The Official OTC TBRPG Planning and Organization Topic

[Makuta of Time]

I thinking about making a zombie game. Sadly I don't know if I would be a good staffer. It looks good though.

[Eyru]

I tried to gauge interest in a zombie RPG before the downtime, and it was met with almost unanimous disapproval. For reasons beyond me, people don't want zombie RPG's. Good luck though.

[Flex Lord Splash]

That's very sad. A zombie RP could be great. To me it smore about the human interaction and survival during the apocalyse then just shooting zombies.

 

If people do want to play this you cold be a saffer if you'd like Beiber, but seems like that probably won't happen.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Flex Cop

[shadow pridak money gang]

That's very sad. A zombie RP could be great. To me its more about the human interaction and survival during the apocalypse then just shooting zombies.

 

I totally agree. The problem is, if you put too much of an emphasis on survival, then inevitably two-thirds of the player characters die off and become Walkers, and then you're stuck RPing zombified shells of your once-proud creations and they don't traditionally have the brainpower enough to create memorable or even interesting ICs, and if you focus too little on the survival aspect it becomes nothing but a kill-all-zombies fest where every character becomes a total bruiser and kills a half dozen zombies per post.

 

If you can find a balance, I'm all for it.

 

-Tyler

Edited November 26, 2013 by Tyler Durden

[Flex Lord Splash]

 

That's very sad. A zombie RP could be great. To me its more about the human interaction and survival during the apocalypse then just shooting zombies.

 

I totally agree. The problem is, if you put too much of an emphasis on survival, then inevitably two-thirds of the player characters die off and become Walkers, and then you're stuck RPing zombified shells of your once-proud creations and they don't traditionally have the brainpower enough to create memorable or even interesting ICs, and if you focus too little on the survival aspect it becomes nothing but a kill-all-zombies fest where every character becomes a total bruiser and kills a half dozen zombies per post.

 

If you can find a balance, I'm all for it.

 

-Tyler

 

 

A balance sounds good. Perhaps characters will be less likely to die then, but still survival should be a factor. I don't want endless zombie killing sprees either.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Well, from what I know of The Walking Dead, the danger generally seems to be more from other humans in the setting than from the zombies - the zombies are a background element, and the catalyst for lawlessness, but ultimately, unless I'm misunderstanding something, you're more likely to die from a shotgun blast to the face than jaws around your throat.

[Let's Henshin!]

My question is why base this game in the Walking Dead universe. You could be just as effective with an original Zombie game and that wouldn't confine you to following the rules of some canon. Plus an original universe would be more open to people who don't necessarily watch the show.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

If we wanted to emphasise the survival aspect of a zombie horror game, how about keeping it confined entirely to one building rather than an entire state? It forces characters who might hate each others' guts to try and co-operate, instills a claustrophobic cabin fever as you're restricted to the same rooms and surroundings over and over day after day, and means food and supplies are going to be much rarer and more precious because the building is the only safe refuge and scavenging from the surroundings runs the high risk of being eaten alive by a million mouths

Edited November 26, 2013 by More Fierce Than Fire

[Xomeron]

Ever seen Cabin In The Woods?

 

That's the sort of atmosphere a horror game should have. Zombies are the worst choice for horror. The enemy should be fast, deadly, and able to come from anyone, anywhere. Something like Xenomorphs, or Vampires.

[Silvan Haven]

Zombies are mostly good for action games because they give you are large amount of targets that you have no reason to feel empathy for. In a game type where the point is something other than killing everything you see, they become less helpful as a setting.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Ever seen Cabin In The Woods?

 

That's the sort of atmosphere a horror game should have. Zombies are the worst choice for horror. The enemy should be fast, deadly, and able to come from anyone, anywhere. Something like Xenomorphs, or Vampires.

Yeah. The only thing less scary than zombies is Pennywise the Clown, and at least he's hilarious. This is why I suggested having the main threat be other people.

[Flex Lord Splash]

My question is why base this game in the Walking Dead universe. You could be just as effective with an original Zombie game and that wouldn't confine you to following the rules of some canon. Plus an original universe would be more open to people who don't necessarily watch the show.

 

I based it off the Walking Dead universe because I enjoy that universe and I like the overall feel. As Ymper said the danger is more with the humans these days on the show. So that's how I can balance it in the RP I suppose. The zombies will still be dangerous yes, but the real danger is other players if they want to kill you.

 

The Walking Dead always seems to surpise me and do strange and sick things with zombies I wouldn't have expected, I want to try to capture that.

