Traveller's Cafe 3: Brainstorming, discussion, tea, advice

[The Burning Sun]

RP INTEREST AND FEEDBACK REQUEST

---

Please provide as much detail as possible.
RP's Overarching Concept: Basically Myself and one or two others are interested in bring back (This RP OOC: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=304193 IC: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=304479) however we want to do it in a way that's sustainable and doesn't have to keep timeskipping as I know some wanted plot plot plot and fast paced while others were happy with a day to day school based RP in the Harry Potter World, it's hard really to put the concept into words as to be fair we know the setting it's more the mechanics and advice on running it we need.
Genre/s: Fantasy Harry Potter in particular
Character or Faction Based: Character
Detailed Description: Day to Day school based RP set in the Harry Potter world and at Hogwarts in particular, with Possibly some plot if needed.

Need Help With: Structing and Pacing the RP, help in running it if anybody would be interest and general pointers as not really used to running an RP as it were. No doubt there's likely some other things I'd need help with but I need to start somewhere!

Please leave this hashtag in place: #Mentorhelp

I know where you should start.

With a freshman English and Grammar class.

OOOOOOOOHHHH SHOTS FIRED

Sorry, but I want to say that every time I see a hastily typed up mess that could use a liberal sprinkling of punctuation and common sense. I promise you, put the work into honing that mind of yours until it reaches the potential I'm sure is hidden inside of you, and your RP's will start attracting the kind of dedicated, funny, and interesting people that make every venture here on P2TM run.

Although please, don't take what I said personally. I don't want to be unnecessarily rude, despite the fact that I probably am right now, but that is my honest opinion. There are plenty of people here far, far more knowledgeable than me, all of which could probably tear me apart by the proverbial seams, but I doubt even they could build a masterpiece without a solid foundation to work on.

Welp, here goes my reputation. This is why I should avoid posting after more than 18 hours of consciousness.

[Alleniana]

Need Help With: I need someone who speaks French more fluently than me (I'd self rate myself as an A2 speaker). And Frenchmen. And people willing to kill off a lot of characters.

You can try viewtopic.php?f=31&t=325676

Temp, why aren't you a P2TM mentor XD

We have to wait until the next mentor election.

Which will happens in the future.

>implying there are elections and not arcane rituals

RP INTEREST AND FEEDBACK REQUEST

---

Please provide as much detail as possible.
RP's Overarching Concept: Basically myself and one or two others are interested in bringing this back (This RP OOC: http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic ... 1&t=304193 IC: http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic ... 1&t=304479) However we want to do it in a way that's sustainable and doesn't have to keep timeskipping, as I know some wanted plot! Plot! Plot! and be fast paced while others were happy with a day to day school based RP in the Harry Potter World. It's hard really to put the concept into words as to be fair we know the setting it's more the mechanics and advice on running it we need.
Genre/s: Fantasy Harry Potter in particular
Character or Faction Based: Character
Detailed Description: Day to Day school based RP set in the Harry Potter world and at Hogwarts in particular, with possibly some plot if doable but not at the expense of everything else.

Need Help With: Structuring and Pacing the RP, help in running it if anybody would be interested and general pointers as not really used to running an RP as it were. No doubt there's likely some other things I'd need help with but I need to start somewhere!

Please leave this hashtag in place: #Mentorhelp

Possible to play teachers?

[Atlannia]

>implying there are elections and not arcane rituals

Are we not still using the Bloodmoon Trials to select new mentors? I always thought they were pretty effective and really relatively few contestants lost limbs.

[Alleniana]

>implying there are elections and not arcane rituals

Are we not still using the Bloodmoon Trials to select new mentors? I always thought they were pretty effective and really relatively few contestants lost limbs.

Sshhh, a cafe is too public a place to talk about it.

[Atlannia]

Well how are we supposed to get more sacrifices contestants if we don't advertise?

[Novacom]

Need Help With: I need someone who speaks French more fluently than me (I'd self rate myself as an A2 speaker). And Frenchmen. And people willing to kill off a lot of characters.

You can try https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopi ... 1&t=325676

We have to wait until the next mentor election.

Which will happens in the future.

