The Official RPG Planning Topic

[The Lonesome Wanderer]

Could this work, a rpg split into eras, like new classes and locations added over time?

What do you mean? Like the storyline suddenly jumping forward into the future?Perhaps the transition of one RPG to another, sequel RPG. But as interesting as it would be to see it attempted, I doubt it would work out very well if the story jumped forward, leaving some players with their tasks unfinished - like a fight ended midway, for instance.If you want to add new locations and the like, just introduce them or let players find them. Unless you're making a sequel or the like, that's your best bet.If you make that a major factor of the RPG that things progress, you could do that. But if you did it more than once or twice, it would be a chaotic mess I would advise against.But that's just my opinion on the matter. If you gave in what context you would be using it, that would be better.-Toa Levacius Zehvor

the idea is after a few events happen, new areas and factions will appear, old areas stay, old charictars stay, just add more to be usedex: first few storys pass, add faction, a few more storys, add area, etc.

Could this work, a rpg split into eras, like new classes and locations added over time?

What do you mean? Like the storyline suddenly jumping forward into the future?Perhaps the transition of one RPG to another, sequel RPG. But as interesting as it would be to see it attempted, I doubt it would work out very well if the story jumped forward, leaving some players with their tasks unfinished - like a fight ended midway, for instance.If you want to add new locations and the like, just introduce them or let players find them. Unless you're making a sequel or the like, that's your best bet.If you make that a major factor of the RPG that things progress, you could do that. But if you did it more than once or twice, it would be a chaotic mess I would advise against.But that's just my opinion on the matter. If you gave in what context you would be using it, that would be better.-Toa Levacius Zehvor

the idea is after a few events happen, new areas and factions will appear, old areas stay, old charictars stay, just add more to be usedex: first few storys pass, add faction, a few more storys, add area, etc.

[shadow pridak money gang]

It sounds too chaotic to truly work.-Teezy

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

So what you're saying is that more factions show up over time, and new areas are discovered? It could work, but as I said - I would leave it to the players to find these locations, and the starting of the new factions should usually be left up to them. Maybe bring in a few, but don't go overboard.But, as I said, give me a bit of an example of what you're thinking. I'm not an internet telepath. Yet.-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[25K Now!]

We haven't invented brain implants for connecting to the Net. Lev, start working on that.Then we can become Internet Telepaths.

[shadow pridak money gang]

Unless what he's saying is that it's like the Age of Exploration in post-Columbus America: a bunch of explorers discovering new lands beyond their horizons, discovering native people (aka new factions) blah blah blah.You'll have to clarify here, because that's the picture I'm constructing in my mind.-Teezy

[otter]

I think he means it almost in the sense of something like DLC for a game. Once you play through the game (or partway) something new and better gets added on. You keep the old, and you get a whole new thing to run around in too.

[Wotz]

I don't think the fan-created games get enough players for that sort of thing. It sounds like a very large scale thing, and would be difficult to pull off. But if done correctly, it would be very innovative and fun.

[The Lonesome Wanderer]

example: start on mata-nui, wait awhile, add a tunnel to metru nui, wait a(long)wile, add boat to some other island.Closer-to-plan example: explain the plot changes in a epic, running parralel to charictars story. as new stuff happens, RPGers get more to do, say, "peacetime between (insert kingdom your all in) and (insert kingdom), Trade prospers,ETC" Now players can go to the other kingdom and trade. Or say "war between (insert kingdom your all in) and (insert other kingdom)." Now players from 1 kingdom will fight the other in a war.Hard to explain, but I think easy to get.

Edited February 5, 2012 by gdfgdfgdfice

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

Is this what you mean?