 

Confining to one building would make a really slow game and would get boring quick. Expect to be confined to one building in certain dire situations. But I like the freedom of characters moving through the forest of New York state and the countryside and then throwing them into the big city. I expect that a group of sorts will be formed, and inside that group there will be inner conflict and what not. Perhaps even two groups if there is enough players.

Edited November 26, 2013 by Flex Cop

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

If you're trying to let people enjoy the freedom of movement, what you're doing is not making a survival horror game. Why do you think there are so many locked doors in Silent Hill?

[Eyru]

If you're trying to let people enjoy the freedom of movement, what you're doing is not making a survival horror game. Why do you think there are so many locked doors in Silent Hill?

 

Not ta be rude, but that's pretty narrow-minded thar, b'hay. I think ya can have a survival horror game without locked doors, eh. The Walking Dead is survival horror after a fashion, an' it's all aboot freedom of movement: it's aboot tryin' ta find a safe place when ya've got hundreds of kilometres of empty space an' zombies everywhere. Use yer noodle, if ya don't mind, eh.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

And in the scenario you just suggested its the whole "zombies everywhere" thing that restricts your movement. They're not an invisible wall in the same fashion a locked door is, but the hordes are still a barrier saying "no entry" all the same

[JiMing]

So I was playing Kid Icarus Uprising, and thought that i should make an RPG of it.But then I remembered that the last RPG of it (which I was a part of) failed miserably.So now I'm sad.

[Eyru]

And in the scenario you just suggested its the whole "zombies everywhere" thing that restricts your movement. They're not an invisible wall in the same fashion a locked door is, but the hordes are still a barrier saying "no entry" all the same

 

Are you seriously nitpicking over this? You're more stubborn than the plastic Fluttershy I found in my Happy Meal (she won't listen to a thing I say). I'm trying to say that a game doesn't require restricted movement in order to qualify as a survival horror. I'm not sure why you think this one quality is the magical key that unlocks the mythical genre known as "survival horror," but it's not. You can have a survival horror game with freedom of movement just like you can have a sci-fi game without aliens, or a fantasy game without magic. Saying otherwise is ridiculous.

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

 

And in the scenario you just suggested its the whole "zombies everywhere" thing that restricts your movement. They're not an invisible wall in the same fashion a locked door is, but the hordes are still a barrier saying "no entry" all the same

 

Are you seriously nitpicking over this? You're more stubborn than the plastic Fluttershy I found in my Happy Meal (she won't listen to a thing I say). I'm trying to say that a game doesn't require restricted movement in order to qualify as a survival horror. I'm not sure why you think this one quality is the magical key that unlocks the mythical genre known as "survival horror," but it's not. You can have a survival horror game with freedom of movement just like you can have a sci-fi game without aliens, or a fantasy game without magic. Saying otherwise is ridiculous.

 

 

Movement can mean many things, and is a good word for this description. Survival horror works by taking away a feeling of power by leaving a person with limited equipment, and frequently limits how much you can move around.

 

Could you try it with freedom of movement? Yes. But you'd need other restrictions in place. Restrictions which often make the movement impractical, and therefore we loop once again. Now, assuming they're heavily restricted in such a way movement is all they can do. Then they're just constantly moving around. That... sounds pretty boring, honestly. It's also less dramatically satisfying than making a last stand.

 

In any event, survival horror is a sub-genre coming off of video games (theoretically could be applied to TBRPG). The Walking Dead, as a TV show/comic book, cannot be called survival horror. Just because you're struggling to survive, does not meant it is survival horror.

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

Edited November 27, 2013 by Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Are you seriously nitpicking over this? You're more stubborn than the plastic Fluttershy I found in my Happy Meal (she won't listen to a thing I say). I'm trying to say that a game doesn't require restricted movement in order to qualify as a survival horror. I'm not sure why you think this one quality is the magical key that unlocks the mythical genre known as "survival horror," but it's not. You can have a survival horror game with freedom of movement just like you can have a sci-fi game without aliens, or a fantasy game without magic. Saying otherwise is ridiculous.

 

Pointing out patterns, trends, links and consistencies is hardly nitpicking. Nitpicking would be pointing out that this post of yours contains no actual counter-argument to my "zombies are walls" point, so really just boils down to you going "nuh-uh", which really isn't very helpful to either of us.

