The Official OTC TBRPG Planning and Organization Topic

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

It was so that a host had someone to approve profiles and keep the story running if the host couldn't for whatever reason. Meant everything could run smoothly until the host returned. Struggles of Kain managed to go for, what a month?, even after Exo-Fat did his disappearing routine, so obviously if they just don't return things can get a bit tricky after a while, yes

[Havelock Vetinari]

So a cohost is like emergency live support.

 

Good in short term if the organs can't keep up, but if they fail.....well....

Edited December 4, 2012 by Basilisk

[Blessed Blade]

True. Of course, then you have the vanishing Co-Hosts, leaving the hosts themselves on their own, but that's a whole different case. Of course, it's not like I disagree with having co-hosts at all; just the point where you're likely to be active anyway, to start off the RPG and all; until activity increases enough to the point where you need a co-host(And by then, you'll know who's likely to not go off and vanish, despite showing interest). Just my personal thoughts, of course, since it still requires co-hosts, and that won't change. =P

[Havelock Vetinari]

Vanishing cohosts are a problem.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Yeah but a co-host vanishes the main host can just replace them.

 

And co-hosts do prove useful as more than just back-ups. Flex finds 'em pretty handy in X-Men to keep an eye on things

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Plus, if your co-host vanishes, that kind of suggests that you didn't do a good job of picking a co-host. Reliability is the main thing I would look for in a co-host, provided, of course, that they aren't just reliably terrible.

[Alex Humva]

So, an update on The Outer Worlds.

 

Long story short, my attempts to unite special relativity with quantum mechanics has given me a bloody awful headache and it's gone no where. So how many people would complain if I just stopped trying to craft the illusion of a greater business simulation ontop of a traditional RPG experience and just went full on for the RPG instead of the RTS aspects? It means I have to be a lot smarter with my universe crafting, but I was already planning on doing a lot with the universe, so that shouldn't be as much of a problem.

 

Basically it'd become an RPG with a greater emphasis on doing stuff and being rewarded. Instead of having a bunch of number charts I'd simply do things on the fly; if you raid a supply train, I'd figure up the amount of goods you got off of it and give you a check with which you could go buy a ship or something.

 

Just checking to see if I should expect a mob wielding pitchforks outside my door.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

I say it's about time.

[BenLuke]

Since it mean less math (The horror!) on the player side of things I'm all for it.

Edited December 4, 2012 by Javert

[Archer Vonn]

That's the best idea I've heard since some dude wrote up a Fallout RPG

[Kothra]

Yay.

[Alex Humva]

So no angry mobs showing up at my door? That's nice to know.

 

Well, with the frustrating mechanics out of the way, I think I can actually get a draft out by this weekend.

[Meta-Mind]

Right, so I've got a question here: I'm planning on beginning an RP here, but I'm uncertain as to how it would be classified. I gave it a Bionicle theme, but it has a rather silly atmosphere ("Rule of Fun" and "Rule of Cool" come to mind), and I fully expect to see a mostly non-Bionicle cast.

 

As a result, I'm uncertain as to how to classify it: would I be best off posting a draft here, removing the Bionicle theme, or attempting to enter it as a Bionicle RP?

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Define "Bionicle Theme". Are we actually set in the Bionicle universe or are we just biomechanical things that have elemental powers based on Bionicle?

[Constructelf]

I have this crazy idea.It's sort of like SSB were many nintendo themes are mashed into one, but this one has a story. Basically Dark Samus gets revived by Sylux and Ganondorf and goes on a rampage throughout the whole universe. Melding together all of the series' plots together may be a bit tricky though. Thoughts?

[thelonewander]

@Constructman: That sounds like a fun time, as long as I can play as a Samus knock-off.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Eh, mash-ups like that don't really work so well on BZP if you look at the few that have tried. People prefer to make their own characters rather than take someone else's.

 

 

btw, would anyone be interested in collaborating (and eventually hosting) on a mystery based RPG with me?

[Meta-Mind]

Define "Bionicle Theme". Are we actually set in the Bionicle universe or are we just biomechanical things that have elemental powers based on Bionicle?

