The Official RPG Planning Topic

[Ghidora131]

To what extent?

 

Look, I'm opening a topic in BS&T where we can discuss this further. In the meantime, let's talk more about the RPG itself and ways to help Lalonde improve it instead of just filling up pages of argument.

 

Back to topic!

[Eyru]

In any RPG you play here, Toa of Iron are not allowed to manipulate the metal in their opponents' bodies.

 

Nor are Toa of Gravity allowed to use their powers to crush their opponents into little balls.

 

Nor are Toa of Air allowed to inflate their opponents' lungs until they explode.

 

Nor are Toa of Water allowed to manipulate the fluids inside an opponents' body.

 

Plenty of Toa are OP in theory, but that doesn't stop us from playing them. Theoretically, there is nothing stopping a Toa of Iron from grabbing an opponent's metal body and crushing them instantly. However, in practice, we adjust powers and abilities based on what makes a game fair to play, not necessarily on what has been seen in canon or what should be possible.

 

This game takes place underwater; of course Water Toa are going to be OP. But just because certain elements have the potential to be gamebreaking elements doesn't mean they should be excluded. It means they should be adjusted to fit the game and create an equal playing field.

 

Rahkshi Lalonde: I love this idea for an RPG, and I think it has a lot of potential. I'll read through it more thoroughly and post a critique later.

[Krayzikk]

To what extent?

 

Look, I'm opening a topic in BS&T where we can discuss this further. In the meantime, let's talk more about the RPG itself and ways to help Lalonde improve it instead of just filling up pages of argument.

 

Back to topic!

 

Except this is a discussion pertaining to the use of an element in a specific RPG setting, not its potential use in general. If you want to open a topic in BS&T, by all means, go ahead. But this is, in fact, a discussion related to an RPG, and by extension, on topic.

 

Thank you.

[Silvan Haven]

In any RPG you play here, Toa of Iron are not allowed to manipulate the metal in their opponents' bodies.

 

Nor are Toa of Gravity allowed to use their powers to crush their opponents into little balls.

 

Nor are Toa of Air allowed to inflate their opponents' lungs until they explode.

 

Nor are Toa of Water allowed to manipulate the fluids inside an opponents' body.

 

Plenty of Toa are OP in theory, but that doesn't stop us from playing them. Theoretically, there is nothing stopping a Toa of Iron from grabbing an opponent's metal body and crushing them instantly. However, in practice, we adjust powers and abilities based on what makes a game fair to play, not necessarily on what has been seen in canon or what should be possible.

 

This game takes place underwater; of course Water Toa are going to be OP. But just because certain elements have the potential to be gamebreaking elements doesn't mean they should be excluded. It means they should be adjusted to fit the game and create an equal playing field.

 

Rahkshi Lalonde: I love this idea for an RPG, and I think it has a lot of potential. I'll read through it more thoroughly and post a critique later.

 

The point I was making was simply that the Water Element in this setting is, in fact, OP. I admit that probably should of been followed by a couple suggestions as to how to fix the problem.

 

I was not trying to get the element removed. Just bringing up a problem so that it could be fixed.

[Timageness]

Like Timageness said, though, if you've been mutated by the pit, part of that mutation is the ability to withstand increased pressures.

Actually, I posted that as a somewhat reasonable theory and provided some potential evidence to support it. There was no point where I said that it was an outright fact.

While certain amounts of exposure to it does yield physical changes (examples include the Barraki, Krika, Gorast (who gained a stinger on her face that could drain Moral Light), and Bitil, the latter three becoming locked into their insectoid forms because of it), BS01 makes no specific mention to whether or not the Barraki gained anything from it besides their appearances and their ability to breathe water, though it could've still been possible, which would kind of solve the increased water pressure issue if it was. And to ammend what I said about the Matoran earlier, it turns out that some of them were indeed affected by the Pit Mutagen at some point, and that the substance only alters one's appearance if they come in contact with an exceptionally large amount of it (which would be easier to do near the actual Pit than the city itself). In low doses, it makes beings breathe water instead of air, and has been known to fix the bodies of those "repaired" by Karzahni.

 

In any RPG you play here, Toa of Iron are not allowed to manipulate the metal in their opponents' bodies.

 

Nor are Toa of Gravity allowed to use their powers to crush their opponents into little balls.

 

Nor are Toa of Air allowed to inflate their opponents' lungs until they explode.

 

Nor are Toa of Water allowed to manipulate the fluids inside an opponents' body.

 

Plenty of Toa are OP in theory, but that doesn't stop us from playing them. Theoretically, there is nothing stopping a Toa of Iron from grabbing an opponent's metal body and crushing them instantly. However, in practice, we adjust powers and abilities based on what makes a game fair to play, not necessarily on what has been seen in canon or what should be possible.

