Role-playing feedback here...
Ok, I'll kick this off by getting some ideas for what people wnat for a general role-play- that is, one like the GDF, but more serious. At some point I'll make a pitch for my own in-depth role-play we could get going as well.
First question is simple- do people want it Classic Trilogy, Prequel Trilogy, or do they not want era to be an issue (my own game will be Prequel)?
Ok, that sounds fine, I don't think people will disagree with that, though if you do, then just say.
Next question- in the more in-depth game, the person running it will presumably have his own system for resolving conflicts,justlike any RPG. In a mass participation exercise though- considering the large amount of conflict that will be inevitably involved- how do people feel this well best be resolved? Here are some possiblities:
a. the mods. Of course, as they will be involved, this assumes some faith in them (easy enough).
b. Mass responsbility. Everyone just resolves things as they go along, in their posts, with no overall referee. This certainly makes for the fastest-flowing experience, but if you're not careful, it becomes like playing Daleks in the playground:
"I;ve exterminated you"
"No you haven't"
"Yes I have"
(Start fist fight)
c. A ref gets appointed, perhaps on a rotational basis
d. Everyone votes on who wins conflicts, according to how good their posts were.
Or anything else you can think of.
This allcomes down to how structured you want a mass exercise to be. I don't know how they did it at TFN, but as I have said before the tighter (and fairer) you want the game to be, the less players you can reasonably manage.Of course, you might not want the mass game to be too regulated, as it may detract from the fun.
If everyone is responsbile and sensible, then we can keep 'rules' to a minimum, except at certain dramtic moments (when it comes to it, only one person can win a sabre fight, after all).
My next post will have some settings, assuming we've had some good feedback here.
Ok, pitch the frist...
This is for the setting for the mass role-play. This is a group effort, guys, so add as much or as little as you like!
Getting the scale right is difficult, but I reckon making the setting planetwide will probably work out best at first. So, the game will be set on a planet, which for the rest of this pitch I will simply call 'Planet'- feel free to suggest proper names.
Planet is the major populated world in a system that straddles the divide between the Inner and Outer Worlds, part of where you would mark the border between where the Republic exists and where it starts to fritter away. If you live in this part of the Galaxy, then Planet is your last stop in civilisation if you are heading to the vastness outside, or your first stop if you are one of the outsiders coming in.
Planet has made a fortune out of its convenient position. There is always someone who needs their ship serviced when they are going either way. People fleeing the Republic will prepare their final exodus here, while Bounty Hunters hired to find them drift in from all over. It is by no means a lawless world, but the smart person always has his weapon handy.
For years, the Governing Council of Planet, an Oligarchy of rich noblemen, have kept Planet in good order thanks to a major deal with the Trade Federation. The Federation provided security for the planet- for out this far the Republic cannot guarantee your safety- and it also guaranteed a continual train of people with money to spend. In return, nearly all business on Planet, official or otherwise, was overseen by the Federation, and they got their cut.
But then, disaster struck. A trivial Trade Dispute, on the small planet of Naboo, suddenly blossomed into a political crisis, and the Trade Federation lost its licence. The safety that Planet enjoyed was ripped away an in instant. All deals were off, all security removed. Anxious landowners, and the general population, riot against a government now rendered almost powerless. Local corrupt nobles take full control of their provinces.SOme seek to rule Planet itself, while the government tries to re-assert itself
And where there is a vacuum, so someone will move to fill it. Planet is wort a lot of money to whoever can win it- and others have realised this. The Hutts are already sending out their agents, as are a dozen other lare gangster organisations. And where there are criminals, there are bounties to be made. Bounty Hunters of all types flood to planet- and competition for contracts is tough.
Bounty Hunters, galactic criminals, noblemen, and the government... all are fighting each other and themselves for control of Planet. Although their representation has become almost meaningless, the Senator for Planet has made a desperate speech to the Senate, laying out their desperate position. He blames all of their troubles on the corruption of the Trade Federation- a move which creates sympathy. The Republic,under its new Supreme Chancellr, now has to decicde whether to send forces to the area to ensure stability. And maybe the Jedi Council will even send Knights, to ensure that Peace and Justice is upheld.
And perhaps, there is a darker force out there, that would seek to turn the situation to its own advantage...
As you can see, this setting allows people to play abolsutely any sort of Star Wars character. Everyone has a reason to come to Planet now, whether to take control, or just to stabilize it. Once we start to play, the various plots should roll over into full storylines quite quickly...
We will need to design some important locations on Planet. A capital city would be a good start, as it is somewhere that everyone can meet at first- perhaps queeq owns a bar there...
As time goes by, we can design more and morer of planet. Then the mods can start throwing some plotlines in, from the arrival of the Hutts, to full-scale invasions from outside. And if it goes on long enough, we can fight out the CLone Wars from our own perspective...
Opinions please
Great work, Ush! The sooner we get this running the better.
BTW, do people choose their characters, or are the allocated them?
Gundark, for the character stuff, just create a post that can be constantly edited. I'll also place at a link at the top of the page so newbies can see it easily.
Also, can all people interesting in becoming a mod for the RP form, please email me [email protected]
This being an open, mass role-play, people can choose pretty much whatever character they like- subject to some common-sense rulings from the mod.
For example, if two people both take Bounty Hunters that, according to their profile, are both the best in the galaxy, then that's ok, becuase it's just a PR clash.
