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Nuju Metru

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Well first up explain why we're in a steampunk universe. I mean, you've seen Matoran, their own bodies are on a higher technological level than steampunk. Their Kanoka/Kanohi are a higher technology level than steampunk. Heck, the Boxor which you plan on using seem to be a higher technology than steampunk. Whats made them degrade down? Use that as your starting point for making the story

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Well, it's been a while since this topic was used. But with the nearing of a new contest, I recently rewrote Waves to have it ready. But I also have a few other ideas I wanted to get checked out just to see if they were worth merit by the prestigious four-five people who actually look on here.1. Project: Rebellion. The year is 3000 AT - Age of the Toa; 3000 years after Toa Tuyet began the Toa Empire. The setting is a small island a few Kio south of the Northern Continent known as Rama-Wahi; roughly translated to Place of the Flies. The island, composed mostly of swamps and barrens, was considered a barren waste... until the discovery of protosteel mines that could be found under the earth. Along the east coast, the land itself has been altered by the work of powerful technological marvels to provide a scenic location to create a beautiful city, where Toa and their accomplices live in comfort.Ah, but you are not so lucky. You are a member of the peasantry who work on the island. There are some who speak of rebellion, but how - how can you challenge the forces of nature made manifest? Will you become part of it? Or are you content to live out your life?The setting of the game would be Rama-Wahi. For the most part, the island is deserted, or covered in the fly infested swamps that grant it its name. The rest of the island seems to be nothing but mines, though a few agricultural areas have been forced out of the area. It is in these places that your character works. Your character can be a member of numerous races, but primarily Matoran. The one rule is that you cannot have any powers beyond that which is physical, and only that which is realistic - super speed and the like is out.Unlike other RPGs I write, Project:Rebellion makes a few somewhat major changes to the canon design of species. Most of the species are much closer in size; a Matoran is only a foot or so shorter than a Toa on the average; a Po-Matoran may be somewhat taller than a Le-Toa, even. Krekkas species is only a foot or so taller than the average Toa - and can't fly, on that note. Thus, in combat, Toa are equal physically.... but possess powers well beyond that of the players.And, of course as noted, players are not those Toa.Rather than having a plot that stays mostly stagnant until pushed by the players, this RPG is designed to have a constant moving world - the Rebellion being the moving part. Player actions may either advance it in speed, or slow it down. If it reaches fruition, then player actions decide what happens next, and what government will replace the Toa and the like. And how to handle the defenses...Finally, this RPG will not be one based around combat - though when big fights happen, big fights happen. Using wit and wile to work through this RPG is what is supposed to make things fun.2. Project: Total Open Warfare. The year is 13,000 NE - New Era. It has been 13,000 years since the battle between Mata-Nui and Makuta Teridax. In the wake of the battle, the limp corpse of Makuta Teridax collapsed to the ground as a massive robotic corpse. The body of Mata-Nui disintegrated, leaving only the Mask of Life in its wake.However, there have been many things that have changed since that time. Numerous factions are found across the surface of the world of Spherus Magna. There are the Metru-Magna Coalition, led by the combined efforts of Toa Tahu and Lord Councilor Raanu, who represent the true intentions of the Great Spirit, Mata-Nui. There is the League Six Kingdoms, led by the six Barraki-Nuva (New Warlords) - Pridak, Mantax, Ehlek, Kalmah, Malum, and the Shadowed One - the first and the last being the true power players amongst them. There is the Alliance of Melting Blades, allegedly led by the Nektann and Tuma, but truly under the almost sole control of their third member, the great Vortixx leader Roodaka.But what, then, do these three groups want? They want Mata-Nui; they body once controlled by him, but taken over by Makuta Teridax. For years, the Nynrah Ghosts and others toiled to repair it. But now, all is under threat - the body is falling apart! Without a firm will controlling it, the protodermis composing the hull of the Mata-Nui robot is disintegrating piece by piece, becoming Energized Protodermis, which promises to bring forth a new shattering.It is still possible, for the time being, that the robot might be saved - the insides are believed to be untouched. However, getting to them is the hard part. The entire environment surviving the body is changing from deserts to swamps, with free-floating puddles of energized protodermis and terrible mutated Rahi and beasts. Zyglak and the like have taken to these swams, and many beings have been changed. And amongst it all, an unknown entity holds power, preventing any from reaching the robot...Three groups, competing to take control of the robot. Who shall win? That's up for the players to decide.In this RPG, players are presented a unique challenge - battling the Energized Protodermis Entity, entering the (hopefully) repaired remains of a destroyed robot, and reactivating its power source so they can reactivate it, and possibly use its powers to destroy the Energized Protodermis forever.The main goal is for one of the player characters to take on that role, and become a reformed Matoran Universe.There will be epic battles, and the fields shall be filled with the screams of the defeated. Yes, this will be very fun. And perhaps, by the end of it, a few of the canon NPCs who have taken control of some of the factions might have been replaced by the players who showed themselves to be so great upon the field of battle?----Anyways, these are just two ideas I wanted to share. Thoughts, questions, critique? Open to it.-Toa Levacius Zehvor :flagusa:

"I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."


- Evelyn Beatrice Hall (often attributed to Voltaire)

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Well, it's been a while since this topic was used. But with the nearing of a new contest, I recently rewrote Waves to have it ready. But I also have a few other ideas I wanted to get checked out just to see if they were worth merit by the prestigious four-five people who actually look on here.1. Project: Rebellion. The year is 3000 AT - Age of the Toa; 3000 years after Toa Tuyet began the Toa Empire. The setting is a small island a few Kio south of the Northern Continent known as Rama-Wahi; roughly translated to Place of the Flies. The island, composed mostly of swamps and barrens, was considered a barren waste... until the discovery of protosteel mines that could be found under the earth. Along the east coast, the land itself has been altered by the work of powerful technological marvels to provide a scenic location to create a beautiful city, where Toa and their accomplices live in comfort.Ah, but you are not so lucky. You are a member of the peasantry who work on the island. There are some who speak of rebellion, but how - how can you challenge the forces of nature made manifest? Will you become part of it? Or are you content to live out your life?The setting of the game would be Rama-Wahi. For the most part, the island is deserted, or covered in the fly infested swamps that grant it its name. The rest of the island seems to be nothing but mines, though a few agricultural areas have been forced out of the area. It is in these places that your character works. Your character can be a member of numerous races, but primarily Matoran. The one rule is that you cannot have any powers beyond that which is physical, and only that which is realistic - super speed and the like is out.Unlike other RPGs I write, Project:Rebellion makes a few somewhat major changes to the canon design of species. Most of the species are much closer in size; a Matoran is only a foot or so shorter than a Toa on the average; a Po-Matoran may be somewhat taller than a Le-Toa, even. Krekkas species is only a foot or so taller than the average Toa - and can't fly, on that note. Thus, in combat, Toa are equal physically.... but possess powers well beyond that of the players.And, of course as noted, players are not those Toa.Rather than having a plot that stays mostly stagnant until pushed by the players, this RPG is designed to have a constant moving world - the Rebellion being the moving part. Player actions may either advance it in speed, or slow it down. If it reaches fruition, then player actions decide what happens next, and what government will replace the Toa and the like. And how to handle the defenses...Finally, this RPG will not be one based around combat - though when big fights happen, big fights happen. Using wit and wile to work through this RPG is what is supposed to make things fun.
Hm... seems interesting to me. Just a few questions:-Do you plan on having an organized rebellion?-If so, how big a role will participants take in this group?-Could some participants potentially take control of a Toa Empire-supporting group, or will all participant characters be aligned against the Empire?
2. Project: Total Open Warfare. The year is 13,000 NE - New Era. It has been 13,000 years since the battle between Mata-Nui and Makuta Teridax. In the wake of the battle, the limp corpse of Makuta Teridax collapsed to the ground as a massive robotic corpse. The body of Mata-Nui disintegrated, leaving only the Mask of Life in its wake.However, there have been many things that have changed since that time. Numerous factions are found across the surface of the world of Spherus Magna. There are the Metru-Magna Coalition, led by the combined efforts of Toa Tahu and Lord Councilor Raanu, who represent the true intentions of the Great Spirit, Mata-Nui. There is the League Six Kingdoms, led by the six Barraki-Nuva (New Warlords) - Pridak, Mantax, Ehlek, Kalmah, Malum, and the Shadowed One - the first and the last being the true power players amongst them. There is the Alliance of Melting Blades, allegedly led by the Nektann and Tuma, but truly under the almost sole control of their third member, the great Vortixx leader Roodaka.But what, then, do these three groups want? They want Mata-Nui; they body once controlled by him, but taken over by Makuta Teridax. For years, the Nynrah Ghosts and others toiled to repair it. But now, all is under threat - the body is falling apart! Without a firm will controlling it, the protodermis composing the hull of the Mata-Nui robot is disintegrating piece by piece, becoming Energized Protodermis, which promises to bring forth a new shattering.It is still possible, for the time being, that the robot might be saved - the insides are believed to be untouched. However, getting to them is the hard part. The entire environment surviving the body is changing from deserts to swamps, with free-floating puddles of energized protodermis and terrible mutated Rahi and beasts. Zyglak and the like have taken to these swams, and many beings have been changed. And amongst it all, an unknown entity holds power, preventing any from reaching the robot...Three groups, competing to take control of the robot. Who shall win? That's up for the players to decide.In this RPG, players are presented a unique challenge - battling the Energized Protodermis Entity, entering the (hopefully) repaired remains of a destroyed robot, and reactivating its power source so they can reactivate it, and possibly use its powers to destroy the Energized Protodermis forever.The main goal is for one of the player characters to take on that role, and become a reformed Matoran Universe.There will be epic battles, and the fields shall be filled with the screams of the defeated. Yes, this will be very fun. And perhaps, by the end of it, a few of the canon NPCs who have taken control of some of the factions might have been replaced by the players who showed themselves to be so great upon the field of battle?
Now this... this I like. For reasons including, but not limited to, the exciting prospect of being able to create, develop, and write an OC who becomes the Matoran Universe. :P A few quick questions on this:-How would you determine which player characters actually become the Great Spirit robot? It seems like an idea that could fall into the trap of "only one can be the main character."-Would you limit the player pool for this? It seems to me that having less players for an idea such as this might be the best option, because if half the entrants have a character who they want to control the MU... well, with a wide player base, that could get extremely hectic.

BZPRPG TIME, where you could have one post talk about dinner, and the next about lunch.

 

Time is beyond relative here.

There's no reason not to put lasers in the palms of planet-sized robots. In fact, if I had my own planet-sized robot, palm lasers would be one of my first upgrades.

BZPRPG Profiles [outdated]

 

May or may not be back from a multi-year hiatus. We'll see how this works out...

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Hm... seems interesting to me. Just a few questions:-Do you plan on having an organized rebellion?-If so, how big a role will participants take in this group?-Could some participants potentially take control of a Toa Empire-supporting group, or will all participant characters be aligned against the Empire?
- Not at first. Nothing is at first. It will get organized under charismatic leaders - and if the players take the role, it might be them, not the NPCs, who become the 'faction-leader' type characters.- As big as they want to be, if they try to be. How this rebellion really plays out, that's completely dependent on players as well. Perhaps it ends with a treaty between the two sides? Or perhaps the Toa are ousted, and a new republic is built? Or perhaps the new government is no better than the first...- If they wish to, they could be. Many folk in the city and the like support the Empire, because they know how to exploit its existence for personal profit. It's an RPG, and I wouldn't force players to side with the new found rebellion. If the people who support it know how to play their cards right, they might even end the rebellion... and come out on top from the ashes. Before the end, two or three 'rebellions' might have happened.
Now this... this I like. For reasons including, but not limited to, the exciting prospect of being able to create, develop, and write an OC who becomes the Matoran Universe. :P A few quick questions on this:-How would you determine which player characters actually become the Great Spirit robot? It seems like an idea that could fall into the trap of "only one can be the main character."-Would you limit the player pool for this? It seems to me that having less players for an idea such as this might be the best option, because if half the entrants have a character who they want to control the MU... well, with a wide player base, that could get extremely hectic.
- Whichever character made the biggest impact in the world is what I'm thinking. The person who wrote the best plans, figured out the secret to destroying (or avoiding) the eldritch abomination guarding the way... or perhaps the person who stabs them in the back and takes power at the last minute. One possible thought is that the person who's allowed in is the person who rallies their troops the best. Finally, I would look for at least the majority of the players to agree with the decision. It wouldn't be an election, though - final decision and veto lays in my hands. Of course, this all assumes players figure out how to get that far.- War is hectic, and the entire setting is war. I can say with absolute clarity and certainty that I will never limit the player pool in an RPG. Whenever I write an RPG, I hope to get as many players as I can playing it. More players mean more interactions, and the more things that are happening.