The basic concept for the story is based on the "Arena Magna" from Bara Magna gone crazy-interdimensional (obviously an Excuse Plot if there ever was one, though). I also redesigned the weapons list to have a Bionicle theme, though obviously reskins and powerless weapons are allowed. The power list bears only a vague resemblance to Bionicle (in that yes, Elemental Powers are allowed), and I fully expect the roster to include its fair share of humans/whatever else people come up with.The concept itself is based on an RP I run on another forum (which shall go unnamed). There, it has a Nintendo theme to match the forum, so I figured that if I was going to try something similar here, a Bionicle theme would be the way to go.

[Light]

Eh, mash-ups like that don't really work so well on BZP if you look at the few that have tried. People prefer to make their own characters rather than take someone else's. btw, would anyone be interested in collaborating (and eventually hosting) on a mystery based RPG with me?

---I'd be willing to Co-host. Have prior main hosting obligations.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Appreciate the help Kaithas but I'd still need a host. I already run one RPG

[Flex Lord Splash]

True. Of course, then you have the vanishing Co-Hosts, leaving the hosts themselves on their own, but that's a whole different case. Of course, it's not like I disagree with having co-hosts at all; just the point where you're likely to be active anyway, to start off the RPG and all; until activity increases enough to the point where you need a co-host(And by then, you'll know who's likely to not go off and vanish, despite showing interest). Just my personal thoughts, of course, since it still requires co-hosts, and that won't change. =P

 

Yeah I actually demoted one co-host/staff from the RP for being so inactive for long periods, and added people who I knew would stay active and could do a good job.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

As some of you are well-aware by now, I either plan long-term or not at all. Thus, with the winding down of fall semester exams freeing up some of Basilisk's time for working on The Gunmen of Leng (we haven't forgotten, I assure you!), I find myself adding yet another project to the pipeline of eventual RPGs. This one stems partly from the fact that we are actually being somewhat cautious with Gunmen, as we don't want it to become, as Basilisk put it, a "mash-up of everything awesome." We pretty much drew the line at historical figures (and not too many of those), Lovecraft, and elements of Westerns.

 

So, this next project - and when I say next, I mean about fifth in line - will borrow elements from Gunmen, but it will be quite distinct. Sort of a more mash-uppy thing. First off, Col. Quaritch from Avatar? He's a Time Lord, who chose to work for humanity because of their ambition, resourcefulness, and, as one might put it, a certain desire to spit in the eye of the universe. He is also, following his most recent regeneration, stranded on a hostile planet. No TARDIS, no allies, just him and the hostile planet.

 

Which brings me to the next glorious detail. Eywa? Just a native name for something Lovecraft, in his talent for making future generations cringe, named Shub Niggurath. Time Lord! Quaritch is going to be fighting against an Outer God right from the start.

 

Also dragged into this, by inference, are the Daleks (no change from canon), Cybermen (human faction that, seeing the whole 'cosmic horror' bit as a big problem in their war against the bigger things in the universe, decided to eliminate fear altogether), the Mi-Go (at war with humanity), Time Lords (little change from canon), and the rest of the Lovecraft Mythos pantheon. This will be somewhat like Reality in its openness, except obviously less open to god-modding-by-any-other-name. The Dreamlands will be a featured location, as will Shub Niggurath's carefully cultivated nursery world, and pretty much any other relevant location.

 

That being said, I'm not actually certain if this is suited for an RPG (as opposed to, say, a story written by just one or two authors), which is why I'm giving a brief pitch here to gauge audience reaction. You've had the pitch, now let's get the reaction.

 

EDIT 2016: Yikes. Just... yikes.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Rache

[Blessed Blade]

That... Sounds awesome, I must say. Would this be before the Time War, or an alternate universe where everything but the Time War and the events(excluding Ten's regen) of The End of Time happened? Since the Time Lords would be present, and that would require stuff to be slightly changed in the current Who canon.

[Light]

Sweet mother of heaven. That has true potential. I can't promise that I would play it (too many RPGs already) but I'd try.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

That just sounds like a fanfic to me. Exactly the kind of mash-up you said you were trying to avoid in Gunmen

[Havelock Vetinari]

Well, if that is your primary complaint, it could be applied to nearly every RP submitted. Most are set in one realm of published fiction or another.

[Light]

The biggest complaint I have with it is that it can be construed as a Dr. Who, Avatar, and Lovecraft, cutting all of those off.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Well, yes, that's why it's not being done in Gunmen. My concern isn't whether this is a mash-up (it most definitely is), but whether it could actually function as an RPG. My personal opinion on the matter is leaning towards 'probably no,' but outside opinions are always good.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Well, if that is your primary complaint, it could be applied to nearly every RP submitted. Most are set in one realm of published fiction or another.