 

This game takes place underwater; of course Water Toa are going to be OP. But just because certain elements have the potential to be gamebreaking elements doesn't mean they should be excluded. It means they should be adjusted to fit the game and create an equal playing field.

 

Rahkshi Lalonde: I love this idea for an RPG, and I think it has a lot of potential. I'll read through it more thoroughly and post a critique later.

 

The point I was making was simply that the Water Element in this setting is, in fact, OP. I admit that probably should of been followed by a couple suggestions as to how to fix the problem.

 

I was not trying to get the element removed. Just bringing up a problem so that it could be fixed.

 

Yeah, the current discussion is actually whether or not Water should be nerfed more than normal because of the game's setting, not if it should be removed entirely. Sorry for the confusion.

[Prowl Nightwolf]

I don't really see why water should be nerfed just because we would be I a water setting. Eyru has already listed how the Auto-hit option have been taken out of the Elements for fairness sake while in an air setting. So why the issue just because they are in a water setting? I mean think about it the only real advantage a Water element user has over the others while underwater is that the likely wont have to uses as much Toa Energy to manipulate. Thus making them stronger in that regard. However Air Toa are not forced to limit their use just because they are above sea level.

 

I mean if there is enough water in the area what is stopping a Toa of water from surrounding a target in what is basically a bubble suffocating them or increasing the pressure inside until they are crushed? Yet in my short time here I have never seen that in the BZPRPG. I mean they are on an Island there is water everywhere. So why hasn't it happened? Well first because I have not had a Toa of water hehe, and also because we need to have more faith in the RP community. If they have not had too many issues with exploiting the rules (Sorry I'll work harder on that ) then take it easy on the water element. I mean most if not all the characters are going to have a resistance to water anyway what with living in it and all. So I suspect it will balance itself out.

[Daniel the Finlander]

Sorry to interrupt your discussion about water elementals, but I just want to ask you something

 

Would you guys be interested in a bionicle RPG about pirates? I've seen several pirate characters in the BZPRPG, so I thought some people might be interested in it.

 

I have some ideas for game mechanics, setting and background. Ship-to-ship combat, treasure hunting and faction wars are some examples of what will be included.

 

My other WIP RPG, Knightfall, won't be abandoned but if people find pirates more interesting then I'll save it for later. I still need GM experience, and I think some of the unique mechanics of Knightfall would be difficult to deal with.

 

Also, has there been a RPG about pirates before?

[25K Now!]

That sounds like Lev's ... Waves of the South, was it?

[Nato G]

A pirate RPG sounds like it could be fun. 

[Prowl Nightwolf]

Arrg I say we make her walk le plank and send 'er to the depths of Hydraxon's locker to be Taka bait.

[Geardirector]

That sounds like Lev's ... Waves of the South, was it?

 

You might be referring to the short-lived The Legend of the Thirteenth Island, which was run by Ultron Six.

[Void Emissary]

Both of them involved ships and pirates, yes.

 

-Void

[Daniel the Finlander]

I found two pirate-themed RPGs, The Legend of the Thirteenth Island and Waves Of The South. I'll use them for inspiration and probably start working on a rough draft of the RPG tomorrow. (ninja'd, be cursed)

The rough idea is that it will take place on an ocean in Spherus Magna, with one faction of Matoran Universe beings, other of Bara Magna natives and third of independent pirates, rebels and criminals. I do like the faction/guild system in Waves of the South, but I'm not sure if I should implement it in some way.

I would like some suggestions for weapons the ships will use. There will be giant disk launchers like in the BZPRPG, but I can imagine Kanoka disks being manufactured from protodermis scavenged from the abandoned Matoran Universe. Some balancing will need to be done for some Kanoka powers, but I think they could work. Not sure about gunpowder weapons or any other weapons from the Matoran Universe, for example the Cordak launchers might be too powerful. Thornax launchers and Force blasters from Bara Magna could be included as well.

Species, any sentient ones from Matoran Universe and from Bara Magna. Except Toa, because aren't there like forty of them left?

Any suggestions are welcome.

[silo]

Sounds good...I would definitely say no toa, not only for balancing reasons but also because there are almost none of them. However, this could be great for character variety, with so many other species to choose from, rather than reverting to the default.  Have you got any ideas for the plot beyond the general setup yet?

EDIT: You should also probably state that species like Botar's species etc. are banned, as some MU species in particular are ridiculously OP

Edited May 30, 2015 by 000

[Not Quite Dead]

Anything pirates gets a yay.