"I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."


- Evelyn Beatrice Hall (often attributed to Voltaire)

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Hey, I have an idea. I won't be able to follow through with it, so someone else can take this idea and improve on it: The Red Star.In the RPG, the many deceased people from the MU were sent to the Red Star, but they managed to overcome the kestora, and take over the RS for themselves. You can be a Toa, Matoran, Skakdi, Vortixx Turaga, or Kestora. In the bio, you have to say the way your character died in the MU. We don't know much about the RS, like the geography, so we can make up a lot of that.

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Hey, I have an idea. I won't be able to follow through with it, so someone else can take this idea and improve on it: The Red Star.In the RPG, the many deceased people from the MU were sent to the Red Star, but they managed to overcome the kestora, and take over the RS for themselves. You can be a Toa, Matoran, Skakdi, Vortixx Turaga, or Kestora. In the bio, you have to say the way your character died in the MU. We don't know much about the RS, like the geography, so we can make up a lot of that.
I think that this is an interesting idea... but how about instead, the characters are still fighting the Kestora? Perhaps the Kestora are ruling the RS and dissecting people left and right as a cruel "population control," and there's a resistance? Perhaps some of the participants can be Kestora?...Yeah I don't know, just adding some ideas onto that.And Zehvor, I'll discuss your two ideas more a bit later, but they look pretty good to me right now.

BZPRPG TIME, where you could have one post talk about dinner, and the next about lunch.

 

Time is beyond relative here.

There's no reason not to put lasers in the palms of planet-sized robots. In fact, if I had my own planet-sized robot, palm lasers would be one of my first upgrades.

BZPRPG Profiles [outdated]

 

May or may not be back from a multi-year hiatus. We'll see how this works out...

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In the RPG, the many deceased people from the MU were sent to the Red Star, but they managed to overcome the kestora, and take over the RS for themselves. You can be a Toa, Matoran, Skakdi, Vortixx Turaga, or Kestora. In the bio, you have to say the way your character died in the MU. We don't know much about the RS, like the geography, so we can make up a lot of that.
An interesting idea, but how do they get there when they die? Do their souls just reform in the red star? Or do they get put in new bodies? Or is the red star more of an in-between realm to go to before passing on to the next life?The questions that Meta-Mind asked could suffice for everything else, save for the last one. I've made up a Kestora character in a place far stranger than the red star before.-Toa Levacius Zehvor :flagusa:

"I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."


- Evelyn Beatrice Hall (often attributed to Voltaire)

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...Lev, did you miss the last story update?Dead souls always go to the Red Star, and are given a new body there.
...Wut.*Sigh* I've got a lot of research to keep up on, in that case. And, possibly, some changes to what I do with #2 depending on what some of the answers to certain things are.My apologies, it appears my questions were unfounded.-Toa Levacius Zehvor :flagusa:

"I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."


- Evelyn Beatrice Hall (often attributed to Voltaire)

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Would anyone be interested in a RPG focusing on political intrigue, a totaltarian government, and brainwashing of citizens? A sort of 1984 in Metru-Nui, with the whole Ministrys and Party systems (modified, of course, but the same idea), Turaga as O'Brien-like figures, and all that good/horrifying stuff. The PCs, of course, would be little Winstons, perhaps only Matoran, perhaps Vortixx and Steltians as well.This may be too political for BZP, however.

Edited by Giant of Lannister

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Would anyone be interested in a RPG focusing on political intrigue, a totaltarian government, and brainwashing of citizens? A sort of 1984 in Metru-Nui, with the whole Ministrys and Party systems (modified, of course, but the same idea), Turaga as O'Brien-like figures, and all that good/horrifying stuff. The PCs, of course, would be little Winstons, perhaps only Matoran, perhaps Vortixx and Steltians as well.This may be too political for BZP, however.
Well, in order to pull this off, we'd have to think of how it would apply to Bionicle. First off, in order to make it 1984-esque, we can't have Elemental Powers. Coincidentally, this ties in rather nicely with the idea of the government "banning destiny," as Turaga Dume did in Teridax's Time Trap illusion (which he cast on Vakama). I would think that much of the 2004 material in general would work well: the slogans from the Vahki Online Animations come to mind, for example. As far as an analogue to 1984 itself goes, I would say to remove the "newspeak" aspect of it (as coupled with the Matoran language, that would get confusing - unless we come up with a particularly brilliant way to do this, like making all the Turaga evil Turaga of Air who want to universalize treespeak. :P). I'm not a hundred percent sure why Mata Nui wouldn't interfere, though - perhaps we could intentionally leave it ambiguous, suggest that he's occupied elsewhere or in a semi-coma or something.And, uh, I would also suggest that eventually (if not from the very start!), we make it more Bionicle. Obviously, being inspired by 1984 is nice and all, but to carbon-copy that story over just wouldn't work well for Bionicle or a collaborative RP.

Especially since the book ends on such a sad note - it would seem to me that that doesn't fit very well with the Bionicle series in general.

I have some more comments, but for now I'll just say this: if we could pull this off properly, I would definitely help out or participate in some way.

BZPRPG TIME, where you could have one post talk about dinner, and the next about lunch.

 

Time is beyond relative here.

There's no reason not to put lasers in the palms of planet-sized robots. In fact, if I had my own planet-sized robot, palm lasers would be one of my first upgrades.

BZPRPG Profiles [outdated]

 

May or may not be back from a multi-year hiatus. We'll see how this works out...

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You've made some wonderful points, Meta-Mind. First off, I planned to disable all powers (Hence Matoran and other such species playable), so that PCs would be unable to overthrow the party with a few well-aimed exploding fireballs and Pakari-powered sword swings. On the subject of Metru-Nui, that was the location I chose as soon as I came up with the idea (Zakaz and Xia could take the parts of Eurasia and Eastasia, as well), and Turaga Dume, as well as Vakama, Nokama, and all the other Turaga of Mata-Nui, would be Inner Party-esque figures, with normal Matoran performing as Outer Party, and perhaps Steltians as Proles, and, of course, Vahki as the ever-watching Thought police. There would most likely be a variation of newspeak, but I certainly do not intend to use tree-speak. The topic of Mata-Nui would be rather convulted. The Inner Party would be preaching the disbelief of a Great Spirit, replacing worship of an almost religious figure with worship of and devotion to The Party and Metru-Nui. Mata-Nui's exact doings at the time would be unknown, and most likely one of the main things rebellious PCs would be investigating.

Edited by Giant of Lannister

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What a surprise, this pops up right in the middle of doing stuff about totalitarian states in school.I doubt that doing something like this would be too political. I doubt that there's anyone on the site who wants a 1984-esque setting in the real world, and would be offended by an (accurate) portrayal of such a society shown in negative (accurate) light.

Would anyone be interested in a RPG focusing on political intrigue, a totaltarian government, and brainwashing of citizens? A sort of 1984 in Metru-Nui, with the whole Ministrys and Party systems (modified, of course, but the same idea), Turaga as O'Brien-like figures, and all that good/horrifying stuff. The PCs, of course, would be little Winstons, perhaps only Matoran, perhaps Vortixx and Steltians as well.On the subject of Metru-Nui, that was the location I chose as soon as I came up with the idea (Zakaz and Xia could take the parts of Eurasia and Eastasia, as well), and Turaga Dume, as well as Vakama, Nokama, and all the other Turaga of Mata-Nui, would be Inner Party-esque figures, with normal Matoran performing as Outer Party, and perhaps Steltians as Proles, and, of course, Vahki as the ever-watching Thought police. There would most likely be a variation of newspeak, but I certainly do not intend to use tree-speak. The topic of Mata-Nui would be rather convulted. The Inner Party would be preaching the disbelief of a Great Spirit, replacing worship of an almost religious figure with worship of and devotion to The Party and Metru-Nui. Mata-Nui's exact doings at the time would be unknown, and most likely one of the main things rebellious PCs would be investigating.
The first point I'll make is about the very last one. I find it amusing because, as I wrote about Project: Rebellion, I contemplated similar ideas. Though as the governments power is more limited, the Empire hasn't been able to truly brainwash the people yet, outside of the capital of Metru-Nui and the like.Now then, there's a few things I want to understand. What is the time setting of the RPG, and how much is 'canon'? Are the NPCs at all the same as their real selves? Where are the real Toa during this time; surely they're not letting Metru-Nui become like this? What of the Dark Hunters - surely, without Toa, Metru-Nui couldn't stand against their armies. And the Makuta, or Order? Or is it just Metru-Nui, with NPCs that have the same name but aren't really canon NPCs, in a Matoran Universe where almost nothing is similar?-Toa Levacius Zehvor :flagusa:

"I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."


- Evelyn Beatrice Hall (often attributed to Voltaire)

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Time and level of canon are topics that reach levels of convultedness above and beyond what Mata Nui reached.

 

First off, in 1984, the inspiration of this RPG, no one, except for the Inner Party (Even then, they might not know), knows what year it is. Some of the higher level workers can guess from the way they're managing information, but, ultimately, no one's sure. Part of this is the fact that The Party seeks to control the past, by means of information distortion, the present, by means using the distorted information to create uncertainness and a lack of percise facts relating to current events. With the past and present in their grasp, the Inner Party was able to thus influence, if not utterly control the future. Now, in the RPG, this is somewhat the situation. Turaga make no mention of exact dates, not even exactly what day of the (bionicle) week it is, only years, hours, days, and such generic, unspecific terms to explain time. No Matoran or Steltian can tell you what year it is, only that this year, weapon and metal produciton is up by ten percent, and their wise leaders are going to, for sure, win the war by the end of it.

 

As far as level of canon goes, PCs, and, for the most part, the players, have no idea. Matoran featured in the story will appear, perhaps play an important role, but their personality and character may be changed. Changed because of events in this timeline, or simply different in this unique universe? That's yet to be decided upon revealed. And on the topic of factions, both helpful to harmful to the canon Metru-Nui, I'm still planning, but I think that they will most likely be demonized or glorified by The Party, turning Hunters into demons and Makuta to something even worse, and perhaps Toa into the Godlike protectors to the empire, half-respected, and half-feared by the population.

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Just a quick question, but is manipulation of the past like that going to work with beings that can live for hundreds of thousands of years? Its all very well changing records to say something in the past happened the way you wanted it, but it'll do you no good if everyone else can actually remember it happening the real way

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Just a quick question, but is manipulation of the past like that going to work with beings that can live for hundreds of thousands of years? Its all very well changing records to say something in the past happened the way you wanted it, but it'll do you no good if everyone else can actually remember it happening the real way

 

 

This guy. And based on the canon, it seems that characters have perfect recall of their entire life.

 

What I don't understand is why make the Turaga the rulers of the government. Why not make it into somebody who is canonically evil, with characters who appeared in that state at a certain point in time? A state of Metru-Nui under the control of the Dark Hunters after the Toa/Dark Hunter War could be an interesting choice of setting, for example. The Shadowed Ones attempt at enslaving the population completely. Things like that.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor :flagusa:

Edited by Toa Levacius Zehvor

"I disapprove of what you have to say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."


- Evelyn Beatrice Hall (often attributed to Voltaire)

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Good question. In Orwell's novel, all the people knew that Oceania had not always been in war with Eurasia (Just as they knew 2 + 2 = 4, not 5, but that's an altogether different matter), but since that was what they were told, since that was what The Party said was truth, and they did not even dare think otherwise, they found that quietly and obediantly accepting everything told to them was very much perferable to the opposite. All the citizens would have the nagging doubts that __ didn't attack __ so many years ago, but they classify this as their madness and ignore it, knowing that if they let this blasphemous belief grow, the Thought Police would give them a visit.