See? Totally different XD

Restricting movement is not some magic button, no, but it is often a key element to making things actually scary. You give people restricted movements and suddenly there is no escape from the things chasing them. No ability to get the things they need to survive. No rest, no respite...You let people have the entirety of New York State to wander around in then its way easier to run away or find food and it becomes less "survival horror" and more "survival with some zombies" which is not the same thing

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

i do agree, to a certain extent, that the idea of a threat being inescapable definitely constitutes a significant part of the point of survival horror - whether it is inescapable because you are trapped with it, or because it is ubiquitous, or because it's got Watson's movement system from Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis is really irrelevant; the point is that you cannot escape it, and so all of your efforts at survival must take its presence and agency into account.

 

This contrasts heavily with "survival with some zombies in it," in which the zombies are the biggest threat, and you can just sort of hop in your truck, turn up the Zeppelin, and wave as you go past.

 

Where I think this Walking Dead concept is going includes an inescapable threat in the form of, well, the people you're dealing with. People who will set up actual physical obstructions to your movement, people who might decide they want to hunt you down for whatever reason, etc. The zombies are also a threat, and are close enough to ubiquitous, but your real trouble comes from the people tough, mean, or crazy enough to survive the end of the world.

[Archer Vonn]

A zombie RPG wouldn't work because more likely than not, it wouldn't be taken seriously. It's not even a matter of where in the country you can go, it's a matter of easily sidestepping all the problems of a zombie apocalypse. In the Walking Dead and in other books and movies about zombies the biggest issue, outside of the zombies themselves, is starvation and the struggle to meet basic needs. This isn't an issue in an RPG. Whenever you realize your character hasn't had a chance to eat in hours of fighting, you can just have him open a drawer and find a can of spam.

 

Alright so actually 'surviving' isn't an issue because deus ex machina. The other problem in a zombie setting is the zombies. This isn't really a problem, either. You never need to run out of ammo because who's counting, you never will get bit because 'you can't kill my character unless I say so.' So this is a game about avoiding death and the only way you can die is by choosing to. Where's the challenge in this? Horror naturally comes from the idea that danger is imminent and there's just no danger in a zombie RPG for the reasons I just listed.

 

For it to work it'd need a few like, firm handed GMs that'd need to keep track of everyone's supplies and every so often break down shelters in order to really force that urgency and danger and 'wow you know this zombie apocalypse might actually kill my guy if I'm not smart' so we need to end up trying to become the tough, mean, or crazy enough people who make it, instead of just saying we are.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

It's like you just skimmed the most recent post, noticed that a zombie-including RPG was planned, and went from there. If you had read through the discussion on the RPG itself, I can't help but think that you would have noted that the zombies aren't exactly planned to be Threat #1.

[Flex Lord Splash]

If you're trying to let people enjoy the freedom of movement, what you're doing is not making a survival horror game. Why do you think there are so many locked doors in Silent Hill?

 

I'm not looking to make a horror game. I'm looking to make an adventure, slightly off putting, well founded zombie Walking Dead game.

 

Also who said you'd have to move around the entire game? There are possibe safe-spots and camps to be created.

 

Also about the entire state of New York thing. You've probably never heard of the mega heards which exist in the Walking Dead which are herds of zombies that can reach numbers up towards 5,000 that all walk together. That would definitly pose as a threat while moving around the country side if encountered.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Flex Cop

[Havelock Vetinari]

Hm. One of the main questions will be...

 

Do zombies hunt animals?

 

Or do we have to worry about one of these bad boys gnawing our faces off as well?

[Flex Lord Splash]

They do hunt animals but they're primary food source is humans, and most animals other then cows and stuff are a lot better at escaping them. They sense a human around and they're not going to stop trying to eat them until they're dead.

 

EDIT: It seems like we have some moderate interest, does anyone want to staff with me?

Edited November 27, 2013 by Flex Cop

[Archer Vonn]

It's like you just skimmed the most recent post, noticed that a zombie-including RPG was planned, and went from there. If you had read through the discussion on the RPG itself, I can't help but think that you would have noted that the zombies aren't exactly planned to be Threat #1.

 

I noted you have a stubborn understanding of the Walking Dead you're really hanging onto in spite of the conversation being about survival horror and movement.

 

And it's good that zombies aren't threat #1. Because as I stated in my post, they usually aren't the biggest threat.

 

It's like you just skimmed the post I made, noticed that I was the one posted it, then descended into some condescension that even you probably realize was stupid.