Players begin the RPG with one character maximum on the island of Plani-Nui, an island with land perfect for agriculture, surorunded by mountains on all but one coast like. After the RPG has gone on for one week in real life, pirates from a mysterious land arrive along the non-mountainous coast and attack. Players use their sea-faring ships to travel out farther than any boat has taken the inhabitants before and find a second island called Roki-Nui, an almost completely barren land where the inhabitants are planning an attack on Plani-Nui. The much larger, better trained force could crush the inhabitants of Plani-Nui. Players can now start off coming from Roki-Nui, and have a second character slot if they have done anything so far.Depending on what players do, they can act as diplomats to stop the war and form a treaty, or as generals and lead the underpowered Plani-Nui citizens to victory against the Roki-Nuians. After one month has passed in real life, no matter what is going on, a third party appears - the people of Mystri-Nui, a third island almost three times as large as the other two combined far to the north, who seek to enslave the population of both islands. If the war was going on, both are too weak to truly defend themselves. However, if the two sides formed an alliance, they may be able to stop the initial attack.If the initial attack succeeds, the people of Roki- and Plani-Nui who survived and weren't enslaved escape and head south, either still at war or allies - possibly reluctant. Or if the people of Mystri-Nui fail, players are sent alone in search of allies to the south. Either way, they have to negotiate with or battle the people who live in the islands even farther south.

That's a pretty simple example that seems to be what you're talking about, mixing the story and the discoveries together in a nice little blend with really cheesy names. Or do you mean something else?-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Wotz]

I love that idea. Throw in some elements of open warfare and huge battlefields and I'd love it even more.

[The Lonesome Wanderer]

the system for factions is different in my game, factions made by me, guilds made by playersyes, big battles and similer system to t.l.zEDIT: here is the finalized system.three topics; game, epic, reviewgame you playepic explains the plot changesreview is a review/disscusion topic, also database of what has happened.every charicter is in a faction, from those factions you get different gear and weapons. Allegiances(guilds) are player factions. players who play well are rewarded with special items.Big, plot driving battles can happen, and those work like this.

• [*]1 week/ 9 days before, announce by pm and in game and review topics[*]6 days before, begin drafting warriors, drafted warriors must be in town, and entry is optional (they pm me, I tell them where, when)[*]day(s) of, all players drafted fight each other 1v1[*]epic tells which side lost, players lick there wounds, add plot impact next day.

what do you think?

Edited February 6, 2012 by gdfgdfgdfice

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

Okay, let me see if I can make sense of this -Rather than the primary game topic, discussion topic, and profiles topic, you have a 'Game, Epic, and Discussion' set. You can have four, you realize, if you truly must? Such as with Cradle of Civilization. This isn't the CoT forum. Though the Epic one seems pointless - you can update the first post of the Discussion topic to explain plot changes. Like in an online game, when you get patches -

Newest Update!The island of Giants Toe has been found by the player guild Red Talon on behalf of the Crimson Kingdom! Members of the Azure Confederacy are called to attack Giants Toe before its secured, due to its close location to the small port island of Blue Watch!The player guild Crystal Voice, on behalf of the Silver Republic, has formed an alliance with the Green Tribes to the south against the Dark Armies!The alliance between the Dark Armies and Crimson Kingdom has dissolved after their failed joint battle against the Green Tribes!Player tahuLovr32, with his character Walord Armagedoth, has formed a new guild for the Azure Confederacy - the Sapphire Vanguard! All members in the Azure Confederacy who wish to fight the Red Talon (who defeated Walord in the past) are welcome to join! They will be making an assault on Giants Toe in two days time!The Dark Armies have retreated to their home on New Destral!Members of the Green Tribes and Silver Republic please meet on Argentum-Nui at the Defense Citadel to draw battle plans - the battle against New Destral begins soon (three days real world!)

That, for example. It's the third update - one is made every two weeks, lets say.

every charicter is in a faction, from those factions you get different gear and weapons. Allegiances(guilds) are player factions. players who play well are rewarded with special items.

Players are in a faction, and within that faction they form guilds is what you seem to be saying. Close enough to the Elementum-Nui system (you can choose to be sponsored by one of the major factions or simply go it alone).So we do have a choice, correct? For example, the 'Azure Confederacy' is known for spears and crossbows, with really light armor, but the 'Crimson Kingdom' favors heavy power armor and use lots of explosives rather than weaponry. Meanwhile, the 'Silver Republic' has highly advanced laser based weaponry and rarely uses any kind of armor, while the 'Dark Armies' make use of reanimation equipment to animate dead enemies as their front line, and highly powerful element users as their back row. Finally, the Green Tribes use tamed Rahi and are extremely tribal.(Yes, by the way, I was going for something based off the Magic colors, if anybody asks.)

