The Official OTC TBRPG Planning and Organization Topic

[IcarusBen]

Uh, actually, I've never been to Southern Italy. I'm from California.

 

No, I don't understand a lot of Italian, but I do know "calabrese," a person or thing from Calabria, a region in Southern Italy. I'm also not a wine grape, a horse or a type of broccoli.

 

Also,

 

 

ben

don't you dare post

anymore

snark pictures

It was funny the first few times, but it's gotten old.

 

Snark pictures are a required part of my vocabulary. They're to me what opera is to you.

[Krayzikk]

while i hate to be a spoilsport

 

neither opera nor snark pictures are rpg planning

 

let's go back to the topic

[Prowl Nightwolf]

while i hate to be a spoilsport

 

neither opera nor snark pictures are rpg planning

 

let's go back to the topic

Thank you! I am glad somebody said it. Sorry but it is true, this topic is not for measuring contests. Any more Goating would be beyond borderline Trolling wouldn't it? Agree to disagree. Anyway, Ben keep working on your RP idea and hope you have fun playing the ones that are up until it is ready. Perplexed; quit egging the guy on. It is starting to look like you enjoy trying to get his goat. This may be ok while in RP but outside I do believe it breaks the "Respect the player" type rule that is in place.

[IcarusBen]

 

while i hate to be a spoilsport

 

neither opera nor snark pictures are rpg planning

 

let's go back to the topic

Thank you! I am glad somebody said it. Sorry but it is true, this topic is not for measuring contests. Any more Goating would be beyond borderline Trolling wouldn't it? Agree to disagree. Anyway, Ben keep working on your RP idea and hope you have fun playing the ones that are up until it is ready. Perplexed; quit egging the guy on. It is starting to look like you enjoy trying to get his goat. This may be ok while in RP but outside I do believe it breaks the "Respect the player" type rule that is in place.

 

Thanks, Prowl. Almost made a fool of myself.

[AuRon the champion]

To be fair, both of you are being buffoons.

 

Back to the subject at hand, ASOIAF's more... Mature subject matter is something that would quickly die on BZP forums, for the reasons everyone else has said. A Runescape RPG would be, obviously, much more popular, just because of all the whacky hijinks we could do. After all, it's OTC. Since when have we ever had a successful RPG with a serious plot line and serious characters?

[Parugi]

Since when have we ever had a successful RPG with a serious plot line and serious characters? 

 

*glances at Rise of the Rockets*

 

It's actually not that hard. #soproudofus

Edited May 26, 2015 by Apears

[25K Now!]

 

Since when have we ever had a successful RPG with a serious plot line and serious characters? 

 

*glances at Rise of the Rockets*

 

It's actually not that hard. #soproudofus

 

Tell me your secrets Parugi.

 

How have you survived the last four years?

[Krayzikk]

To be fair, both of you are being buffoons.

 

Back to the subject at hand, ASOIAF's more... Mature subject matter is something that would quickly die on BZP forums, for the reasons everyone else has said. A Runescape RPG would be, obviously, much more popular, just because of all the whacky hijinks we could do. After all, it's OTC. Since when have we ever had a successful RPG with a serious plot line and serious characters?

 

I can't really agree with that.

 

FTL was successful when it was serious, and devolved when things turned goofy. Marvel? Despite its Whedonesque comedy, it tackles some very serious plotlines and themes. As Parugi said, RotR is rather serious and Ashfall looks to be none too goofy either.

 

The evidence is actually against goofy games.

 

That said, I do agree with Tyler. ASOIAF... Doesn't really work here. Its subject matter is stuff we can't really touch.