>implying there are elections and not arcane rituals

RP INTEREST AND FEEDBACK REQUEST

---

Please provide as much detail as possible.
RP's Overarching Concept: Basically myself and one or two others are interested in bringing this back (This RP OOC: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=304193 IC: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=304479) However we want to do it in a way that's sustainable and doesn't have to keep timeskipping, as I know some wanted plot! Plot! Plot! and be fast paced while others were happy with a day to day school based RP in the Harry Potter World. It's hard really to put the concept into words as to be fair we know the setting it's more the mechanics and advice on running it we need.
Genre/s: Fantasy Harry Potter in particular
Character or Faction Based: Character
Detailed Description: Day to Day school based RP set in the Harry Potter world and at Hogwarts in particular, with possibly some plot if doable but not at the expense of everything else.

Need Help With: Structuring and Pacing the RP, help in running it if anybody would be interested and general pointers as not really used to running an RP as it were. No doubt there's likely some other things I'd need help with but I need to start somewhere!

Please leave this hashtag in place: #Mentorhelp

Possible to play teachers?

Yes it is, I played one of the teachers and the janitor for the most part, and the other guy who has been asking about restarting it also did as well.

[Alleniana]

You can try https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopi ... 1&t=325676

>implying there are elections and not arcane rituals

Possible to play teachers?

Yes it is, I played one of the teachers and the janitor for the most part, and the other guy who has been asking about restarting it also did as well.

Hm, ok. I like Harry Potter, but I'm not sure I like it in a way that would be conducive to me RPing it. Good luck.

[Roboto]

Since my Zombie RP has failed like all my others RP's have(yet interestingly enough every other site loves my ideas)does anyone wish to work along with me on any of the following?
1.A Star Wars RP
2.A Samurai Warriors RP
3.A Alternate WWII RP
4.Or a fantasy RP?

[Nature-Spirits]

Since my Zombie RP has failed like all my others RP's have(yet interestingly enough every other site loves my ideas)does anyone wish to work along with me on any of the following?
1.A Star Wars RP
2.A Samurai Warriors RP
3.A Alternate WWII RP
4.Or a fantasy RP?

Your RPs are flopping, eh? In that case, I recommend that you read this fabulous guide written by the wonderful Cer and Min. I would also suggest that you take a look at the rest of the guides we have.

Also, I took a look at your zombie RP. Please don't take this as a criticism, but your OP is underdeveloped and looks unprofessional, which may be a contributing factor as to why you haven't been getting many players. Additionally, it seems that you gave it a total of 6 hours and 12 minutes before declaring it dead, and it's your second RP in two days (the first, it seems, you declared dead after 14 hours and 36 minutes; and you posted the second 2 hours and 37 minutes later). I would suggest that you be more patient; sometimes, it takes a few days before people take notice, and that's okay. If you wish to advertise your RP to spur the process, we have a thread for that.

[Roboto]

Since my Zombie RP has failed like all my others RP's have(yet interestingly enough every other site loves my ideas)does anyone wish to work along with me on any of the following?
1.A Star Wars RP
2.A Samurai Warriors RP
3.A Alternate WWII RP
4.Or a fantasy RP?

Your RPs are flopping, eh? In that case, I recommend that you read this fabulous guide written by the wonderful Cer and Min. I would also suggest that you take a look at the rest of the guides we have.

Also, I took a look at your zombie RP. Please don't take this as a criticism, but your OP is underdeveloped and looks unprofessional, which may be a contributing factor as to why you haven't been getting many players. Additionally, it seems that you gave it a total of 6 hours and 12 minutes before declaring it dead, and it's your second RP in two days (the first, it seems, you declared dead after 14 hours and 36 minutes; and you posted the second 2 hours and 37 minutes later). I would suggest that you be more patient; sometimes, it takes a few days before people take notice, and that's okay. If you wish to advertise your RP to spur the process, we have a thread for that.

Really?
I thought it was pretty good?But I'll take your word.
HOWEVER,I've seen lesser with less professionalism than mine take off like a rocket.
And on other sites I've been on it usually wouldn't go a whole day without at least a few tags.

[Wolfenium]

Your RPs are flopping, eh? In that case, I recommend that you read this fabulous guide written by the wonderful Cer and Min. I would also suggest that you take a look at the rest of the guides we have.