 

Its not that its set in a pre-established universe, its thats its set in about three pre-established universes. Its like when you're young and you have Batman and He-Man meet up because those are the action figures you've got and why the heck shouldn't they? Its all rather schizophrenic

Edited December 13, 2012 by Lord of Adders Black

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

My concern isn't whether it's schizophrenic, silly, and completely lacking any artistic merit. It is all three of those things. My concern, again, is simply whether it could actually be made to work as an RPG with people playing it. The schizoid disorder it suffers from (although, there has been some interaction, canonically, between Lovecraft and Doctor Who) can be dealt with or not dealt with later.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Attention plebeians! It is the decision of the great and powerful ROVER that this RP needs work before it will be valid. We were aiming for something resembling Reality and this mash up seems a bit too....rough for that.

 

You may now go about your sad empty lives. Thank you.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

...Okay, when I said 'whatever manner you see fit,' what I meant to say was 'anything but this.'

 

Anyway, I'm convinced that, no matter what I do with it, the Avatar tie-in can (and should) be written out entirely. We can have a militant, ambitious Time Lord without it having to be a scary-awesome Colonel from an otherwise mediocre movie. We can have an Outer God's playground without it being a not-at-all subtle take-that to a mediocre movie.

 

As the gameplay elements would not be changed overmuch by this change, the whole 'would this even function as an RPG' question still stands, unaltered.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Never give me leeway Rover.

[Lara White]

I, personally, am skeptical about this idea. It feels like someone going "throw in ALL THE THINGS :D" which we all know never works out well.

 

I also feel the need to point out that Lovecraft crossed over with Doctor Who will intrinsically be Lovecraft Lite, rather than true Cosmic Horror.

 

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Yes, which is why we're now throwing out the mediocre things. Avatar will have no involvement, because once you get past Quaritch, the AMP suits, and the visuals, that movie kind of blows. Lovecraft has also, in Doctor Who's canon, seeped into Doctor Who at least once.

 

And that really depends on how you do it. If you make it retain more of the feel of Doctor Who, then yeah, of course. But there's potential for cosmic horror with Daleks (if used carefully by the writer/GM), and the Hounds of Tindalos would make time travel itself much more cosmic horror-y, just starting with the idea that one of the reasons why the Doctor never stops for long is because, if he did, he would be attacked by essentially indestructible universe-hopping super predators.

 

Also, an entire planet created and mind-controlled by an Outer God? Nyarlathotep screwing with everything? Cthulhu is sitting still and being quiet, because there is exactly one story in which he's important, and he gets hit in the head with a boat in that story, but shoggoths could make things dangerous. There's plenty of things that can be done to maintain the cosmic horror and still let the Time Lords convince themselves that they're important. In point of fact, the reason we have for the Cybermen doing what they do actually kind of enhances, I think, the Lovecraftian feel, considering the whole 'he who fights monsters' angle.

 

The Sontarans will definitely be of minimal importance, though. Too campy. At most, one of their generals' brains will show up in a jar, because the Mi-Go are less discriminating than I am about these things.

[Havelock Vetinari]

Wasn't there talk of an Avatar: The Last Airbender RPG awhile back?

[Alex Humva]

Long while back; I'd be interested in one set in Korra's time. 1920s tech with bending!

[Havelock Vetinari]

Same here. The Equalists would be interesting to play.

[Alex Humva]

So I have this RPG thingy. A rough draft, don't completely murder me for forgetting stuff, it's just here to see what people think might be needed.Plot OverviewThe year is 0067 of the Interstellar Common Calender. Fifteen years have passed since the last great Colonial War, and humanity is at an uneasy peace with itself. The Inner Worlds, the heart of humanity's influence and population, are once more content to bicker in planetary politics, and not bring the horrors of interstellar war once more upon unsuspecting worlds. However, the conflict of fifteen years prior has changed a great many things; the Outer Worlds, a collection of vast farm worlds and barren desert planets, have begun to grow in influence. Many people from many walks of life have come to start a new life on the planets of the cosmos once overlooked. Yet as more civilized kind come, the Outer World's previous denizens are still quite present. Pirates roam the trade routes, criminals find cities of refuge, insurgents lay in wait for their day, and some of the truly crazed drift in the stars. It is a place of great opportunity for an up and coming businessman... or a criminal with their eyes on something greater than petty crime.Rules of Space

