Haecceity

This really caught me there, and I want to respond to it first. The stat system's "lightness" was a direct response to the attitude of this board- I hoped that I might ease players into a system with some constraints- apparently, that's not going to work. In this case, stats both force a player to "work with what they have", and to choose how they approach enemies based on the stats they gave their character at the beginning of the game. There is not Attack/ Defense here, so players have to consider how they attack and how they defend with the stats they have. I realize it does, and that's part of the compromise I'm making with the attempt to placate the board, and to lessen the learning curve for new players. I want stats to assure that players have consistency in how they play their characters, but I'm not asking much from the stats- just a way to quantify a character's attributes. You aren't restricted by the stats- In fact, by the ability to allot stats as you wish, you have a great deal of freedom- in any aspect other then realism (which you are all about, I hear). By insuring that a character maintains consistency, you can crate a great deal more realism then if you allow players to randomly interpret or skew a fight or situation just based on what they type- even if it contradicts earlier displays of power. I'd be willing to compromise over a stat system, and wait for more Okoto info to come out (perhaps when the books are published?), but to be entirely honest with you, my first foray into the BZPRPG threw me off not only because of the cliques and complexity, but because of the unknown. I didn't know if I was expected to be able to do certain things, or if players would call me out for trying this or that. In that regard, I think a stat backbone provides support for struggling and new players- (and unlocks new avenues of play, if secret unlocks are implemented!) Anyway, stats or no stats... old habits die hard for both of us, I guess.

The reason games on this forum don't use stat or point systems is because the whole idea of a text-based RPG is to tell a story. Have you ever read a book where all of the characters have stats and skills listed, and have to adhere to those? Actually, the point of an RPG is to roleplay. Usually within an established story at first, though that may branch out as the roleplaying progresses and forms additional stories. You raise several valid points there- points that I (as a tabletop gamer) agree with in some aspects regarding stat systems. However: Quantification can be clarified by providing examples along a scale of possible stat values- e.g., 5 Speed is about the speed of a Kane-Ra Bull, or likewise, allowing players room to interpret their stats as they want, but providing a comparison to insure continuity. Debuffs/penalties and bonuses do pose a problem in simplistic systems, and while I could write a list of situations and their resulting effects up and provide that to players, I think that would be too frustrating for the average player (who doesn't want to look at a list every time they perform an action.) In this case, I think relying on roleplaying might be a better alternative for inserting stat changes- reflect the change in your roleplaying, not your stats. The idea here is not to make a stat-heavy game, and if players are able to practice restraint and roleplay realistically in the BZRPG without any guidelines, then I see no reason why they couldn't do it in this RPG. Quote TL;DR If I wanted a game that relied on stats, I'd play Runescape. Hooboy. Alright, let's get down to this. Firstly, the idea is not to take the roleplaying out of the game. Not at all. Instead, the point of stats here is to provide an element of stability. In your example, notice that each player has _complete freedom_ to pull anything out of anywhere without any degree of assurance that this isn't a deus ex machina by the player that will be brought up once and never used again. By quantifying a character, it both forces players to think more strategically (and prevents sudden "Oh-I-won" moments), and allows players to have an idea of how they'd like their character to develop from the beginning, as well as providing ideas for additional development players might never had considered. (some of my most well-rounded characters were stat-based, and I credit their development to studying where I put their stat points and being inspired. Also notice the lack of health, attack, or defense in my original post. I want players to roleplay as much as possible, and I don't want stats to limit certain areas. Also, one should note that this is a verrrrrry light stat system, which is only a backbone to the RPG. It's not anywhere near those of most traditional RPGs, and is a pretty non-restrictive system. As for your comment on Okoto culture- I think that areas that are grey should be left that way until more is revealed, and that we should focus on what we do know about the island from animations and whatnot. And if players come up with a few fanon elements that contradict canon, so be it. We can always introduce more canon later, but I feel that this is the time to start, to capitalize on the blank slate we have been given. There's an element of mystery to not knowing everything about this new world- heck, any BIONICLE fan should realize that- and I want to harness that. Thanks for all the replies, though. I appreciate the criticism, as it helps me refine my ideas and get differing opinions. P.S. If a stat system simply will not do, I am open to running it more like a traditional Text-Based RPG, though it might become a BZPRPG clone in that case.)

