The Official OTC TBRPG Planning and Organization Topic

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Do Markarth.

 

C'mon.

 

Do Markarth it'll be fun.

[sunflower]

oh my god i finally got it done

 

 

Space, the final frontier.

 

Words uttered time and time again by captains and crew across the quadrant, for each the phrase holding a different meaning.  For some, it hearkens back to a simpler time where space was but another land to explore, the next mountain to climb.  And yet others see the vast, unclaimed territory as a place to be conquered and ruled.

 

Regardless of their motives, each is drawn to the unknown, discovering and fighting, living and dying, in their ceaseless trek among the stars.

 

Setting:

 

The game takes place in 2399, approximately 20 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis.  The Federation is in high gear, pushing its explorative branch out into the deepest unknowns.  However, conflict still reigns in the quadrant.  The Romulan Star Empire, crippled after the destruction of Romulus 13 years prior, has been effectively broken up into factions, with individual branches of the once powerful empire grabbing for whatever power can be found.  The Klingon Empire, following a political fallout with the Federation, has dissolved all ties with its counterpart, and once again taken an aggressive stance on expanding their claims in the quadrant.  While official war has not quite begun, attacks and retaliations between the Klingons and the Federation are not uncommon.

 

Elsewhere, the Borg have returned to the edges of known space, quietly keeping to themselves and waiting for an opportune moment to begin their quest to perfection once again…

 

The Ship:

 

Our city among the stars is the U.S.S. Endeavour, NCC-76230, and will be the primary setting where the RPG takes place.  A Sovereign class cruiser, she’s nearly seven hundred meters long, and armed with enough phasers and photon torpedoes to deal with the worst that the void can throw at her.  The ship is comprised of the standard saucer – secondary hull – nacelles configuration of most Federation vessels.  Crew quarters and labs are located within the saucer, with engineering and cargo bays in the secondary hull.

 

The Bridge is located atop the saucer section, and accessible via turbolift.  As per usual, the captain’s chair is positioned at the center, with the Operations and Conn stations directly ahead.  Officer’s seats are to the left and right of the captain’s chair, and have access to multi-use consoles.  The main view screen is mounted on the forward bulkhead, with the MSD opposite it in the rear.  Science and Tactical is positioned on the left and right, with additional stations running the length of the wall.

 

Inversely, Engineering is buried within the heart of the secondary hull, and contains the matter-antimatter warp core which powers the entire ship.  Emergency force fields can be raised should the core suffer a critical failure, and the core ejected from the ship.  Monitoring consoles are positioned off to the side.

 

Sickbay, positioned on the portside of the saucer, is home to the CMO, and is outfitted with the latest medical equipment on offer.  An EMH provides additional medical assistance should the need arise.

 

Crew quarters run along the saucer, with Officer quarters positioned in the upper decks closer to the bridge, and crew quarters further down.  As the ship is primarily a vessel of exploration, even the most spartan quarters are fully equipped, and customizable according to its occupant’s desires.

 

The mess is located opposite to sickbay on the starboard side of the saucer, and other than Ten-Forward located at the very tip of the saucer, is generally where the crew congregates.

 

 

 

The Crew:

 

Chosen from the best of the best, the crew of the Endeavour is comprised of one of the most diverse groups in the Fleet, with species across the quadrant filling its ranks.

 

To avoid too much character drift, especially the kind in a space RPG, characters will be the Senior Staff of the Endeavour.  Of course, this is subject to change as the story progresses. Character positions are on a first come first serve basis, though the below list is only a loose guide.  Feel free to be creative and make your own.  The only position not up for grabs is Captain, which will be explained below.

 

Positions

• First Officer: Right hand man, gets things done.
• Second Officer: Gets things done, generally another position and second officer.
• Head of Security: Leader of Redshirts.
• Chief Medical Officer: Get them heals.
• Chief Engineer: The miracle worker.
• Conn Officer: Makes the ship do donuts in space.
• Chief Operations Officer: Tells you how many people died from decompression.
• Chief Science Officer: Tells you about the life signs on that planet.
• Chief Tactical Officer: Does the pew pew stuff.

 

Ranks

• Crewman
• Ensign
• Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Commander
• Commander

 

Character profile, fields can be added as seen fit.  They only require a single okay from staff.

 

Name: (As long as it makes sense for the species, go wild.)
Species: (Species will be approved on case-by-case basis.)
Gender: (Or sex, however you prefer to identify them.)
Rank: (From Crewman up to Commander, bear in mind you position.)
Position: (Chief Medical Officer?  Head of Security?  Conn Officer?  Etc.)
Appearance: (Enough detail for others to have a good idea of who they are.)
Personality: (As much or as little detail as is needed.)
Skills: (What can they do?  What are they good at?)
Bio: (However much is needed.)

