Traveller's Cafe 4: Brainstorming, Discussion, Tea, Advice

[Danubian Peoples]

Out of curiosity (and brainstorming), which forum would one place an 'evolution forum game?' The gist is that players will form teams and discuss on directing their species a certain way. The 'genre' if I can call it that comes in many flavors, but the one I'm talking about in particular is heavily featured here. And this is one of the best examples I can find from that forum, and the one I feel like taking the most inspiration from if I ever get to making the actual thread.

I asked this question on the Hitchiker's Guide to Forum 7 a while back, but it hasn't been answered in months and I don't think it would be a good fit there. I'm not really sure if it'll be a good fit anywhere to be honest, I just posted the question here because P2TM seems to be the most 'umbrella' of the forums by far. Apologies if this is the wrong place or even the wrong site to ask this question.

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Out of curiosity (and brainstorming), which forum would one place an 'evolution forum game?' The gist is that players will form teams and discuss on directing their species a certain way. The 'genre' if I can call it that comes in many flavors, but the one I'm talking about in particular is heavily featured here. And this is one of the best examples I can find from that forum, and the one I feel like taking the most inspiration from if I ever get to making the actual thread.

I asked this question on the Hitchiker's Guide to Forum 7 a while back, but it hasn't been answered in months and I don't think it would be a good fit there. I'm not really sure if it'll be a good fit anywhere to be honest, I just posted the question here because P2TM seems to be the most 'umbrella' of the forums by far. Apologies if this is the wrong place or even the wrong site to ask this question.

Seems like a very particular mechanics game, but a mechanics game nonetheless. It'll definitely fit in just fine.

If you want any feedback, you should hit up G-Tech Corporation, he's our mechanics guy.

And don't worry, this is the right place to ask

[Main Nation Ministry]

I wrote a more detailed story concept for a Gotham RP. My ideas was that the Joker was to become more of a main focus, since I noticed that the Joker is rarely in any of the Gotham RP I did some research on. I also wanted to add elements from the actual comic storylines to maintain a sense of canon. Currently, I having this set after the events of Gotham Knights, where in this RP, the Joker completely vanished after the events of Death of the Family. How is this?

Gotham City. Many people in this country knows it for two things. The high crime rates. And the city where Batman dwells to combat said crime rates. Gotham was known to be a city where the crime rates were due to those who ruined the lives of others. Back in Gotham, the towering corporations in the skyscrapers had practically near control of the city. For some city districts, the rich and cream of the crop were at the top of the ladder. The bottom were most of Gotham. Poor, jobless, disenfranchised, impoverished, and overall mad. The poor and the rich clashed. Criminals were made from the society that was created in Gotham. Some banded together as organizations to take their own control of the city. Some criminals managed to get the police on their sides by planting seeds of corruption and being a part of the city government to further their misdeeds. A time where the boys in blue were practically criminals themselves, feasting on the results of the corruption they committed.

Then, there was the savior. Batman. The death of a boy's parents were the starting point for Bruce Wayne. He proceeded to serve as Gotham's number one superhero, obtaining allies who want justice, and making several enemies that Batman was interfering with. One particular villain was the Joker. For the Joker, he does crimes without an actual motive. Not for the money. Not for the power. But to live for chaos. Chaos and to show the world the meaninglessness of life and death with a world remade into his own image. A Sherlock and a Moriarty. A hero and a villain. Black and white.

However, a few years ago, the city was starting to look up for a brighter future. It was due to time that change was brought upon Gotham. The Joker had suddenly vanished from Gotham City in an attempted death of the family. The Penguin, who was one of the Caped Crusader's most feared villains, appeared to have quit his life as a criminal, where he claims to be now reformed, running his Iceberg Lounge in Gotham, while he had started to dabble with local politics in the city. Villains either gave up crime, or just left Gotham City to find their new misadventures somewhere else. Others still stayed, some visible and some lying low. People managed to move into Gotham, though the disparity between two sides of the coin, rich and poor, were still visible.

Batman still did what he does best. However, as the Gotham City Police Department (GCPD) was reforming to be non-corrupt, Batman realized that Gotham was able to fight on it's own. Superman still supported him, as Batman left Gotham to be with the Justice League. New heroes appeared to fill in the gaps of the Caped Crusader, while some who were filled with evil were new villains. But life in Gotham didn't seem bad. But with time, there was time where some things can't last forever. A peaceful age was replaced with a familiar dark one.

