and those are really good ideas, but we've had RPs in the past that have had a very similar plot to a few of the ideas you've suggested (two prides fighting one another for example).
Aside from that, I've already set on what I'm going to use/do with the RP, besides, this is only going to be a test RP to see how well it goes and what people think. I plan on there being an end to the RP, several in fact depending how events play out with the RPers choices.

As for the "rebels vs an empire", no one ever said you had to become a rebel ;P
That's only one of the possibilities that'll be available in the RP. Plus, a group of four or five could potentially topple an empire, it's all a matter of detail. Declaring open opposition will obviously get a small group killed, but there are other means of doing it.

As for the the idea of the characters all randomly coming together, most (if not nearly all) of the RPs on this site work with that basic idea at the start. The idea that all the characters will already be together gives this RP something different, not only that but they will all have shared common knowledge etc then a group of rogues stumbling upon each other might have.
Not only that but when everyone has to introduce their characters and get to know one another, that can be a very slow part in the RP and can sometimes put people off.
Where as in this RP all the characters will already be in a group, they may not know each other, but they'll get to know each other as they do things.
Unlike most RPs where the plot doesn't tend to advance unless the Rpers do something to advance it, I'll have a set timeline, major battles, minor events etc etc will all take place regardless of whether or not the characters of the Rpers are there.
So I might have two battles set to happen in the future and the Rpers might end up being in one or the other, but regardless of which one, the other thing will happen.
An example, let's say that during the story, an enemy pride is planning an attack, the Rpers characters are ordered to move to assist in the defense of an area, but for whatever reason they end up getting delayed (maybe due to someone getting injured and slowing the groups travel speed). The battle will still take place and the results will effect future events on the area. For events and things where the players won't be present I'll have a system in place to judge an outcome.

As for what you asked Krissi, you can have a non-combatant based character if you want, but you'll still be starting out in the same situation as everyone else. The idea is that all the characters were conscripted. So regardless of social background etc they'll all be in the group. You can of course make up what ever reason you want for how they ended up there. Perhaps they're a member of a newly joined pride? maybe they're of high social standing but were forced into the military by family, so on and so forth.

[Deleted]

I hear what you're saying too, Shalion, but most of those RP ideas have been done to death, and this idea is Pulsar's baby:). I'm happy to start a random RP with you though!

And ok: I can make Aai conscripted if you really want. Maybe her father wants to make her get out and about:).

[Zorayda]

Oh man, I'd love to participate in something like this! Count me in

[akira]

I think this is a brilliant idea and will really mix things up! Just what any rpg site needs! I'm all for it!

[cheezeegriff]

Whatever happened to this idea? If you still want to go ahead with it, I'd be a glad participant, and would be willing to be the dungeon keeper too, if people would have me:).

[Zorayda]

I'm still in for this

[Kirsui]

Yeah, me too.

[Artemys]

I'd love to give this idea a go

[Lionel]

I never got to try it! So I"m in.

[Deleted]

I'm interested too!

[Deleted]

I actually really like this idea. I'd love to give it a go.

[Amani]

I'm in too!

[Pulsar]

Well, I guess I'll have to revive this project since so many of you are interested.
The project was still unfinished at the time I had to leave it so there's still one or two more things I need to work out.

Hmmmm, I might at some stage set a date for a live chat in the chat room where anyone interested can join and I'll run over various details and get some feedback.

Since this could become a regular thing on the forum (like the fantasy section), we'll have to make sure that a set of standard ground rules are set that all future RP masters and Rpers can go by.

Cheeze, you're more then welcome to be an RP master if you want to take up the challenge (as is anyone else), but I'll have to ask that you hold off for the time being till we see how this test RP that I'm working on goes. If it goes as well as I'm hoping it will then we'll establish a permanent place for it on the forum and open it up for other users to make their own RPs. However, it could also crash and burn, in which case adding it too the forum wouldn't really be a good idea. I'm obviously not referring to the RP story itself but to how the RPers like/react to the new rules/play-style.

[Zorayda]

I've played tabletop games before so I know how this works; the DM/GM is always the mastermind behind everything, and what he/she says, goes. So I won't mind this type of roleplay at all :3 Also, let me know when you want to do a live chat so I can be there.

[Pulsar]

I'm thinking I might schedule the live chat for a weekend, since that's normally the time of the week that most people have free time.
Since people can stay up later generally during the weekend too it means I could set a time where both Europeans and Americans can attend without it being too early or too late.
That's the hope anyway.

[Lokisenna]

I'd definitely join this style of roleplay, sounds like fun :)I really like the concept and it would really test and expand many roleplayers reaction and writing skills

[Pulsar]

Update to this topic.

I'll be having a live chat session next weekend. So not this weekend coming but the one after.
Basically that means I'll just be idling in the live-chat.
It'll be on Saturday night at 9pm (timezone GMT +0). From that time for the following 1-2 hours (maybe more depending on the turnout and questions) I'll be in the chat room, anyone with any questions about the new RP idea will be able to ask them then. I'll also probably get some feedback on some additional ideas I've been considering adding to it, as well as some feedback on various aspects I currently have in the RP.

All are welcome of course.

[Deleted]

That will be my 7am I think. I'll try to make it!

[Kirsui]

Ahwwwww, and here I was, thinking I'd get to play SWTOR for the coming 3 or so weekends (since it's double XP weekends again it seems)....

Buuuuuuut instead I believe I will devote that particular Saturday night for this. There will, after all, be 9 whole days to get all the XP I want (plus the servers will most likely be full at that time of the day anyway lol, and I don't feel like playing while there is constant lag).

So yes, expect me to be there. And if I forget, feel free to kick me afterwards.