 

 

 

The Captain:

 

There’s no playing favorites here, the captain of the ship will be an NPC, and the position initially unavailable for PCs.  The captain will serve as a true NPC, and will primarily be used to move plot along.  In terms of decisions affecting the ship, such as in combat, it can generally be assumed that he’s a-okay with whatever his Officers do.  The game staff, as well as the current GM, will have the last say in what he does, though.

 

Plot:

 

In order to replicate the weekly misadventures within each episode of Star Trek, this RPG will handle plots somewhat differently from most.  Rather than having a large, overarching story as decided by the staff, each player has the chance to create their own story for the crew.  These plots are submitted in a profile similarly to characters, only they require other player’s approval rather than just the staff’s.  The player who creates the plot then acts as the “Game Master” for the duration of the plot, allowing them control over NPCs, including the captain, and events.

 

The profile for this plot is as follows, though fields can be added as needed.

 

Plot Name: (Every episode has a name.)

Creator(s): (Who worked to bring this story together?)
GM(s): (Who’s going to run the plot?)
Summary: (A general idea of where the plot takes us.  While specific details aren’t needed, do try and include enough information for players to say yay or nay on it.)
Factions: (Who’s involved, what NPCs will be present?  If it’s just a character story, then nothing more than our ship is needed.)
Resolution: (How are some ways that this plot can end?  Will the ending be set in stone, or dependent on character choices?  Just… try not to blow up the ship.)

 

 

Rules:

 

1. Keep it classy, folks, we’re still on BZP.

2. Personal Characters are the sole property of their creators, and we can only start chopping off arms after they give us the go ahead.

3. Staff is staff for a reason, listen to them if they speak, and they do have the ability to chop off arms with good cause.

4. I think we all know what Star Trek is, but keep the fantasy knights in the holodeck.

 

Staff:

 

Gravity (It's-a me, Grav.)

Snelly (Bones McCoy)

[Onaku]

Oooooooh! A Star Trek rpg. I'd love to see where that goes.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Hooooookay, let's get the gloves.

 

 

 

approximately 20 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis

Some of us haven't watched every piece of Star Trek media. If there's an important event buried in there, explain what it was - otherwise, remove the reference to avoid confusing people who didn't watch it.

 

 

 The Klingon Empire, following a political fallout with the Federation,

I see no explanation of the factions anywhere, which would normally be a problem except we only have one option anyway.

 

 

Sovereign

No real point to make with this one, I just needed to lighten the mood for myself.

 

 

MSDCMOEMH

All acronyms and no explanation make Clag a screeching mound of meat Jell-O. Explain acronyms when you introduce them, like "Mega Star Destroyer (MSD)" or "Cough Medicine Overlord (CMO)".

 

 

Character positions are on a first come first serve basis

Are you sure you want to be handing out assignments where people are giving orders to other people solely on this basis?

Are you

sure?

 

 

• Head of Security: Leader of Redshirts.

I will generously refrain from assuming that Redshirts are similar to Brownshirts.

 

---

 

That's about all I have the energy to say right now. I think the idea shows some promise, but there are a few things that should be considered very carefully before proceeding, and a lot of things that should maybe be explained to those who are not already familiar with Star Trek. If someone else would like to provide their opinion on the Plot section, I'll happily chime in once their comments have provided the framework for a discussion.

[Krayzikk]

Honestly, for anyone familiar with Star Trek (actual Star Trek, not the action movie reboot) most of the references are very clear. Nemesis is the last movie made for the original timeline, so twenty years after that just means that the game takes place twenty years after the end of the canon timeline. 

 

I would agree on the acronyms, but only two an extent; of the three that I count, one is actually a very common abbreviation for "Chief Medical Officer". The other two are Star Trek original, and thus should be explained. 

[shadow pridak money gang]

(actual Star Trek, not the action movie reboot) 

 

this

 

this is the main thing that was bugging me about this RPG and this little aside put it into words for me

 

whereas most rpgs based on IPs go out of their way to explain that IP and make sure that not a single little detail is going to be lost to anyone who wants to just play an RPG without an intensive lore binge, this one doesn't. it doesn't pretend to be anything more than a game for star trek fans by a star trek fan, and everyone who only watched the j.j. movies (like ya boy) is out in the cold. maybe i'm just biased after the backbreaking man hours we all put into making sure that even someone who'd never even heard the words "elder" and "scrolls" in the same sentence could play ashfall correctly, but that doesn't seem like the way to break someone into a game that's already pretty experimental in its episodic structure as is 

 

and if someone's rebuttal is already forming in their heads about why play a star trek rpg if you're not even a star trek fan - is that really the attitude to have in OTC right now?