But if they both claim to have assassinated the Chancellor before Valorum, then we have a problem. Neither one will wish to be the liar, or revealed to be wrong. The mod will have to rule.
Furthermore, bad guys can be a problem. If one guy wants to be a Sith, then he had better be able to justify that REALLY well, for obvious reasons. And if seven or eight people want to be a Sith, then we will probably have to drop the 'being a Sith' idea in total, in all fairness.
And it is probably a very goopd idea to stay away from actualy Film or book charatcers, in general
Anyhow, the feedback seems to be good here.
Next post (promise!) will be for my smaller, more detialed story.
Here is my second pitch:
Much as I'm sure the first idea will go swimmingly, it's also nice, when role-playing, to actually create a story that other people run through, rather than just creating a setting that runs itself. Both forms are perfectly valid; but there are certain advantages to a tighter game that can copntain all the plot, thrills, spills and twists of one of the films. It is also closer to the idea of modern-day role-playing.
While it makes for a better story, it also has to have well-defined limits,and rather definitiely has to be refereed by one person.
In the end, both experiences should be just as fun as each other...
This game explores some of the same areas as my last pitch- the strain and break-up of the Republic, and the rising tide of darkness in the Universe at the time of the Prequel Trilogy.
The players are all Jedi- on both sides of the Force. It can support five good guys and three bad.
While the various episodes of the game take place all over the galaxy, the first part takes place in an area of space known as the Damagran Confederacy, a group of some fourteen systems. The recent political crisis in the Republic has led to the Confederacy to push for independance from the Republic. Many people in the Republic do not want this to happen- but what can they do?
One solution comes in the form of aid. A massive increase in pirate activity in the area is one of the reasons for discontent. A Republic Battlecruiser is dispatched to the area to try and maintain some form of ordr, and perhaps persuade the Confederation to stay loyal.
But then- disaster. There is a terrible accident- both he Battlecruiser and the space station it is docked at are destroyed in a mysterious explosion. Another cruiser cannot be sent for some time.
The Council sends Jedi to investigate-some have official business there, while tohers are piggybacking after receiving a mysterious vision from the Force about the troubles in the area. Suspicion is that the station was in fact sdestroyed by these pirates,. who must have been far stronger than imagained.
The truth is worse. The station was destroyed by Dark Jedi, who left no witnesses to tell of their involvement. The Jedi from the Council are going a long way from their home, and they do not know of the evil that awaits them at their destination.
These Dark Jedi, under their remarkable leader, are working to a detailedplan- in fact, not all of them even know what they are doing, only that there is safety in numbers. But why would Dark Jedi become involved in such petty politics? What is their leader doing? And above all- can the Jedi sent by the Council stop them?
Obviously, the five light side Jedi are those sent by the Council,either because they are wanted on the mission or because they have received a disturbing vision.
The three Dark Side Jedi are working for this mysterious Fallen Jedi (there will be some other Dark Side Jedi as well, not being played by any of then players). They know more of themystery, as the game starts, but they too will have much to learn about what is unfolding in this corner of space- an event that may have enormous ramifications for the future of the Galaxy, and will eventually form part of the road that sees the Republic's destruction...
The two groups will be opposing each other, of course, and also they will be facing threats from all sorts of directions.There is always evil for the Light Side to fight-and as for the Dark Side; well, this is your chance to find out that life on the Dark Side is no picnic. Treachery and death are every day occurences for you...
The game willfollow the rough make-upof a Star Wars film- big fight at start, big fight at the end,lots of plotty stuff in the middle with the occaisonal conflict, and some damn good lightsabre fights stuck in there as well. But of course, I can't tellyou exactly what will ahppen, because that's down to what you do...
Right, quite frankly, I think we can begin a test run of the mass role-play now... just have people socialising at first, then we can add in the character profiles, and then when we are ready to go properly we can start with the inevitable conflicts...
Shortly afterwards (and when I have the players) we can start the other game.
Just waiting for a mod and for the forum to open...I have the first post all ready.
Ush, very interesting stuff, I can't wait. It's good to know all those ground rules, however I already broke the no SW's character rule w/ Admiral Thrawn. I planned on talking about a few other known characters. I hope this is ok b/c it really adds to the atmosphere of the time period.
As for the time period you mentioned it was between Ep1 and 2. I'm VERY excited about this, but, if it's obviously during the time immidiatly after TPM, Palpatine would be Chancellor, no ifs and or buts. So we'd need to bring him up from time to time. Also, it wouldn't make much sense to create another chancellor during this time as has already been done.
As for the next story I look forward to participating in it. I wish to be a bad guy, so did you plan on having your 3 bad guys be 1 big bad leader and his 2 apprentices/underlings or some other set-up?
Right. There is one leader, who is played by me. The others work for him, though their loyalty is by no means absolute. The full circumstances of this set-up will be revaled to the bad guys when they play- I want to keep it a mystery to the Light Side until they find out for themselves...
Playing a bad guy pns out just fine. We have Gundark, JO, and possibly queeq going for good, and yourself and Finti for bad. That's great.
My warning about playing book or film characters was on a point of knowledge/practicality- you have to tread carefully. But you so obviously know your stuff, I don't see a problem.
What's going on on the mod front, Raz? I half thought that EJ would come back to do it, but looking at it all now, I see that's less likely than I thought...
BTW, I just read the back posts here... blimey... you crazy people... what happened to Tom Gon Jinn, incidentally?
We have Three Council Members playing now, so...