 

In the universe of Bionicle, I think that this mental oppression would work much the same, for Matoran have shown very human-esque minds. Note the "I think", I'm not really sure about this.

EDIT: This is what I get for not noticing the new post warnings.

 

Well, Lev, I thought that the topic of Dark Hunters in Metru-Nui, or the creation of chaos in Metru-Nui by the Hunters has been used in several RPGs recently. I also thought that the Turaga, characters everyone was used to percieving as the kindly elder, giving wisdom, would make excellent O'Brien-esque figures. In 1984, O'Brien, at first, gave Winston a slimer of hope. He seemed somewhat friendly, considerably wiser and in possession of more experience than Winston, and the Outer Party member revered him, up to the moment of his torture. Turaga would not be the target of the Citizens' terror, the Vahki, and the other islands take that role, but merely respected-to-the-point-of-fearful-awe figures, leading the massess with terrible, rousing speeches of violence and war, changing targets every minute, so utterly powerful in voice and appearance, citizens would be willing to cease hating Zakaz, so that Xia could be hated as terribly as they said it deserved.

 

I think that if the Shadowed One attempted to do this, Matoran would just be cowering and crying, begging not to be killed by the Hunters.

Edited by Giant of Lannister

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Just a quick question, but is manipulation of the past like that going to work with beings that can live for hundreds of thousands of years? Its all very well changing records to say something in the past happened the way you wanted it, but it'll do you no good if everyone else can actually remember it happening the real way

This guy. And based on the canon, it seems that characters have perfect recall of their entire life.

 

I would say this is actually fairly simple. In 1984, some people (such as the main character Winston) still vaguely recall the time before the Party, but not in enough detail to question the Party's propoganda. Matoran Spheres are potentially a thing here, you know....And then there's the thing above, but that's a different matter entirely. It still applies, though.

BZPRPG TIME, where you could have one post talk about dinner, and the next about lunch.

 

Time is beyond relative here.

There's no reason not to put lasers in the palms of planet-sized robots. In fact, if I had my own planet-sized robot, palm lasers would be one of my first upgrades.

BZPRPG Profiles [outdated]

 

May or may not be back from a multi-year hiatus. We'll see how this works out...

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All right, here's a (very) rough draft of my previously mention RPG. Constructive criticism is appreciated immensely.
-Dystopian-
UNITY, FOR THE GOOD OF THE EMPIRE
DUTY, TO SERVE THE EMPIRE
DESTINY, TO PROTECT OUR EMPIRE
They’ve done rather well this year, haven’t they?” The speaker was haggard, his hands shaking slightly as he wrung them together.
Who?” The source of the response looked equally fatigued, but in a different fashion, his frame gaunt and the bone structure of his skull visibly imprinted into his unhealthy face. His eyes, a shade of yellow that reflected his generally anemic appearance, were not nervous, but dispassionate, careful maintained so that not a single emotion would escape.
The Bureau of Giving. Metal production up by 20%! We’re closer to winning this war than ever.” As the Matoran spoke, his hands began to shake worst than ever, the skeletal digits and distinct joints quaking. However, his eyes, just like those of his companion, were carefully guarded. The green orbs, sunken into his sickly head, looking like those of the dead, both at peace and utterly tormented, a façade of happiness and contentment.
Oh, of course. Those Zakaz swine will be ground into the dust soon enough.” The other Matoran, his yellow eyes as unflustered as ever, looked downward to the newspaper lying on the table between, staring at it blankly as he read, never lifting it.
The obnoxious screeching of an alarm filled the room, and the Matoran, with machine-like movements, stood up, carefully placed their chairs back underneath the table, and exited the room with dozens of other Matoran, all of them looking utterly brain dead, as if someone had removed their biomechanical cerebrum and replaced it with a propaganda pamphlet.
* * *
They next day, the yellow-eyed Matoran was back, sitting at the group of tables designated to citizens of his area in the district of Ta-Metru.
There was a general air of anxiety and nervousness in the air as everyone politely spoke to each other, their mannerisms contrasting with their soulless eyes, and almost pre-programmed sounding voices. “Did you hear?” “Of course I heard. It is such a shame, our own citizens betraying us.” “I certainly hope that none of those terrible, hideous monsters try to get me to commit such a crime!” “We have to kill these swine quickly, they’re infecting our precious Empire!” “Don’t doubt in our Emperor, he will fix this. I’m sure he has it all planned, you’ll see.” “Well, most certainly he does. I’m just worried that more lies will spread to our district.” “Oh, you’re scaring me now. Sub-district 34 isn’t awfully far away from ours.” “Oh, I’m sure the Enforcers will be visiting the residences there.” “I think it’s better that way! More hangings, more morale boosting, that’s what I say.
The yellowed-eyed Matoran stared at one of the Sub-District 36 tables several feet away, their loud voices carrying the topics of discussion across the room. There were few people sitting in his area, and all of them quiet, so there was no chance of a respite from the constant talking of the Sub-District 36 citizens.
Holding his head in his hands, the yellow-eyed Matoran began to sob, staring at the Sub-District 34 logo imprinted on the table, his hands shaking as they filled with his tears.
Summary:
Welcome to The Great Empire of Metru-Nui. We observe you for your own good, so that if an accident occurs, we can send someone to help you in a very small amount of time. Coincidentally, if you choose to be disruptive, we can remove you from public, until you learn to behave yourself. Surveillance is constant, with screens and security cameras watching you from every angle, not a single inch on the entire industrialized island of Metru-Nui free of observation. You, beloved worker, can seek “freedom“, and live a life of hardship and fear, or you can worship The Empire, your benevolent benefactor, and live a comfortable life.
The Empire is ready to support you and love you, but you must love it in return. Love nothing else, for nothing else is worthy of your love. If you are found wasting your love on another, we shall have to re-educate you, so be wise and adore us over any other. The Empire gives you everything, your residence, your food, and all we ask for in return is your absolute loyalty. Worship us as we deserve to be worship, with every atom of your bond and soul, and you will never want. Do not love us as we deserve, and there will be repercussions.
The Great Empire is ruled by the wise and benevolent Emperor, once called Dume, and he is the one who shall protect you from the terrible, blood-curdling horrors of Zakaz, and the trail of death it leaves in its wake. Below him, to share his wisdom and rouse you into working harder and faster, are The Six Elders, each one representing one of the six basic elements. Their names are Vakama, Nokama, Matau, Onewa, Whenua, and Nuju, and they are to be respected and honored, for each of them has control over an entire Metru.
We have the highest hopes for you, worker, but if you fail to meet our expectations, we would be forced to remove you, so that you do not taint your fellow labor force. We’re sure you understand the reasons for this, and we’re also sure you’ll try your very best to remain useful, but if you don’t, perhaps the Enforcers will have to pay you a visit. What are Enforcers? The are exactly what their name implies, a finished version of the “Vahki” prototype, the ultimate in protecting your peace and wellbeing, as well as the ultimate in capturing and terminating those who wish to be difficult.
Our soliders, brave, courageous souls, will rarely, if ever, seen by you. They travel rarely, and only in secure Chutes, and play no part in your work, so you have no reason to possess knowledge of them.
One last thing on the topic of The Empire‘s Citizens; The Masses. You will meet them on the street, within the factory or bureau, and they are not to be feared. They might be taller, stronger, and faster than you, but they are not better than you. You are elite. They are to be ignored, and to be reported if they pause working. The Enforcers are more than capable of dealing with them, no matter the number of them, so do not hesitate to report them. Other members of The Masses may resent you for doing so, but what do they matter? They are mere proletariats, you are the middle, the comfortable height above grueling work and below the difficulties of ruling, they are the depths, the pits of existence.
We are at war with Zakaz. We have always been at war with Zakaz. There is another island, Xia, but they have never acted against us, and they have never acted for the interest of Zakaz. We at war with Zakaz, and nothing else. It is wise to remember this, citizen, if someone tries to convince you otherwise. Remain faithful and report him to the nearest Enforcer.
All we ask of you, worker and citizen, is trust, obedience, and a good work ethic. These are all easy enough in theory, but some seem to find problems with them, and those who do so always end up trying to convince others that we ask for more, that we are not kind. Please, for your own good, do not listen to them. We love you, and all we ask for in return is your love and loyalty. If you do not agree with this proposal, there is a lovely Enforcer outside, I’m sure he could take you somewhere to clear your mind.
Locations:
Ta-Metru
The Metru of Productions, Ta-Metru is composed gigantic factories, with living quarters and mess halls scattered throughout the Metru, split up by Sub-Districts (Where citizens and The Masses take residence), numbered from 1 to 60, the lowest numbers being the darkest, dirtiest rat holes of The Masses, the largest being the most prestigious residences of the most efficient workers. The skyline of Ta-Koro is that of smokestacks and plumes of smog, with fire belching from the widest, most active of the industrial, utilitarian factories of gunmetal steel. The slogan of Ta-Metru is simple; “A busy Matoran is a happy Matoran, for quick work is rewarding work.”
Ga-Metru
The Metru of Re-Education, and the location of the Empire’s Navy, Ga-Metru is easily recognizable for its appearance, dozens of islands, sprawling with concrete builds, windowless and surrounded with several fences of barbed wire, as well as mine fields, if the structure is particularly important. There are few living quarters in Ga-Metru, all for Re-Educators, those who administrate the prisons and Re-Education centers, and those who keep them in working order. There are 36 Sub-Districts, no longer numbered for living condition, only for what island they are located on. On the Metru of Re-Education and the Metru of the Empire‘s Armada, there is an emphasis of belief in the Emperor for those being Re-Educated, and an emphasis for striving to be the strongest, most vicious being possibly in the Empire‘s Armada. The slogan of Ga-Metru reflects this well, “Trust in the Emperor, pride in the Elite.”
Le-Metru
The Metru of Law Enforcement, and the Metru of The Great Empire’s Military, Le-Metru is a massive military base, dotted with Enforcer hives, with everything connected by Chutes and surrounded by Airship ports. The Chute system of Le-Metru is put to maximum use, with Enforcers being transported across Metru-Nui constantly, and the Military able to reach wherever the need to be in mere minutes, either to fend off an attack, or to ready themselves for deportation. The Chute system has been modified slightly, requiring a pass, implanted in one’s organics, possessed only by the most influential citizens and the Military, to be used. As well as this, the Chute’s speed of travel has been increased, so that Enforcers can arrive even sooner, to quell any disturbance that arises. There are only 12 Sub-Districts in Le-Metru, for the only citizens allowed to take residence there, either temporary or permanent, are mechanics and Airship pilots. Four of these Districts are located directly next to Enforcer Hives, and these are, obviously, where mechanics live. The other eight are located on military bases, and serve as temporary residence for the Airship pilots who arrive with their cargo, and wish to rest for a few days. The Le-Metru slogan is simple and to the point, reflecting those who occupy the Metru of Violence, as some take to calling it. “For Peace and the Law.”
Po-Metru
The Metru of Chaos is what most call Po-Metru, the City of Stone. There is no true purpose for the establishments there, only randomly scattered businesses, surrounded by thousands of residence buildings, all of them ramshackle and in a state of serious disrepair. Where there were once deserts there are streets, monoliths and statues are now the cornerstones of the larger buildings, all signs of a previous setting has been assimilated into the current look of the Metru, creating a revolting mix of past beauty and modern hideousness. The dignified civilization of before is hidden behind the bestial violence of today in the streets of current Po-Metru, called by some The Metru of Brutes and The Metru of the Mad. Many of The Masses make their homes here, and thus it is not uncommon to be greeted with horrendous sights of violence when one awakes in the morning, roused by the sound of The Masses competing for the right to travel to the other Metru, on rickety Airships, no longer suitable for military use, and condemned to a life of carrying half-mad beings, having just survived the often fatal gauntlet of the street, to their places of work, brutal factories that, to them, are havens of cleanness. Every member of The Masses wants to reach these factories, and thus, the unofficial slogan of the Metru of Chaos, “Might Makes Right.”, describes their willingness to smash each other’s brains to bits in the name of a ride on the Airships rather well.
Onu-Metru
The Metru of Research, or The Metru of Information, or the Metru of Knowledge, Onu-Metru goes by several names, but all of them have one thing in common; Details. Onu-Metru keeps track of every word spoken, every movement made, every piece of media released, and it is more than ready to edit all of this information when ever correction is needed. All of this manages occurs in The Archives, a system of tunnels spanning the length and width of the entire island, and now, thanks to advancements in recent years, delving deeper than sane man would imagine going. The Archives hold more information than a mind could imagine, and all of it is easily available to the citizens who reside there. The residents of Onu-Metru rarely see the sun, and the are, shall we say, distorted. Their eyes are, at least three times larger than any other being found in The Empire, their bodies are shriveled and almost devoid of muscle, and their fingers have turned into long, bony claws, used both for digging and for typing on the tiny keys of the dozens of typewriter-esque information-translating instruments of their “inputs”, bizarre machines on which the “Unders” (The common name of the residents of Onu-Metru) write/re-write dozens of documents at once. The “inputs” span entire rooms, and connect to the Archives, which now resemble, in many ways, modern digital libraries and encyclopedias. There are only six Sub-Districts in Onu-Metru, each one representing a section of The Archives under other Metru, with otherwise literally no difference between the six. Onu-Metru, on the map, appears to be a dome of protosteel, a single dot of color on a landscape of post-apocalyptic, desolate black. The reason for the emptiness? As well as managing the details of a citizen’s life, Onu-Metru manages the details and the information of The Empire’s military forces, both land, air, and sea. Part of this military information is the effectiveness of weapons, from mundane pistols to explosive missiles of devastating power. The slogan of Onu-Metru “Thoughts can be dangerous, for The Emperor sees all.”, reflects the paranoia of the Matoran (and the mind-games that the local Enforcers enjoy playing) rather well.
Ko-Metru
The Metru of Entertainment and Diversions, Ko-Metru is the only Metru to have an official name with two components, and the only Metru to constantly cooperate with another, Onu-Metru. Ko-Metru resembles a bizarre mix of beautiful, translucent crystal palaces and cold, hard steel-gray skyscrapers, metallic framework connecting metal and glass additions to the gigantic Crystal Towers, and buildings, rivaling a Tower’s height, thin and stylized with square-shaped windows and absolutely nothing spherical, attach directly into the snowy, almost arctic terrain of the Metru. All of these structures have one thing in common: They are tipped with gigantic instruments reminiscent of antennas and radio dishes. Ko-Metru is the transmitter of entertainment and broadcasts for the entire island, sending news, and motivational speeches every where, leaving no space in The Empire without the latest news, the most recent military victory. Ko-Metru’s relation to Onu-Metru is simple: Onu-Metru receives the information first, corrects it and edits it for the citizens good, and then sends it to Ko-Metru, who sends it everywhere in its reach. The population of Ko-Metru is almost devoid of members of The Masses, instead almost entirely middle class citizens, all of them zealous for the message they are conveying. A message that could be identified by totalitarian by the youngest being, composed of little more than demonization of The Empire’s enemy and worship of The Emperor, yet accepted by thousands as truth, simply because after being told it so many times, they choose to accept it as truth, for doing otherwise, for even thinking of it otherwise, would result in their death. The slogan of this Metru is rather apt; “Obedience is Happiness”
The Throne
A monolithic structure rising several hundred, perhaps even a thousand, feet into the air, The Throne is a massive triangle, on each side, the monstrous, spiked Crown of The Empire painted in crimson on white stone, is visible from hundreds and hundreds of feet away. The Throne connects the six landmasses of the Metrus, and serves as the motivational, morale-boosting symbol of The Empire, more terrifying and psychological than any flag, imprinting any who see it with a sense of smallness, weakness, and helplessness, things that only The Emperor, who, along with the Six Elders, resides in The Throne, often makes speeches in front of this intimidating, cyclopean monument.
Character Profiles & Character Creation Information:
Name: (Please, keep it reasonably Bionicle-ish. I don’t want to see “Bobby” and “Johnny”, nor do I want to see “KillStealer169” or any other name with digits and a distinct chatbox feel)
Gender: (Should be simple to fill in)
Social Class: (Explained below)
Appearance: (At the very least, describe body coloring, basic appearance, and Kanohi design. I want at least four sentences.)
Occupation: (What does your character do? Are they skilled at it? Do they hate it, or do they adore it?)
District: (If applicable)
Personality: (What does your character think about their current situation? Are they becoming insane? Are they cold and manipulative, compassionate and kind? Do they like betraying their co-workers, do they attempt to spread their rebellious thoughts and opinions?)
Alignment: (Either Loyal (to The Empire), Neutral, or Rebellious)
Blank Profile
Name:
Gender:
Social Class:
Appearance:
Occupation:
Personality:
Alignment:
Social Class
The way you fill out social class, comparable to Species in most other RPGs, determines the type of life your character lives, as well as his species. There are two Social Class available for players to RP, Workers, and The Masses
Workers: Once known as Matoran, Workers are the highest-ranking factory personnel, the information modifiers, the message broadcasters, the re-educators, the airship pilots. Workers make up around 20% of the Empire’s population, vastly overshadowed by The Masses. While in possession of somewhat-better living conditions than The Masses, they are watched very closely by Enforcers, seeing as they are the ones modifying the information that everyone accepts as truth.
The Masses: The Masses, on the other hand, are almost devoid of law enforcement, only bothered by the Enforcers when one of them shows hints of a rebellious nature. They are of Sidorak's species, possessing the height and physical prowess of an average Toa. The make up almost 80% percent of Empire, and are the hordes who work the factories, the mechanics and janitors keeping everything in working order, the residents of Po-Metru, the true workers of The Empire.
Rules:
1: All BZP and RPG Forum rules apply.
2: You are not powerful. Remember this. You are a citizen in a totalitarian government, you can not punch an Enforcer, nor can you magically locate explosives to destroy The Throne with. You are not powerless, you still have your mind. RP intelligently, have your character start a quiet, yet effective rebellion (If you are rebelling, that is), and, above all, remember how carefully you are being watched, and reflect this in your posts.
3: Do not treat the Enforcers as your personal military force if your character is of the Loyal alignment. If you report something, and it turns out to be untrue in any fashion, your character will be punished by the Enforcers, in a rather painful and physically damaging fashion.
4: Be considerate of other players. Below is a strike system, so you know how many tries you have before you are banned.
1: Another player reports you/I read one of your posts and find you being unfair and rude, I give you a PM of warning.
2: You continue, and I punish you (The punishment will depend on the situation), and give you a one-week ban from the RPG.
3: You are banned permanently from the RPG.
5: If you and a fellow player have an argument, first take it to PMs, and then, if they refuse to cooperate and reach an agreement, PM me with the problem.
6: Please, try to keeping your spelling and grammatical errors to a minimum.
7: If you think there is a problem with the game, or the way the game is being run, please, send me a PM, and I will try to fix the problem.
Rewards
Yes, this RPG will have rewards. Do something I consider exceptionally intelligent or well-planned, and your character will get something to assist them. I won’t say exactly what the rewards will be, but I will say this much: If you’re planning to create a character that wants to earn a reputation, avoid the Enforcers, get promoted in The Empire, or harm/inhibit The Empire, you will want one of these.
Ending Notes:
Lastly, I want to say I am looking forward to what rebellions, schemes, and other ingenious things players are going to come up with, and, as GM, I hope I can help keep this RPG enjoyable and interesting. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
Edited by Giant of Lannister