While I realize that RPGs on BZP don't usually use stats, this is primarily a text-based game. And frankly, the BZPRPG's lack of at least a way of showing character stats frustrates me. It seems very wishy-washy, and honestly more abuse-able than having a points system. "Also, there's a rather conspicuous lack of any story whatsoever" As I stated, the story would work around the current G2 canon story. I'll write up some example quests if this gets further, but currently this is just conceptual framework. "I don't think many people want to play as villagers" I never stated that players could only play as Villagers- I've thought of adding a "Warrior" class with greater elemental control, Protectors, and perhaps Masters, based on feedback. Staff would NOT play as the canon masters unless those masters were interacted with- or perhaps we could give the canon Masters to players? Also, running around as villagers while others did all the fun stuff was basically the plot of MNOLG, (which I'd like to emulate since we have so little info) though it included "at least add some way of the villagers getting involved in the plot." Therefore, I agree that plot involvement is fine, but I'd like to stay close to canon as much as possible...

Alright, I can see that those here don't like pointbuy stats, or stats and general, but I'm still going to propose this. LINK TO BANNER ----------------------------------------------------------- Long ago on the island of Okoto...There lived two Mask Makers,The mighty Ekimu and the great Makuta.They forged the very masks we Protectors wear to this day.But corruption is drawn to those in power...And so it was that Makuta fell into the darkness and defeated Ekimu, leaving the villages of Okoto stranded and lost, guided only by a vague prophecy of the six Masters who would fall from the heavens...For years we have passed down these legends, in hope that one day, they would come true. We have migrated to the very corners of this land, searching for our saviors. And now, they have come.Most in the villages are ecstatic, in awe of the mighty Masters who have arrived.But dark undercurrents flow through Okoto, and as the ever-present Skull Spider menace lurks in the background of village celebrations, individuals plot and scheme.... What will be revealed as the Masters continue on their quests? Welcome to Bionicle: Okoto.Bionicle: Okoto is a RPG or "Role-playing-game" set on the island of Okoto. In it, players take the place of various inhabitants of the island by typing out a character's actions, thoughts, and conversations.For example, a player may type: (IC: Nayru) Nayru looks at the sea with a peaceful grin upon her face. "Awesome!", she mutters.((OOC: I like pie.)) The " (IC: )" marks mean that a player is pretending or "roleplaying" in character, or as a specific person. In this case, the player is pretending to be a character called "Nayru".If a player wants to talk as a character, they should always use (IC: followed by their character name. Likewise, if a player wants to talk about the real world, they should put ((OOC: )), or " out of character", to notify other players that they are not speaking as their character. The Okoto RPG is a bit different from the BZPRPG in this forum in that it uses values called "stats" to determine character strengths and weaknesses.There are two types of stats- mental and physical- with four categories within each. They are MENTAL STATS (these use your brain)Intelligence (Smarts)Wisdom (Common Sense)Elemental Power (Control over your element) PHYSICAL STATS (these use your body)Strength (Muscle Power)Agility (Flexibility and maneuverability)Speed (Quickness) Each player starts with 1 point in every stat, and is given twenty points to put anywhere they want, with a maximum of five points per stat. (This includes the point already in each stat.)This ensures that no player puts all 20 points into a single stat and becomes "all-powerful". Stats are used throughout the game to settle conflict- if players attack each other, they compare stats- for example, if a player uses a fireball on another player, who tries to dodge, the two would compare their Elemental Power and Agility stats, with the highest one winning. In the case of a tie, the fight is a stalemate.Skull Spiders have preset stats, depending on their color, which are also used in battle. Stats are also used to unlock secrets around Okoto- certain doors may need a high Wisdom to open, or a certain combination of stats might activate a secret ruin. These areas are typically described by a RPG staffer, though players can make their own.These secrets are labeled by the use of !Unlock:! followed by the stat(s) needed to access it and their power level.For example:!Unlock: Wisdom 3! requires a player with a 3 in Wisdom to access it, whereas !Unlock: Wisdom 3+! allows any players with 3 or higher Wisdom access. Bionicle: Okoto attempts to follow the canon storyline as accurately as possible- therefore, the RPG does not allow players to play as the Six Masters, and tries to update and expand the island of Okoto as more information is revealed about it. Additionally, the RPG occurs concurrently with story events, so events that have occurred either in the animations or in supplemental materials are considered canon for all intents and purposes. The RPG is led by a friendly team of INSERT NUMBER HERE members, who- in addition to moderating the RPG- welcome new members, introduce plotlines, and try to make sure no-one feels left out. Feel free to PM a staffer if you need any help. Staffers introduce new players to each other via a team of villagers that welcome players and guide them to a storyline. They are ready to interact and share the role of creating new missions and events that do not interfere with established canon.---------------------------------------------- Feel free to comment on this post- I'll write more up later if it catches on.