[Wyrd Bid Ful Araed]

Yeah, this is a site on which you can't say the name of the Christian underworld, I think if we tried something with ASoIaF's level of graphic nudity, various -isms and baby-muder then BZP would just implode or something

Edited May 26, 2015 by Wyrd Bið Ful Aræd

[Atton Rand]

I don't know if this will help at all, but back in Dino Attack RPG we got away with a lot more than you'd expect. I mean this was a LEGO-themed RPG that dealt with homophobia and even included a scene where a character brutally beat a child and got away with it. That's barely scratching the surface, considering we took the basic setup of the original LEGO theme (mutant dinosaurs are attacking a city for some reason) and actually factored in how that would affect the world. I recall a lot of the darker elements were what made it interesting and a lot of the stuff (at least from me) that wasn't very well received was the occasional attempt to put in comic relief (ask any player from that game about Private Baldrick). Well, that, and I occasionally had a tendency to try and write anti-heroes that turned out to be horrible people that nobody wanted to root for (again, ask anyone from that RPG about Agent Trigger and you'll probably get a few stories about how much they hated him). 

 

Out of all the LEGO RPGs I've been involved with, Dino Attack was probably the darkest, and it was also the most successful. That thing ran for something like six or seven years while a lot of other RPGs from the same board didn't make it past one. A lot of those were just basic sandbox RPGs based on certain LEGO themes which were fun for a while but didn't last. Usually objectives amounted to whatever was identified as the objective of the characters in the LEGO set. In the Aquaraiders RPG, it was basically "go out and get treasure, fight monsters, then return to base." That's not even getting into that LEGO Space RPG I was running for a while (which literally tried to incorporate almost every space theme they had released at the time, from classic to Mars Mission). Most of them tried to stay light-hearted in keeping with the usual spirit of LEGO but Dino Attack RPG took a weak premise for a toyline and somehow made a compelling story out of it. Of course I have seen dramatic RPGs fail too, so I'm not sure there is one specific formula for making a successful RPG but it does seem like more serious games with a clear storyline have better odds. 

[Krayzikk]

That doesn't actually say anything about the state of a Game of Thrones inspired game, however. For one thing I think you severely underestimate the severity of the content in Game of Thrones. and in the process what getting such a game off the ground here would entail. This isn't a matter of content that can be ignored, either, given that some of these heinous events are woven into the very fabric of the world's history, and are in fact required knowledge.

 

Nor is Dino Attack all that good of a baseline, really. It's a game from a different time, a different climate, a different playerbase, and an entirely different subforum. And speaking as someone who is an active participant in the current OTC climate... None of it is really applicable here.

 

The OTC is a very different animal.

[Let's Henshin!]

I also just don't see GoT working from the basis of how political it tends to be.

 

Sure you could turn it into some sort of hack and slash fantasy game, but then you've sort of lost the point of GoT. Plus there's nothing differentiating itself from other fantasy adventures. Ashfall in particular. 

 

If you go the political route, well you could end up with a similar situation as Kentoku with a climate that favors that sort of thing even less. At least if recent games have been any indication. 

Edited May 26, 2015 by Razgriz

[Atton Rand]

Yeah, I suppose so. Come of think of it, the Game of Thrones board game was difficult enough, and that had you overseeing armies. I can only imagine it being even more confusing when you just play as one individual. I don't know, the idea had just been going through my head and I thought I'd just get it out. I can understand if nobody wants to take something like this on.

[Not Quite Dead]

What is Game of Thrones and GoT?

 

Surely you mistyped ASoIaF.

[Atton Rand]

What is Game of Thrones and GoT?

 

Surely you mistyped ASoIaF.

 

You don't know Game of Thrones? It's a popular fantasy TV show (currently in its fifth season) based on a series of popular books centered around political intrigue among various factions in a Medieval world.

[shadow pridak money gang]

His joke went over your head a little - Game of Thrones is based on a series of books ,yeah. Called A Song of Ice and Fire.

 

ASOIAF.

 

Hence his joke.

 

-Tyler

Edited May 27, 2015 by Aikuro Mikisugi

[Let's Henshin!]

GoT is shorter to type.

[Padishah Mehmet II]

GoT is shorter to type.