• All BZP rules apply, naturally.
• Be civil about things; getting attached to characters is fine, but if someone gets lucky then try not to rage too hard. Necromancy is always an option after all.
• Keep in mind that, aside from some minor breaks from reality (FTL anyone?) this universe still exists on the same fundamental principles as our own. I can't very well expect everyone to have a magnificent understanding of physics, but at least try.
• Character killing is not banned. It is however very carefully watched by those in power. Random trolling of people is going get a boot to the face very quickly. Killing an intelligent character is usually pretty difficult, so if the death requires too many assumptions or too many contrivances, don't expect it to go very well.
• God modding is not approved of. Money is power, and unless some smart savings happen, there's not going be many players running around with battleships.
• Time, like most RPGs, is somewhat fluid and weird, but suffice to say that when it comes to traveling across space we have a mostly 1:1 ratio of real time and RPG time. This will be bent and twisted when the circumstances call for it.
• Have fun and all that jazz. This may be a more realistic RPG, and thus just slightly darker and grittier, but that doesn't mean going all serious mode on it. It's a fun space romp with a side of politics, not Warhammer 40K.

Punishments are circumstantial and tailored to the crime. They include but are not necessarily limited to: warning, killing of character, destruction of character's assets, public shaming of character, time ban, and full ban.Universe OverviewThis RPG takes place in an ambiguous point in the future. Humanity has expanded to the stars, and the years in between have allowed us to turn entire worlds to our liking, allowing for mass colonization. The worlds that humanity colonized in its initial wave of colonization and are greatly populated or important economically are known as the Inner Worlds; this does not refer to their position relative to earth. Later, less influential worlds, are known as the Outer Worlds. Historically, the Outer Worlds have always been the less civilized areas of space, where the law is loose and people learn to be tough or be trampled underfoot. This is something of a stereotype as many of these worlds do have good law enforcement agencies, but it's an image that's stuck.Perhaps one of the more important technologies in this setting is how we traverse space. The two principal technologies here are black space drives and plasma drives. Black space drives are used to break the speed of light by entering into an alternate reality, through which a ship can travel and pop out somewhere else. This process takes exactly 89 hours, 55 minutes, and 34 seconds, regardless of where you started and ended. Because of the issues with long range destination tracking though, intergalactic travel is still out of reach for everyone except the richest of science foundations.