Also, I took a look at your zombie RP. Please don't take this as a criticism, but your OP is underdeveloped and looks unprofessional, which may be a contributing factor as to why you haven't been getting many players. Additionally, it seems that you gave it a total of 6 hours and 12 minutes before declaring it dead, and it's your second RP in two days (the first, it seems, you declared dead after 14 hours and 36 minutes; and you posted the second 2 hours and 37 minutes later). I would suggest that you be more patient; sometimes, it takes a few days before people take notice, and that's okay. If you wish to advertise your RP to spur the process, we have a thread for that.

Really?
I thought it was pretty good?But I'll take your word.
HOWEVER,I've seen lesser with less professionalism than mine take off like a rocket.
And on other sites I've been on it usually wouldn't go a whole day without at least a few tags.

Well, different sites have different post rates. Most regulars in NationStates tend to be college students to working adults, so free time is more limited for us. Furthermore, I suspect people have just gotten sick of Zombie RPs, especially since we just had an official zombie outbreak minigame for the fourth straight time last Halloween.

[Altito Asmoro]

Really?
I thought it was pretty good?But I'll take your word.
HOWEVER,I've seen lesser with less professionalism than mine take off like a rocket.
And on other sites I've been on it usually wouldn't go a whole day without at least a few tags.

Well, different sites have different post rates. Most regulars in NationStates tend to be college students to working adults, so free time is more limited for us. Furthermore, I suspect people have just gotten sick of Zombie RPs, especially since we just had an official zombie outbreak minigame for the fourth straight time last Halloween.

It's one time a year, Wolfen.
It's fine. If it's four times a year now that's different.

[Alleniana]

Since my Zombie RP has failed like all my others RP's have(yet interestingly enough every other site loves my ideas)does anyone wish to work along with me on any of the following?
1.A Star Wars RP
2.A Samurai Warriors RP
3.A Alternate WWII RP
4.Or a fantasy RP?

A warning for option 3, that will take a lot of work to prevent it being noobrushed. Just saying.

[Roboto]

I myself am a upcoming college student,classes don't start till January 10 so I've had lots of free time till then.

[Wolfenium]

Well, different sites have different post rates. Most regulars in NationStates tend to be college students to working adults, so free time is more limited for us. Furthermore, I suspect people have just gotten sick of Zombie RPs, especially since we just had an official zombie outbreak minigame for the fourth straight time last Halloween.

It's one time a year, Wolfen.
It's fine. If it's four times a year now that's different.

But I liek different halloween event! Like pantsu witches! Or Monmusu! :<

[Ularn]

Your RPs are flopping, eh? In that case, I recommend that you read this fabulous guide written by the wonderful Cer and Min. I would also suggest that you take a look at the rest of the guides we have.

Also, I took a look at your zombie RP. Please don't take this as a criticism, but your OP is underdeveloped and looks unprofessional, which may be a contributing factor as to why you haven't been getting many players. Additionally, it seems that you gave it a total of 6 hours and 12 minutes before declaring it dead, and it's your second RP in two days (the first, it seems, you declared dead after 14 hours and 36 minutes; and you posted the second 2 hours and 37 minutes later). I would suggest that you be more patient; sometimes, it takes a few days before people take notice, and that's okay. If you wish to advertise your RP to spur the process, we have a thread for that.

Really?
I thought it was pretty good?But I'll take your word.
HOWEVER,I've seen lesser with less professionalism than mine take off like a rocket.
And on other sites I've been on it usually wouldn't go a whole day without at least a few tags.

Another thing to consider is that P2tM operates a lot on reputation. It's easy to get involved in an RP when you're new but a lot of players won't join a new RP when it's being run by someone they've never heard of whose nation was founded five minutes ago. Until you've been around for a little while and established some rep, there will be some players who won't trust you to stick around long enough for them to get invested in an RP you're running. The fact that you've created and abandoned two RPs in one day is certainly not going to help your rep and believe me when I say you do not want to be known as that guy who keeps making RPs and then dropping them.