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Introduction

This entry isn't complete, but as someone suggested the planning topic was the wrong place for reviews, I decided to place this here. I just want feedback, people! ;) Also, this way, if I disappear off the face of the Earth, at least this entry will be here for judging when the time comes.

Background

When times seemed tough, when the Rahi were advancing, when our defenses faltered, the Turaga would tell us a tale of the Toa heroes, who would travel to our island and save us from the hordes the Makuta had launched upon us. Hearing these stories, our proud defenders where energized, and would fight a while longer. We always believed our champions would rescue us.They never did.Years we waited, and still the Toa did not arrive. Even the Turaga began to lose hope. And as our courage faltered, so did our strength. One by one, our villages fell to the Rahi, who grew more powerful as our forces fell. The trees of Le-Wahi could be seen burning from all across the island; no one did not hear the sound as Po-Koro's glorious monuments fell to the ground and turned into dust. When Ga-Koro sunk, the Turaga realized that no hope remained. We survivors retreated to Onu-Koro and sealed the entrances with thick rocks. No one mistook the implications; Makuta's forces were sealed out, but we were sealed in. There was no escaping this stone fortress we had built for ourselves.Now, we eke out an existence beneath the surface. We will survive. But is life worth living without purpose?

Gameplay

Players play as a Matoran from one of the six villages of Mata-Nui. Each have individual skills and talents. The central idea behind the game is to survive & thrive underground. Periodically, major events will happen such as a Rahi breakthrough or a mine collapsing, to keep interest in the game. This is a game about co-operation and surviving as a team.

Locations

The entire game takes place in Onu-Koro and Onu-Wahi. There is no escaping the underground catacombs. This is a game where the environment should dynamically change as the Matoran use their various skills to enlarge Onu-Koru. Onu-Koro has been split into districts for the six elements of Matoran.Significant BuildingsLe-KoroFarmsAnimal pensKo-KoroTemplePo-KoroMonumentsGa-KoroUnderground poolsTa-KoroBarracksWorkshopOnu-KoroMarketMine EntrancesTuraga's HutTuraga Housing

Mechanics

I haven't thought out the actual mechanics of combat and the like, but it would have to be something very team-oriented, where each player can contribute but they have to work as a team.

Character Creation

Players can be a Matoran from Ta-Koro, Ko-Koro, Onu-Koro, Po-Koro, Ga-Koro, or Le-Koro. Each has it's own advantages. The Ta-Matorans are excellent engineers and can make complex mechanics. The people of Ko-Koro are the great thinkers and philosophers. Onu-Matoran know their way around the best and can dig, as well as being able to see in the dark. Po-Matoran can construct the best structures. Ga-Matoran are good at organizing groups and can swim the best. Le-Matoran can entertain others and plant crops the best. You can also choose a certain job. For example, you could have been a member of the Ta-Koran guard, or a Onu-Koran mining guild. Perhaps you were a great sculptor back in Po-Koro. The Matoran are talented, even if they have no powers or Great Kanohi. You can have up to 3 characters.

Rules

1. No godmodding; this means, you play as your character and your character alone. You cannot control other player's characters. You have a limited degree over NPCs, but only limited; you may give them basic actions such as fighting, but nothing else.2. No invincibility/super powers; Matoran of Mata Nui are fairly weak and their skill comes from co-operation and ingenuity. If someone stronger than you battles you, you will be defeated (unless you receive help.) If it's realistic for you to die, then please do die; it'll make life more meaningful for others and the game will be more interesting.3. No arguing with staff members. You may respectfully disagree but our word goes.4. Use "OOC" and "IC" to indicate when you are writing out of character or in character.5. Your characters may not have knowledge that they don't posses but you do. Unless they were at an event or have been told about it, they won't know about it.

Punishments

Each time you break a rule, you receive a punishment.1st offence: Gentle warning, your error will be fixed and a staff member will tell you what you did wrong. Everyone makes mistakes.2nd offence: It needs to stop. Your current character(s) are killed instantly, and a staff member will tell you what you did and how to fix it.3rd offence: You're making it less fun for others. Banned for the RPG indefinitely (appeals are allowed). Any post you make will be ignored. We won't bother to explain ourselves. Only administrators can enact this punishment.