 

-Tyler

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

^This, honestly. So much of this. I enjoyed The Next Generation, I'm rewatching Deep Space 9, and I still couldn't tell you what happened in Nemesis except, probably, explosions. Now, if nothing important to the RPG or the player's understanding of the current state of the setting happened in Nemesis, that's cool, but drop the title reference in that case, and just say "20 years after the end of the canon timeline".

[Krayzikk]

I honestly don't know why saying "after Nemesis" is any different. It's pretty clear that there are no major plot allusions in the first post, nor are there any direct references to plot points (Except, ironically, for one to the first Abrams movie). The Abrams movies aren't even that different. My jab at them not being "real Trek" aside, there's very little to differentiate Star Trek (2007) from TNG: First Contact save for visual style and the timeline they fall into.

 

Nothing in the game's premise requires knowing anything specific about the timeline, particularly facilitated by the fact that it's completely after the timeline.

 

EDIT: (For anyone who was curious, Nemesis was "Picard battles his evil younger clone". Pretty much no lasting impact came of the movie)

Edited August 22, 2015 by Riku Tryon

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

The difference is that, if you don't already know that, you're left wondering - "Wait? Nemesis? What happened in Nemesis? Do I need to know this?" - and you either end up scrambling around a wiki to find out that it's not something you needed to know, or you decide that maybe this is going to be too much work.

[Krayzikk]

Isn't that the same reaction one would have to "end of the timeline"? Except instead of "What happened in Nemesis", it's "Where's the end of the timeline again?" Someone that doesn't know Nemesis is the end of the timeline isn't going to know where the end of the timeline is, either.

Either one leads to a Google search.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

 

 

2399, approximately 20 years after the end of the canon timeline.

One would assume, from this, that the end of the canon timeline is about 2379. A calculator might help some folks, but I don't think a wiki would be necessary here.

[Krayzikk]

Not what I mean; I mean that anyone that is going to want to know what happened in Nemesis, due to a reference to Nemesis, is going to want to know where the canon story ended. It's the same Catch-22.

[sunflower]

Ayo, thanks for the quick feedback guys.
 
 
 

Hooooookay, let's get the gloves.
 
Some of us haven't watched every piece of Star Trek media. If there's an important event buried in there, explain what it was - otherwise, remove the reference to avoid confusing people who didn't watch it.

This is an easy enough fix, I'll rearrange the wording to make it more clear.
 

I see no explanation of the factions anywhere, which would normally be a problem except we only have one option anyway.

Also pretty easy fix. As for the reasoning behind the description, or lack of therefor, comes from the fact that all that right there is basically setting backdrop. The RPG is not focused on PvP faction combat, rather the character stories of a single crew. For now, that is, as I really want to leave this open for expansion.
 

All acronyms and no explanation make Clag a screeching mound of meat Jell-O. Explain acronyms when you introduce them, like "Mega Star Destroyer (MSD)" or "Cough Medicine Overlord (CMO)".

Aye aye, cap'n.
 

Are you sure you want to be handing out assignments where people are giving orders to other people solely on this basis?
Are you
sure?

I'm a trusting individual, if things don't work out they don't work out, and can be solved when it happens.
 

That's about all I have the energy to say right now. I think the idea shows some promise, but there are a few things that should be considered very carefully before proceeding, and a lot of things that should maybe be explained to those who are not already familiar with Star Trek. If someone else would like to provide their opinion on the Plot section, I'll happily chime in once their comments have provided the framework for a discussion.

I would like some feedback on the Plot stuff, if only because it's a new mechanic for me, an attempt to make this more of a collaborative epic with a focus on story than a text-based wargame.
 

 

(actual Star Trek, not the action movie reboot)

 
this
 
this is the main thing that was bugging me about this RPG and this little aside put it into words for me
 
whereas most rpgs based on IPs go out of their way to explain that IP and make sure that not a single little detail is going to be lost to anyone who wants to just play an RPG without an intensive lore binge, this one doesn't. it doesn't pretend to be anything more than a game for star trek fans by a star trek fan, and everyone who only watched the j.j. movies (like ya boy) is out in the cold. maybe i'm just biased after the backbreaking man hours we all put into making sure that even someone who'd never even heard the words "elder" and "scrolls" in the same sentence could play ashfall correctly, but that doesn't seem like the way to break someone into a game that's already pretty experimental in its episodic structure as is 
 
and if someone's rebuttal is already forming in their heads about why play a star trek rpg if you're not even a star trek fan - is that really the attitude to have in OTC right now?
 