Gotham faced an economic recession that was a result of a worldwide meltdown. While the rest of the world managed to stabilize, Gotham didn't. And those who didn't learn the lessons from the past had repeated it. The crumbled new souls who roam the expanded slums were the result, as crime and corruption were back on the rise. The mayoral elections are around in the winter, but opponents were of the manipulative and corrupt. There were villains that were becoming more violent every day. Violence overall had became the calling card of vigilantes who saw that the law couldn't save them from what was happening to them. Heroes arrived to assist in the situation, some familiar and some new. Villains from old and new had arrived as well. Both sides, colorful and willing to make a change for the best and the worst. Factions were now the norms in the conflicts. Factions of criminals, vigilantes and villains. The government even dispatched a new group to help clean up Gotham in the absence of Batman for the greater good, though their overall motives are sketchy and hint at some weakness.

Yet, one person arrived back to Gotham City. One man who came back to make a joke. A killing joke. In...

THE LONG WINTER

[Turmenista]

I'm still not sure if my activity will permit it, but I've always wanted to run a post apocalypse RP oriented around vehicles, kind of like how Mad Max is with cars.

But instead of cars, I was thinking, "why not bush planes and planes in general?"

It sounds retarded, so I just wanted to run the idea here first.

[Pax Nerdvana]

I'm still not sure if my activity will permit it, but I've always wanted to run a post apocalypse RP oriented around vehicles, kind of like how Mad Max is with cars.

But instead of cars, I was thinking, "why not bush planes and planes in general?"

It sounds retarded, so I just wanted to run the idea here first.

Oooh, that'd be cool if I had the time.

[Theyra]

Just a thought but, how would a rp that is centered around living on a ship of some kind sound? Like the ship was formally a military ship but has been converted into being a mobile settlement. The rp would also deal with this
mobile settlement being caught up in the affairs of nations.

[Rhyssua]

The premise:

Tech level: PMT

Aliens have invaded earth. With superior technology and space superiority, they begin a first strike against humanity that decimates many major population centers. However, they were unprepared for humanity's use of nuclear weapons (and their stubbornness), and so the war gradually ground into a high-tech, high-casualty stalemate. Around this time, another species of aliens arrives to provide covert aid to the humans, similar to how the US funded the Mujahideen during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The reason I'm posting it here is that I want it to be mostly character-based. I'll flesh this out in more detail if there's some interest (the aliens, a fictional country that all or most of the characters will be in), but it will basically be about the actions of one nation near the front lines, told from soldier, civilian, and alien perspectives.

Need help with: Everything, but I especially need a mapper. I can't do maps

[Recuecn]

Just a thought but, how would a rp that is centered around living on a ship of some kind sound? Like the ship was formally a military ship but has been converted into being a mobile settlement. The rp would also deal with this
mobile settlement being caught up in the affairs of nations.

This sounds like a pretty cool idea to me. I think the concept might work no matter what genre or setting you chose--it could be alt history/historical fiction from so many different periods, or sci fi with a spaceship, or a mystery rp, or... Having all the players confined to the same location is also a great way to make sure they all have to interact.

[Utceforp]

I really want to participate in a fantasy kingdom RP again. I've got, like, worldbuilding blue balls.

[Theyra]

I really want to participate in a fantasy kingdom RP again. I've got, like, worldbuilding blue balls.

I am willing to help with the worldbuilding if you want.

[New yugoslavaia]

I need more Sci-Fi war RPs.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

I really want to participate in a fantasy kingdom RP again. I've got, like, worldbuilding blue balls.

Yeah, this sounds pretty good...

Do you want it to be medieval fantasy? Because I think that has been done to death. I would love some pike and shot or flintlock fantasy being done on the forum.

In fact... I might just do that...

[Forest State]

Counter-point: Antiquity fantasy is worth considering too.

I think gladiuses and legionnaire helmets are just as good of an aesthetic as zweihanders and chainmail.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Counter-point: Antiquity fantasy is worth considering too.

I think gladiuses and legionnaire helmets are just as good of an aesthetic as zweihanders and chainmail.

Ohh yeah, absolutely. Some ancient fantasy would be very good. Although, I have to say, with all the continent-spanning empires, many fantasy settings use the Roman template (although Greek fantasy is much less common).

[Olthenia]

I really want to participate in a fantasy kingdom RP again. I've got, like, worldbuilding blue balls.

Yeah, this sounds pretty good...

Do you want it to be medieval fantasy? Because I think that has been done to death. I would love some pike and shot or flintlock fantasy being done on the forum.

In fact... I might just do that...

You had me at pike and shot.

[Theyra]

Counter-point: Antiquity fantasy is worth considering too.

I think gladiuses and legionnaire helmets are just as good of an aesthetic as zweihanders and chainmail.

Ohh yeah, absolutely. Some ancient fantasy would be very good. Although, I have to say, with all the continent-spanning empires, many fantasy settings use the Roman template (although Greek fantasy is much less common).