Staff

You can apply here if you'd like to become a staff member. There are two ranks: moderator and administrator. Moderators may be promoted to administrators. Administrators may make big changes to the game and may command moderators, as well as being able to give out 3rd offence punishments. Moderators simply make sure the rules are followed. Moderators may have characters; Admins may control the major characters.Staff:CaptainLepidus - Administrator

Major Characters

"Major Characters" does not mean the most important characters, it just means the most famous ones. As in, the named characters from the canon. This includes:The six TuragaJaller - Infantry CommanderTakua - ChroniclerKongu - Animal masterMatoro - TranslatorKopeke - MeditatorHahli - Underwater explorerMacku - Underwater explorerHewkii - Kohlii playerHafu - SculptorAhmou - Merchant, (Makuta agent)Nuparu - InventorTaipu - MinerOnepu - Ussalry Commander(I'm probably forgetting some, please mention if you see any I'm missing.) Major characters won't be active much but they can drive the storyline. Major characters can only be controlled by Administrators.

Map

This is only a temporary visual aid.

OnuMap.png

Edited by CaptainLepidus

Legacy of the Great Beings - Continuing the story of BIONICLE from where the serials left off.

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1: The Empire has not deemed it appropriate to tell any of its citizens such information, and thus no member of The Empire knows.

 

2: I doubt that a citizen would be able to escape Metru-Nui by boat, seeing as soon as you approached the docks with no apparent reason, an Enforcer would be dragging you into the shadows.

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But what if your job required you to sail out to sea everyday? Like a fisherman, or a tour guide, or a sea archivist?

A few things. First, fishermen would probably be a job for the "Masses." Second, they don't need tour guides because there's pretty much no personal entertainment/real downtime/whatever you want to call it. Third... I'm not even sure if this twisted Metru Nui will have any kind of Archivist, since it's based on 1984 and all.

BZPRPG TIME, where you could have one post talk about dinner, and the next about lunch.

 

Time is beyond relative here.

There's no reason not to put lasers in the palms of planet-sized robots. In fact, if I had my own planet-sized robot, palm lasers would be one of my first upgrades.

BZPRPG Profiles [outdated]

 

May or may not be back from a multi-year hiatus. We'll see how this works out...

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All right, here's a (very) rough draft of my previously mention RPG. Constructive criticism is appreciated immensely.
-Dystopian-
UNITY, FOR THE GOOD OF THE EMPIRE
DUTY, TO SERVE THE EMPIRE
DESTINY, TO PROTECT OUR EMPIRE
Sounds like a country song.
They’ve done rather well this year, haven’t they?” The speaker was haggard, his hands shaking slightly as he wrung them together.
Who?” The source of the response looked equally fatigued, but in a different fashion, his frame gaunt and the bone structure of his skull visibly imprinted into his unhealthy face. His eyes, a shade of yellow that reflected his generally anemic appearance, were not nervous, but dispassionate, careful maintained so that not a single emotion would escape.
The Bureau of Giving. Metal production up by 20%! We’re closer to winning this war than ever.Metal making. Winning wars since, ever. As the Matoran spoke, his hands began to shake worst than ever, the skeletal digits and distinct joints quaking. However, his eyes, just like those of his companion, were carefully guarded. The green orbs, sunken into his sickly head, looking like those of the dead, both at peace and utterly tormented, a façade of happiness and contentment.
Oh, of course. Those Zakaz swine will be ground into the dust soon enough.” The other Matoran, his yellow eyes as unflustered as ever, looked downward to the newspaper lying on the table between, staring at it blankly as he read, never lifting it.
The obnoxious screeching of an alarm filled the room, and the Matoran, with machine-like movements, stood up, carefully placed their chairs back underneath the table, and exited the room with dozens of other Matoran, all of them looking utterly brain dead, as if someone had removed their biomechanical cerebrum and replaced it with a propaganda pamphlet. Propaganda. Also brain dead.
* * *
They next day, the yellow-eyed Matoran was back, sitting at the group of tables designated to citizens of his area in the district of Ta-Metru.
There was a general air of anxiety and nervousness in the air as everyone politely spoke to each other, their mannerisms contrasting with their soulless eyes, and almost pre-programmed sounding voices. “Did you hear?” “Of course I heard. It is such a shame, our own citizens betraying us.” “I certainly hope that none of those terrible, hideous monsters try to get me to commit such a crime!” “We have to kill these swine quickly, they’re infecting our precious Empire!” “Don’t doubt in our Emperor, he will fix this. I’m sure he has it all planned, you’ll see.” “Well, most certainly he does. I’m just worried that more lies will spread to our district.” “Oh, you’re scaring me now. Sub-district 34 isn’t awfully far away from ours.” “Oh, I’m sure the Enforcers will be visiting the residences there.” “I think it’s better that way! More hangings, more morale boosting, that’s what I say.
The yellowed-eyed Matoran stared at one of the Sub-District 36 tables several feet away, their loud voices carrying the topics of discussion across the room. There were few people sitting in his area, and all of them quiet, so there was no chance of a respite from the constant talking of the Sub-District 36 citizens.
Holding his head in his hands, the yellow-eyed Matoran began to sob, staring at the Sub-District 34 logo imprinted on the table, his hands shaking as they filled with his tears.
Summary:
Welcome to The Great Empire of Metru-Nui. We observe you for your own good, so that if an accident occurs, we can send someone to help you in a very small amount of time. Coincidentally, if you choose to be disruptive, we can remove you from public, until you learn to behave yourself. Surveillance is constant, with screens and security cameras watching you from every angle, not a single inch on the entire industrialized island of Metru-Nui free of observation. You, beloved worker, can seek “freedom“, and live a life of hardship and fear, or you can worship The Empire, your benevolent benefactor, and live a comfortable life. I smell a Braveheart remake.
The Empire is ready to support you and love you, but you must love it in return. Love nothing else, for nothing else is worthy of your love. If you are found wasting your love on another, we shall have to re-educate you, so be wise and adore us over any other. The Empire gives you everything, your residence, your food, and all we ask for in return is your absolute loyalty. Worship us as we deserve to be worship, with every atom of your bond and soul, and you will never want. Do not love us as we deserve, and there will be repercussions. Overly attached much?
The Great Empire is ruled by the wise and benevolent Emperor, once called Dume, and he is the one who shall protect you from the terrible, blood-curdling horrors of Zakaz, and the trail of death it leaves in its wake. Below him, to share his wisdom and rouse you into working harder and faster, are The Six Elders, each one representing one of the six basic elements. Their names are Vakama, Nokama, Matau, Onewa, Whenua, and Nuju, and they are to be respected and honored, for each of them has control over an entire Metru. Are the six elders Toa? Not real clear.
We have the highest hopes for you, worker, but if you fail to meet our expectations, we would be forced to remove you, so that you do not taint your fellow labor force. We’re sure you understand the reasons for this, and we’re also sure you’ll try your very best to remain useful, but if you don’t, perhaps the Enforcers will have to pay you a visit. What are Enforcers? The are exactly what their name implies, a finished version of the “Vahki” prototype, the ultimate in protecting your peace and wellbeing, as well as the ultimate in capturing and terminating those who wish to be difficult.
Our soliders, brave, courageous souls, will rarely, if ever, seen by you. They travel rarely, and only in secure Chutes, and play no part in your work, so you have no reason to possess knowledge of them. Are the soldiers Matoran too?
One last thing on the topic of The Empire‘s Citizens; The Masses. You will meet them on the street, within the factory or bureau, and they are not to be feared. They might be taller, stronger, and faster than you, but they are not better than you. You are elite. They are to be ignored, and to be reported if they pause working. The Enforcers are more than capable of dealing with them, no matter the number of them, so do not hesitate to report them. Other members of The Masses may resent you for doing so, but what do they matter? They are mere proletariats, you are the middle, the comfortable height above grueling work and below the difficulties of ruling, they are the depths, the pits of existence. What are the Masses? Toa? Skakdi? Vortixx?
We are at war with Zakaz. We have always been at war with Zakaz. There is another island, Xia, but they have never acted against us, and they have never acted for the interest of Zakaz. We at war with Zakaz, and nothing else. It is wise to remember this, citizen, if someone tries to convince you otherwise. Remain faithful and report him to the nearest Enforcer. How many times can you tell us we are at war with the Zakaz?
All we ask of you, worker and citizen, is trust, obedience, and a good work ethic. These are all easy enough in theory, but some seem to find problems with them, and those who do so always end up trying to convince others that we ask for more, that we are not kind. Please, for your own good, do not listen to them. We love you, and all we ask for in return is your love and loyalty. If you do not agree with this proposal, there is a lovely Enforcer outside, I’m sure he could take you somewhere to clear your mind. A park? Do you have those?
Locations:
Ta-Metru
The Metru of Productions, Ta-Metru is composed gigantic factories, with living quarters and mess halls scattered throughout the Metru, split up by Sub-Districts (Where citizens and The Masses take residence), numbered from 1 to 60, the lowest numbers being the darkest, dirtiest rat holes of The Masses, the largest being the most prestigious residences of the most efficient workers. The skyline of Ta-Koro is that of smokestacks and plumes of smog, with fire belching from the widest, most active of the industrial, utilitarian factories of gunmetal steel. The slogan of Ta-Metru is simple; “A busy Matoran is a happy Matoran, for quick work is rewarding work.” Do you have a map for the districts? And how are the Masses not citizens?
Ga-Metru
The Metru of Re-Education, and the location of the Empire’s Navy, Ga-Metru is easily recognizable for its appearance, dozens of islands, sprawling with concrete builds, windowless and surrounded with several fences of barbed wire, as well as mine fields, if the structure is particularly important. There are few living quarters in Ga-Metru, all for Re-Educators, those who administrate the prisons and Re-Education centers, and those who keep them in working order. There are 36 Sub-Districts, no longer numbered for living condition, only for what island they are located on. On the Metru of Re-Education and the Metru of the Empire‘s Armada, there is an emphasis of belief in the Emperor for those being Re-Educated, and an emphasis for striving to be the strongest, most vicious being possibly in the Empire‘s Armada. The slogan of Ga-Metru reflects this well, “Trust in the Emperor, pride in the Elite.”
Le-Metru
The Metru of Law Enforcement, and the Metru of The Great Empire’s Military, Le-Metru is a massive military base, dotted with Enforcer hives, with everything connected by Chutes and surrounded by Airship ports. The Chute system of Le-Metru is put to maximum use, with Enforcers being transported across Metru-Nui constantly, and the Military able to reach wherever the need to be in mere minutes, either to fend off an attack, or to ready themselves for deportation. The Chute system has been modified slightly, requiring a pass, implanted in one’s organics, possessed only by the most influential citizens and the Military, to be used. As well as this, the Chute’s speed of travel has been increased, so that Enforcers can arrive even sooner, to quell any disturbance that arises. There are only 12 Sub-Districts in Le-Metru, for the only citizens allowed to take residence there, either temporary or permanent, are mechanics and Airship pilots. Four of these Districts are located directly next to Enforcer Hives, and these are, obviously, where mechanics live. The other eight are located on military bases, and serve as temporary residence for the Airship pilots who arrive with their cargo, and wish to rest for a few days. The Le-Metru slogan is simple and to the point, reflecting those who occupy the Metru of Violence, as some take to calling it. “For Peace and the Law.”
Po-Metru
The Metru of Chaos is what most call Po-Metru, the City of Stone. There is no true purpose for the establishments there, only randomly scattered businesses, surrounded by thousands of residence buildings, all of them ramshackle and in a state of serious disrepair. Where there were once deserts there are streets, monoliths and statues are now the cornerstones of the larger buildings, all signs of a previous setting has been assimilated into the current look of the Metru, creating a revolting mix of past beauty and modern hideousness. The dignified civilization of before is hidden behind the bestial violence of today in the streets of current Po-Metru, called by some The Metru of Brutes and The Metru of the Mad. Many of The Masses make their homes here, and thus it is not uncommon to be greeted with horrendous sights of violence when one awakes in the morning, roused by the sound of The Masses competing for the right to travel to the other Metru, on rickety Airships, no longer suitable for military use, and condemned to a life of carrying half-mad beings, having just survived the often fatal gauntlet of the street, to their places of work, brutal factories that, to them, are havens of cleanness. Every member of The Masses wants to reach these factories, and thus, the unofficial slogan of the Metru of Chaos, “Might Makes Right.”, describes their willingness to smash each other’s brains to bits in the name of a ride on the Airships rather well. Sounds fun.
Onu-Metru
The Metru of Research, or The Metru of Information, or the Metru of Knowledge, Onu-Metru goes by several names, but all of them have one thing in common; Details. Onu-Metru keeps track of every word spoken, every movement made, every piece of media released, and it is more than ready to edit all of this information when ever correction is needed. All of this manages occurs in The Archives, a system of tunnels spanning the length and width of the entire island, and now, thanks to advancements in recent years, delving deeper than sane man would imagine going. The Archives hold more information than a mind could imagine, and all of it is easily available to the citizens who reside there. The residents of Onu-Metru rarely see the sun, and the are, shall we say, distorted. Their eyes are, at least three times larger than any other being found in The Empire, their bodies are shriveled and almost devoid of muscle, and their fingers have turned into long, bony claws, used both for digging and for typing on the tiny keys of the dozens of typewriter-esque information-translating instruments of their “inputs”, bizarre machines on which the “Unders” (The common name of the residents of Onu-Metru) write/re-write dozens of documents at once. The “inputs” span entire rooms, and connect to the Archives, which now resemble, in many ways, modern digital libraries and encyclopedias. There are only six Sub-Districts in Onu-Metru, each one representing a section of The Archives under other Metru, with otherwise literally no difference between the six. Onu-Metru, on the map, appears to be a dome of protosteel, a single dot of color on a landscape of post-apocalyptic, desolate black. The reason for the emptiness? As well as managing the details of a citizen’s life, Onu-Metru manages the details and the information of The Empire’s military forces, both land, air, and sea. Part of this military information is the effectiveness of weapons, from mundane pistols to explosive missiles of devastating power. The slogan of Onu-Metru “Thoughts can be dangerous, for The Emperor sees all.”, reflects the paranoia of the Matoran (and the mind-games that the local Enforcers enjoy playing) rather well.
Ko-Metru
The Metru of Entertainment and Diversions, Ko-Metru is the only Metru to have an official name with two components, and the only Metru to constantly cooperate with another, Onu-Metru. Ko-Metru resembles a bizarre mix of beautiful, translucent crystal palaces and cold, hard steel-gray skyscrapers, metallic framework connecting metal and glass additions to the gigantic Crystal Towers, and buildings, rivaling a Tower’s height, thin and stylized with square-shaped windows and absolutely nothing spherical, attach directly into the snowy, almost arctic terrain of the Metru. All of these structures have one thing in common: They are tipped with gigantic instruments reminiscent of antennas and radio dishes. Ko-Metru is the transmitter of entertainment and broadcasts for the entire island, sending news, and motivational speeches every where, leaving no space in The Empire without the latest news, the most recent military victory. Ko-Metru’s relation to Onu-Metru is simple: Onu-Metru receives the information first, corrects it and edits it for the citizens good, and then sends it to Ko-Metru, who sends it everywhere in its reach. The population of Ko-Metru is almost devoid of members of The Masses, instead almost entirely middle class citizens, all of them zealous for the message they are conveying. A message that could be identified by totalitarian by the youngest being, composed of little more than demonization of The Empire’s enemy and worship of The Emperor, yet accepted by thousands as truth, simply because after being told it so many times, they choose to accept it as truth, for doing otherwise, for even thinking of it otherwise, would result in their death. The slogan of this Metru is rather apt; “Obedience is Happiness”
The Throne
A monolithic structure rising several hundred, perhaps even a thousand, feet into the air, The Throne is a massive triangle, on each side, the monstrous, spiked Crown of The Empire painted in crimson on white stone, is visible from hundreds and hundreds of feet away. The Throne connects the six landmasses of the Metrus, and serves as the motivational, morale-boosting symbol of The Empire, more terrifying and psychological than any flag, imprinting any who see it with a sense of smallness, weakness, and helplessness, things that only The Emperor, who, along with the Six Elders, resides in The Throne, often makes speeches in front of this intimidating, cyclopean monument.
Character Profiles & Character Creation Information:
Name: (Please, keep it reasonably Bionicle-ish. I don’t want to see “Bobby” and “Johnny”, nor do I want to see “KillStealer169” or any other name with digits and a distinct chatbox feel)
Gender: (Should be simple to fill in)
Social Class: (Explained below)
Appearance: (At the very least, describe body coloring, basic appearance, and Kanohi design. I want at least four sentences.)
Occupation: (What does your character do? Are they skilled at it? Do they hate it, or do they adore it?)
District: (If applicable)
Personality: (What does your character think about their current situation? Are they becoming insane? Are they cold and manipulative, compassionate and kind? Do they like betraying their co-workers, do they attempt to spread their rebellious thoughts and opinions?)
Alignment: (Either Loyal (to The Empire), Neutral, or Rebellious)
Blank Profile
Name:
Gender:
Social Class:
Appearance:
Occupation:
Personality:
Alignment:
Social Class
The way you fill out social class, comparable to Species in most other RPGs, determines the type of life your character lives, as well as his species. There are two Social Class available for players to RP, Workers, and The Masses
Workers: Once known as Matoran, Workers are the highest-ranking factory personnel, the information modifiers, the message broadcasters, the re-educators, the airship pilots. Workers make up around 20% of the Empire’s population, vastly overshadowed by The Masses. While in possession of somewhat-better living conditions than The Masses, they are watched very closely by Enforcers, seeing as they are the ones modifying the information that everyone accepts as truth.
The Masses: The Masses, on the other hand, are almost devoid of law enforcement, only bothered by the Enforcers when one of them shows hints of a rebellious nature. They are of Sidorak's species, possessing the height and physical prowess of an average Toa. The make up almost 80% percent of Empire, and are the hordes who work the factories, the mechanics and janitors keeping everything in working order, the residents of Po-Metru, the true workers of The Empire. Oh wait, I just answered my own question from above.
Rules:
1: All BZP and RPG Forum rules apply.
2: You are not powerful. Remember this. You are a citizen in a totalitarian government, you can not punch an Enforcer, nor can you magically locate explosives to destroy The Throne with. You are not powerless, you still have your mind. RP intelligently, have your character start a quiet, yet effective rebellion (If you are rebelling, that is), and, above all, remember how carefully you are being watched, and reflect this in your posts.
3: Do not treat the Enforcers as your personal military force if your character is of the Loyal alignment. If you report something, and it turns out to be untrue in any fashion, your character will be punished by the Enforcers, in a rather painful and physically damaging fashion.
4: Be considerate of other players. Below is a strike system, so you know how many tries you have before you are banned.
1: Another player reports you/I read one of your posts and find you being unfair and rude, I give you a PM of warning.
2: You continue, and I punish you (The punishment will depend on the situation), and give you a one-week ban from the RPG.
3: You are banned permanently from the RPG.
5: If you and a fellow player have an argument, first take it to PMs, and then, if they refuse to cooperate and reach an agreement, PM me with the problem.
6: Please, try to keeping your spelling and grammatical errors to a minimum.
7: If you think there is a problem with the game, or the way the game is being run, please, send me a PM, and I will try to fix the problem.
Rewards
Yes, this RPG will have rewards. Do something I consider exceptionally intelligent or well-planned, and your character will get something to assist them. I won’t say exactly what the rewards will be, but I will say this much: If you’re planning to create a character that wants to earn a reputation, avoid the Enforcers, get promoted in The Empire, or harm/inhibit The Empire, you will want one of these.
Ending Notes:
Lastly, I want to say I am looking forward to what rebellions, schemes, and other ingenious things players are going to come up with, and, as GM, I hope I can help keep this RPG enjoyable and interesting. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.

