# Anyone interested in RPGing?



## Neunzehn (May 8, 2011)

I though it might be fun to start an RPG. Someone starts it off with an opening scene, sets the ground rules and what the world is generally like. Then we find a way to organize, like choosing characters (though I'm sure there are other ways).


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## Ravana (May 8, 2011)

Hmm. I have an old concept in my back-burner files near readiness for play-testing which could probably be dusted off and completed with a couple days' work… let me look it over and see if it still seems viable. And if I still want to put the energy into running it. (I'll warn you now, it won't look like anything you've seen before–though it might serve well under the circumstances.)


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## Neunzehn (May 8, 2011)

"it won't look like anything you've seen before". Cool!


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## Black Dragon (May 8, 2011)

We're planning on opening a gaming forum this week, most likely under the Fantasy Media section.  If there is enough interest, we can create a subforum specifically for the game within it.


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## Mythos (May 8, 2011)

This sounds like fun!


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## myrddin173 (May 8, 2011)

I would definitely be in


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## Neunzehn (May 8, 2011)

Well that's four so far. Yay!


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## Philip Overby (May 9, 2011)

I was just talking to a friend about wanting to do some RPing, but I didn't know where to look.  I don't really get into the MMOs and such, so I wanted to just get with a group online and see if there was some way to do it.  I have no idea how it works playing online, so I'd be interested to see how it would pan out.

So I'm for it.


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## Digital_Fey (May 9, 2011)

I'd be happy to join in - it's been ages since I could get down to some proper RPing.


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## The Realm Wanderer (May 9, 2011)

I'd be up for it  Never done it before but always keen to try new things.


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## Dr.Dorkness (May 9, 2011)

Cool idea. i'd love to try it. as long as I do not have to play a human. XD 
I already Have some cool ideas, let me know when the rules are up! XD


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## Hioni (May 10, 2011)

Count me in!! I'm an RP nut. Haha!


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## Ravana (May 10, 2011)

Well, you would have to be human… because as far as you know, that's all there _is_ (unconfirmed legends aside, at any rate). Let me expand.…

The origin of the concept was my desire to have a RPG that dealt with higher levels of society rather than individual "adventuring"–the sort of thing most games make only cursory gestures toward, if they acknowledge it at all as a potential sphere of activity rather than relegating it to the background. This isn't a "new" idea; if anything, it's the oldest one in RPGs: the original (pre-)_D&D_ settings _assumed_ that characters were going to build castles, hire armies, protect their populaces and improve their lands. (Anyone remember the appropriately-titled _First Fantasy Campaign_… the original Blackmoor setting? Yes, I _have_ been gaming that long.…) This has the further advantage of removing nearly all of the "mechanics" that are so inconvenient to online RPGing–as well as the even greater difficulty of trying to track fast-moving activities such as individual combat. Think of something along the lines of _Civilization_, _Europa Universalis_ or similar 4X games, albeit more limited in scope (you won't be able to take over the entire world… well, it's not likely, at any rate).

In other words: it's a game, first and foremost, of politics, at least as far as the "role-playing" portion is concerned. 

The reason I thought it might prove well-suited to the present context is that it is also an in-depth exercise in world-building. You could easily use the setting as background for stories–whether using the exact details of your particular realm, or simply borrowing general principles and ideas. Those of you who've been here long enough know full well I'll present you with situations and considerations you might never have otherwise contemplated.… 

As I said: "it won't look like anything you've seen before."

I'm still going back over my notes–and am still trying to convince myself I really want to attempt this. Which I _think_ I do: if nothing else, hammering out the details might give me a marketable product in the long run. (You would all be credited as playtesters, of course.  ) There are some technical issues remaining to be overcome–well, one issue, really: this will absolutely require a map, and, while I'm more than willing to draw maps until the end of time (I do that anyway), I don't want to have to _re_draw it every time a border changes. Which means I'm looking for a decent piece of mapping software (or at least drawing software)–a search made somewhat more complicated due to the fact that it has to work on a Mac. Though I'm sure I could at least launch without one, and just do hand-drawn maps in the meantime.

If that still sounds like something people would be interested in, let me know. If there are enough takers, I can probably launch within a few days.


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## Behelit (May 11, 2011)

I'm intrigued to see what you have up your sleeve, Ravana. Keep in mind, the Game subforum is now open; I believe that would be the most appropriate place. I'll sticky the thread if its decided a go.