Playing in other people's RPs is a good way to promote your own as well. If you've been working with some other players for a few weeks and find that you get on well together then there's a good chance that when you do start your own RP you'll have a few friends ready to join straight off the bat. Their posts and the discussion while you iron out the details of the RP will keep your OOC thread buoyed up near the front page of P2tM where others will see it and click on it to find an encouragingly active group already there. So have a look around and see what's happening here that you think you might like to get involved in and take it from there.

Also, don't bump your threads so often; nothing turns away prospective players faster than an OOC thread whose first page is just bumps. If you do have to bump multiple times in a row, delete the old bump posts first to keep things tidy. But remember that with a good OP you shouldn't have to bump ever.

If you want an idea of what a high quality OP looks like, check out this for a really good example:
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=321037 - Zark's Children of Infinity RP uses formatting to break up the text into manageable chunks. Meanwhile all the lore and walls of text are tidied away behind spoilers where they're easy to locate but won't intimidate a first time viewer who might think "My god; I have to read all this?" You can see the planning that went into this OP and the multiple hours of effort. Clearly the guy who wrote this is taking his RP seriously and plans to stick around to see it through.

Hope that helps you out some.

[EDIT]: Oh, and I'd think about editing your sig. Like I said, we operate on reputation here but no-one knows who you are yet, so claiming you're a master RPer seems kind of up yourself - especially when you've nothing to back it up - and would certainly put me off playing with you. The best regarded players around here don't need to advertise the fact that they're good.

[Ayreonia]

Your RPs are flopping, eh? In that case, I recommend that you read this fabulous guide written by the wonderful Cer and Min. I would also suggest that you take a look at the rest of the guides we have.

Also, I took a look at your zombie RP. Please don't take this as a criticism, but your OP is underdeveloped and looks unprofessional, which may be a contributing factor as to why you haven't been getting many players. Additionally, it seems that you gave it a total of 6 hours and 12 minutes before declaring it dead, and it's your second RP in two days (the first, it seems, you declared dead after 14 hours and 36 minutes; and you posted the second 2 hours and 37 minutes later). I would suggest that you be more patient; sometimes, it takes a few days before people take notice, and that's okay. If you wish to advertise your RP to spur the process, we have a thread for that.

Really?
I thought it was pretty good?But I'll take your word.
HOWEVER,I've seen lesser with less professionalism than mine take off like a rocket.
And on other sites I've been on it usually wouldn't go a whole day without at least a few tags.

I've noticed that coming up with fresh and original ideas instead of posting the same old trite and overused stuff helps. Bitching about failed RPs doesn't.

[Northumbria]

RP INTEREST AND FEEDBACK REQUEST

---

Please provide as much detail as possible.

RP's Overarching Concept: Political/historical RP advancing to modern day (eventually)
Genre/s: Political RP
Character or Faction Based: Character
Detailed Description:
Not too dissimilar to NSGS, although my RP would merge some role-play and gameplay elements. Essentially, it's a political RP with a starting point ~50 years ago on a former British Caribbean colony that is newly independent. Each player would be a character whom had been elected to the newly empowered parliament. They could/would form parties and, if they're part of the biggest party/coalition, may even take part in the government of the day.

Rather than being solely P2TM-based, there would be a dedicated region (named after the island, rather than having a role-play name). There would would be constitutions, laws, a map with constituencies (which would have profiles) which players can be the MP for (and which can alter in number, shape and size) and an offsite forum, where parliament/government would be based. In this respect, it would be alike to most organised regions of NS, except that everything would be IC, relevant to the RP.

The RP would, however, also incorporate gameplay elements: the founder would be the island's head of state (governor/president) and the WA delegate would be the head of government (prime minister). The latter is a particularly important aspect. As it would mean a prospective prime minister, just like IRL, would have to "command the confidence" of the parliament.

There would also be a timeline, although I'm not sure what scale or speed it should run at. This would allow for players to constantly refresh, renew or retire characters and introduce newer, younger, fresher and more diverse characters as the RP went on; reflecting what IRL changes, etc.

Need Help With:
Rounding out the idea do advice on how to implement or if it's too complicated/basic an idea. Is incorporating gameplay elements too much? Really, I need advice on rounding the RP's edges or whether or not it needs a serious rethink in any areas. All advice is appreciated.