Big, plot driving battles can happen, and those work like this.

• [*]1 week/ 9 days before, announce by pm and in game and review topics[*]6 days before, begin drafting warriors, drafted warriors must be in town, and entry is optional (they pm me, I tell them where, when)[*]day(s) of, all players drafted fight each other 1v1[*]epic tells which side lost, players lick there wounds, add plot impact next day.

what do you think?

No. You were doing good (at least in my imagination of the RPG) but what I see here is that we only get to fight other players during certain times, and we have to fight them at those times. It's not free form enough. And what about players acting as diplomats (yeah right...) or sneak attacks, or anything of that sort? That's what players do. We're the PCs. We don't throw ourselves await in battles. Our characters do what others can't do.And what if you can't show up during the days of the fight? Then you miss everything. Or what if somebody else doesn't, and you swing your blade and.... the battle freezes, your character is left doing nothing.That is a broken system.Also, factoring this - you probably have to wait four days or so before announcing the next battle to figure out what's going on. We'll be generous and say 2, plus the one before to deal with the aftermath. It takes one week to get to the battle - your minimum there - so 10 days. You only have 3 months - plus a little extra - so 95-100 days of RPG, more or less. And considering the first week or more will involve getting all the players started, and the latter ones caught up on the initial 10 pages of RPG...Tidy that part up.-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Wotz]

I agree. Too many limitations, and the epic topic is a bit cumbersome. You could have in-story updates in the gameplay topic and out-of-story announcements in the discussion. Allow battles to happen any time. New events etc. is cool, but don't limit it too much, or it ends up as more of an interactive epic.

[The Lonesome Wanderer]

Ok, maybe I can announce when the battle is happening, who is attacking who, then let the battle go on for a while, then see who has won. announce the major update as a post in the game topic.also, these are only Major battles, things that heavely effect the story. you can attack other players whenev, It just won't effect the overarching story. Think of it like a TV show, small storys eventually leading to bigger events, and a overarching story, reaching its climax eventually. yes, there is a Climatic final battle, but the rpg will be sequaled (if it gets that far).EDIT: this may be a COT rpg, depends if I can figure out why Dragons would be in bionicle.

Edited February 7, 2012 by gdfgdfgdfice

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

depends if I can figure out why Dragons would be in bionicle.

The Kanohi Dragon, Phase Dragons, the Kardas Dragon...there's already plenty of dragons in Bionicle

[The Lonesome Wanderer]

depends if I can figure out why Dragons would be in bionicle.

The Kanohi Dragon, Phase Dragons, the Kardas Dragon...there's already plenty of dragons in Bionicle

I mean LOTR style dragons.

[Lara White]

Putting this here and in the COTRPG planning topic to keep my options open.What would you guys think of a tactical-level RPG with a numbers system, and would it make any difference if I told you the system had already been test-run and partially refined?

[Wade.]

I'm afraid I wouldn't exactly like it very much. Doesn't feel very RPG like with all the statistics and stuff. It somewhat limits what you can do.

[Simulacrum]

Hey guys, me again, with two peices of news:1: I, thanks to life, forgot all about that Steampunk/clockwork RPG and it's currently in writing limbo.2: I'm thinking of re-making Knives in the Dark (http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=126&view=findpost&p=78965), and wanted to know what you thought. Any thing that bugged you? I remember that Levacius & TPTI brought up a few points, and I wanted to maybe see what else needs work.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

depends if I can figure out why Dragons would be in bionicle.

The Kanohi Dragon, Phase Dragons, the Kardas Dragon...there's already plenty of dragons in Bionicle

I mean LOTR style dragons.

And the difference between, say, Smaug or Glaurung and the Kanohi Dragon would be what exactly?

[Toa of Dancing]

I'm afraid I wouldn't exactly like it very much. Doesn't feel very RPG like with all the statistics and stuff. It somewhat limits what you can do.

Well, most RPGs have stats, sooooo...But TBRPG, well, it's been generally shown that it isn't accepted much. Personally, I'd be very much open to it if it was well-done.

