The Official OTC TBRPG Planning and Organization Topic

[Havelock Vetinari]

Yeah. The two being equal with probably be best. It'd please everyone. We'll need to come up with nation states for the humans though. I'm a bit of a history buff, so I can help with that.

[Light]

Dude, I have been through history from the discovery of the americas 7 times. And I liked it every time. We're gonna get along, methinks.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Should the RP go with a bunch of small states grappling with each other or a few super powers wrestling for influence? Both would be viable. We start playing around with alternate history and heck, we could have a few super powers quite easily....Yes. I think we will.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Basilisk

[Light]

A few superpowers would be good. Like the Americas, Eurasia, Africa, and Indonesia/Australia.These are just geographical distinctions, we could play around with em some.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Indeed. We could have the Byzantines or Ottomans in the Middle East and Turkey, a united EU...Hm. Maybe have the Mongolian Empire stick around. That'd certainly be a super power.

[Light]

I'm a little nervous about using old old empires, as they are a bit far back.to remove the systems alliance, the union lost the civil war. As a result, the UN was never formed. The Germans were defeated in both world wars, but the other nations would not follow such a divided nation into an organization celebrating unity.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Trouble with pitting a divided America against the rest of the world...the rest of the world can kinda curbstomp them. We'll need to choose a point of history to modify and go from there. The 1800's might be a good idea as a starting point. The nations are recognizable and there's room for change.

[Light]

America would be stronger militarily(two militaries instead of one) and would be supporting the allies. They wouldn't be fighting everyone. on the other hand, what kind of ideas did you have for the 1800's?

[Havelock Vetinari]

Hm. The Ottoman's were still around then. Depending on how WW1 went, they could still be around. Give it twenty years and they'd be rolling in money from oil profits. I can see an EU-like organization emerging to compete with them. The tensions with the Ottomans might result in an early cold war between them and Europe, with continents like Africa and South America...the various colonies, being the pieces in said war. I can't really predict a winner there.If the Soviets are around, that is to say, if the communist revolution still happened, then they'd be a power on par with the EU and the Ottomans. Which causes all kinds of trouble, we'd have the EU trying to play the Soviets against the Ottomans, the Ottomans trying play them against the EU and the Soviets doing the same thing. China...well, it has the potential to be an economic power house, I can see them taking economic control of many nations and trying to compete.America, being divided, would be less of a power in the world. The Confederates and Union wouldn't be looking to do the other any favors, but they'd be strong enough to resist the major powers and keep a sphere of influence on home. Over all, we'd have the competing Super Powers we need and all of them on more or less equal footing.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Basilisk

[The Lonesome Wanderer]

D&D settings. Would that work well in a TBRPG?

[Light]

I don't know about the soviets (trying to avoid communist tropes here) but the others sound good.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Communism was (still is, in some places) a powerful force in world politic's for quite awhile, it'd be hard to ignore. If we're worried about some the crimes the Soviets committed...well, have Stalin die during the revolution and that solves that problem. We should make sure no particular nation is vilified. Good vs. Evil is rarely so clear cut in the world.

[Light]

Meh. I just was noting that most games have communists as enemies. Its just that I don't want this to lose some of its difference to such a well recognized enemy type.

[Archer Vonn]

It's usually evil vs. evil.Communists are usually the bad guys because they lost. If the Russians had won, capitalist America would be the bad guy in Call of Duty.

Edited August 19, 2012 by ~JC~

[Havelock Vetinari]

Oh, if we play our cards right the Soviets might actually be one of the more morally upright factions. I'm familiar with most ideologies and, with some exceptions, most of them are, at their heart, quite good. So it should be easy to have: Grey vs gray with these nations. Of course, we'll need to tread lightly. Part of the reason I wanted to use old Empires was to avoid RL politics, which are pretty much banned on BZP.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Basilisk

[Archer Vonn]

Lotta stuff banned.