And also heretical.

-Dovydas

[Let's Henshin!]

Still shorter.

[IcarusBen]

 

GoT is shorter to type.

And also heretical.

-Dovydas

 

GoT has Khal Drogo being played by Jason Momoa, aka the guy who played Ronon on Stargate: Atlantis.

 

Owned.

[shadow pridak money gang]

ASOIAF has decent writing and doesn't paint homophobia and culture as water cooler moments.

 

-Tyler

[The UltimoScorp]

Think we're getting a little off topic, guys.

[Simulacrum]

I have also found myself wondering if the Mad Max series might have any RPG potential. This one would probably be more of a sandbox RPG (literally, considering the films often took place in the desert), and I suspect Max himself would probably have a small supporting role at most (though to be fair, that was pretty much the case in Fury Road so it's nothing new), but it is an interesting world. I'm not sure if anyone here as seen any of the films in the series, there's been four so far (one of which just came out). Basically the idea is that it is a post-apocalyptic world where society has collapsed. What remains is the barren desert and "society" pretty much amounts to whoever can take control of the roads. It's literally a world where people kill each other for fuel. I don't know if anyone can do something with that but I'm just throwing it out there.

 

I have no experience in judging the possibility of an OTC RPG's approval and success, but I'd personally be super excited to play anything to do with Mad Max's world. Fury Road in particular would be perfect for the foundation of an RPG; it's already got a layout of factions and locations to be inspired by or just replicate. The character and plot possibilities are incredibly fun just to think about; the stories the setting could provide have the potential to be amazing.

 

However, I'm slightly unsure if the insane, schizophrenic violence of the MM series could be satisfactorily carried over to BZP. The RPG would have to downplay the gory deaths and a few of the societal customs, of course, but I feel pretty confident that the majority of the world (especially if it's handled in the mostly off-screen manner of FR) would be permissible, if handled reasonably. My main concern right off the bat would be just finding players. Are very many people going to want to play in the setting? Fury Road's release might attract a few players, but I don't know if it would be enough.

Edited May 27, 2015 by L'Etranger

[AuRon the champion]

I'd be down for a mad max game.

 

And after all, the chaos, gore, and flat-out insanity got turned down for borderlands, and that turned out- oh wait.

Edited May 27, 2015 by Landes'Rehn

[Atton Rand]

Well, it's certainly something to think about and perhaps something I could consider when I have a bit more free time. I guess there would be a few things to work out, though. 

 

If we were to actually go and do something like this, I'd imagine there would need to be a balance of a few different elements to consider. For one thing, we'd probably have to figure out what we're going to be incorporating of the films. I'd think it would make sense to try and find a balance between stuff from the original three films and material from Fury Road. Considering half the cast died in those films that wouldn't be too big an issue. We might still have Bartertown from Beyond Thunderdome and maybe the Citadel from Fury Road and that would be about it. Of course, in addition to that, we'd probably also want to find some original components. After all, not everyone here is familiar with the franchise or may only be familiar with parts of it (I don't think it's too far-fetched to assume there are people here who have seen Fury Road without having seen the first three) and we'd want to make it accessible.

 

I guess there's also the question of how to handle official characters (people who were actually in the films). There wouldn't be that many; Max, of course, plus perhaps Tina Turner's character from Beyond Thunderdome and the survivors of Fury Road. There's a few ways we can do it. The most common way I've seen it done in RPGs, at least that I've been in, is to cast the official characters as NPCs usually with a rule saying they can't be killed off. On the other hand, it might fit the chaotic atmosphere better if there was room to kill off characters from the series but there would probably have to be some regulations on how to do it (you can't just kill Max in one hit) and perhaps a record of everyone who has been killed off. I suppose the other possibility would be just to omit those characters entirely and focus exclusively on the original characters while preserving the aesthetics and atmosphere of the franchise, but that would make the title something of a misnomer if it was called Mad Max when Max is nowhere to be seen.