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

And the difference between, say, Smaug or Glaurung and the Kanohi Dragon would be what exactly?

Loot?

Hey guys, me again, with two peices of news: 1: I, thanks to life, forgot all about that Steampunk/clockwork RPG and it's currently in writing limbo. 2: I'm thinking of re-making Knives in the Dark (http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=126&view=findpost&p=78965), and wanted to know what you thought. Any thing that bugged you? I remember that Levacius & TPTI brought up a few points, and I wanted to maybe see what else needs work.

I still believe you need to add more description to your areas, so just bringing that up. And leaving a few things moreAlso, a final suggestion is you limit it to one continent. You pretty much closed off the Southern Continent and said all sides are fighting over it... why not just have all sides fighting over it, and a few local groups guarding certain areas? It makes the area more managable, so people getting from Metru-Nui to the Southern Islands instantly doesn't happen.

Putting this here and in the COTRPG planning topic to keep my options open. What would you guys think of a tactical-level RPG with a numbers system, and would it make any difference if I told you the system had already been test-run and partially refined?

What, like a war game or turn based video game or something? Maybe, but I'd have to see the RPG. If the whole system was based around 'Attack vs. Defense' then no, but something a bit more open minded would be better. You're a little vauge there.-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Lara White]

What do you mean about Attack vs Defense? The original ruleset is nine pages in World so I'm cutting it down, and I don't actually even have a high concept for the story yet. I just wanted to see people's initial reaction.

[Toa Levacius Zehvor]

Nine pages in Word? You can fit it in one post. :PI mean like comparing an attack bonus against a defense bonus. Not so hot an idea for the TBRPGs.Though if by tactical-level you mean putting the players in charge of an army or small force within a larger army then that might be interesting. But as I said, I'm not quite sure what you mean.-Toa Levacius Zehvor

[Lara White]

I'm talking more about each player controls one character as part of a team and they have to coordinate. And yeah, players would get attack/defense/unique bonuses as their teams level up.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Lloyd: the White Wolf

[The Lonesome Wanderer]

depends if I can figure out why Dragons would be in bionicle.

The Kanohi Dragon, Phase Dragons, the Kardas Dragon...there's already plenty of dragons in Bionicle

I mean LOTR style dragons.

And the difference between, say, Smaug or Glaurung and the Kanohi Dragon would be what exactly?

I mean dragon myth, magic, and the like. But no elves. no. If I can work out the main/storyline battle system(see earlier discusion), I could post it in COTRPG planning topic.

[a goose]

We haven't invented brain implants for connecting to the Net. Lev, start working on that.Then we can become Internet Telepaths.

Off-Topic: Actually, there's a guy called Kevin Warwick who has one.

the system for factions is different in my game, factions made by me, guilds made by playersyes, big battles and similer system to t.l.zEDIT: here is the finalized system.three topics; game, epic, reviewgame you playepic explains the plot changesreview is a review/disscusion topic, also database of what has happened.every charicter is in a faction, from those factions you get different gear and weapons. Allegiances(guilds) are player factions. players who play well are rewarded with special items.Big, plot driving battles can happen, and those work like this.

• [*]1 week/ 9 days before, announce by pm and in game and review topics[*]6 days before, begin drafting warriors, drafted warriors must be in town, and entry is optional (they pm me, I tell them where, when)[*]day(s) of, all players drafted fight each other 1v1[*]epic tells which side lost, players lick there wounds, add plot impact next day.

what do you think?

I wouldn't suggest the epic part. Everything else seems pretty much fine, except you shouldn't try to be so... controlling of the fights. Let the fights work out as they do, that would be better.

[Wotz]

I was thinking recently about a kind of 'choose your destiny' RPG, where different events occur depending on the choices the players make. It was just a passing idea, but I thought I'd chuck it in here just in case.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't that describe basically any RPG? If their actions don't have any effect on the story, then whats the point? You might as well go write an epic

[Wotz]

I meant as in they have a very dramatic effect, like different NPCs get introduced, different answers to mysteries, different everything. So that the story's completely different when the players do and say different things.