I would be down for an ancient fantasy rp, you do not get many of those.

[Utceforp]

Ohh yeah, absolutely. Some ancient fantasy would be very good. Although, I have to say, with all the continent-spanning empires, many fantasy settings use the Roman template (although Greek fantasy is much less common).

I would be down for an ancient fantasy rp, you do not get many of those.

Me too, stuff before the Middle Ages is criminally underrepresented in fantasy.

Although aside from the tech level I wouldn't tie the setting to one particular real-world region - At least in my experience, I've found in the past that doing so tends to lead to stuff like The United Empire of Prydain and the Fourth Democracy of Gallia teaming up with the Ruslavian Imperium to fight a war against the Allemagne Confederation and Styria-Magyaria.

[Forest State]

I would be down for an ancient fantasy rp, you do not get many of those.

Me too, stuff before the Middle Ages is criminally underrepresented in fantasy.

Although aside from the tech level I wouldn't tie the setting to one particular real-world region - At least in my experience, I've found in the past that doing so tends to lead to stuff like The United Empire of Prydain and the Fourth Democracy of Gallia teaming up with the Ruslavian Imperium to fight a war against the Allemagne Confederation and Styria-Magyaria.

I'd go with a fictional setting instead of a real world one, allows for more flexibility than say, having things revolve around IRL relevant civilizations like Rome, Greece, Persia, etc.

Also, won't be able to make a project like this myself since I'm tied up with my own and other threads, but I'd definitely look at joining and throwing in some help with like, graphics or thread design.

[Dayganistan]

I think a lot of my frustration with P2TM comes from having characters in mind I want to write but no RPs they would fit in. They're just too hyper-focused to very specific contexts I guess.

[Forest State]

I think a lot of my frustration with P2TM comes from having characters in mind I want to write but no RPs they would fit in. They're just too hyper-focused to very specific contexts I guess.

How much of your characters are shaped by circumstances and how much is just part of the character itself?

The answer to that can really affect how possible it is to adapt them to other settings without butchering their character.

I.E. if you have a grizzled war veteran character and one of their main traits is that they were affected by a war in X country, is that necessary to their character to get the same thing? Or could you write the same character in a different setting but with different background details to make it fit? Or write a mostly the same character but they aren't a veteran and their struggles come from something else?

Usually with that kind of thing the key is figuring out how to be adaptable without discarding what makes your character work.

[Theyra]

Me too, stuff before the Middle Ages is criminally underrepresented in fantasy.

Although aside from the tech level I wouldn't tie the setting to one particular real-world region - At least in my experience, I've found in the past that doing so tends to lead to stuff like The United Empire of Prydain and the Fourth Democracy of Gallia teaming up with the Ruslavian Imperium to fight a war against the Allemagne Confederation and Styria-Magyaria.

I'd go with a fictional setting instead of a real world one, allows for more flexibility than say, having things revolve around IRL relevant civilizations like Rome, Greece, Persia, etc.

Also, won't be able to make a project like this myself since I'm tied up with my own and other threads, but I'd definitely look at joining and throwing in some help with like, graphics or thread design.

I am not sure I can make it but, I am willing to help out anyone that wants to make an ancient fantasy rp.

[Dayganistan]

I think a lot of my frustration with P2TM comes from having characters in mind I want to write but no RPs they would fit in. They're just too hyper-focused to very specific contexts I guess.

How much of your characters are shaped by circumstances and how much is just part of the character itself?

The answer to that can really affect how possible it is to adapt them to other settings without butchering their character.

I.E. if you have a grizzled war veteran character and one of their main traits is that they were affected by a war in X country, is that necessary to their character to get the same thing? Or could you write the same character in a different setting but with different background details to make it fit? Or write a mostly the same character but they aren't a veteran and their struggles come from something else?

Usually with that kind of thing the key is figuring out how to be adaptable without discarding what makes your character work.

I think for the most part, it's shaped by contexts and circumstances the character finds themselves in. I think of settings and contexts where it would be interesting to do something with a character in that type of setting and everything else comes after that. Not that I'm good with creating unique and interesting characters anyway.

[Kaziimar]

Hey guys? What do you do when you have a vague idea but nothing really to expand it with?

[Talchyon]

Hey guys? What do you do when you have a vague idea but nothing really to expand it with?

Lay out what you know and what you're trying to accomplish specifically. Get advice from other people. Or, read classic literature and then use plots or character elements that the great masters used... That takes longer though.

[Great Confederacy of Commonwealth States]

Hey guys? What do you do when you have a vague idea but nothing really to expand it with?

Does it need expanding? Simple ideas can also work out great. Sometimes, all you need is a simple setting.