[Light]

Ah. Well, we'll have to play our cards right with the confederacy as well. Keep in mind, the civil war was originally about states rights. Also, the confederacy will also probably be one of the more upright ones, as they are more religious, and in a single one (i'm not saying not being religious is bad. A single unifying religion is more conducive to upright behavior.) Also, with the advent of mechanical labor, the confederacy outlawed slave labor as well.

[Archer Vonn]

Is this still about Mass Effect?

[Havelock Vetinari]

...Let's avoid religion as much as possible in the RPG. We can get away with politic's due to the alternate histories, but bring in religion and you'll have ten different people arguing about it in different ways for ten days. Or until the mods ban us all. Or both.Each nation should have their good points and bad points-the Soviets, for example, will probably have a great Social Security system. Might even have eliminated poverty. This'll come at the cost of freedom of enterprise however. There might be less freedom over all as a result.And yes, J.C it is. We're just planning out the different human nations....come to think of it, we should probably take this to PM.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Basilisk

[Toast of Awesomeness]

^That's what I'm wondering... (JC)Also, if you're talking more religious nations, the Ottoman Empire will also fall under that.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Toast of Awesomeness

[Light]

Yeah this is just the alternate history. on a side note: ToA I need to pm you something. I know you've probably heard this a kajillion times, but still.

[Toast of Awesomeness]

Sorry man... Alright, goin' to clean her out now.

[Bundalings]

This opinion might not be popular, but the way the discussion is headed, I feel like it puts too much emphasis on humanity. And their alternate timeline stuff. This is an idea I have whose origins are a little more grounded in Mass Effect lore. What if the volus make a secret deal with some other races like the geth and hanar, etc. and hold the economy hostage in return for a seat on the council? In a post-Reaper world where military might isn't really a necessity, it wouldn't be unreasonable for the lesser races to feel cheated out of power. This especially fits with a Control ending, where, with Shepard having ultimate power, large scale war would be a thing of the past, making espionage and small scale firefights the order of the day.

[Havelock Vetinari]

From my understanding, we're just deciding on the general make up of humanity politically. We're both history buff's so we got a bit sidetracked. Each races position would be different due to the lack of a Citadel I'd think.But I like the lesser races teaming up. That could be an interesting plot point...

Edited August 19, 2012 by Basilisk

[Bundalings]

I'm just wondering why we need to change the makeup of humanity's politics.

[Havelock Vetinari]

We don't need to. But the GM's adopted the idea. I've suggested you as a candidate for Co-host by the way. I'm just helping out with the concepts.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Basilisk

[Light]

Yeah, I just pmed basilisk, but I like the idea of some of the lesser races being allied. Just not really the volus, because I really don't like them. Not near as much as the other envirosuited peeps (quarians ). But that's just personal preference. We can do that, but expect a lot of dead volus when I start playing.Edit: Man, I was being short and angry for no reason. Anyway, right now we're talking about the 4 sides being the lesser races, The Council, a fractured humanity, and the krogan and rachnI(how's that for a twist?).Now, I need a Co host, as basilisk is mainly helping with story, and it'd be nice to have some assistants.I need a Co host now to include him in the pm conversation.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Toa Kaithas

[dRoko]