[Lara White]

I did that with Darkspace. The players literally went down in flames. :w:

[Wotz]

Maybe that wouldn't work quite as well then

[Lara White]

It worked fine. The whole point was to let them determine the end of the game, and it worked like a charm.Getting a happy ending, however...

[25K Now!]

I did that with Darkspace. The players literally went down in flames.

You mean the New Legion went down in flames, the designated antagonists lost the war, and the Solar Legion became God.

[Lara White]

Yeah, like I said. The majority of active players went down in flames.

[Grantaire]

A silver crystal was held in the palm of a Toa. He frowned, glancing at the object he held in his crimson hand. It was a possession of one of the many now dead beings living in his city. No big surprise, Turaga always died first.But despite of that, he still turned it on, knowing what he would see.The Turaga was frail, his white armor faded and battered with age and weather, his staff crooked and scarred. The same went for his noble Ruru, although the ice blue eyes behind it still gleamed brightly.The eyes themselves betrayed the Turaga's sense of fear."It has been two months since our colony was settled," he began, his voice low, obviously not wanting to alert any nearby enemy of his presence."We were peaceful folk, or just people wanting to get away from the world wide war between the Dark Hunters and Makuta. We fled to the deserted city of Metru Nui, hoping to flee the bloodshed, for many of us were getting caught in the crossfire. We settled the city, even though we had not expected to find it in ruins. The only inhabitants were Rahi, although some of us claimed to have found the remains of a camp in Le-Metru. But we were not disturbed by anything - as we quickly drove the Rahi off, and with our wide array of species, had no problem holding them there. It all changed over the past month. A horde of spiders came, their time bringing death, or worse. Their leader, a cold, ruthless, and even worse, a Makuta. His purpose was clear: To drive us out, and slay every last one of our settlement." He paused, catching his breath and listening to something unheard."I have but a moment. They have heard me. They will find me. I beg you, if you are reading this: Help us, for Mata Nui's sake!"He tensed, looking nervously at the door, debating on whether or not to flee through it.At last he made up his mind: bolting towards it, unlatching it, and stepping outside.He breathed a sigh of relief, for the dark street was deserted, nothing moved except for an occasional strand of webbing. He stepped forwards as silently as possible, glancing around nervously.Now a sound was heard, almost of something scuttling. The Turaga stepped backwards until he was against a wall, his staff held out in front of him, his Ruru activated.There was a skitter from the left. You could see the staff shaking.Then a black shape blocked the view, and only one sound was heard.The Toa turned off the crystal, cutting the scream of agony off.---It is the year three post cataclysm, and the world looks dark, darker than ever before, save perhaps in the days of the Barraki. Mata Nui slumbers, the City of legends is a deserted ruins, the Brotherhood of Makuta has changed its role from the protector to the oppressor. Toa are vanishing, killed by Makuta or private assassins. Stelt is embroiled in a massive civil war, Zakaz’s population is leaking into other lands, bringing its barbarity with it. everywhere tyrants are springing up, governments rise and fall within months, and the economy is destroyed by war, and the loss of metro nui. Xia is keeping itself alive by selling weapons to both sides, and organizing an army with the money gained.Maybe the world’s end has come, as many wild eyed matoran are claiming, but more than likely it will just get worse, not better.Refugees are more common than ever; matoran, homes burned, oftentimes by the very people who they find themselves joining: bandits, murderers, outlaws, remnants of defeated armies. They are all heading for one place, the one place where there is no war, unless they make it themselves. Metru Nui, deserted since its fall to the Brotherhood of Makuta. Nothing could stop them, not any nations in their way, not closed sea gates. They blasted them down, surged through underground chutes, or any other form of entrance they could find. Metru nui soon became about a dozen different nations, all constantly quarreling and fighting. Rahi are a constant threat and dozens die in their first attacks. Nothing else alive is found, and life begins to settle down into a routine: fight off rahi, conquer any new territory you can lay your hands on, and generally live for nothing but war.While not ideal, it was a higher standard of life for them than before.That is, until the Makuta came on the scene.Makuta Tridax, at the head of a small army of rahkshi, arrived on Metru Nui expecting to find a rahi infested city just waiting for him to occupy. Instead, his advance scouts had the bad luck of running into a group of Skakdi, and being promptly butchered, with only a rahkshi of teleportation escaping. Tridax landed at the great temple, butchering the small village of matoran there, and turned it into a fortress from which he slowly began to advance into Ga-Metru with. The settlers were disorganized, but fierce, and knew the terrain far better than the more organized Rahkshi. In a series of battles, the Ga Metru Vortixx wiped out almost half of Tridax’s Rahkshi forces in hit and run fights, and sent the rest right back to the Great Temple. Faced with a yearlong siege, Tridax decided to call for reinforcements: reinforcements in the form of a small horde of Visorak. They swamped half of Ga-Metru, killing or mutating most of its inhabitants and sending the rest fleeing for dear life.---Welcome to the City of the Dead, an RPG set in the post cataclysm world, on the island of Metru Nui. People of many species, and even more divers background have populated it, forming their own towns. Only the archives have never been explored: due to the massive amounts of rahi, no one goes near there if they can help it.The Great Temple has been invaded and made into a massive fortress by Makuta Tridax, whose visorak armies have ravaged most of Ga-Metru and are spreading out to the rest of the island. Hordika roam Ga Metru and other districts, ill tempered, often insane. Running into one can give a varied result from being torn to shreds to being ignored.If you’re a Refugee, your goal is to keep alive. Brotherhood forces will kill or mutate you on sight, and even your fellow settlers cannot be all trusted: rumor has got around that Tridax has decided to use some of his captured enemies as spies. After, that is, he’s completely wiped away their ability to rebel against him. These spies are hard to spot, as vanishing is an extremely common thing, with most forms of communication cut off, and as the visorak will kill them just as easily as settlers.If you are a visorak, or any other Brotherhood force, well then, your job isn’t to stay alive; there’s always more troops to get, but to destroy the settlers, and take control of the city yourself.-Factions-Settlers:-Matoran: The most peaceful, and therefore the most picked on, this faction lives in southern Ga Metru, where it is mostly extinct, and in northern Ta Metru. It is the most preyed upon by the visorak as it migrates rapidly into central Ta Metru. This faction is composed only of Matoran, Toa, and Turaga.---Half finished, but I think it's a good improvement over my last version of it. Thoughts?