[Flex Lord Splash]

I'm with Yymper that your post wasn't totally correct The God of War. The zombie RP we're discussing is based of the Walking Dead. The conversation is about the Walking Dead RP and survival horror, though the RP isn't really suspposed to be conventional survival horror. I also disagree with all of your points on why a zombie RP would never work. Zombies in thw Walking Dead universe are still a threat. Players pulling soemthing very stupid while surrounded by a horde of zombies are probably going to die if its logical for them to do so. You also forget the threat that other humans will have.

 

Though your idea on the supplies thing might have merit, though it would be difficult to keep track of and enforce. Keeping track of ammo would also work as well.

Edited November 27, 2013 by Flex Cop

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Oh, display name history is a wondrous thing. Welcome back, JC.

 

Everyone, please refrain from feeding the troll.

[Alex Humva]

Ever since the collapse of the First Ones, humanity has been scattered and lost over the land of Elorena. Two thousand years of chaos and warlords reduced a once grand civilization to a motley collection of towns and cities that could scarcely be called civilizations. It would be fittingly known as the Age of Chaos, with the foul creatures that roam taking advantage of humanity's fractured status. Alliances with fellow sapients would be made and broken with every breath of the wind across the land. The Age of Cities would start when Emperor Kámen Meč unified the three cities of the Worlds Crown. During this time, humanity would cease its chaotic scabblings, formalizing war to an art and sport rather than senseless violence. The land would be tamed, and the fantastic creatures that wandered it, subjugated. Soon, sapients began to live amongst humans, intermingling co-existing in the new nations that sprung up from the ashes of the old age. Half-breeds became common, man learned how to wield the power of the earth and create refined metals, and the art of diplomacy was perfected by the kings of the land. Nearly six hundred years after the Emperor Mečs unification, the Fountains of Mana were uncovered. Ancient shrines from the Age of Legends, these fountains were filled with mana, a strange magical substance. It was discovered in short order that when exposed to mana for a long period of time, one gained magical abilities, capable of doing wonderous things with a mere thought. It was from this the first Council of Warlocks was formed, wizards from around the land who sought to institute a noble endeavor to grant all the ability to use magic and to bring humanity closer together. The Age of Magic had begun. It would fail with the declaration of war between the Southern Ithu States and the Great Sea Cities. The conflict tore the Council apart and made its vision little more than a pipe dream as humans and their sapient citizens continued to exist as their own, independent, entities. Warfare had changed now, however, with magic being used to destructive effect unheard of before the Age of Magic. It would be two hundred years more until the present day arrived. The nations have more or less become stable, but now, the rulers of the land look towards the future. No empire has ever stretched the whole of Elorena, but for the first time, an opportunistic ruler could very well achieve it. The emperors of the past would be shamed by the abilities now possessed by humanity. Someone will rule the land; the only question is who. Fountains of ManaHosted by Alex HumvaCo-hosted by Silvan Haven The Game Itself This is Fountains of Magic, a low-fantasy RTS RPG that involves players taking the role of guiding their civilization through diplomacy, military action, and cultural struggles. Rather than role play an individual, you have the daunting task of role-playing a nation. Its surprisingly easy skill to get the hang of though, so dont worry. Something of note is that, due to the size of this sort of game, the opening post simply cannot hold every wonder and curiosity. As such, in the accompanying discussion topic, there will be an FAQ post that will allow you to browse through questions that have been brought up, or, The World We Live In The world this RPG takes place in is some unspecified Earth-like planet; our slice of the action takes place in a small subcontinent area. The climate varies somewhat, with the southern-most parts experiencing more moderate temperatures and the northern-most bits experiencing harsh winters. As such the environment is more or less a consistent gradient, with a few isolated areas experiencing different weather patterns. Geography can be explained by this handy map:

[Territories controlled]-[World Regions]-[Region Glossary]-[GIANT STAMP OF NOT IN ANY WAY FINISHED OR FINALIZED, MAJOR WIP]