-Tyler

 

Honestly, you're not far off. The RPG really did start off as a game by fans for fans, with at least some assumed knowledge on the IP itself. It did go through multiple changes since then in an attempt to make it more welcoming to a wider audience. This actually entailed removing a lot of references to timeline events and adding some context (The Battle of Bassen's Rift changed to just Nemesis, an explanation on the layout of a Sovereign-class cruiser), though more can be added to make this clearer.

The idea behind setting this after everything was done and finished in the timeline was for it to not have to overly explain events via textwall. Pick up and play, as it were. Like I said, though, it shouldn't be hard to clarify with more explanation.

[shadow pridak money gang]

the very idea of the borg re-emerging, relations with the klingon ###### up, and the romulans coming apart at the seams, with no context of what that means for the world, needs a pretty fair bit of clarification for anyone who reads all those terms as only pop culture references

 

again

 

like ya boy

 

-Tyler

Edited August 23, 2015 by Luke Schwarz

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

A'ight, thanks for the feedback on the feedback.

 

As for the plot... honestly, I don't think it's ever been done before in OTC, which hey - if you're going to boldly go, bloody up and go, right? I mean, there was a time when RTS RPGs had never been done before - granted, that transitioned to a time when we solemnly swore never to do one again, but the point is that, as tense and nervous as I am about the episodic format, I can't actually say it's a bad idea, because I have no evidence to back that up.

 

So, if you're going to trust people, a'ight - that's not something I would do, but it's your RPG, and you can make modifications as necessary. Guess that leaves us with sprucing up details and explanations, for the benefit of people who can't tell a Borg cube from a Rubiks cube.

[sunflower]

take dos

 

Space, the final frontier.

 

Words uttered time and time again by captains and crew across the quadrant, for each the phrase holding a different meaning.  For some, it hearkens back to a simpler time where space was but another land to explore, the next mountain to climb.  And yet others see the vast, unclaimed territory as a place to be conquered and ruled.

 

Regardless of their motives, each is drawn to the unknown, discovering and fighting, living and dying, in their ceaseless trek among the stars.

 
Setting:
 
The game takes place in 2399, approximately 20 years after Star Trek: Nemesis for the Trekkies around.  The United Federation of Planets, a galactic coalition of a countless number of worlds such as Earth, Vulcan, and Andor, is in high gear.  The Federation has begun pushing its explorative branch, Starfleet, out into the deepest unknowns.  Once again, the Federation is returning to its roots as the premier force for peace and justice for sentients everywhere.  However, conflict still reigns in the quadrant.
 
The furtive Romulan Star Empire, once a power to be reckoned with, has been crippled after the destruction of its capitol of Romulus 13 years prior.  The Star Empire has been effectively broken up into factions, with individual branches of the once powerful empire grabbing for whatever power can be found.  Any attempts at peace with the Federation have been shattered with their homeworld.
 
The Klingon Empire, following a political fallout with the Federation, has dissolved all diplomatic ties with its counterpart, and taken an aggressive stance on expanding their claims in the quadrant.  While official war has not quite begun, attacks and retaliations between the Klingons and the Federation are not uncommon.  The Klingon lust for conquest and combat has done little but fan the flames.[/size]
 
Elsewhere, the Borg, a vast race of hivemind cyborgs which forcefully assimilate individuals into their Collective, have returned to the edges of known space, quietly keeping to themselves and waiting for an opportune moment to begin their enigmatic quest to perfection once again…
 
Then there are those who answer to no one, from pirates to thieves, merchants willing to pay for anything, or young races just making their way to the stars.  Some are friends and some are enemies, some should have been avoided and others need help.

 
The Ship:
 
Our city among the stars is the U.S.S. Endeavour, NCC-76230, and will be the primary setting where the RPG takes place.  A Sovereign class cruiser, she’s nearly seven hundred meters long, and armed with enough phasers and photon torpedoes to deal with the worst that the void can throw at her.  The ship is comprised of the standard saucer – secondary hull – nacelles configuration of most Federation vessels.  Crew quarters and labs are located within the saucer, with engineering and cargo bays in the secondary hull.
 
The Bridge is located atop the saucer section, and accessible via turbolift.  As per usual, the captain’s chair is positioned at the center, with the Operations and Conn stations directly ahead.  Officer’s seats are to the left and right of the captain’s chair, and have access to multi-use consoles.  The main view screen is mounted on the forward bulkhead, with the MSD opposite it in the rear.  Science and Tactical is positioned on the left and right, with additional stations running the length of the wall.
 
Inversely, Engineering is buried within the heart of the secondary hull, and contains the matter-antimatter warp core which powers the entire ship.  Emergency force fields can be raised should the core suffer a critical failure, and the core ejected from the ship.  Monitoring consoles are positioned off to the side.
 
Sickbay, positioned on the portside of the saucer, is home to the CMO, and is outfitted with the latest medical equipment on offer.  An EMH provides additional medical assistance should the need arise.
 
