RP Discussion and Ideas thread

[Draconic]

Okay, You're on a roll here, Mellon. I like this. Granted, I'll have to make a new mage. but I can manage.

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You may need more factions as well: Just the Mages Association is far too vague, as we all know that people within the Clock Tower alone can't get along to save their uncooperative skins. So, I'd recommend:

The Clock Tower
Atlas
Yggdmillenia
The Church (Includes subcategories such as the Burial Agency)
Three Families

[Mellon]

Okay, You're on a roll here, Mellon. I like this. Granted, I'll have to make a new mage. but I can manage.

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You may need more factions as well: Just the Mages Association is far too vague, as we all know that people within the Clock Tower alone can't get along to save their uncooperative skins. So, I'd recommend:

The Clock Tower
Atlas
Yggdmillenia
The Church (Includes subcategories such as the Burial Agency)
Three Families

The two factions will have subfactions, but everything else will be handled on a case by case basis. There is really no reason for Atlas to push their nose into this (for example) and its not like the Clock Tower will form a real coherent front (well, at least not at the start). Certain parts of the Association will be more unified than others, but this will, in general, be a massive mess for them. In fact, that is the point, because it's one of the things which actually serves to balance the two sides.

From a more practical perspective, I will probably take no more than 12 players (3 Masters + 3 Servants per side), so there is really no reason for me to make such an obscene amount of factions considering the amount of effort that it will take. I am not shooting for Regalia-esque 10+ factions here. Its going to be a bit more focused than that.

[Mellon]

Double post, but I put up two sample sub-factions (one for the Association and one for the Three Families) to give a general idea of what I am aiming at and how it will look in the end.

[Bird of Hermes]

Ok, subfactions are shaping up to be interesting - I'd be down for this.

[Draconic]

So… I know virtually nothing about Monster Girl Quest, but what if I made an RP based on it?

I mean, the only appeal would be that you would play as anthropomorphic mobs (I have no gender preference for characters and my Pervert skill isn't even in the double digits, so… yeah…)

…

[Draconic]

Okay, trying again.

If anyone knows anything about the Legend of Heroes: Trails series, how would you go about making an RP for it?

I mean, Orbal mechanics seem the way to go for a starting point but where would one go from there? What sort of perks could I make? My ideas in that area are game-cripplingly limited.

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Oh right, I've almost finished a PMD game rulebook, so, uh, that's just something that'll be showing up fairly soon whether anyone wants it or not. Might as well try, I suppose. It was pretty simple to make tbh. As long as I don't let things get bogged down by mechanics from the actual game, I can avoid most of the problems I was worried about running into.

[Mellon]

Okay, trying again.

If anyone knows anything about the Legend of Heroes: Trails series, how would you go about making an RP for it?

I mean, Orbal mechanics seem the way to go for a starting point but where would one go from there? What sort of perks could I make? My ideas in that area are game-cripplingly limited.

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Oh right, I've almost finished a PMD game rulebook, so, uh, that's just something that'll be showing up fairly soon whether anyone wants it or not. Might as well try, I suppose. It was pretty simple to make tbh. As long as I don't let things get bogged down by mechanics from the actual game, I can avoid most of the problems I was worried about running into.

I made a draft for a heavily Kiseki-inspired RP some time ago. Maybe you can get some inspiriation for the perk/mechanics parts from there.

[mAc Chaos]

Draconic, I wanted to reply to your post in Hermes' thread, but I'm doing it here so it doesn't derail his game thread.

Unlikely. The RP 'shadow cabal' as Morm once referred to them, often say they want more GMs. But that's a delusion that they don't seem to be waking up from. The truth is that they want the same specific people to host games and will join them no matter what. If you go into the IRC and ask them why they aren't interested in this despite the similarities to Reclamation, they'll actually start making up excuses.

Mind you, it's not entirely their fault. They became something of an insular community through a brief, but not insignificant period of time in which people only left, and no new faces showed up. They can't even see that they're doing it.

Just as Zikari's Grand Order game attracted no one, so too will this game fall into obscurity.

If I might make one more suggestion, maybe change the title of the game. I recommend Clock Tower Case Files: The Seekers of Heracles

And, you know, suggest in the master post that when this game ends, any survivors will be included in a sequel game. All things considered, if you are going full RP with this, it would make sense for the Grail War to start soon after the Heracles catalyst gets found.