 

WIP

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If you do not agree with this proposal, there is a lovely Enforcer outside, I’m sure he could take you somewhere to clear your mind. A park? Do you have those?
Ga-Metru
The Metru of Re-Education, and the location of the Empire’s Navy, Ga-Metru is easily recognizable for its appearance, dozens of islands, sprawling with concrete builds, windowless and surrounded with several fences of barbed wire, as well as mine fields, if the structure is particularly important. There are few living quarters in Ga-Metru, all for Re-Educators, those who administrate the prisons and Re-Education centers, and those who keep them in working order. There are 36 Sub-Districts, no longer numbered for living condition, only for what island they are located on. On the Metru of Re-Education and the Metru of the Empire‘s Armada, there is an emphasis of belief in the Emperor for those being Re-Educated, and an emphasis for striving to be the strongest, most vicious being possibly in the Empire‘s Armada. The slogan of Ga-Metru reflects this well, “Trust in the Emperor, pride in the Elite.”

Just sayin'. Clearing your mind is only one letter away from cleaning your mind.

And still pretty similar to blasting your mind out the back of your skull.

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But what if your job required you to sail out to sea everyday? Like a fisherman, or a tour guide, or a sea archivist?

 

Even though Metamind did a great job of explaining, I have to point out that I said no apparent reason.

 

Sounds like a country song. I was considering about deleting this before you typed this, now I'm already pressing the backspace key.

 

Metal making. Winning wars since, ever. Never doubt the usefulness of metal in a war.

 

Propaganda. Also brain dead. Pretty much sums it up.

 

I smell a Braveheart remake. Rebellion makes for interesting RPing.

 

Overly attached much? Mebbe. They're ever so slightly possessive.

 

Are the six elders Toa? Not real clear. All will be revealed in the final draft... In other words, yes, I forgot to say they were Turaga.

 

Are the soldiers Matoran too? Yet to be revealed.

 

What are the Masses? Toa? Skakdi? Vortixx? I have a feeling you added these as you read, not after.

 

How many times can you tell us we are at war with the Zakaz? Just wanted to make sure you understood who you were at war with. In all seriousness, you raise a good point, I'll see if I can word it more eloquently.

 

A park? Do you have those? I think Doctor Couch created the best possible response to this.

 

Do you have a map for the districts? And how are the Masses not citizens? I lack the map-making skills. The term citizen suggests you have the basic right of "protection".

 

Sounds fun. Doesn't it, though? Nothing quite as entertaining as carnage and ruthless bloodshed.

 

Oh wait, I just answered my own question from above. Yes, quite.

Edited by Giant of Lannister

pNNgXax.jpg

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Some people would fight, others would cry. Some would fly, others would stand.

But, some are neither; there are those who simply sit, emotionless. Is it any surprise that we are all governed by them?

 

testing_conflict.jpg

When the world collapses around you, when any year you know it will fall: when tribes with power immense beyond imagining are filled with hatred against one another, there are many reactions taken. Some will try to delay the inevitable. Others, to flee it.But those behind the scenes, the ones who actually have intellect, they plan. They flee and delay, but with a plan that long outlasts the present.And so, as countries move to tear each other apart, the race known only as the Great Beings tranquilly create. But perhaps tranquility is only the surface, a mood made to improve the harsh future they forge, and the harsher future their creations must face.Toa are created as workers. Beings to run, and beings to indwell within what would become fast the hope of the world; the plan beyond the present, and in ways the plan beyond the plan.But there is more, as these Beings know; all that is rational is unstable, and therefore unstable must stabilize unstable. A balance to the seemingly perfect race they have is found in the element of threat, and so the races of Rahkshi are created, to balance and protect, and in dire necessity, to exterminate.But all things for these Beings must be tested, and for them, war and desolation is the setting they prefer.