[Boredo]

Eh, the first post said that ideas that were only a few sentences long were okay, so I'll just spit this out.I had this weird idea that the Bionicle universe could be integrated with our universe, kind of like the Marvel universe where the Toa were akin to the mutants and superheroes and such. It's just an idea, and I'm kinda iffy on it. I can explain more if anyone's interested in the basic concept, but I'm shy about this.

[Lara White]

I particularly like to approach ideas that no one else has thought of or that no one likes. This has been tried before, but not by terribly good GMs. Do tell, I want to see how you'll spin this.

[Boredo]

I had this...The residents of the MU escape via massive spaceships, as there was some major calamity in the MU. They crash-land here, a la Transformers, and lie dormant for centuries. The ships, sunk deep below the surfaces of the oceans, are equipped with tools to change the physiology of the ships' inhabitants to whatever the native ruling species is. During either the Victorian era or modern-day, the ships wake up, releasing the MU residents into the world as beings that look like, walk like, talk like , and in every regard are human. Depending on the time period, the residents go to different areas. For example, in the 1800s, the Makuta might set up shop in America, or in modern times maybe Japan or Russia. They still have their powers, but all are altered by the new world. The Makuta might also set up some kind of peace treaty with a government, convincing the powers that be that they are the good guys all around and trying to eradicate or enslave the other ex-inhabitants of the MU. There's also the possibility that for some ex-residents, the transformation process was bunged, allowing for shapeshifting between human and Bionicle bodies or half-human half-Bionicle creatures.

[Lara White]

I'd be careful with that--don't assimilate them too much into human culture, or else you'll lose the qualification of BRPG. I suggest keeping them distinctly biomechanical instead of being able to appear semihuman. As for time, I suggest present day, since more people are familiar with that than with Victorian times. I also feel the need to remind you that the KGB (now the SVR) and the CIA have been doing as much scheming as Makuta for a long time--they'd be very competent at telling what his real motives are, or at least unravelling them some.