You can't just expect to barge in somewhere and act like you own the place. Playing in a game is a big investment of time and effort, you know? That needs credibility. It takes time to build that up, just like any other venture. If you just lash out at everyone over it then you're just going to confirm the reasons that led to people holding back in the first place.

When you say it's always the same certain people that people want to run games, what you're really saying is that it's those people that everyone is comfortable with and trusts. But it's not like someone appears out of the blue and gets there overnight. Obviously you'd have to work your way up to that.

I saw you mention a game idea the other day in the RP discussion thread, which basically boiled down to "I have no idea about what this thing is but what if I ran it?" Now think about how that would sound if someone was like "I know nothing about pizza, but what if I opened a pizza restaurant?" How many people do you think would want to go to that restaurant?

You should focus on topics you can be truly passionate about and knowledgeable on. If it's a question of learning a system like D&D, where you need to grapple with the rules on a step by step basis, you can make that clear, and people are usually willing to go along with that if they know that. But it makes sense if someone wasn't interested in an idea that had no weight behind it.

Don't think I'm just saying this to be mean or anything, I doubt anyone would want to join if I was the one running one either. Nor would you want any random person to join; the commitment street goes both ways.

[I3uster]

Maybe I am blind to it because I am in it but I think the personality aspect is overstated because we had newbies pop on the scene and immediately cash out with a 10 people playerbase sometime still like with kirby while Morm who is an oldschool RPer with good standing in the community had RPs that didn't fill.

The nature of the thing is just that something Fate-based with not a lot of fluff beyond that will no longer actually get people excited because most veterans have played 20 of these already (as you can see by basically all of the frontpage rps made by the hardest core being anything but Fate) while it's generally what newer players want. Taste has developed in a certain manner.

If you are not too secure in the appeal of your idea you can always ask one of the already present GMs for tips and tricks, we have yet to actually bully newbies out. Which is why I found that Draconic post incredibly rude.

[Draconic]

You're right. It was rude, and was me letting my insecurities get the better of me. The sense of defeat kind of compounds based on the kind of effort I put into my sheets these days.

I try so, so hard and it seems like it's always for nothing. And it hurts a lot when you've never been in a game, and you get shunted out of a new one because names were picked randomly, or someone got a first application mercy pick on their first go at it, while I'm on my fifth or sixth try. And I'm at ten consecutive failures to get into a popular game. I know I'm not being intentionally excluded, but it sometimes feels that way. I know it's not actually anyone's fault though.

Really… I think that all I wanted was to play a game with friends. Everyone I know IRL hates the stuff I like. Or at best, it bores them to death.

I really am sorry. My behavior was immature. I shouldn't be blaming other people for my problems. I should and must be better than that.

[Mellon]

As you can see by basically all of the frontpage rps made by the hardest core being anything but Fate.

Teach me how to be a hardcore RP section all-star, Buster-sempai.

And it hurts a lot when you've never been in a game, and you get shunted out of a new one because names were picked randomly, or someone got a first application mercy pick on their first go at it, while I'm on my fifth or sixth try.

I actually find this more insulting than your original tangent about the dastardly RP cabal. It actively devalues the effort that others have put into making their sheets and attempts to unfairly paint the picture that the your superior sheets are somehow overlooked by the GM who is more interested in a pity parade, rather than actively selecting the best sheets he or she has.

[I3uster]

youve grown soft in your later days old man

we treat it as a singular case of dementia

[Draconic]

I actually find this more insulting than your original tangent about the dastardly RP cabal. It actively devalues the effort that others have put into making their sheets and attempts to unfairly paint the picture that the your superior sheets are somehow overlooked by the GM who is more interested in a pity parade, rather than actively selecting the best sheets he or she has.

I really didn't mean it like that, but I suppose I should have worded that more carefully. Nevertheless, I was once put somewhere in the back while someone else was literally told they were in on pity, and nothing else, because the sheet was just that terrible. I don't understand the logic there. To tell the truth, I couldn't tell you what game it was or who had the bad sheet. I just remember the public review. Nevertheless, my sheet could have been executed better there and I wouldn't put the guy in now either. I can only remember that he had a lance, or something. And can't remember anything about his backstory that would help me remember what game it is, which kind of says something about how 'good' he is. And by 'good' I mean 'literary travesty against the Lord.'