[Sergei Rahkmaninoff]

What about steampunk airship pirates? Since airships are already a thing in the MU, it wouldn't be a stretch. Just throwing the idea out there.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Didn't one of the contests we had have a "must be partly underwater" theme? Because the themes were generally based on the years of Bionicle and we'd reached 2007. Not sure if I'm remembering that right, it might be on the old forums, and the only winner I remember is Exo-Fat's "The Abyss". Could be worth looking into that for more examples of underwater/piratey RPGs

[Timageness]

Considering that we've seen one Toa possess the capability to make at least six Toa Stones by giving up their Toa Power, that number could've increased exponentially in the time between the RPG's setting and Spherus Magna's reformation if the majority of the current Toa had become Turaga (unless, of course, they didn't for whatever reason).

Their inclusion, however, would ultimately be up to the creator of the RPG.

Edited May 30, 2015 by Timageness

[FallenAtlas]

  A small teaser for a RPG I'm working on. I ditched my previous idea for a more contained, plot-driven idea, with a good twist on the canon. I am unsure of how accurate this "What If?" is, but seeing how RPG's are basically group Fanfics, pooh to the accuracy.

 

 

 

 

 Miserix paced the length of his chamber, brow furrowed. The news from the north was troubling; The Matoran have picked up arms over petty trade disputes, and threaten the entire universe with their warring. They abandoned their duty to the Great Spirit, but Miserix knew his: Protect the Universe while Mata Nui did his mysterious duty.

 

He turned and approached his desk, a series of maps and reports laid across it. He narrowed his eyes; The League of Five Kingdoms had pushed in two directions, towards Xia and Destral. Teridex left with most of the Brotherhood's forces to stop them before they took Xia, an important stepping stone to the south. The last report that came in wasn't pleasing: Takadox was discovered to be a spy for the Brotherhood and was now dead, his portion of their conquests split between the remaining five.

 

The door pushed open, and an aide rushed in, report in his out-stretched hands. Miserix took without a word of thanks and scanned it quickly. His faced paled as he read it. “Mata Nui....”

 

The League ambushed Teridex's forces, scattering them and killing Teridex himself. The League was marching on Destral to destroy the Brotherhood. Miserix looked up at the aide. “Summon the others. We either march to battle or we die here, and I will not fall hiding in this fortress.” The aide saluted and rushed out. Miserix turned to look at the map of Metru-Nui on the wall and sighed. The Matoran would have to wait.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The League of Five Kingdoms marches on Destral, and has occupied the Brotherhood's attention. Without the intervention of the Brotherhood in Metru-Nui, the Civil War has spiraled downwards into deeper chaos.

 

Ta-Matoran against Po-Matoran, Onu-Matoran against Le-Matoran, Ga-Matoran against Ko-Matoran, which side will you take?

Edited May 31, 2015 by FallenAtlas

[Timageness]

Interesting...

Edited May 31, 2015 by Timageness

[Daniel the Finlander]

Knightfall updated to 0.8, after a while. Added details about the values of the gods' servants and some small additions. Should be 100% complete now.
 
I don't have time to make a new RPG, unfortunately, and I've already invested quite a lot of it into Knightfall. I do like the idea of a pirate RPG, but I can't make one now. If someone else could, that'd be awesome.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Daniel the Dwarf

[Ghidora131]

Rahkshi Lalonde

 

Pirates of the Caribbean-style pirate warfare, complete with mutated crew members and GM indestructible battlewagons.

[silo]

It's a bad idea to have any controllable thing being completely indestructible, even if it's controlled by a GM (sometimes especially if it's controlled by a GM).

[IcarusBen]

It's a bad idea to have any controllable thing being completely indestructible, even if it's controlled by a GM (sometimes especially if it's controlled by a GM).

*cough*The Asylum*cough*

 

Speaking of which, would anyone like a sort of Wild West, iron horse spaghetti western-styled RP in the near future?

[Daniel the Finlander]

Speaking of which, would anyone like a sort of Wild West, iron horse spaghetti western-styled RP in the near future?

Why not pirates

[Sassy Dalmation]

But.. In the sky. Guns of Icarax, anyone?

[IcarusBen]

 

Speaking of which, would anyone like a sort of Wild West, iron horse spaghetti western-styled RP in the near future?

Why not pirates

 

 

But.. In the sky. Guns of Icarax, anyone?

 

Why not all three? A Southern Continent based series with pirates from the ocean, along with steampunk mixed with a Spaghetti Western atmosphere.

[Voltex]

That sounds like an RPG that might be trying to do way too much all at once.

[IcarusBen]

Okay...

 

I'll still push for a western-type of RP.