-x-x-x-

As hostility builds up between the tribes of Spherus Magna, the Great Beings are engaged in what they do best: creating. Following their failed creation of a massive robot over 40,000 years ago, they have been plotting an improved form of it, a plan that has been sped up and reshaped in view of the inevitable collapse of the planet.Unlike the first robot, this creation will be powered by forces generated by living beings, who will dwell within. However, like all their creations, they deem it wise to proceed first with experimenting. With the first thousands of models of the chief species to be used, they have decided to put a check-force into play: Rahkshi. On the surface harmless, armored rahi, they are intended to be a force at the ready for any time that the designated protectors are helpless. So, in light of this duty, the experiment is designed explicitly to see what success they can operate this, and to what success their new creations can resist.They placed the first Toa in a massive cavern, set them to found a world for themselves. The Toa grew into villages and towns, growing in peace. Then, as the Great Beings saw their time running shorter and shorter as hostility built up more and more between the tribes of Spherus Magna, they abandoned their initial idea of a gradual test, which would have taken hundreds of years. They released hordes of the first Rahkshi, first into the region of stone, then into the others. Taken completely by surprised, the Toa were swept away by the invading hordes of Rahkshi. However, the wave soon became their savior as the prototype Rahkshi, instinctively bred for the hunt, lost whatever central command they had. They roamed the lands in bands of between a half dozen and several dozen, with sometimes lone Rahkshi striking out on their own. This came too late for the Toa to repel them, as they too were split into similar sized bands. As they fought back, their weakened power and physical abilities became more and more apparent. The land settled into a sort of deadlock anarchy, with almost constant skirmishes.Hope seemed to vanish in the drudgery of survival, until one came who only the Great Beings knew of. A mysterious shadowy figure who swept through the land, with Rahkshi and Toa alike fleeing before him, struck with an overriding fear. He built a small tower in the center of the stone region, and little was heard from him.Then lights began to appear in the roof, sectoring it. Dim at first, they looked like nothing more than lightstones. Two things happened; six of them--one in each region--lit up with the brilliance of a star, a glowing green, while another six lit up a blinding blue. Mental knowledge poured into every being, Rahkshi and Toa alike. For the Rahkshi it was only a dim message; namely that the green lightstones marked great power for the Toa, and that the blue lights marked power that could also be employed by the Rahkshi. To the Toa, however, much more was given: it was revealed that each brightly glowing green light marked the location of a Kanohi mask of power, that would both double their elemental and physical strength, but also give them a special power, and that each blue light marked a weapons and equipment cache; unbeknownst to them, it was both an attempt of the Great Beings to speed up the test, and also an attempt to further test the inhabitants of the land.And that is where the past becomes the present. The world is in turmoil, and Rahkshi and Toa alike are after the mysterious masks of power; the Toa to utilize them, the Rahkshi to destroy them. Small bands are forming, and alliances are being made and broken. But everyone knows one thing; the people who attain the masks will attain an edge over even Rahkshi.

Gameplay

The inhabitants of this land are, unknowingly, the lab rats of the Great Beings, stuck in a land made specifically to test them in every way possible. Squads of Rahkshi prowl about, slaying any of the land’s inhabitants they can find. Separated into duos, ragged bands, and at best a few dozen people, the Toa appear to be in a never ending stage of impending defeat against their far greater foes.However, a hope has recently surfaced with the news of Kanohi masks of power, seemingly the only thing that can help the Toa hold out and restore stability. One of these masks is available in each region, and the Toa and Rahkshi alike are following the stars to their location. Equipment caches are also appearing, this time with both Toa and Rahkshi trying to capture their contents.

Locations

 

The world is set in one main cavern, built like six joined domes. Each dome has its own particular environment, and in the upheaval, different groups of people are heading to each region. Recently, lightstones have appeared in the ceiling, lighting particular treasures. The walls of the domes are impassible and unbreakable, despite the many attempts of Toa, and even a few Rahkshi, to destroy them. Before the lightstones appeared in the roof, six massive moons light the cavern.Cache Map

Locations

Terrain

 

 

Takuna

(Region of Fire)

The top left region is the fire region, cut off from the others by a thirty foot wide lava moat, impassible except for three arching stone bridges, two in the east, one in the south. Beyond it, the land is an almost inhospitable wasteland of mountains, constant rubble, spikes rocks at every glance, all interspersed with lava streams and rivers. In the center of the region, a mountain taller than the rest lies. Surprisingly, it is not a volcano, but instead is home to hundreds of caves of varying sizes, many of which have recently become inhabited. The region seems to be perpetually hot and dry, and is mostly inhabited by Fire Toa.

 

Leaytha

(Region of Air)

The bottom center region is, surprisingly, an underground jungle. The tree leaves and vines alike are a pale green, but aside from that it appears like any other forest. Massive trees rise far about the rest of the jungle in many places, and the inhabitants (mostly Le-Toa) have built platforms and defenses in them. Rahkshi here have taken more to flying, and many toa have retreated to the ground or lower levels where they are slightly safer. Marshes break the unending canopy of branches in a few places, and in another a grassy plain stands, the only on in all of the region.

 

Galicos

(Region of Water)

The most lush and fruitful, but also the most dangerous of all the regions. Galicos is made up almost entirely of green pastures and brilliantly clear waters, interspersed with trees and in a few places, forests. The entire region used to be agriculture and in many places, there still stand farms, some still in use. On the plains, cattle still can be seen in herds, while others are no longer watched. However, because of the presence of Toa farmers and shepherds, Rahkshi seem to be perpetually stalking the land, with small fights to be seen wherever one looks.

Poriun

(Region of Stone)

The desert region of the land is one of the loneliest places, but also among the safest. The unending sand is broken by rock formations her and there, and beings in this region dwell in caves and canyons, relying on any oasis nearby, as well as whatever game they can catch. The hardy fire and stone Toa mainly dwell here, and as Rahkshi do not stalk this region as much as others, more are flocking in. However, as more Toa enter, more Rahkshi will follow, and the original inhabitants fear that soon their refuge will not exist. This region is honeycombed with small, jagged mountains, as well as canyons. It was the region where the Rahkshi first appeared, and because of this was the most decimated. The most notable part of the region is a tall mountain around the center of the region. No Toa or Rahkshi dares go there, as the imposing sight of the Makuta’s tower is always visible, and few are insane enough to attempt to approach it.

Onuiro

(Region of Earth)

Once the true underground of the underground land, Onuiro is one of the most dangerous regions. On the surface it is a broad, flat land, darker than the other regions, with small huts poking up here and there, many now ruined, and more simply deserted. Underneath, a maze like tunnel system originally ran throughout the region. However, these tunnels were the focus of repeated attacks by Rahkshi of Disintegration, and as such few remain in existence, and the inhabitants of this region have been forced out into the flat, featureless land, subject to frequent Rahkshi attacks. Those tunnels that still exist are among the most dangerous places in the entire region: for although they are often being expanded, they do not ha many ways of escape, and are frequented by Rahkshi, and new tunnels are usually destroyed as swiftly as they’re made. For the most part, Toa in this region use the tunnels for a quick place to get away to take a breather.

Koiare

(Region of Ice)

Almost equal in level to the Region of Stone in regards to population, the Region of Ice is clothed in a seemingly perpetual quiet. It is always cold, and snow mysteriously, and frequently falls, leaving the land in perpetual snow covering. The lighting is at twilight level, making the land stark and dreary. The Rahkshi in this region have become excellent stalkers, often ambushing their equally sneaky inhabitants of the land; mostly Toa of Ice or Sound.

-Factions-

Even in this turmoil, factions do exist. Of course, most are far too small to mention, but there are a few larger ones. Mostly, however, factions will be formed by the players themselves.

 

-The Order of Light-

With about fifty members, the Order of Light is among the most powerful forces in the land. They are led by the Toa Jehu of Galicos. Although they almost always need new members, the Order is relatively hard to join, precisely because of their purpose; in the downfall of society, many toa have turned to robbery, murder, and other unsavoury deeds. The Order of Light, as their name implies, enforce a strict code of morality within their ranks. They were among the first to react to the news of the masks, and many fear what will happen when they come in contact with those masks; those within the Order worry that they will be corrupted by the potential of power, while those outside fear that they will prevent others from attaining them.

-Species-

 

Toa

Standing about six-eight feet in height, Toa are clad in lightweight, slightly cut away armor that, while not providing perfect protection, offers almost unimpaired movement. The armor itself is weaker and thinner than normal armor, meaning a longsword could break through, even though a broadsword or knife would likely be blocked.

 

The face of a Toa is metallic, almost as strong as the armor, with easily distinguishable features, vaguely human like. The color of the Toa's starting armor is decided by their element, and their face is tinted the same color as the primary color of their element. A Toa’s armor however, can be any combination of the colors of his element; for instance, a Toa of Water could be completely light blue, or a mixture of blue and light blue.

Fire: grants elemental control over fire heat, as well as great resistance to heat and flame.

Primary Color: Red.

Secondary Color(s): Orange, Yellow, Grey or Black.Earth: grants elemental control over earth, as well as the ability to sense vibrations in the earth, limited night vision, and some increased strength.Primary Color: Black.Secondary Color(s): Dark Grey, Purple, or Orange.Stone: grants elemental control over stone, as well as limited resistance to heat, great strength, and terrible swimming skills.Primary color: Brown.Secondary Color(s): Tan, Black.

Ice: grants elemental control over ice and cold, as well as great resistance to cold.

Primary color: White.

Secondary Color(s): Grey, Black, Light Blue.

Water: grants elemental control over water and moisture, as well as great agility and speed in the water, above average speed and agility on land, very good wind, and the ability to hold in breath for a great deal of time, perhaps thrice the normal or more.

Primary Color: Blue.

Secondary Color(s): Light Blue.

Air: grants elemental control over air, as well as above average agility and speed (faster even than water) as well as exceedingly great agility and aptitude in the trees.

Primary Color: Green.

Secondary Color(s): Lime, Black, Dark grey.

Sonics: grants elemental control over sounds, as well as a heightened memory of sounds, above average (not oversensitive) hearing, and lastly an ability to sense changes in the immediate area via sonar.

Primary Color: Light Grey.

Secondary Color(s): Silver, Gunmetal, Dark grey, and Black.

Plantlife: grants elemental control over plants, as well as agility and speed in forests and jungles equal to Air Toa. They also have limited resistance to many plant based poisons.

Primary Color: Green.

Secondary Color(s): Brown, Turquoise.

 

Rahkshi

Rahkshi are not creatures of themselves, but rather tough suits of armor controlled by the sluglike Kraata. Their build is similar to Toa, although a little more hunched over and reptilian. They have no sense of feeling outside of their Kraata, and thus can survive being dismembered. Their head and back plates, where the Kraata dwells, are thicker and tougher than the rest of them, for if their Kraata dies, they become inanimate. Their faceplate can be flipped open from the inside and, with some difficulty, from the outside. Rahkshi almost always use staffs, often bladed, although sometimes they may use better weapons that they loot.

All Rahkshi have the ability to fly, as well as having one special power. Their power is weaker than a Toa's but does not rely on elemental energy.

Disintegration: grants user the ability to fire pale, transparent blue beams of energy which, upon contact, reduces whatever solid in their path to dust like powder.

Primary Color: Blue.

Secondary Color: Grey.

Fragmentation: Grants user the ability to fire pale orange rays from them, which shatters any solid in their path.

Primary Color: Brown.

Secondary Color: Grey.

Poison: Grants the user to fire streams of highly deadly poison, which can vary, depending on the user's intent, from paralyzing to killing.

Primary Color: Pale Green.

Secondary Color: Grey.

Chameleon: Grants the user the ability to change their color and transparency, making them able to blend ing with any environment, or simply disappear.

Primary Color: Green.

Secondary Color: Grey.

Heat Vision: Allows the user to fire beams of searing heat from any part of them, although stronger from their eyes.

Primary Color: Yellow (Keetorange).

Secondary Color: Black.

Shapeshifting: Allows the user to change their shape, although their mass must remain relatively the same. They can also not change their texture from their basic form (in other words if they have basic, protodermis armor, they could not shapeshift into protosteel armor).

Primary Color: Grey.

Secondary Color: Lime.

Illusion: grants the user the ability to make solid or nonsolid light based illusions; solid illusions taking more concentration than non solid.

Primary Color: Red.

Secondary Color: Grey.

Elasticity: Allows the user to stretch any part of his body up to fifty feet: this ability is not instinctive, so although dodging is easier with this ability, it is not automatic.

Primary Color: Black

Secondary Color: Grey.