Plasma drives serve as a less fantastic space technology. If you want to know technical specifics Google it, NASA has some good papers on them. What matters in this context is that they serve as the go to engine type for space travel. Running off of cheaply found hydrogen or helium gas (or really any suitable gas) and an on-board generator, they can take a ship from Earth to Mars in a months time, depending on how the orbits are that time of year. Since the black space drive does the heavy lifting and is fairly precise, this isn't that much of a problem, though due to the cost of black space jump fuel, it is sometimes preferable to go the long way.The overall technology of this universe isn't as far fetched as some would hope. Fusion power generation is still a young technology, only recently perfected in the last few decades. Medically many great advancements have been made, cancer has been cured, most plagues have been eradicated. Xenodisease is a concern though and some of the nastier sorts are quite active. Computers reached their peak a while ago, electronics peaking in the early 21st century and photonics later. Quantum and chemical computers are available but generally more expensive and used for more specialized tasks.Socio-politically, humanity has yet to achieve unity. Unlike some other speculative fiction, Earth is still split into well over a hundred nations, though some have grouped together into formations like the European Union or the South American Coalition. The influence of these Terran governments stretch into space, but they are far from having a monopoly on it. Hundreds more nations exist in the cosmos, usually busy bickering with each other. The only planets with a one world government tend to be the ones with a scarce few million living on them.Some Notable LocationsEarth: The home and birthplace of humanity, Earth's importance has slumped in the first century ICC. The de jure political heart of humanity, it contains a population of four billion and thanks to recent advances in terraforming has some of the largest nature reserves in the galaxy. Because of this as well as one of its cities serving as home to the United Space Organization, it retains some significance politically speaking.Neues Deutschland: The de facto political heart of the galaxy, it's quite arguably the most important planet of the Inner Worlds. One of the first legendary "Ten", the first planets humanity colonized upon discovery and perfection of blackspace, it has a population of nine billion and is roughly 1.5 times the size of Earth. It's also home to many Terran nations' colonies, though the name should give a clue as to who got there first.New Kituwa: The arguable 'heart' of the Outer Worlds, this planet contains some of the strongest Outer World nations and a massive manufacturing economy to supplement is agriculture industry. It also, naturally, serves as a location where many organized crime bosses can be found. It has a population of eight billion and a rather extensive network of underwater transports and bunkers. An anomaly worth pointing out is that the planet revolves around a white dwarf, creating some strange astronomical events.Váli: A small moon orbiting a gas giant called Odin, Váli is primarily a mining colony. Thanks to the bursts of radiation given off by the system's binary pulsars though, it creates an excellent hideout for criminal life looking to stay off the grid, if they're willing to stomach some radiation.Fisch: Perhaps the most backwoods of all the Outer Worlds, it has a population of little over fifty million but is filled to the brim with farms. The entire world and all of its nations are filled with farm after farm after farm. For this reason it's commonly known as the breadbasket planet. They also have a great fishing industry. Primarily reason why it's important is a communications network that's in place, the central nexus of a much larger web of blackspace data capsules.GameplayGameplay here is best thought of as a hands-off rogue-like game. The options present for players extend to practically everything in reason; merchant, pirate, politician, travelling musician, the list goes on. In a universe with thousands of factions and dozens of worlds to explore, there’s really never a dull day.Perhaps something of note is the ability to expand a character’s influence further than some other RPGs might allow. While not quite going into the category of real time simulation or strategy, there’s plenty of room for expansion of power and wealth. Many aspects of the game require it; while I’m not going to hassle over buying groceries, a person can’t just go and buy a hundred thousand dollar space skiff without finding some way to get the cash. It’s less a number game and more just common sense; flying a luxury yacht probably means that its owner has to be more concerned about gas money than, say, a space pinto.Something else to point out is the second part of a rogue-like game; death is very much a possibility. Expect no plot armor when raiding a pirate camp or being attacked by mercenaries, be they NPCs or PCs. This is not to say death is a certainty; remember that medical science has progressed, there is such thing as futuristic bulletproof vests, and that actually getting into trouble is pretty hard if you’re smart about it. It is entirely possible to live as a traveling space farmer that never encounters any sort of danger, just like it is in the real world, minus the space part.Profiles and SubmissionsCharacter name: Self explanatory. For the sake of all pure in the world, choose something that makes sense. Just because this is an ambiguous point in the future doesn't mean you get someone called Abituzetiuda. Unless he's an Aztec god anyways.Character description: Again, self explanatory. Give as much detail as you're comfortable with; it should be enough to paint a good picture in someone's head, but if you can't get that much out, it's fine.Character occupation: Space truck driver? Rogue? Politician? Businessman? Hobo? It'd be nice to know.Side characters: Some people want to run groups. This means that inevitably their characters are going have important employees, fellow terrorists, whathaveyou. These sit in a higher status than NPCs but aren't quite PCs. They tend to be more competent than your average mook for instance.Character biography: General history, motives, whathaveyou. Stick whatever you fill comfortable with in here and we'll work it out from there.

Edited December 29, 2012 by Cybernetic Alex Humva

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

have began to grow

*begun. Sorry, I take this as my cue to proofread.

 

 

 

Many people from many walks of life

*All walks of life might sound better. I know it isn't technically true, but it sounds better.

 

 

 

more civilized ilk

Ilk generally has negative connotations.

 

---

 

The rules look good, nothing to add there.

 

---

 

 

The universe of this RPG takes place in an ambiguous point in the future.

 

*"This RPG is set at a non-specific point in the future." Universes don't take place at any given point in time.

 

 

 

years in between have allowed us to turn entire worlds to our liking

*"the years that followed saw a drive to change planets to suit our needs." Yours isn't grammatically incorrect, I just don't like it.

 

 

 

it's an image that's stuck

*punctuation

 

 

 

*whole paragraph describing space travel, with an at-best tangential relationship to gameplay*

Uh, yeah. There are times when less is more.

 

---

 

Looks good in general, there's just those few nit-picks.