Please leave this hashtag in place: #Mentorhelp

[Alleniana]

RP INTEREST AND FEEDBACK REQUEST

---

Please provide as much detail as possible.

RP's Overarching Concept: Political/historical RP advancing to modern day (eventually)
Genre/s: Political RP
Character or Faction Based: Character
Detailed Description:
Not too dissimilar to NSGS, although my RP would merge some role-play and gameplay elements. Essentially, it's a political RP with a starting point ~50 years ago on a former British Caribbean colony that is newly independent. Each player would be a character whom had been elected to the newly empowered parliament. They could/would form parties and, if they're part of the biggest party/coalition, may even take part in the government of the day.

Rather than being solely P2TM-based, there would be a dedicated region (named after the island, rather than having a role-play name). There would would be constitutions, laws, a map with constituencies (which would have profiles) which players can be the MP for (and which can alter in number, shape and size) and an offsite forum, where parliament/government would be based. In this respect, it would be alike to most organised regions of NS, except that everything would be IC, relevant to the RP.

The RP would, however, also incorporate gameplay elements: the founder would be the island's head of state (governor/president) and the WA delegate would be the head of government (prime minister). The latter is a particularly important aspect. As it would mean a prospective prime minister, just like IRL, would have to "command the confidence" of the parliament.

There would also be a timeline, although I'm not sure what scale or speed it should run at. This would allow for players to constantly refresh, renew or retire characters and introduce newer, younger, fresher and more diverse characters as the RP went on; reflecting what IRL changes, etc.

Need Help With:
Rounding out the idea do advice on how to implement or if it's too complicated/basic an idea. Is incorporating gameplay elements too much? Really, I need advice on rounding the RP's edges or whether or not it needs a serious rethink in any areas. All advice is appreciated.

Please leave this hashtag in place: #Mentorhelp

Sounds nice. Obviously there are incarnations of this sort of thing, but I don't think I've ever seen it done both to a decent quality and without getting bogged down; I guess there haven't been enough people trying, or I'm not very good at looking. But yeah, I would say it's viable, definitely.

[The Burning Sun]

Really?
I thought it was pretty good?But I'll take your word.
HOWEVER,I've seen lesser with less professionalism than mine take off like a rocket.
And on other sites I've been on it usually wouldn't go a whole day without at least a few tags.

Another thing to consider is that P2tM operates a lot on reputation. It's easy to get involved in an RP when you're new but a lot of players won't join a new RP when it's being run by someone they've never heard of whose nation was founded five minutes ago. Until you've been around for a little while and established some rep, there will be some players who won't trust you to stick around long enough for them to get invested in an RP you're running. The fact that you've created and abandoned two RPs in one day is certainly not going to help your rep and believe me when I say you do not want to be known as that guy who keeps making RPs and then dropping them.

Playing in other people's RPs is a good way to promote your own as well. If you've been working with some other players for a few weeks and find that you get on well together then there's a good chance that when you do start your own RP you'll have a few friends ready to join straight off the bat. Their posts and the discussion while you iron out the details of the RP will keep your OOC thread buoyed up near the front page of P2tM where others will see it and click on it to find an encouragingly active group already there. So have a look around and see what's happening here that you think you might like to get involved in and take it from there.

Also, don't bump your threads so often; nothing turns away prospective players faster than an OOC thread whose first page is just bumps. If you do have to bump multiple times in a row, delete the old bump posts first to keep things tidy. But remember that with a good OP you shouldn't have to bump ever.

If you want an idea of what a high quality OP looks like, check out this for a really good example:
viewtopic.php?f=31&t=321037 - Zark's Children of Infinity RP uses formatting to break up the text into manageable chunks. Meanwhile all the lore and walls of text are tidied away behind spoilers where they're easy to locate but won't intimidate a first time viewer who might think "My god; I have to read all this?" You can see the planning that went into this OP and the multiple hours of effort. Clearly the guy who wrote this is taking his RP seriously and plans to stick around to see it through.

Hope that helps you out some.

[EDIT]: Oh, and I'd think about editing your sig. Like I said, we operate on reputation here but no-one knows who you are yet, so claiming you're a master RPer seems kind of up yourself - especially when you've nothing to back it up - and would certainly put me off playing with you. The best regarded players around here don't need to advertise the fact that they're good.