 

-Caches and Kanohi-

Each (real time) week, six new caches and Kanohi will be added, regardless of whether or not the previous caches and Kanohi have been claimed. The general location of the Kanohi will be given by the lightstones, and shown in a grid-map. However, the Kanohi and caches will take a some small bit of finding.The contents of the caches and the power level (Noble or Great, with maybe even an occasional Nuva mask thrown in) and power of the Kanohi will be diced before they are announced. However, the players will not know their nature until they claim the item(s).-Teams-

Civilization is shattered, and enemies are many. Allying with other players is encouraged, and can entail being able to control NPCs.-Small teams. Probably the majority, these teams must have a minimum of two player characters, and a minimum of two players. The small team is entitled to 4-10 NPCs (given by the GMs), depending on the size of the team.-Large Teams. These must have a minimum of six player characters, and a minimum of four players controlling them. They are entitled to 8-20 NPCs, although in exceptional circumstances they may have more.-NPC numbers will be decided by the GMs, except for when a team wishes to have a number at or below the minimum for their team size.-Teams may be made up of either Toa or Rahkshi. In exceptional circumstances (and I mean, you’d better have a pretty darn good reason) they may be mixed, at the discretion of the staff.-Each player may have up to two NPCs not affiliated with a team; please list them in your post in the profile topic. You must have at least one PC in order to have NPCs.-Submitting teams. Once you have the valid format for teams submit it in the discussion topic like you would a profile, following the following format.Name: Whatever team name you want to give, if any.Team form: Small or Large.Alignment: Are they for the Rahkshi? The Toa? Other purpose?Player Characters (list any special position they hold): Who are the player characters on your tea? List their name, who controls them, and what position, if any, they hold.Player Leader: Is a specific player in charge of the team? If so, note here.Team Description: What’s your team about? For? Stuff like that.Team Backstory: How did your team get together?Affiliated NPCs: Give the details concerning the team NPCs in as much detail as you wish.

-Character Creation-

Profiles are to be posted in the discussion topic for approval. When approved, they are to be posted in the profile topic. There can only be one post per player in the profile topic. Players must post their character in the profile topic before playing; this is so that an accurate record is kept, and characters can be easily found. Each player may have up to four characters.-No Kanohi. Kanohi can only be gained through the Kanohi deposits or caches (although the second is likely to give at best an occasional Noble mask).-Only Toa or Rahkshi. These are the only playable species, unless you want to play as a Brakas or something.-Some elements are outlawed. Fire, Earth, Stone, Water, Ice, Air, Plantlife, and Sonics are the only elements allowed.-Some Rahkshi powers are outlawed. Disintegration, Fragmentation, Poison, Chameleon, Heat Vision, Hunger, Density Control, and Silence are the only allowed Rahkshi powers.-Without Kanohi, elemental power is weakened. Without Kanohi, generating their element depletes a Toa's elemental energy greatly, to the point where if, say, a Toa of Fire kept up a sustained blast of fire, they would run out of elemental energy within a minute. Aside from that, their power overall is halved. Lastly, a Toa, regardless of Kanohi, can only absorb their element in order to recharge elemental energy in limited amounts; a Toa absorbing their element could go from no elemental power to full or near full power within an hour or two, but not in a minute or two. Nuva blasts are outlawed, except with GM permission (if you wish to use one, you'd better have a good reason to present to a GM before you use it).-Toa Kaita are allowed. A Toa Kaita has the elemental energy of three Toa: meaning that if three maskless Toa united into a Kaita, that Kaita would have 1.5 times the regular elemental energy and power of a normal, masked Toa. The Kaita also combines all masks worn into a single Kanohi, which can have between one and three powers, depending on the amount of Kanohi wearing Toa in the union. They are also faster, stronger and more agile than Toa; their abilities are the combined mental and physical abilities of the three Toa in the merge. There are, however, two catches. The first is that the users in a Kaita must be controlled by three different players. Secondly, if the three are not unified, the Kaita will have a condition ranging from multiple personalities to downright mental collapse, or simple unmerging.Name: Please keep Bionicle, with no canon names.Species: Toa or Rahkshi only.Gender: Male Female, unknown, etc.Kanohi: List the Kanohi you capture here (no character may start with a Kanohi). Ignore this is your character is a Rahkshi.Appearance: Give a good description of your character or a picture. Keep in mind that all Toa and Rahkshi start out with the usual basic armor; that is, basic hand, arm, body, and leg protection, although not as well covering as plate armor, nor as strong.Element/Rahkshi Power:Equipment: Keep weapons basic. Think of crossbows as the most advanced weapon you can have. If you get weapons and armor from caches, please list them here. No Protosteel weapons or armor are allowed to start off with, although they may be in caches.Personality: What is your character like? Please remember that Rahkshi, although rational, have stronger instincts than the Toa.History: Keep in mind the setting from the character's perspective. If he's a Toa, then his memories are basically growing up in this cavern. A Rahkshi would only really remember being released into the cavern and wrecking destruction.Other Notes (Optional): Have anything you want to add about your character that doesn't really fit elsewhere? Do so here.

 

-Rules-

-Absolutely no autododging, autohitting, or other forms of god moding.-Bunnying is illegal. No controlling other peoples’ characters without their permission.-Use IC for In Character portions of the post, and OOC for out of character portions. Do not post OOC only posts in the role playing topic! The discussion topic is made for them. Making an OOC only post will result in a warning, and if repeated enough, banning.-Please, use good grammar, and make your OOC and IC posts understandable. Bad grammar might not look bad to you, but it does for others.-Staff controlled characters are staff controlled characters, not NPCs. Do not control them without permission of the GMs.-NPCs are not target dummies. Just because they’re not PCs doesn't make them a lower life form.-Your characters cannot know your enemies plans in an instant, or know the exact power etc of an opponent unless they are told IC, or find out IC. Your character is not all knowing, although you may know something from reading another IC post not related to your character, or reading an OOC post or whatever. In short, no metagaming.-Please act civil. Do not insult, degrade, etc other players.-Do not play only to win. The purpose of an RPG is to have fun, and interact. Any character, no matter how powerful, can be defeated. Going into an RPG with only the specific intent to get ahead and win will get you nothing but failure and a lot of annoyed people.-Respect staff rulings. If you have a problem with a staff’s ruling, take it up via PM with either that staff member or another. Do not disregard the ruling, start a temper tantrum over it, etc.-When you are dead, you are dead. Your soul cannot take over another body. Bam, it's over, your character's soul is in the next world, or has gone *poof* or whatever you want to believe there. Reincarnation is also outlawed.

-There are times when death is unavoidable. Get used to it, your character is no more powerful than an NPC, you can die. It you're surrounded by a dozen Rahkshi, and you have a broken leg and low elemental energy, you're going to die. The meter is this: When staying alive falls under auto-dodging/invulnerability, your character dies.

-The staff reserve the right to stray from the canon. This can already be seen by some liberties in the backstory; the Core War developing slowly instead of all at once, the Great Beings creating Makuta, and some other things.

-The lands are not safe. Remember how travel was in the Dark ages? It was considered a great achievement in one situation when a girl could travel the length of Ireland, wearing a golden ring, without being attacked. This land is even worse than those times. Rahkshi are everywhere, so traveling is a harrowing experience of dodging them, and trying to remain unnoticed. The Rahkshi tend to have it easier, but even so Toa will often attack lone Rahkshi, or Rahkshi traveling in small groups. The same rule applies: you are not all powerful, there is no such thing as police, and there are enemies everywhere. This rule greatly relies on players’ honor and honesty, as it isn’t the easiest thing for staff to regulate.

 

-Warnings-

Any degree of warning may be given repeatedly, or only once (for instance, for repeated infringement of a very minor rule a person might get two 5thdegree warnings, not 5th and then 4th degree warnings. In contrast a person might get temporarily banned, or permanently banned, with no previous warning, should the offense be serious enough) This, however, is at the decision of the staff, not the player. The levels of warning are as follows:5th degree warningA simple warning, whether in the discussion topic, OOC portion of a post, or PM: nothing serious, just correct whatever you did wrong and don’t do it again.4th degree warningA more serious warning, and one of your characters is temporarily incapacitated. Please stop breaking the rules.3rd degree warningOkay, you’re getting on our nerves. One character is killed in game, and all other characters are unusable for a week.2nd degree warningThis is getting old already. All your characters are butchered in game and you are not allowed to replace them for a week. This is your last warning.1st degree warningYou are banned. All characters are killed, and you are no longer allowed to play. Any further posts in the story or profile topic will be reported or ignored. We really don’t want you here, go torment some other GMs.

Edited by Zarayna
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I am. Perhaps sometime next week, if I can find the time to re-read and correct my edited version of it.

 

On the topic of Zarayna's RPG, I must say, I really like this one. It's a great idea, very well written, a plot that works, a perfect level of PC power, and an interesting cache and Kanohi system. There are a couple things that bothered me, though.

 

First, the one sentence dedicated to the question of whether or not the Toa had created villages and were now an established civilization. I honestly thought that, when I first skimmed the story component while I scrolled down the posts, the Toa had just began to explore this domed area. It might be useful to add a bit more information on how much time has past, how advanced the civilization was before the Rahkshi ravaged it, etc.

 

Secondly, the species/power section, or, more specificly, the difficulty of reading it. This was my main concern, seeing as I really had trouble realizing I had stopped reading the Earth power section, and now I was onto the colors, or that I had went from the colors of Water to Air's description. The italicization of elements was helpful, and thus the Toa section wasn't too difficult, but the Rahkshi section I had trouble seeing where powers started and where the ended. A bit more italiczation, perhaps some bolding or even spacing, and this problem would be gone, so it really isn't that hard to fix, or that big of a problem, I just thought it made for disruptive reading.

Edited by Giant of Lannister

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I am. Perhaps sometime next week, if I can find the time to re-read and correct my edited version of it.

 

On the topic of Zarayna's RPG, I must say, I really like this one. It's a great idea, very well written, a plot that works, a perfect level of PC power, and an interesting cache and Kanohi system. There are a couple things that bothered me, though.

 

First, the one sentence dedicated to the question of whether or not the Toa had created villages and were now an established civilization. I honestly thought that, when I first skimmed the story component while I scrolled down the posts, the Toa had just began to explore this domed area. It might be useful to add a bit more information on how much time has past, how advanced the civilization was before the Rahkshi ravaged it, etc.

 

Secondly, the species/power section, or, more specificly, the difficulty of reading it. This was my main concern, seeing as I really had trouble realizing I had stopped reading the Earth power section, and now I was onto the colors, or that I had went from the colors of Water to Air's description. The italicization of elements was helpful, and thus the Toa section wasn't too difficult, but the Rahkshi section I had trouble seeing where powers started and where the ended. A bit more italiczation, perhaps some bolding or even spacing, and this problem would be gone, so it really isn't that hard to fix, or that big of a problem, I just thought it made for disruptive reading.

 

He also forgot to give me credit for the name

 

Because I remember that day on Skype, Zar. >= (:P

profiles i guess

i'm a south american giant otter now

 

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If I may ask, where are the other dozens of Toa/Rahkshi powers? It seems rather arbitrary (or to be honest, incredibly so) to limit a character's potential powers without any plot-involved reason behind it.

BZPRPG TIME, where you could have one post talk about dinner, and the next about lunch.

 

Time is beyond relative here.

There's no reason not to put lasers in the palms of planet-sized robots. In fact, if I had my own planet-sized robot, palm lasers would be one of my first upgrades.

BZPRPG Profiles [outdated]

 

May or may not be back from a multi-year hiatus. We'll see how this works out...

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Probably because they're too OP. I mean, plasma can vapourize people instantly, magnetism can use an opponent's body as a weapon, etc. Though fragmentation does seem pretty powerful to me.

The problem with this is that I could make the argument that almost any power is OP. Water can control pre-existing sources of water (pools and the like) with a pretty negligible energy cost - does that make it overpowered? Rahkshi of Fragmentation can cause pretty much any target to explode - does that make them overpowered? Heck, proper use of Air can emulate Sonics, allow flight, and boost mobility - essentially allowing limited Calix + Miru + Sonics in addition to Air itself. If anything, that's overpowered.So in other words, balancing needs to balance different powers at the same level, not favor some because they seem "less powerful" at first glance. Edited by Meta-Mind

BZPRPG TIME, where you could have one post talk about dinner, and the next about lunch.

 

Time is beyond relative here.

There's no reason not to put lasers in the palms of planet-sized robots. In fact, if I had my own planet-sized robot, palm lasers would be one of my first upgrades.

BZPRPG Profiles [outdated]

 

May or may not be back from a multi-year hiatus. We'll see how this works out...

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