Crew quarters run along the saucer, with Officer quarters positioned in the upper decks closer to the bridge, and crew quarters further down.  As the ship is primarily a vessel of exploration, even the most spartan quarters are fully equipped, and customizable according to its occupant’s desires.
 
The mess is located opposite to sickbay on the starboard side of the saucer, and other than Ten-Forward located at the very tip of the saucer, is generally where the crew congregates.
 
 
 
The Crew:
 
Chosen from the best of the best, the crew of the Endeavour is comprised of one of the most diverse groups in the Fleet, with species across the quadrant filling its ranks.
 
To avoid too much character drift, especially the kind in a space RPG, characters will be the Senior Staff of the Endeavour.  Of course, this is subject to change as the story progresses. Character positions are on a first come first serve basis, though the below list is only a loose guide.  Feel free to be creative and make your own.  The only position not up for grabs is Captain, which will be explained below.
 
Positions

• First Officer: Right hand man, gets things done.
• Second Officer: Gets things done, generally another position and second officer.
• Head of Security: Leader of Redshirts.
• Chief Medical Officer: Get them heals.
• Chief Engineer: The miracle worker.
• Conn Officer: Makes the ship do donuts in space.
• Chief Operations Officer: Tells you how many people died from decompression.
• Chief Science Officer: Tells you about the life signs on that planet.
• Chief Tactical Officer: Does the pew pew stuff.

Ranks

• Crewman
• Ensign
• Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Commander
• Commander

Character profile, fields can be added as seen fit.  They only require a single okay from staff.
 
Name: (As long as it makes sense for the species, go wild.)
Species: (Species will be approved on case-by-case basis.)
Gender: (Or sex, however you prefer to identify them.)
Rank: (From Crewman up to Commander, bear in mind you position.)
Position: (Chief Medical Officer?  Head of Security?  Conn Officer?  Etc.)
Appearance: (Enough detail for others to have a good idea of who they are.)
Personality: (As much or as little detail as is needed.)
Skills: (What can they do?  What are they good at?)
Bio: (However much is needed.)
 
 
 
The Captain:
 
There’s no playing favorites here, the captain of the ship will be an NPC, and the position initially unavailable for PCs.  The captain will serve as a true NPC, and will primarily be used to move plot along.  In terms of decisions affecting the ship, such as in combat, it can generally be assumed that he’s a-okay with whatever his Officers do.  The game staff, as well as the current GM, will have the last say in what he does, though.

 
Plot:
 
In order to replicate the weekly misadventures within each episode of Star Trek, this RPG will handle plots somewhat differently from most.  Rather than having a large, overarching story as decided by the staff, each player has the chance to create their own story for the crew.  These plots are submitted in a profile similarly to characters, only they require other player’s approval rather than just the staff’s.  The player who creates the plot then acts as the “Game Master” for the duration of the plot, allowing them control over NPCs, including the captain, and events.
 
The profile for this plot is as follows, though fields can be added as needed.
 
Plot Name: (Every episode has a name.)
Creator(s): (Who worked to bring this story together?)
GM(s): (Who’s going to run the plot?)
Summary: (A general idea of where the plot takes us.  While specific details aren’t needed, do try and include enough information for players to say yay or nay on it.)
Factions: (Who’s involved, what NPCs will be present?  If it’s just a character story, then nothing more than our ship is needed.)
Resolution: (How are some ways that this plot can end?  Will the ending be set in stone, or dependent on character choices?  Just… try not to blow up the ship.)
 
 
Rules:

•  
• 
  Keep it classy, folks, we’re still on BZP.
• 
  Personal Characters are the sole property of their creators, and we can only start chopping off arms after they give us the go ahead.
• 
  Staff is staff for a reason, listen to them if they speak, and they do have the ability to chop off arms with good cause.
• 
  I think we all know what Star Trek is, but keep the fantasy knights in the holodeck.

Staff:
 
Gravity (It's-a me, Grav.)
Snelly (Bones McCoy)

Edited August 23, 2015 by hollow( )moon

[Voltex]

This Star Trek RPG looks like something I would be interested in playing. I don't have time at this moment to give any sort of critique, but perhaps later if I'm able. 

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

I'm still not totally clear on EMH and MSD. Like, I can guess from context that EMH might something like Emergency Medical Helper, and might be either a crewmember or machine that pitches in when stuff gets hairy in the medbay, but I really am lost on MSD. Main Screen Display makes no sense in context. Minor Screen Display? Multi-Screen Display? Material Safety Data? Metal Scanning Device?

 

Those two acronyms could use an explanation. If I was being picky I might call for the same with CMO for folks unfamiliar with that set of (reasonably common) acronyms, but Chief Medical Officer is spelled out in words later on so it's not a big deal.