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## Calash (May 11, 2011)

Ravana said:


> ....As I said: "it won't look like anything you've seen before."...
> 
> .


 

Actually it is somewhat like something I have tried in the past.  A member on my site was setting up a RPG where you played as a city rather than an individual person.  You have the ability to write lore and news about your cite.  Over time the idea was that the stories would cross and meld into RP.

Unfortunately it never really got moving.  He wanted to spend too much time on the lore and without action RPs tend to fade away.

As to the topic I would be interested in giving it a go.  I have a nice stock of RP characters from various stories I can pull from depending on what theme is picked.


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## ade625 (May 11, 2011)

Sounds interesting. I have a DnD group currently on hiatus, but I was the only one in my group who bothered to come up with a backstory, so that one's really just dungeon crawling. Some meaty RPing would certainly be nice. As long as I don't have to do anything before the 17th, count me in.

One question I do have is if each person has control of an isolated province, or is there more subtlety to the player roles?


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## Black Dragon (May 14, 2011)

Let us know how you guys want to run this.  If you like, we can create a subforum specifically for this purpose under the Games forum.  I'm interested in the mechanics of how this could work.


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## Ravana (May 15, 2011)

Black Dragon said:


> If you like, we can create a subforum specifically for this purpose under the Games forum.  I'm interested in the mechanics of how this could work.



It will likely be necessary. Hell, it may be necessary to create one for each _game_. Or at least mine. I'm just hoping I can manage without having to create my own website.… <sigh>

As it is, I'm intending for most communication (between GM and players, and among the players) to be handled through private messages. Otherwise, things will become impossibly cluttered in no time flat. 

What I think would work best is to create a subforum for each game running (or a sub-subforum of an RPG subforum), and give administrative privileges to the the GM for that forum (only) so that he can sticky threads on rules, setting/background information (yeah, that's where I run into trouble…), and an ongoing action summary, and has the ability to move/remove posts that are misplaced or irrelevant. Possibly make the forum limited-membership, to those the GM registers after being contacted by private message, or perhaps limit posting privileges to those the GM registers (which would still allow others to look in and see if they want to join). 

Beyond that, what happens will probably depend mostly on the GM's preference. I could see having a separate thread for each character, at least in terms of detailing that character's development (not necessarily in-game actions); I could see having separate threads for each major in-game event, where all involved characters would interact for the duration of that event; I could even see limiting the forum to _only_ posts from the GM–which would have the virtue of reducing clutter and possible confusion, though probably at the expense of a lot of the attraction and feel of role-playing. I'm sure there are numerous other possibilities. One thing any prospective GM will absolutely want to do is set a limit to the number of communications or posts from each player within a given time period, so that a single player doesn't end up taking one "turn" (however defined) for each turn taken by _any_ other player: you want things to go A-B-C-D, not A-B-A-C-A-D-A (which I've seen happen even in groups sitting around the same table). Not that you need to force everyone else to wait until all players have submitted an action–I'd recommend against it, in fact, to avoid things stalling out when one player is slow getting an action in; just don't let anyone get carried away.

-

ade625: Oh, there will _definitely_ be more subtlety than that. The default character will indeed be in charge of his own province (other options will exist)–but "isolated" isn't a problem you're likely to experience. If anything, you'll long for it.… If you want to get a general sense of what you'd be looking at, hunt up some history on the Holy Roman Empire from around 1550 to 1650. The overall setting (culture, tech level, etc.) won't necessarily reflect that period; the politics _will_.

That is, assuming I don't come to my senses and chuck it all as a bad idea… though it's looking increasingly like I won't.


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## Black Dragon (May 16, 2011)

Thanks for explanation.  Whenever you are ready to go, we will create a subforum specifically for this game, over which you will have moderator privileges.  We can also restrict posting to designated players, although we will leave it open for the curious to view.  Just give us the word when the time is right.


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## Kelise (May 16, 2011)

I could be interested - depending on the story and method. I used to forum rp a lot but now I'm mostly on twitter. I have over 5,000 followers on my John Watson (BBC Sherlock) account =3 *shameless brag* *loves that account*


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## Mdnight Falling (May 16, 2011)

DO IT!!!!!! I demand it!!!  -snickers- joking.. but seriously.. I'm all for RPG.. Gimme setting char types and lay down the law and I'm game >^.^<


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## myrddin173 (May 16, 2011)

Yah I really like the topic, hope we can get enough people to start soon!