My first attempt failed hard(hint: got mistaken for troll) , so i present you:World Robo BoxingHosts:InewahuTheme: Rock'em Sock'em like fighting robots in 2025Setting: World Robo Boxing is very loosely based on Real Steel, around 5 years after the events of the movies. Weapons are now allowed, but are very strictly regulated(NO MEDIUM OR HEAVY ONES. ALSO, NO GUNS). Most bots here are in generation 5 or 6, with generation 7 just being introduced.Additional requirements: None. Since this a pick up and play rpg(that is very loosely based on Real Steel.) there are no additional requirements.Rules:PM if you want to apply, and also include abcd1234 to proof that you read this.All BZPower rules apply. Duh.Use IB if you want to control your bot. After all, nobody wants to be confused what character you are controlling, right? Also, IC for controlling your human characters and OOC for other messages.Be humble, roleplay good and BE DETAILED. Do not godmod. A fter all, who wants to see a IC move like this:IB: OP smashed the opposition robot to a bloody pulp.IC: "AWW YEAH!" Minc said.Or this:IB: OP punched UPNext post:IB: UP punched OPWhile you can also do this:IB: Crusher was now on the ropes. In desperation, he tried to jab Napalm, hoping to knock him off balance.IC: "C'mon Crusher." Sam said, " I know this would be hard, but I know you can do it. C'mon, let's show them!"Do not play protagonist. This is a forum RPG, not a (self-insert) fanfic.No auto-hitting. And also, do not dodge every time. Get some hits (except if yer bot is superfast.).If your robot should be stunned or malfunction, then do that, unless it have some special things(at the cost of a slightly weakened robot.).Have fun and respect each other. Do not be scrubby or look high over everybody else.If you are fighting a robot, choose one who are active. No point challenging an inactive character, right?WRB-specific rules:No attacks on the gut.No medium or heavy weapons.Underworld specific rules:No Ranked matches.WRB info:Each WRB fighting robot can fight another WRB robot once in a week for a ranked fight. WRB and Underworld bots can fight unranked matches at any time.Warning system:Warning via PM, and your mechanic got a bolt in the wrong place. Easy fix, but it will take some time .(In short, slightly weakened robot for 1 day.)Public warning, and your robot suddenly malfunctions. Two days to fix it.(In short, medium weakened robot for 2 days.)Your robot decided to damage himself. It takes 2 days to fix it, and you are devoted to it.(In short, banned for 2 days.)Your robot exploded for some reason. Building a new bot costs time, and you are off for 1 week.(In short, banned for 1 week.)Your character got framed and thrown in jail for some reason. You will not go until someone proves your innocence.(In short, banned until I find that you are fit to roleplay again.)Your character got himself killed by a bot explosion.(In short, banned FOREVER! You can discuss your point via PM, but you get little chance that you will get back.)Human characters :Operators:BZPower nickname(Duh):Name(How is your character called?):Appearance(How does your character look like?):Nationality(What is your character's culture?) :Bio(the history of your character):helping folks:BZPower nickname(Duh):Name(How is your character called?):Job(what does he do or help?):Appearance(How does your character look like?):Nationality(What is your character's culture?) :Bio(the history of your character):Robots:Robots are more compliciated. They have classes, which dertemine how your bot play like. Here is your robot classes(blatantly ripped of from Real steel wiki):

Jack of All Stats - Generally shortened to "Jack", it has the most balanced stats, but not necessarily the best stats. Almost all starting characters are Jacks.

Fragile Speedster - Speed is king for this guy. While his attacks are weak, the sheer amount that he puts out can equal a single blast from a glass cannon. He can't take any hits, but his speed generally renders it moot.

Glass Cannon - His attacks generally fall under one hit KO, so he doesn't bother with armor. His speed is rather average, but its enough to get his cannon into position.

Stone Wall - No speed, little attack, but this guy can take it until the cows come home.

Mighty Glacier - This one will bear down on you with the millstone of God. However, just as in the poem, it can take a long while before that killing blow comes. Not as defensive as a Stone Wall, but much less frustrating to fight with.

Blitz Cannon - Not as powerful as a Glass Cannon, but his speed has been boosted to atone for his blasphemy against armoring up. Though he usually doesn't OHKO people, his one-two punch is rather deadly.

Demon Wall - He's as fast as a locomotive, and just as subtle, too. Somewhat of an anomaly, as his speed isn't threatened by his armor.

Lightning Bruiser - He was once a Jack of all Stats, but someone gave him a glowy stone or three. High attack, defense and speed values let him curb-stomp most mid to low level opponents.(Only avialble as a reward.)

Brawler - This guy hangs out with "Unnaimed Arrow" in the dictionary. His strategy can be boiled down to "if opponent is standing, then swing." A word of warning: corners are his friends. They will hold you while he asks you politely to curl up and die.