I have no doubt Zikari and Express had excellent sheets. (Wait, did Express get in?) whatever the case, I've seen their work before.

There have only been three sheets so far that actually even have the capacity to be called 'superior' though: In the case of Ellie, I went berserk (twitchy-eyed, obsessive compulsive and irrational IRL behavior) in terms of trying to go so far overboard that she couldn't not be picked, which is why the spells had incantations, translations of said incantations, and a base with an actual floor plan, complete with furnishings and notes for how certain things functioned, as well as two mini-profiles for her sisters.
Whatever happened, I still do feel like it's bizarre that she wouldn't get in, but not because of anything you chose; it's just that I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. If Ellie with the character sheet equivalent of adding payed DLC stuff didn't get in, I despaired over the concepts of 'how much better were everyone else's? After all that effort, there were still people who worked harder than me?' I just didn't understand where I went wrong.

CROWNLESS, my character is good. Now, at least. But this doesn't really count. When I first submitted him, well, Kirby gave me a review, and you can see it in the thread. I'm on the wait list, and he actually has a chance of getting in with his reworked bio. I thought it was good when I submitted it, but I actually feel kind of proud of the 'post-production' stuff. I just wish I had started with that. Either way, if you put the original and reworked bios next to each other, the second holds your interest a lot more. And isn't a giant cliché.

My other two best were shunted out in favor of randomly picking names. Which hurt a lot, mostly because in both cases, I had spent hours agonizing over ways to keep my original artistic vision. Because in both cases, I had also pandered to the GMs' personal character preferences. The GMs in both cases did at least apologize, for picking someone else while I had been waiting for several months, but it was still too late.

I'm just very confused. If I try harder each time and still get put into the 'almost good enough' pile, a place I've been crawling around in my entire life, I just want to know precisely what I'm doing that's making my sheets, I dunno, in that place where one can take it or leave it, but either way it makes no difference.

[Express]

I have no doubt Zikari and Express had excellent sheets. (Wait, did Express get in?) whatever the case, I've seen their work before.

My sheet was absolutely terrible and I take full responsibility for bugging Mellon about it so much, there was a level of patience there that I wasn't even aware of until I started seeing the actual IC stuff and realized how sparse it was. That's not to say I'm questioning the effort you put into your sheet--which sounds like loads more than even the one I did for Hermes' RP--but I can tell you the pity sheet definitely wasn't me.
I'd say more, but I'm not familiar enough with you or the old-timer users and RP drama to do anything justice. I do feel for you when you say your friends don't give a shit about what you like. Deeply. Mine don't either.

Whether or not you decide to join the Hassan-train unless Hero shows up, I at least look forward to seeing you in the Hunt For Heracles.

[Draconic]

There were no pity sheets in Mellon's RP. Characters were picked, I think based on compatibility. Apparently, all the heroic spirits must have been assholes to some tangible extent.

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(See, Ellie is a 'bad' mage. She's very nice, and is cautious enough to pull that kind of personality off in magus society.

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So basically, whoever KT's Servant is, they are probably cold and calculating. I wouldn't know. Games started to hurt to watch after the fifth or sixth time.

[Bloble]

Compatibility had nothing to do with it. Sheets were picked on quality. Compatibility was only a deciding factor in who would summon who.

Seeing as you haven't read the IC, I'll just tell you now that the characters played by KT and Sunny (his Servant) are among the nicest, most adorable characters in the RP.

[Draconic]

I didn't get that impression from the highly intellectual personality I read about. (KT and I know each other's sheets. Vaguely. I didn't read the skills because I run my mouth a lot, and I have been known to make ridiculous mistakes.)

I mean, I suppose it can't hurt to try reading the thing. It's not likely, but there is always a chance that someone could pull a Bazett and die early on. Though someone would have to be pretty clever and evil to do so. Though if KT is as nice as you say, canonically speaking, the entire clock tower must be giddily praying she dies.

Which basically means that me and KT are functionally the same.

[Zurvan]

I'd ask you to read it, if only to correct your view on the character.

Having read it, so far KT and Sunny have almost the best dynamic(no. 1 for me is Bloble and canaki, even if I can only see that ending tragically) and none of the characters seem like assholes.
And you know, its fun to read too, so there's that...

[Spinach]

They say "don't hate the player, hate the game" but sometimes instead of blaming others or the system maybe you should blame yourself.