The civilizations of this world are approximately in the early first century AD, for a parallel to our own world. Bronze and iron are the mainstays of the day, with steel in its infancy but still not quite perfected by civilizations at large. Travel is as youd expect, horses and feet making up your primarily means, allowing you to travel the world at 5 MPH. Farming does still take up a large portion of the population, with only around 20% of the population engaged in other activities. Please keep this in mind when doing your day-to-day affairs. Fantastic creatures are an occurrence in this world, but not to the degree you see in something like high fantasy. Some creatures, like dragons and treemen, still roam this world free of human interference, often secluded away from civilization in remote places. Almost all others have been incorporated into the expansive human civilizations. Sometimes these are half-breeds, combinations of humans and other races, but often they are simply another species all-together, coexisting with the human majority. As it stands there is no nation with a non-human majority, but there do exist nations with significant non-human presences. As a player you are welcome to create your own race(s) to have exist within your nation. The Mechanics Running a whole nation can be daunting, and indeed, if everyone had to manage every mundane task wed be here all day figuring things out. As such, there are a few systems in place to help players and GMs alike keep things straight. A core feature is the Economic Point (EP) system: this is how you handle things like buying armies, settling new lands, building important buildings, and maintaining your wizardry stocks. Your civilization produces a set amount of EPs based on the land(s) you currently control AND what you have done with that land. This system is cummulative, as in your EPs can build up over time to allow for larger purchases. You produce EP once every quarter year, or every 14 days in real life. You can then spend your EP on whatever you will. For you more visual learners, look at it this way:

• You begin on day 1. You have 10 EP.
• You build a dam for five EP. You now have 5 EP.
• You hit day 14. You gain 20 EP. You now have 25 EP.
• You build two dams. You now have 15 EP.

This can then be made more complex by maintenance; that is, some things cost money over time, and deducts EP out of your budget immediately. Take this example:

• You begin on day 1. You have 10 EP.
• You commission a hundred man army. This costs you 1 EP per pay cycle. You now have 9 EP.
• You hit day 14. You gain 20 EP. You deduct 1 EP for your army. You now have 28 EP.

Simple enough, right? How you manage your finances is often a significant factor of play, and will require you to make decisions on what to buy and, potentially, what to conquer to pay for your expanding army. But one might ask "ok Humva, so I produce EP based on the land I own, but how do I make more cash?" It's a good question; you have the ability to make economic improvements by submitting your improvement to a GM. Tell them what exactly you want to improve and how, and they will give you an initial price and what EP increase that will net you. Keep in mind, however, that some improvements are better than others in some places. If you live in the mountains, increasing your farming production will have a far lesser gain than, say, building more mines. Take this hypothetical example: you live in the Mythic Mountains, and your province makes 20 EP/cycle. You decide to make three economic improvements, effecting farming, lumberjacking, and mining. You devote 5 EP each to improving these. The farming increases your EP/cycle by 1 EP, the lumberjacking by 4 EP, and the mining by 8 EP. As you can see, lumberjacking and mining are the ways to go for proper economic improvement in that region. Provinces Themselves First of all, an important distinction must be made; regions are areas on the map that detail specific climate areas and facilitate the placement of nations. Provinces are nation based, though still decided by the GM. A province is an area that produces EP, and where improvements can be made. Everyone starts off with one province, their Capital Province, which produces their starting EP. As your nation grows the GMs will decide when to do redistricting and create a new province. This will be reflected in a specialized province map. The tl;dr of this all is that a province is a chunk of land that produces EP/cycle and the GMs draw the borders for them. Take this example scaled down and entirely hypothetical province map: Province 1 makes 10 EP/cycle, province 2 makes 5 EP/cycle, province 3 5 EP/cycle and so forth. If you were to build mines in province 1 and make it produce 15 EP/cycle, then province 1 would be the only one that benefits from the mines. As stated before, everyone starts with one province, their Capital Province. This will produce a base 30 EP/cycle when you join the game, subject to change as the game progresses. Waging War War is inevitable in these sorts of games, and indeed, is a crucial part to expanding as a player. The backbone of any war is the army; for the sake of balance, theres some standardization to army costs and upkeep. A company of men, consisting of a thousand soldiers, costs a flat 1 EP to produce and 4 EP to upkeep. They take 14 real days to train. This is, however, a company of professional soldiers, equipped with some form of good armor and weaponry. You can choose to, instead of professional soldiers, rally together a levy force. These levies are the common folk, armed minimalistically and trained little. They cost 1 EP for ten thousand soldiers and cost 1 EP to upkeep. They take two real days to train. You are able to, of course, upgrade the equipment that your army uses via commissioning projects, something talked about later. Maybe you produce some more swords, maybe you make a never-ending supply of bread with magic, its really up to you. Alas, for soldiers that deviate from the standard foot soldier, you will have to request the pricing specifics for that particular soldier type. Do this by talking to your local GM. In addition, units will keep their veteran status; for instance, if you rally levies up and then disband them after the war to return to their farms, you have the option of specifically calling those levies up again in the future. They will benefit from the experience and be better than stock levies. Now, knowing how to buy your troops is all well and good, but how do you actually fight with them? This is a contentious area in RTS RPGs, and one that often produces the harshest of feelings. Often fights will devolve into my guys shot your guys! no, mine did! As such, its requested that civility is exercised, and to keep in mind that at the end of the day its just a game. How a typical battle should go down is player A initiating the attack, player B responding to the tactics presented, and then this will go back and forth until a victor is decided. A GM will be there to give a causality report. If the battle cannot be decided in a reasonable span of time, a GM will declare a victor in it. Above all else, use common sense when battling. The tl;dr of this section:

• Professional soldiers (1,000) cost 1 EP to train and 4 EP/cycle to upkeep. They are trained soldiers who remain soldiers.
• Farmers-made-soldiers (10,000) cost 1 EP to train and 1 EP/cycle to upkeep. They are farmers with swords.
• Units keep their veteran status.
• Battles should be conducted with some form of civility and common sense.

Magic! This game has magic, as evidenced in the opening post. You might ask, how do I get my wizard army? Well, in order to do this you must control a Fountain of Mana; all players automatically start with one, but random ones are scattered around the map as well. You post something along the lines of I sent a guy to become a wizard, and then you wait. It will take seven real life days to create one wizard; its a very long process in-universe. Alas, you can only one one guy bathe in the fountain at a time, so you cant just pop out an army at once. Obviously, if you control two fountains then, you could make two wizards at a time. This creates some strategic drive to hold fountains. But how does your wizard work once you actually have him? Well, magic can be placed into three categories; you decide which your wizard will be and bamft, hes that type. This is a one time deal however, you cant change it once you have your wizard made.

• Creation: These wizards are creators of life , who make creatures to do their bidding. This exists in two types;Golems: Creations made from the materials of the world itself, these are crude but cheap things, raw material held together by a creator's willpower and granted minimal intellect. They are weak, requiring minimal effort to shatter their magic and reduce them to a pile of garbage. They are also capable only of following simple orders, and must have a commander, magical or not, to guide them. They are, however, capable of being made out of literally anything, and can be mass produced by a creator/many creators.Creatures: Creations made from a combination of raw material and a base, living, animal. These do not rely on any magical force to keep them together, but exhibit the needs for food, water, and other amenities possessed by all living things. The only limit to the monstrosities that can be made are the amount of creators involved, the materials used, and the time creating it.
• Battlecraft: These wizards are battlemages, specializing in the art of battle. They manipulate earth and fire to devastating effect, pummeling their foes with rocks, setting things alight, or in more complex methods, raining down fiery meteors from the heavens or causing the ground itself to eat advancing troops.
• Alchemy: By far the most diverse field of magic, these wizards are alchemists, specializing in the making of special potions to imbue effects to living things and enchantments to imbue effects to inanimate things. To define what potions and enchantments can and can't do, potions are effectively magical chemicals, causing reactions and various effects you'd expect from an understanding of chemistry. Enchantments can be placed on inanimate objects and enhance their pre-existing traits.