[Voltex]

I'd be interested in a western-type RPG as well, but I find myself personally pulled more towards the swashbuckling nature of pirates first at this time.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Sticking with the western theme, how about instead of setting it on random troubled town #34981 you set it on a train? Keeping things more confined than an entire desert should prevent players spreading out and allow a bit more interaction, you can have challenges brought in as the environment and change (oh no, a band of rogue Frostelus/Vorox/Assorted bandits are attacking!), maybe have some central mystery to keep people ticking over (what is kept in the guarded rear carriage that no-one is allowed to enter?) that can simply be replaced with a new one at the next stop after the players solve it...

Why yes, I have been re-reading Cherie Priest's book Dreadnaught lately, why do you ask?

[Voltex]

Keeping it restricted to something like a constantly-moving train would be really cool. It'd be hard to keep it from all collapsing, though. What's to stop players from simply hijacking the train and forcing it to break? Or from just disconnecting cars? 

[IcarusBen]

I imagine the Hype Train, as I will now call it, has built in safety measures to stop the train in case of disconnect. If the train breaks down (which would be hard for it to do) then that particularly section of plot will be focused on getting the train up and running.

 

Instead of keeping all players on the train, how about having them stop at various towns and stuff to refuel, restock and explore a little before getting back on the train.

 

As for a framing device... how about a train travelling across the desert of Spherus Magna, transporting something to a destination on the other side of the continent. That'd be cool.

Edited June 1, 2015 by IcarusBen

[Makuta Miras]

Keeping it restricted to something like a constantly-moving train would be really cool. It'd be hard to keep it from all collapsing, though. What's to stop players from simply hijacking the train and forcing it to break? Or from just disconnecting cars? 

A non-breathable atmosphere outside? As in, it's a desert but the winds are so strong that the sheer amount of dust in the air chokes you as soon as you step outside the carriage?

[Sassy Dalmation]

I imagine the Hype Train, as I will now call it, has built in safety measures to stop the train in case of disconnect. If the train breaks down (which would be hard for it to do) then that particularly section of plot will be focused on getting the train up and running.

 

Instead of keeping all players on the train, how about having them stop at various towns and stuff to refuel, restock and explore a little before getting back on the train.

 

As for a framing device... how about a train travelling across the desert of Spherus Magna, transporting something to a destination on the other side of the continent. That'd be cool.

 

That would be very hard to keep track of. What about those who could not post as often? Would they be left in town? Plus, that would be a GM's nightmare, coming up with an entirely new town every few weeks.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Wielder-of-Shadow

[Voltex]

 

I imagine the Hype Train, as I will now call it, has built in safety measures to stop the train in case of disconnect. If the train breaks down (which would be hard for it to do) then that particularly section of plot will be focused on getting the train up and running.

 

Instead of keeping all players on the train, how about having them stop at various towns and stuff to refuel, restock and explore a little before getting back on the train.

 

As for a framing device... how about a train travelling across the desert of Spherus Magna, transporting something to a destination on the other side of the continent. That'd be cool.

 

That would be very hard to keep track of. What about those who could not post as often? Would they be left in town? Plus, that would be a GM's nightmare, coming up with an entirely new town every few weeks.

 

 

I don't think it would be that hard. Planning could be done ahead of time, and you could always re-visit certain locales if necessary.

 

I imagine you might have more rest stops/re-fueling stations than actual towns anyway.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

That would be very hard to keep track of. What about those who could not post as often? Would they be left in town? Plus, that would be a GM's nightmare, coming up with an entirely new town every few weeks.

 

Given its likely such an RP would be run by a pair or team of GMs it shouldn't be too difficult to do. Have one focus on coming up with new towns and locations maybe, or just have them alternate who's coming up with the locale on each stop

[Timageness]

This train idea sounds a lot like the movie Snowpiercer.

I like it.

[IcarusBen]

You could draw a map ahead of time of the first "stretch" of track, map out the locales, and when you get close to the end, map out the next stretch, rinse and repeat.

 

As for players who don't post as often, we'll have to find some way to work it out, but I suppose you could have it where character who don't post for X amount of time during departure will be auto-placed back on the train unless they explicity don't want to, but that would be tantamount to killing off the character.

[Timageness]

Well, for those who haven't seen the movie, basically the plot revolves around the last remnants of humanity riding around in a train in order to survive an artificial Ice Age brought about in an attempt to stop global warming, and the passengers in the tail end of the train stage a revolt against the people running it due to both terrible living conditions and the abduction of some of their children.

Using a similar skeletal build would provide backstory (some disaster forces the people on the train in the first place), plot (what people would be doing on board during the RPGs run), and may also solve the map issue if the game were to be limited to a single island or even a continent.