Demolisher - More subtle than the Brawler, but it's the difference between using a nuke or a cannonball to kill a mouse. They tend to save the Signature moves for appropriate moments, rather than the Brawler who will Signature himself out because it looks cool.

Annihilator - Big honkin' hammers. If it catches you, the referee will simply start carving your tombstone. Try to avoid getting caught. It's big, slow, and it just crushes you. Block and one-two low heavy punches are the

keys

.

Now, Bot temps:BZPower nickname(again, Duh)Owner(who is the owner of the bot?):Name(what is the name of the robot?):Type(what for type is the robot?):Appearance(How does yourrobots look like?):Weapons(What for sort weapons does he/she got:)Signature moves?(duh):WRB or Underworld(DUH!):Which gen?(choose 5 or 6 if your robot is common, lower if you want it to look older, gen 7 if you are a newbie WRB fighter):Bio:(the history of your bot)PS: Need a cohost here! Edited August 20, 2012 by Inewahu

[Archer Vonn]

You got mistaken for a troll?Also we need a new thread that helps outcasts find co-hosts.

[dRoko]

You got mistaken for a troll?Also we need a new thread that helps outcasts find co-hosts.

Totally.The fact that i posted a wall o'text does not help matters.

[Xomeron]

This isn't a troll?In all honesty this looks completely uninteresting to me, but I'm not the only guy here so whatever.

[Archer Vonn]

EDIT: You know what I'm insulted you'd think this is a troll we are MUCH better than this

Edited August 20, 2012 by ~JC~

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Constructive criticism please Xom. Just telling someone you think they're a troll doesn't help anyoneI question what exactly we're supposed to do in the RPG other than just have robots punch each other. I mean, don't get me wrong that sounds fun in the short term, but what about those periods when we're not? Any interactions with our human characters are going to be tricky since you don't tell us a thing about the world they're inhabiting. Is everything pretty much the same but with giant robots? Are we in a grim dystopia with giant robots?It would also help if you described the robots themselves a bit more. What sort of limitation are there? From what I saw of Real Steel the robots just punched each other, but you give a category for weapons and take the term 'Glass Cannon' a bit literally, which sort of goes against the 'no guns' thing you say at the beginning. What sort of sizes or robot are we allowed to have? How is ranking sorted, do we just randomly get placed or do we have to work our way up from the bottom? If there is some sort of federation for the boxing for us to get placed in, will there be a tournament in the RPG and how will it work?In short, you need to do a lot of fleshing out

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

I will say that the tournament format in an RPG, if that's all there is to an RPG, absolutely never works, because the people who aren't involved in the match-ups presently taking place still exist even when you don't need them to, and it turns out they get bored, and also you're just terrible if you seriously fail to take into account the fact that they don't stop existing when it's convenient for you.

[Lara White]

Tell that to Day Run.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Funny, not finding that as a functional RPG in COT. Care to elaborate?I've got personal experience backing up the claim that tossing players into something that is a tournament and literally nothing else is a stupid idea.

[Lara White]

Day Run is one of the longer and more popular BRPGs. Doing nothing but a tournament is stupid, yeah, but that's not to say that tournament-based games are doomed to failure. They've historically done quite well in the contests.

[Blessed Blade]

Day Run had the whole 'there's a universe threatening thing going on behind the scenes' storyline to it, though; so the other people had things to do. =P

[Archer Vonn]

I've got personal experience

Do share

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Well, the personal experience boils down to actually trying to run an RPG that was just a tournament - unlike Day Run, there was no plot apart from it, just the tournament and nothing else for the players to do.It frustrated them, it frustrated me, and the whole thing just sort of died whimpering like a chihuahua that's just made the acquaintance of a boot.I'm not saying that having a tournament in something dooms it to failure, just that - as I said in my post - having a tournament and nothing else is a good recipe for disaster.