 

There would also be the question of how to handle confrontations between players. In an environment like that of Mad Max people would be expected to go head to head and occasionally form uneasy alliances. It would make sense that there would be the odd player vs. player confrontation. Normally the rule is that you can't kill off other player's characters but in this case that might not always be possible to enforce. We'd probably need some form of regulations about how to handle those types of situations. I know a few different ideas have already been brought up, so I guess it would be a matter of finding the right balance. There would have to be rules in place to keep such an encounter fair for both players (i.e. no auto-hitting or one-hit kills) while also preventing those same confrontations from being too predictable (namely that something has to be contrived to prevent one player killing the other).

[Voltex]

I might be interested in a Mad Max RPG. I feel like it would be very hard to find enough players, though.

[25K Now!]

 

 

GoT is shorter to type.

And also heretical.

-Dovydas

 

GoT has Khal Drogo being played by Jason Momoa, aka the guy who played Ronon on Stargate: Atlantis.

 

Owned.

 

>atlantis

 

i'm sorry, but that's not sg-1

 

Anyway, back on topic:

 

What is the ingredient to surviving the desert RPing environment that is OTC?

[Not Quite Dead]

Hire some background extras off craigslist.au

[Prowl Nightwolf]

Bionicle meats Twisted metal.. Who wants to play Sweet Tooth? I call Warthog, "Is that crying I hear!" ... "Hahaha... You suck!" ... "Mess with the best... Die like the rest!" wait... not sure that last one was Warthog.

[25K Now!]

What.

[IcarusBen]

What.

I'm with Hubert on this one...

 

What.

 

 

 

 

 

GoT is shorter to type.

And also heretical.

-Dovydas

 

GoT has Khal Drogo being played by Jason Momoa, aka the guy who played Ronon on Stargate: Atlantis.

 

Owned.

 

>atlantis

 

i'm sorry, but that's not sg-1

 

Anyway, back on topic:

 

What is the ingredient to surviving the desert RPing environment that is OTC?

 

 

i'm sorry, but that's not sg-1

I can see it now.

 

"We have an army."

"We have a Hulk."

"We have McGyver."

"We have a Scotsman."

 

OWNED.

 

Getting back on topic, would a Stargate RPG work at all?

[AuRon the champion]

A stargate RPG would die faster than transformers.

[Krayzikk]

A stargate RPG would die faster than transformers.

 

Not really.

 

I can think of five people off the top of my head who all love Stargate. And the mechanics of it makes plot control easy.

 

Transformers?

 

....

 

 

I don't think I really have to finish the comparison.

Edited May 28, 2015 by Riku Tryon

[Let's Henshin!]

I mean if FTL was any indication. 

 

A space RPG can work pretty easily if properly set up. 

[IcarusBen]

I would imagine an SG-1 themed RPG, taking place around season 8 would be nice.

[Prowl Nightwolf]

 

What.

I'm with Hubert on this one...

 

What.

 

Sorry I had forgotten what topic I was in. That's what I get for posting without proper sleep.

 

Anyway I find offense to the comment about a Transformers RP to die quickly. With a good story and enough characters to keep the action going (I've got 10 plus profiles I could transfer over) it could last quite a while. Though I guess that could be true of any RP posted over here in the OTC. Also I happen to have a niche for making Transformer Profiles... I've been complemented quite a few times buy people who have worked directly with Hasbro and worked on the comics.

[25K Now!]

Characters=/=Players.

 

The OTC crowd had been burned so much by Transformers that they're not going to get much interest.

[HeavyMetalSunshineSister]

Yeeeeah, the OTC crowd feels about Transformers RPGs about like we feel about an all-slime mold reenactment of a Michael Bay Transformers movie.

 

Actually, no. The slime mold thing sounds fascinating.