Wizards will likely form one of the core features of a players production base; creators can create quick armies and elite units, battlemages are obviously useful in battle, though their skills can also be used in the construction of fortresses, and alchemists obviously can do a wide range of things, from enchanting weapons to never dull to making potions that allow your soldiers not to sleep. How doing these things will work is you will fill a little form out specifying what you want to do with your wizards and send it to the GM, who will ship you back a time to produce and a cost associated, if there is one. After all, you cant create your golem armies instantly. Managing Your Civilization Now, weve discussed EP, but so far weve only touched on the warfare aspects of using it. You can also use it for civic improvements, and indeed, is likely what youll be doing a large amount of the time. Civic improvements consume EP to do all manner of things, from investing in better farms to building entirely new settlements to reinforcing your walls, so forth and so forth. This is done primarily on a case to case basis; you say hrm, I think Ill build more farms, and send the GM the specifics of how many more farms you want to build and where. The GM then gives you the necessary information and bamft youre chugging along. Some improvements will also help your EP, costing initial EP to build but then producing extra EP as you go along. This is pretty handy for when you need to expand your economy without going on a conquering spree. You can also do things like build more smitheries, to help with weapon production and such things. Settling is a bit special: when you commission a new settlement, you need to tell the GM were specifically its going be. Depending on how far it is, youll get a time to completion on that. You can issue only one charter of settlement at a time, however, and you must keep in mind that new towns provide no initial EP bonus, nor do they follow any sort of set formula to making EP. Often, towns are used to claim areas of the map, or to provide a place to station soldiers to guard a vital resource. Rules of the Game That You Should Follow 1-Remember that youre still on BZP.2-Common sense. This cannot be stressed enough in a game like this, common sense is perhaps the most important rule of them all. Just think about things before doing them, ok? It creates a lot less problems that way.3-Do not metagame. This is where you allow things outside of the game to influence your actions inside of the game. It can be innocent enough at first but very quickly ruins the game. Do not do it.4-Going god mode, wiping out whole armies at once, not approved of unless you have the means. Being crafty, setting up an ambush, and crushing the enemy is all well and good. Sending three hundred men against three hundred men and saying you came out unscathed while they all died is rather terrible, though.5-The GMs ruling on something is final. Continuing to pester them about it results in a slap. If you think youve been wronged, you can take it up with the other GM and things will get resolved via private decorum.6-Speaking of decorum, be nice. Yes, these sorts of games often require a significant time investment and yes, losing horribly never feels nice, but it is at the end of the day a game. Its not healthy to get too stressed out about things.7-Funsies apply, so go do cool stuff. Various Bits of Paperwork Youll find all the forms you need here for getting things done. Fill them out as required, shouldnt be too confusing. Profile Submission Form Nations Name: [Whats your nation known as?]Nations Characteristics: [What are some characteristics of your nation?]Nations Society: [Hows your society?]Nations Perk: [Heres where you put your chosen national perks, which can be found here.]Nations History: [What have your guys been up to?]Nation's Starting Units: [Ok, so you get to start with some pre-existing military stuff. You have 60 EP to spend here, anything you don't spend will start in your EP bank when the game begins. Keep in mind that you only start with 30 EP production in your capital province, so be careful as to not go over budget. Remember that you can have projects and specialized soldiers in here. In addition, you can start with some wizards, who cost 5 EP each to start with but have no upkeep costs.] Spell Submission Form Spell Description: [Yeah really I just need a basic description of whats going on]Spell Cost & Time: [ill fill this one out] Project Submission Form Project Description: [Whatcha be building]Project Cost & Time: [ill fill this one out] Specialized soldier Submission Form Number of Soldiers: [How many troops are in one unit?]Soldier Description: [What sets these guys apart from your levies?]Unit Cost: [i'll fill this one out] [------------] This is more or less the finalized product, so if you have any questions or are confused, speak now.

Edited December 2, 2013 by Strategist Alex Humva

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

I've got a question, here - what exactly do you mean in saying, with regards to the perks, things such as "25% increased EP from farming"? Is this with regards to starting EP, EP per cycle, or the amount of EP which would be gained by economic improvements?

 

-Toa Levacius Zehvor

Edited November 30, 2013 by Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Archer Vonn]

lets do another percy jackson rpg

 

another one

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

I just want to make sure I've got how the EP works down right: You start off with one province which produces a certain amount of EP. You can research improvements to make that amount higher. Get a certain amount of EP and the staff divide up your nation so you know have two provinces providing EP. If you have researched, for example, better mines for your nation, would only the province that had those mines get an EP bonus or would it apply to both? Do provinces produce more EP as the game goes along simply by growing? Same question about new settlements, you say they don't make any as soon as they're founded, so how do they advance? Do the staff just tell us every 14 days how much more they're now making? Are there ways to sped up the process of growth? When founding a new settlement, how much land would it cover, and would it grow over time? And in this land we claim with a settlement how do we know whether there's a Fountain in them? You say they're randomly placed but does that mean its random whether or not a new settlement gets one, or that you've dotted them around the map already and its pot luck whether we find one? Are we stuck with just one Fountain in our starting nation or can we discover new ones when we start subdividing into provinces? Sticking with wizards, do they all have no upkeep or are those just the ones we start with? And I'm assuming the costs for their spells would be coming out of our EP, but what sort of ballpark numbers are we talking here? How much to start lobbing fireballs or whip up a cauldron of potion for a regiment?

 

Sorry for the stream of consciousness style here, couldn't think of any way to easily bullet point them. You're just going to have to try and make sense of my brain tangle I'm afraid

Edited November 30, 2013 by More Fierce Than Fire

[Alex Humva]

I'll do it one sentence at a time then =P

 

 

 

I just want to make sure I've got how the EP works down right: You start off with one province which produces a certain amount of EP.

Yes, you start with your Capital Province which produces 30 EP/cycle.

 

 

 

You can research improvements to make that amount higher.

Well, less research and more "I, Grand Poobah, commission fifteen more farming hamlets in this area."