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## Philip Overby (May 18, 2011)

So when is this shin-dig starting?


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## Ravana (May 18, 2011)

I'll try to be ready to go, at least in terms of character creation, by the weekend. (One of the reasons you haven't seen much of me lately is because of the work I'm putting in to get this ready.) Play will start as soon after that as I get the first couple of characters set up. Unlike party-based RPGs, this will be something people can join at any time, so we won't need to worry about having any particular minimum number.

@Black Dragon: I'll let you know when I'm ready to set up the forum. Is there some particular time that you're normally on, in case we need to chat about anything? I don't anticipate any difficulties, but my web admin skills are a bit rusty.


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## Artless (May 18, 2011)

This has me excited! Woo!


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## Black Dragon (May 18, 2011)

Ravana,

I'm sending you a pm with my contact info.


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## journeyman (May 19, 2011)

I'm interested. None of my usual gaming groups ever had the specific style or skillset to run something political. I'm heavily tied up with work right now, but if this will support drop-in-drop-out backgrounds (visiting foreign dignitary maybe?) I can come up with something. If not I'll just have to wait a few weeks for things to quiet down.


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## Black Dragon (May 21, 2011)

An update:

Ravana is working hard behind the scenes to get everything ready.  You may have noticed that a new subforum has been created beneath Games.  We will be ready to start shortly.


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## Ravana (May 21, 2011)

And we're off.… 

Anyone interested go to the Games subforum MACHIAVEL: AMBITION. It will tell you what you need to get started–which, mainly, is to contact me. There are no dice to roll, no stats to worry about; all you need to do is make a few decisions about your character and we'll get started. 

Hope to see you all there.


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## Nick Jaden Williams (Jun 2, 2011)

I did it once wit ha Dragon Ballz Z RPG forum back in grade 7 or so. It lasted about a week but it was the closest I came to an MMORPG before Runescape....I'lll at least give it a try!


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## Aegle (Aug 17, 2011)

I have mine own RPG actually. ;] I've posted a few remarks about it. It's Medieval Fantasy, with a primary focus on indepth characterization.


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## demented-tiger (Nov 28, 2011)

I also think it would be cool to have an RP forum section where we can create entire worlds with thier own rules, back-stories, races, plots, and characters; or somewhere where we can insert characters from our stories into a world or setting and use said world or setting as a character development exercise. I was in one such RP a few years ago, and it lasted for 7 months before it died. It was very stimulating and exciting.


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## Phoenix (Nov 28, 2011)

Yes please! I've been trying to get one set up for so long! Tell me what to do.


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## AlexanderKira (Nov 28, 2011)

Would love too!


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## Xarxium (Nov 28, 2011)

I also would like to. It sounds like a lot of fun as long as the story is good.


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## Phoenix (Nov 28, 2011)

We have 5 people, want to make this a RP group? Do we need specific game master/story creator.


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## Ravana (Nov 28, 2011)

demented-tiger said:


> or somewhere where we can insert characters from our stories into a world or setting and use said world or setting as a character development exercise.



You're more than welcome to use my Machiavel: Ambition setting for this if you want… I'm still going to be in control of the "world" overall, as it is an active game setting, but there's a wealth of material I _haven't_ developed for it. 

Anyone who's actually interested in _playing_ it is welcome, too: I'm always accepting new players. I'm presently in the process of revamping and consolidating the existing material, so some of the details may get changed over the next few days; the setting and much of the core material will be changed only slightly. Pop down to the subforum under "Mythic Worlds" and check it out.


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## The Blue Lotus (Nov 29, 2011)

I'd like to try one out... but I was never very good at these types of games... The rules baffeled me. 

Is there room for a freshie?


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## Phoenix (Dec 1, 2011)

Okay how do we start?


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## Ravana (Dec 2, 2011)

Well, you don't need to worry too much about "rules"–because, on your end, there basically aren't any to worry about. There are rules–or at least game mechanics–but for the most part these are back-end things I handle myself… particularly appropriate, considering I'm still writing them. And revising them. Again. Once it starts looking like they've taken relatively stable forms, I'll probably begin releasing more specific details; in the meantime, I'm trying to keep it so that this _isn't_ a concern for the players–or a bafflement whenever I tweak something–and so that the players can concentrate on the role-playing aspects.