 

Moving on, the world that GRRM created for ASoIaF is kind of an up-to-11 version of medieval Europe, featuring levels of violence and wanton cruelty that was not, historically, a regular thing until we really got into the whole colonialism thing. Half of the history is like if you took every horrific thing that was done in medieval Europe and snipped out the years in-between. Kind of hard to make an RPG about a world that features folks like the Boltons and Ser Gregor Clegane on BZP without seriously bowdlerizing it.

 

Regarding serious RPGs vs. goofy ones, I'd have to say, from my experience, that success requires a mixture of both, and knowledge of where you're going to draw the lines for the "Don't take it seriously" parts - the conflicts should be something that the players can take seriously, with the levity and humour largely growing organically from interactions between characters.

[Atton Rand]

I mean if FTL was any indication. 

 

A space RPG can work pretty easily if properly set up. 

 

I remember being in FTL, and I can tell you I don't have the fondest memories of it. I'm not going to say that a space RPG can't work, because I have seen people pull it off before. I remember a few years ago I even managed to start a LEGO Space RPG up in the LEGO General Discussion forum. Technically that's a different crowd but it still worked okay. I remember at one point some of the guys up there were talking about running an RPG based on LEGO's two Mars lines (Life on Mars and Mars Mission) but it never really worked out.

 

I remember the biggest issue I had with FTL was that the structure often seemed a bit too constrictive, specifically the part where we were all supposed to be members of the crew of a single ship. In theory it encourages player interaction but to me it sometimes seemed like it was forcing those confrontations rather than letting it happen naturally. I also recall people complaining when on the few occasions we did get off that spaceship I decided to give some NPCs names and personalities. Then there was also the fact that on multiple occasions my character was almost discharged from the crew, which given the structure of the RPG basically meant that she was being written out without my consent and if I wanted to keep playing I'd have to fill out a whole new form. If there were some way I could continue to play her after being discharged I wouldn't have minded so much, but as far as I could tell there was no way to make it work. Of course, this is all just my opinion. Some people might disagree with me.

 

On the other hand, I could also see it going the other way as well. You offer up too much freedom and players are just going to get lost. They won't know what to do and it will just make things seem chaotic. You'd probably have to find the right balance. I'd imagine one would need to have just enough of  a story to give the players a sense of direction while simultaneously leaving just enough room for creativity. 

 

The other problem that occurs to me would be the question of how realistically you would want to depict outer space. Personally, I much prefer hard science fiction to space opera (I'll take 2001: A Space Odyssey over Star Wars any day) but I can't say it lends itself well to an RPG format. Writing about the tedious day-to-day life of a group of astronauts on a mission to Mars makes great drama for a science novel but I can imagine it would get boring for a group of RPG players. Right now interstellar travel is not necessarily impossible but still an extreme long shot at best, so we'd only be able to reach the planets in our own Solar System. Unfortunately out of those planets Venus is inhospitable due to its extreme temperatures, Mercury doesn't really have anything that makes visiting it worthwhile, and the Jovian planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) you can't really land on seeing as two of them have surfaces of liquid hydrogen and the other two are more like "slush planets" (though you could land on their moons). Then of course Pluto is too far out, which leaves the moon and Mars as the only feasible destinations. Not much of a space RPG if you can only travel between two planets and three moons (and Mars' two moons are more like asteroids that got pulled into its orbit), is it? Maybe there's a way to make it work, but I'm not sure precisely what that would be.

 

Of course, that's my personal tastes. If you'd rather you could just go the space opera route and try to ignore the blatant disregard for science (one of the main reasons I don't like space opera that much, it often makes a point of showing it has no idea what it's talking about). Then you can have characters flying between galaxies in a matter of days without the slightest explanation for how you intend to get around the obvious time dilation that should be in effect. 

 

I guess the other alternative would be to try and find some sort of middle ground, using as much of the actual science as possible while still making concessions for the needs of the RPG. I suppose that part is ultimately up to you.

[25K Now!]

Do explanations really matter that much?