I don't want to claim that I am nearly as invested in the RPG as any of you (heck, I've barely played), nor do I wish to undermine your ability to partake in a world which you have developed and shaped for years, alright? Let's get that out of the way first. What I want to have is a logical, well-thought-out discussion about the complexity of the RPG, its effect on new players, and the lack of G2 presence. From a site that has long held accouterments of the past above those of the present, I am not surprised that the RPG has remained focused on the basic trappings of G1- however, it is my opinion that this focus on G1 elements, and especially the complex lore which has developed around them, runs counter-intuitive to the site's recent initiatives to accept new members and garner a larger member-base. Speaking as a member who has twice attempted to enter the RPG in its present state, the sheer foreknowledge required to actually function in the game is far beyond what is presented in recaps, and the difficulty which I experienced in getting others to interact with me highlighted the tendency to stick to cliques and groups that were already defined- as Tyler said, the "RPG gang" seems to be a real entity, and the degree to which one has to stick out ones neck to get interaction is very off-putting, especially for shyer members who would be happy to interact but are loathe to approach members and join "groups", such as myself. I do not propose a reboot, not until one is called for anyway- but perhaps a splitting of the RPG into a G1 and G2 BZPRPG- a "Legends" and "Okoto" RPG, perhaps? Something that allows for a fresh start, and a familiar setting for when we inevitably receive younger players. Personally, I would also love a "Welcoming Committee" for the RPGS- someone who could introduce new players to the settings, show them around, and perhaps start them on a plot point? Again, I'm not the most experienced player, so feel free to poke holes in all of my suggestions. But, to be entirely honest, I feel like you've been a bit rough on r34daka, and a bit too dismissive.

"King of Those Who Know" - Cynic

It's Rhea from Slightly ! ..... on further thought.... It's quite obviously a hat.

Knots - Gentle Giant

Just finished giving Devin Townsend's "Infinity" a spin- now listening to the entirety of "Sing to God" by Cardiacs. (and yes, it is just "Cardiacs." I didn't flub up there or misplace anything.) Currently on Track 2, "Eat it Up Worms Hero".

If you're interested, feel free to use either of these for Annona. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/lego388/oo/annonaandtellfinal.jpg < Slightly more atmospheric, but also features Telluris along with Annona. http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/lego388/oo/annonalayfk2435.png < Brighter version without Telluris. If you're interested, I'll try to find the final file and take Telluris out of the image- providing you wish to use the first image sans Telluris, of course. =P

The title refers both to the Huna's power and to the fact that I never got around to sticking the rest of Vakama in the picture. =P Thanks for the compliment. As far as technique goes, I used Inkscape to sketch the Huna, did some brushwork in GIMP, brought it out to a separate program to add more splatters, and stuck it back in GIMP to add detail and work out the colouring.

Cosmic Sea - Death

Maaan, feels like I've been off BZP for a while. Anyway, I was messing about with stylistic choices recently and decided to try something a bit different. I wanted to test the style before I actually worked seriously with it, so I decided to try applying it to a Huna. This was the result. (Yes, that is a thumbnail. A rather large one. Click it.) C&C (and cookies) appreciated. =3

The constraints of the avatar box prevent us from observing whatever it is that has caught her attention. Perhaps it is the nose missing from your signature?(And yes, my av is part of the picture in my sig. Sadly, no X-rays or alien life-forms were involved in making it...)

I've seen crocodile tears mentioned before, but I'm pretty sure I've never heard of Rahkshi tears. Huh.

I know it seems to be a popular choice, but I'm gonna have to go with the avatars Taka Nuvia makes. They really lend her posts some personality. :3

"Cockroach King"- Haken

"The Perfumed Garden"- Omnium Gatherum

Awakening- SunLess Rise