 

The level of setting explanation looks better, though that's more Tyler's area as the main thing I was unaware of was Patrick Stewart fighting himself.

 

I am also personally curious about other matters, but that has more to do with questions I'd ask while preparing a character profile, like whether a character written up with what I recall as the original idea of the motives of the Borg (seeking out and collecting new technology to perfect themselves) in mind might work, or if an entity that is part of a Borg hivemind would be inherently unsuitable as a character in this. If there is any discussion to be had on that idea, it can be had later, perhaps via PM, as it's not really anything to do one way or another with the planning of the RPG itself.

[sunflower]

The acronyms was entirely a result of being awake for more hours than I should be, whenever I get around to making another batch of fixes I'll fix those as well.  (Also the formatting for that post literally killed itself, gonna have to start over with that.)

 

As for characters, there's really no limit at all on what could be made.  As long as it can be reasonably explained away, I'm completely fine with anything.  For me, Star Trek's greatest strength was, and is, the characters that tell their story, so the more variety there the better.

[25K Now!]

The United Federation of Planets, a galactic coalition of a countless number of worlds such as Earth, Vulcan, and Andor, is in high gear.

>no tellur

 

What did the space dwarfs ever do to you?

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Oooooooh! A Star Trek rpg. I'd love to see where that goes.

Where no man has ever gone before I would assume

 

One thing that worries me slightly; when we had the FTL RPG it ended up focusing on the handful of players who had picked the top spots which left the rest of the crew a little left behind. Are you hoping that players submitting their own plots is going to avoid that? 

[sunflower]

One thing that worries me slightly; when we had the FTL RPG it ended up focusing on the handful of players who had picked the top spots which left the rest of the crew a little left behind. Are you hoping that players submitting their own plots is going to avoid that?

Precisely. I'm hoping that the chain of command becomes something more like a setting detail than an actual gameplay issue. Just another piece of information on who these characters are, but not a deciding factor on what they can do. "The Lower Decks" episodes from TNG were some of my favorite, showing life on a 1000-man crewed starship form the perspective of the everyday folks.  Giving everyone the option to tell a story hopefully emulates that.

[IcarusBen]

When I saw the plot submissions idea, I cried manly tears of joy. Finally, a way for the players to more directly control the world without consistantly nagging a GM! yay!

 

Also, is Ashfall really and truly dead? If so, I'm rather sad.

 

Finally, what's the ship's mission? Is it to boldy go where no sapient lifeform not native to where it's going has gone before?

[Silvan Haven]

That would be a good, if slighty techincal way to explain their mission.

[IcarusBen]

Yeah, "where no one has gone before" always bugged me, since often times there would be someone whereever they went.

[Onaku]

Yeah, "where no one has gone before" always bugged me, since often times there would be someone whereever they went.

Well, see, in many cases, the ones that are there already didn't go anywhere to get there. So the crew of those exploration ships are in fact the first ones to go there, just not the first ones to be there.

[Dibble Flubwibbler of DOOM]

Are industries like freight and shipping now paying ludicrous amount to the telekinetics and teleporters who made their work so much easier? Are there power shortages because there are fewer supers who control fire and electricity about working to provide energy? Have the remaining supers in regular jobs formed a union? 

 

And you say that tech has barely moved on, and I find that extremely unrealistic.

im not saying technology hasnt advanced leaps and bounds,what i meant is that they have more localized advancement.there are a lot of technologies that kind of stagnated,so they moved on to other projects.i mean, you can only thin the iphone so much,and make the screen so big.so some things just kind of are the same, such as the aforementioned liscensed long distance communication devices,and clothing,and much more specialized tech has popped up,like nanotech, and protective gear.

 

 

on the topic of the supers in industry,yes,yes,and yes.the synopsis i made up did have a lot of holes, and one of them was the poorly explained situation caused by the rise and fall of the super population.at the point the numbers began to dwindle,the world had wrapped its functionality so much around the supers that its now in a state of culture shock almost.that is another thing that slowed down tech progress, since they had to rethink everything about their life at the time, but had to go back to the way it was before much faster than when they were integrating the supers.

 

see?if i have time to actually think about what im saying,i can maybe make more sense than if im just saying things off the top of my head.

 

and seriously, thanks for all the feedback,having criticism actually really helps my thinking process more than i thought.

Edited August 23, 2015 by Dibble Flubwibbler of DOOM

[Silvan Haven]

You can make the Iphone the size of a thmbnail and give it a holographic projector. 

 

Really, the chances of technology stagnating in the next fifty years are pretty darn slim.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Slimmer even than the hypothetical thumbnail-sized phone.