^ This guy.

I looked at the OP and first page of the RP you mentioned, and boy, it was everything I expected.

Not really in a good way.

Still, about that sig thing - it is kinda arrogant. I'd hope a master-level RPer would know basic grammar first.

[Gvozdevsk]

So I've been wanting to get a Rainbow Six RP up for a while but I'm having difficulty fleshing out an OP for it. There's not a lot of worldbuilding that really needs to be done with an established franchise, and the franchise doesn't have any deep lore beyond "super tacticool operators kill bad guys" so I'm really not sure how I would go about creating a detailed, fleshed out OP that would attract quality RPers.

[Northumbria]

Sounds nice. Obviously there are incarnations of this sort of thing, but I don't think I've ever seen it done both to a decent quality and without getting bogged down; I guess there haven't been enough people trying, or I'm not very good at looking. But yeah, I would say it's viable, definitely.

Political RPs are some of my favourite so I've been looking around for a while and didn't really find anything, like you say, of decent quality or without getting bogged down. (That's not to say I could necessarily do any better.) The most (in)famous example is, of course, NSGS itself but even then, it runs its course in a matter of months at best before everyone loses interest. That's partly why I wanted to merge it with gameplay elements so that the RP and RL regional politics both push each other along and one reflects the other, even if it gets quiet.

I guess the hardest thing will be 1) finding players committed enough (in many aspects, it would be more like joining a new region than signing up for an RP) and 2) setting it up in the right way to attract and keep interest going.

See, I wanted to gauge interest before creating the region but now I'm wondering if I need to create the region to gauge interest? Hmm.

[Agritum]

So I've been wanting to get a Rainbow Six RP up for a while but I'm having difficulty fleshing out an OP for it. There's not a lot of worldbuilding that really needs to be done with an established franchise, and the franchise doesn't have any deep lore beyond "super tacticool operators kill bad guys" so I'm really not sure how I would go about creating a detailed, fleshed out OP that would attract quality RPers.

Read Tom Clancy's book.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

So I've been wanting to get a Rainbow Six RP up for a while but I'm having difficulty fleshing out an OP for it. There's not a lot of worldbuilding that really needs to be done with an established franchise, and the franchise doesn't have any deep lore beyond "super tacticool operators kill bad guys" so I'm really not sure how I would go about creating a detailed, fleshed out OP that would attract quality RPers.

Make some nice backstory! I mean, there is little to tell about Rainbow Six, but you can give it a little background. Then, you'll have to give them a story, a plot. Explain the plot. Transnistrian seperatists? Georgian Gunmen? Uyghur islamists? Give the enemy a story. And then explain why ONLY Rainbow Six can save the world.

[Alleniana]

Sounds nice. Obviously there are incarnations of this sort of thing, but I don't think I've ever seen it done both to a decent quality and without getting bogged down; I guess there haven't been enough people trying, or I'm not very good at looking. But yeah, I would say it's viable, definitely.

Political RPs are some of my favourite so I've been looking around for a while and didn't really find anything, like you say, of decent quality or without getting bogged down. (That's not to say I could necessarily do any better.) The most (in)famous example is, of course, NSGS itself but even then, it runs its course in a matter of months at best before everyone loses interest. That's partly why I wanted to merge it with gameplay elements so that the RP and RL regional politics both push each other along and one reflects the other, even if it gets quiet.

I guess the hardest thing will be 1) finding players committed enough (in many aspects, it would be more like joining a new region than signing up for an RP) and 2) setting it up in the right way to attract and keep interest going.

See, I wanted to gauge interest before creating the region but now I'm wondering if I need to create the region to gauge interest? Hmm.

To be honest, I'm not convinced about the region thing. It would immediately put off people who are founders of regions that they need to stay to protect/manage, as well as people who want to play region politics elsewhere, perhaps even being WA delegate and thus needing to. They could make a puppet, but that's relatively inconvenient. Furthermore, the demographic would largely be P2TMers, I imagine, who aren't big into gameplay by and large anyway. Frankly, I could see the whole region thing bogging down the RP, or at least the quality of, due to needing to spend time on the other. Consider mechanics that you run yourself? G-Tech might be able to help if you go far down that route.