 

 

 

Get a certain amount of EP and the staff divide up your nation so you know have two provinces providing EP.

Certain amount of land as well as EP, yes. Both will be considered when redistricting.

 

 

 

If you have researched, for example, better mines for your nation, would only the province that had those mines get an EP bonus or would it apply to both?

If you had researched better mines that's a nationwide thing. If you had built better mines, that's an province thing.

 

 

 

Do provinces produce more EP as the game goes along simply by growing?

No. By the time November 2014 rolls around seven years will have passed, assuming no time skips. Natural growth just won't really be a thing.

 

 

 

Same question about new settlements, you say they don't make any as soon as they're founded, so how do they advance?

You sale "I commission some improvements" and it improves and then it produces EP for you.

 

 

 

Do the staff just tell us every 14 days how much more they're now making? Are there ways to sped up the process of growth? When founding a new settlement, how much land would it cover, and would it grow over time?

No. Not growth but EP/cycle, yes. While the settlement itself will cover little land, it will expand your sphere of influence significantly (though up to GM purview) if there are no rivals in the area.

 

 

 

And in this land we claim with a settlement how do we know whether there's a Fountain in them? You say they're randomly placed but does that mean its random whether or not a new settlement gets one, or that you've dotted them around the map already and its pot luck whether we find one?

They will be on the map; I'll have all of their locations figured out but only release the locations of a couple every month or so, to avoid people just trying to hog them.

 

 

 

Are we stuck with just one Fountain in our starting nation or can we discover new ones when we start subdividing into provinces?

You can discover new ones when you start expanding.

 

 

 

Sticking with wizards, do they all have no upkeep or are those just the ones we start with?

They have no upkeep costs; feeding one wizard bread is significantly cheaper than ten thousand levymen.

 

 

 

And I'm assuming the costs for their spells would be coming out of our EP, but what sort of ballpark numbers are we talking here? How much to start lobbing fireballs or whip up a cauldron of potion for a regiment?

Battlemages don't really cost EP in the middle of the battle; their costs come more from when they're working on fortifications and the such. Alchemy and enchantments do cost EP though; I figure your basic run-of-the-mill hold-off-exhaustion potion for a group of a thousand men would run you around 1, 2 EP. More complicated potions would obviously cost more, possibly much more.

[sonyaxe]

Random question #58: An Inheritance Cycle RPG, set in the aftermath of the war against Galbatorix. He was defeated but not killed, and basically over the northern half of Alageasia. However, the dragons did reawaken, for people on his side and on Eragon's side. So... what do you think?

Edited December 1, 2013 by sonyaxe

[Flex Lord Splash]

I was trying to make an Eragon RP with a similar plot but it sounded like people didn't want one. Which is weird because an Eragon RP would be awesome. I even wrote one up but then deleted it.

[Archer Vonn]

Eragon is too dragon heavy. Fantasy is like Thanksgiving dinner and dragons are the stuffing. Fantasy is good with a small helping of dragon, but in Eragon dragon takes up half the plate.

[Ehksidian]

Eragon is too dragon heavy. Fantasy is like Thanksgiving dinner and dragons are the stuffing. Fantasy is good with a small helping of dragon, but in Eragon dragon takes up half the plate.

And some people like eating stuffing without the turkey.

It's all about personal preference, really. some people do like a lot of dragons in their fantasy, others don't. Maybe a large majority of people at the time did not like a lot of dragons.

just my two cents in here, i shall go back to lurking in this topic.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Oh, display name history is a wondrous thing. Welcome back, JC.

 

Everyone, please refrain from feeding the troll.

 

Bears repeating.

[Xomeron]

The problem with an Eragon RPG is that no one is really important except the Dragon Riders.

 

However, if you set the game in the hundred years between the Fall of the Riders and the start of the series, you have an excellent low fantasy setting. Far to the Northeast, there are Elves; murderous, evil creatures who take no prisoners in defending their forests, and come at night to replace your children with changelings. To the South, there are the abandoned Dwarven cities, rich with loot but perhaps dangerous to explore. All around you are the glistening relics of a fallen civilization, and the murderous Urgals who raid in the night. Only the King's soldiers keep the peace, and they are overworked and outnumbered.

 

The important thing is to cast it all in grey morality, instead of the black and white of the first book.

Edited December 1, 2013 by Xomeron

[Archer Vonn]

 

Oh, display name history is a wondrous thing. Welcome back, JC.

 

Everyone, please refrain from feeding the troll.

 

Bears repeating.

 

 

who the what the heck are you