 

And then there's... well, everything else. Electric cars? Hydrogen-powered cars? Thorium-powered cars? Are hydrocarbons still used at all as a power source? How have the amazing advances in robotics technology that were seen in the original RPG impacted civilian and industrial life over the last fifty years?

[Dibble Flubwibbler of DOOM]

notice i addressed that.that technology fell to the wayside for the time the supers were essentially running the industries.only now is that kind of stuff seeing more popularized use and a resurgence.

[Silvan Haven]

The problem with that is the fact that people don't just stop coming up with new things because a person can now do it. It's more likely that people would start try to recreate what the supers can do via technological means, and actually having working examples

in the form of well payed and treated test subjects would in fact speed up technology rather than slow it down.

 

Also people are hardly going to be hiring super powered individuals to follow them around all the time and act as a personal computer.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Good point, that one. We didn't decide not to invent the car because we already had horses. I think that you need to either rethink the implications of a futuristic setting, or rethink whether you want a futuristic setting.

[sunflower]

 

Space, the final frontier.

 

Words uttered time and time again by captains and crew across the quadrant, for each the phrase holding a different meaning.  For some, it hearkens back to a simpler time where space was but another land to explore, the next mountain to climb.  And yet others see the vast, unclaimed territory as a place to be conquered and ruled.

 

Regardless of their motives, each is drawn to the unknown, discovering and fighting, living and dying, in their ceaseless trek among the stars.

 
Setting:
 
The game takes place in 2399, approximately 20 years after Star Trek: Nemesis for the Trekkies around.  The United Federation of Planets, a galactic coalition of a countless number of worlds such as Earth, Vulcan, and Andor, is in high gear.  The Federation has begun pushing its explorative branch, Starfleet, out into the deepest unknowns.  Once again, the Federation is returning to its roots as the premier force for peace and justice for sentients everywhere.  However, conflict still reigns in the quadrant.
 
The furtive Romulan Star Empire, once a power to be reckoned with, has been crippled after the destruction of its capitol of Romulus 13 years prior.  The Star Empire has been effectively broken up into factions, with individual branches of the once powerful empire grabbing for whatever power can be found.  Any attempts at peace with the Federation have been shattered with their homeworld.
 
The Klingon Empire, following a political fallout with the Federation, has dissolved all diplomatic ties with its counterpart, and taken an aggressive stance on expanding their claims in the quadrant.  While official war has not quite begun, attacks and retaliations between the Klingons and the Federation are not uncommon.  The Klingon lust for conquest and combat has done little but fan the flames.
 
Elsewhere, the Borg, a vast race of hivemind cyborgs which forcefully assimilate individuals into their Collective, have returned to the edges of known space, quietly keeping to themselves and waiting for an opportune moment to begin their enigmatic quest to perfection once again…
 
Then there are those who answer to no one, from pirates to thieves, merchants willing to pay for anything, or young races just making their way to the stars.  Some are friends and some are enemies, some should have been avoided and others need help.
 
 
 
The Ship:
 
Our city among the stars is the U.S.S. Endeavour, NCC-76230, and will be the primary setting where the RPG takes place.  A Sovereign class cruiser, she’s nearly seven hundred meters long, and armed with enough phasers and photon torpedoes to deal with the worst that the void can throw at her.  The ship is comprised of the standard saucer – secondary hull – nacelles configuration of most Federation vessels.  Crew quarters and labs are located within the saucer, with engineering and cargo bays in the secondary hull.
 
The Bridge is located atop the saucer section, and accessible via turbolift.  As per usual, the captain’s chair is positioned at the center, with the Operations and Conn stations directly ahead.  Officer’s seats are to the left and right of the captain’s chair, and have access to multi-use consoles.  The main view screen is mounted on the forward bulkhead, with the main systems display opposite it in the rear.  Science and Tactical is positioned on the left and right, with additional stations running the length of the wall.
 
Inversely, Engineering is buried within the heart of the secondary hull, and contains the matter-antimatter warp core which powers the entire ship.  Emergency force fields can be raised should the core suffer a critical failure, and the core ejected from the ship.  Monitoring consoles are positioned off to the side.
 
Sickbay, positioned on the portside of the saucer, is home to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), and is outfitted with the latest medical equipment on offer.  A mark-II emergency medical hologram provides additional medical assistance should the need arise.
 
Crew quarters run along the saucer, with Officer quarters positioned in the upper decks closer to the bridge, and crew quarters further down.  As the ship is primarily a vessel of exploration, even the most spartan quarters are fully equipped, and customizable according to its occupant’s desires.
 
The mess is located opposite to sickbay on the starboard side of the saucer, and other than Ten-Forward located at the very tip of the saucer, is generally where the crew congregates.
 