As I expressed it when this thread first started: "it won't look like anything you've seen before." The one great problem I've always had with online RPGs is the time factor: with normal (tabletop) gaming, you have a bunch of people all present at the same time, several hours at a time, who can take actions as fast as they can talk. That doesn't work very well online; as a result, most staples of RPGs–such as personal combat–would require hours to run a single encounter that would take minutes in normal gaming, even if all the players were online at the same time, say in a chat room… and weeks if they weren't. I was seeking a way to avoid that; the obvious way, it seemed, was to avoid that sort of encounter.

So instead this is a mainly political game. Think of it as picking up where normal fantasy RPG characters usually end up retiring: you begin as minor nobles, in charge of your own baronies. You have a certain range of possible actions, you tell me what you want to do, I tell you what the outcome is. You have to make a certain number of decisions concerning your fief's economy, construction, and governance. So far, there hasn't been any army combat involving any of the players' troops; that will change eventually, I'm sure… and it will work much the same way: you'll have some tactical options, you'll give your troops orders, and I'll let you know how things come out. (Probably, I'll handle it in a couple of "stages," so you may have opportunities to react to what happens–though in fact being stuck relying on the first instructions you gave isn't all that far from how combat between large forces took place in pre-technological times.)

Everything else comes from communicating with other players and non-player characters, making deals, trying to build influence, and climbing the social ladder as high as you can manage. Role-playing, in other words. This has the distinct added advantage of not taking place in a set "time" scale. Each "turn" represents a game month, during which a great deal can take place; on the player/GM interaction end, each turn takes place over several days, allowing people to interact, respond to each other and to me (and vice versa). This allows several things normal RPGs don't: first of all, it doesn't take multiple turns for a single activity to be resolved; second, it means people can participate even if they aren't on daily, or can't be on at a certain time/day; and third, if you have to miss the occasional turn, it's no big deal: your people pretty much carry on as they have all their lives. (Not a whole lot changes from one month to the next when you're a peasant.)

Go down to the "Machiavel: Ambition" forum; find the thread labeled "Introduction/Character Generation." The information in it isn't going to change significantly any time soon (perhaps ever: most of it's just too generic); it will let you know what you need to get started. The rest of the material… glance through the other stickied threads if you want; just don't take any of it completely to heart, because it's in the process of revision. Or don't bother for now, and spare yourself the confusion of having something you've read vanish next week. Which is probably when I'll finish the revision and start things up again. Send me a PM with the info mentioned in the Intro thread; it will probably take me a couple days to get back with your barony, since there's no point in sending you something that's going to become irrelevant in the near future, so I won't be sending any fresh ones out until I'm done with the revision. I'm hoping to start processing turns weekly once things get going again… the slowness of the first game-year was largely a product of the fact that none of this material existed last April. At all. I think a look at what's gone on since October began indicates we've come a ways from that, at least.


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## demented-tiger (Dec 2, 2011)

That isn't the type of RP I'm talking about. I was thinking more along the lines of the conventional online RPs: where a bunch of people just get together and start building a story with thier characters. Granted it has its disadvantages: especially in single combat against another player's character or NPC/monster. However, I found this style of RPing less restrictive and actually quite enjoyable. The RP I enjoyed the most and played the longest was actually very simple: a bunch of original fantasy characters from various authors' original works banding together to help each other achieve a certain goal and/or because they were trapped in an unfamiliar place with no way of returning to thier own world. The RP began with the characters meeting each other in a tavern, though new characters continued to join in throughout the adventure - we just wrote thier introductions into the plot (character C approaches the party as they make camp, and asks to tag along). Along the way, we developed side plots - a few romances between characters from different stories, a quest to stop evil, finding portals that would send each character to thier respective world, ect. At one point, one player took us through several key scenes she was writing for her novel, where we confronted some of her villains; while another player introduced her primary antagonist as a villain for us to be wary of (the RP was less of a DnD style battle/quest than a collaborative novel, so there was more character development and experimentation/exposition than real action). We had no official game-master, just the guy who started the thread (he eventually diminished his role until he disappeared), and whomever had the best idea for a plot/mini-quest.

I guess I'm wondering if we can have a special forum where we can start our own free-form RPGs. Would enough people like that idea to make it work?


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## Ravana (Dec 3, 2011)

Hmm. I would consider that less a "game" than a "shared-world" exercise… but that may just be quibbling over terminology. At any rate, no reason why it shouldn't work, given the right group of people. I'd be provisionally interested–assuming I can manage the time, which would be the big factor–and everything else falls into place. I'll keep an eye out for it.


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