[Leftovers]

You're right. It was rude, and was me letting my insecurities get the better of me. The sense of defeat kind of compounds based on the kind of effort I put into my sheets these days.

I try so, so hard and it seems like it's always for nothing. And it hurts a lot when you've never been in a game, and you get shunted out of a new one because names were picked randomly, or someone got a first application mercy pick on their first go at it, while I'm on my fifth or sixth try. And I'm at ten consecutive failures to get into a popular game. I know I'm not being intentionally excluded, but it sometimes feels that way. I know it's not actually anyone's fault though.

Really… I think that all I wanted was to play a game with friends. Everyone I know IRL hates the stuff I like. Or at best, it bores them to death.

I really am sorry. My behavior was immature. I shouldn't be blaming other people for my problems. I should and must be better than that.

I really didn't mean it like that, but I suppose I should have worded that more carefully. Nevertheless, I was once put somewhere in the back while someone else was literally told they were in on pity, and nothing else, because the sheet was just that terrible. I don't understand the logic there. To tell the truth, I couldn't tell you what game it was or who had the bad sheet. I just remember the public review. Nevertheless, my sheet could have been executed better there and I wouldn't put the guy in now either. I can only remember that he had a lance, or something. And can't remember anything about his backstory that would help me remember what game it is, which kind of says something about how 'good' he is. And by 'good' I mean 'literary travesty against the Lord.'

I have no doubt Zikari and Express had excellent sheets. (Wait, did Express get in?) whatever the case, I've seen their work before.

There have only been three sheets so far that actually even have the capacity to be called 'superior' though: In the case of Ellie, I went berserk (twitchy-eyed, obsessive compulsive and irrational IRL behavior) in terms of trying to go so far overboard that she couldn't not be picked, which is why the spells had incantations, translations of said incantations, and a base with an actual floor plan, complete with furnishings and notes for how certain things functioned, as well as two mini-profiles for her sisters.
Whatever happened, I still do feel like it's bizarre that she wouldn't get in, but not because of anything you chose; it's just that I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. If Ellie with the character sheet equivalent of adding payed DLC stuff didn't get in, I despaired over the concepts of 'how much better were everyone else's? After all that effort, there were still people who worked harder than me?' I just didn't understand where I went wrong.

CROWNLESS, my character is good. Now, at least. But this doesn't really count. When I first submitted him, well, Kirby gave me a review, and you can see it in the thread. I'm on the wait list, and he actually has a chance of getting in with his reworked bio. I thought it was good when I submitted it, but I actually feel kind of proud of the 'post-production' stuff. I just wish I had started with that. Either way, if you put the original and reworked bios next to each other, the second holds your interest a lot more. And isn't a giant cliché.

My other two best were shunted out in favor of randomly picking names. Which hurt a lot, mostly because in both cases, I had spent hours agonizing over ways to keep my original artistic vision. Because in both cases, I had also pandered to the GMs' personal character preferences. The GMs in both cases did at least apologize, for picking someone else while I had been waiting for several months, but it was still too late.

I'm just very confused. If I try harder each time and still get put into the 'almost good enough' pile, a place I've been crawling around in my entire life, I just want to know precisely what I'm doing that's making my sheets, I dunno, in that place where one can take it or leave it, but either way it makes no difference.

There were no pity sheets in Mellon's RP. Characters were picked, I think based on compatibility. Apparently, all the heroic spirits must have been assholes to some tangible extent.

- - - Updated - - -

(See, Ellie is a 'bad' mage. She's very nice, and is cautious enough to pull that kind of personality off in magus society.

- - - Updated - - -

So basically, whoever KT's Servant is, they are probably cold and calculating. I wouldn't know. Games started to hurt to watch after the fifth or sixth time.

I didn't get that impression from the highly intellectual personality I read about. (KT and I know each other's sheets. Vaguely. I didn't read the skills because I run my mouth a lot, and I have been known to make ridiculous mistakes.)

I mean, I suppose it can't hurt to try reading the thing. It's not likely, but there is always a chance that someone could pull a Bazett and die early on. Though someone would have to be pretty clever and evil to do so. Though if KT is as nice as you say, canonically speaking, the entire clock tower must be giddily praying she dies.

Which basically means that me and KT are functionally the same.

Maybe your sheets just weren't good.