 
 
The Crew:
 
Chosen from the best of the best, the crew of the Endeavour is comprised of one of the most diverse groups in the Fleet, with species across the quadrant filling its ranks.
 
To avoid too much character drift, especially the kind in a space RPG, characters will be the Senior Staff of the Endeavour.  Of course, this is subject to change as the story progresses. Character positions are on a first come first serve basis, though the below list is only a loose guide.  Feel free to be creative and make your own.  The only position not up for grabs is Captain, which will be explained below.
 
Positions

• First Officer: Right hand man, gets things done.
• Second Officer: Gets things done, generally another position and second officer.
• Head of Security: Leader of Redshirts.
• Chief Medical Officer: Get them heals.
• Chief Engineer: The miracle worker.
• Conn Officer: Makes the ship do donuts in space.
• Chief Operations Officer: Tells you how many people died from decompression.
• Chief Science Officer: Tells you about the life signs on that planet.
• Chief Tactical Officer: Does the pew pew stuff.

Ranks

• Crewman
• Ensign
• Lieutenant
• Lieutenant Commander
• Commander

Character profile, fields can be added as seen fit.  They only require a single okay from staff.
 
Name: (As long as it makes sense for the species, go wild.)
Species: (Species will be approved on case-by-case basis.)
Gender: (Or sex, however you prefer to identify them.)
Rank: (From Crewman up to Commander, bear in mind you position.)
Position: (Chief Medical Officer?  Head of Security?  Conn Officer?  Etc.)
Appearance: (Enough detail for others to have a good idea of who they are.)
Personality: (As much or as little detail as is needed.)
Skills: (What can they do?  What are they good at?)
Bio: (However much is needed.)
 
 
 
The Captain:
 
There’s no playing favorites here, the captain of the ship will be an NPC, and the position initially unavailable for PCs.  The captain will serve as a true NPC, and will primarily be used to move plot along.  In terms of decisions affecting the ship, such as in combat, it can generally be assumed that he’s a-okay with whatever his Officers do.  The game staff, as well as the current GM, will have the last say in what he does, though.
 
 
 
Plot:
 
In order to replicate the weekly misadventures within each episode of Star Trek, this RPG will handle plots somewhat differently from most.  Rather than having a large, overarching story as decided by the staff, each player has the chance to create their own story for the crew.  These plots are submitted in a profile similarly to characters, only they require other player’s approval rather than just the staff’s.  The player who creates the plot then acts as the “Game Master” for the duration of the plot, allowing them control over NPCs, including the captain, and events.
 
The profile for this plot is as follows, though fields can be added as needed.
 
Plot Name: (Every episode has a name.)
Creator(s): (Who worked to bring this story together?)
GM(s): (Who’s going to run the plot?)
Summary: (A general idea of where the plot takes us.  While specific details aren’t needed, do try and include enough information for players to say yay or nay on it.)
Factions: (Who’s involved, what NPCs will be present?  If it’s just a character story, then nothing more than our ship is needed.)
Resolution: (How are some ways that this plot can end?  Will the ending be set in stone, or dependent on character choices?  Just… try not to blow up the ship.)
 
 
 
Rules:

• Keep it classy, folks, we’re still on BZP.
• Personal Characters are the sole property of their creators, and we can only start chopping off arms after they give us the go ahead.
• Staff is staff for a reason, listen to them if they speak, and they do have the ability to chop off arms with good cause.
• I think we all know what Star Trek is, but keep the fantasy knights in the holodeck.

Staff:
 
Gravity (It's-a me, Grav.)
Snelly (Bones McCoy)

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

I was kind of beautifully far off in some of my acronym guesses.

 

Like, the facetious "guess" of Cough Medicine Overlord was the closest to meaning the right thing, really.

[shadow pridak money gang]

so i'm tossing around ideas for some kind of historical fiction rpg. lloyd and i had a bit of an early concept going with a dramatized warren commission back in the day, but i'm looking at anything from the birth of the CIA and the truman doctrine to the end of the space race here - late 40s to late 60s.

 

lube me up in your sweet, buttery history knowledge, OTC. what conflicts would you like to see explored through the surreal- lens of our subforum

 

-Tyler

[25K Now!]

The French Indochina War.

Edited August 30, 2015 by Battery

[Nato G]

The Emu War. 

[Krayzikk]

The Emu War. 

 

I support this.

[Let's Henshin!]

Cold War Shenanigans. 

 

Let's go full spy game. 

 

Renaissance might be fun as well. 

Edited August 30, 2015 by Assault

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

I would love an Emu War RPG, if we get to play as sapient emus plotting against the Australian government.

 

But uh, Cold War shenanigans in the actual time period suggested would be pretty sweet.