RP Think Tank

[Cessarea]

Hello, Think Tank comrades. Good to see ya'll. I need help. I've been thinking about and writing an RP idea for a while now, but, as I finished up the main part of the OOC post and was about to begin writing the actual OOC explanation, rules, and app, I realised that I don't know where to take this RP to. Like, I know what I want to do with it, but I don't know how to do it. Should I make this a character-driven story? Should it be a more fleet-based operation, like a joint military operation of several nations? Here's the intro post, before I say anything else:

A Fearless Invader

Old Dimension, Home Galaxy
4th Branch, Sector 11
Ship-of-Escort Hussar-Aggressor (SEHA) Cursed Endeavour 005, Bridge

The sleek, black visage of the quick and decently-armed vessel travelled through the sea of celestial bodies, a show of light and beauty. Deep within it, however, laid forces that could consume and devour all in their path, the 675 crewmembers of the Hussar-Aggressor included. The engines diligently worked away, humming in a deep, apprehensive rumble, kept alive by the silent work of the engineers. At all times, weapons and shields were on standby, ready for an encounter. The Bridge and its inhabitants shared a tangible state of tension, manning their posts with focus and seriousness. Holographic displays shining mostly in blue projected themselves near the Officers, enabling them to see the entire status of the ship. Every minute, the Navigations Officer gave an exact update to the Captain in regards to their position, followed by a report of the threat radar by Operations.

Sat in the middle of the sterile white and grey environment was a thin yet tall metallic figure, whose eyes - coated in a uniformly red colour - seemed slightly too large for their head. They carefully analysed the holograms in front of them, acknowledged the information given by their subordinates - most of whom shared their anatomy - with dismissive movements from his thin hands and fingers. With calm, the Captain simply stated in response:

- Maintain present course.

And so it was. And so it would be, for hours on end, tension and stress running high inside the minds of every single crewmember. Such was the experience of being onboard a ship tasked to Sector 11, the frontline of a gruesome struggle against the largest existential threat to Artificials to ever form. Several of such ships had been assigned to the same objective, but only the Cursed Endeavour had survived in a sufficiently functional state to plot a course back to friendly territory. Raids into enemy territory were known to be costly, but something happened that further fuelled the visible despair and weakness on the mannerisms of the crew, information that the Bridge crew agreed needed to be brought back to High Command, no matter the cost. This was their fifth Jump, the next one would place them safely in the range of friendly fleets. If they could just run for a while longer...

A flash, bright, a blue orb of fickle energy cut through the background luminosity of space. In a calculated manner, the orb of plasma travelled exactly towards the path of the military vessel, and - in a matter of seconds - crashed into the back of the ship, stopped only by the shields which protected it. The crew heard the sound of alarms and saw the gentle shift of the ambient lighting into a red hue, and knew exactly what was about to happen: a battle. The Bridge readied systems and coordinated emergency teams into strategical positions, and the Second in Command ordered the crew into General Quarters. The Captain, however, knew better than to hope. There would be no victory that day, but they could not afford to fail.

- Comrade Whisper, annex the report on Fearless activity into a subspace buoy and encode it to High Command with a message. - Lieutenant Whisper, the Operations Officer, promptly obeyed, and allowed her metallic hands to glide across the holographic displays. Soon, she replied that the report was annexed, and that the recording for the message had begun. The Captain did not miss their chance, and began to talk towards the void, gazing aimlessly into the large display on the front of the Bridge, which allowed the Officers to view the illuminated emptiness of space.

Incoming Transmission...

This is Captain Lasting Will 499 of the SEHA Cursed Endeavour 005. We are currently being chased down by... seven Fearless ships, two of which are probably ships of engagement. Our engines are unable to initiate a Jump at the moment, and our offensive capabilities are, obviously, insufficient. We are transmitting this message in the hopes that High Command becomes aware of the event that has annihilated the escort group we were tasked in. Annexed to this transmission are documents detailing what we believe to be breakthroughs in Fearless tactics and, dare I say, technology - ... understood, activate anti-invasion measures.

Ships that previously encountered vessels infected with Fearless reported that they were barely able to use weapons systems, and that they primarily used boarding ships to capture more vessels. That seems to no longer be the case - we have faced off - ... alright, keep them away from the hangars ... - we have faced off against a functional Fearless fleet, that was capable of returning fire and completely destroying at least two Hussar-Aggressors. As you may already be thinking, this can completely change the dynamics of the Celestial field's struggle against the Fearless - for the worse, that is. Most worrisome of all is that these ships have been consistently able to pursue us. It would seem that the enemy now has the capacity to fully grasp warp mechanics and tactics.

I believe, and I do not say this lightly, that very soon, the Fearless may discover how to master dimensional travel. That could mean the end of our fight, and the complete downfall of Artificiality. It would also, obviously, pose an immense threat to other nations. As such- No, no, send the Marines to stall them, the evacuation is the priority. Set their destination for p-

End of transmission

See, I don't really know what to do with this premise. The Fearless are a sort of parasitic entity, a mix of the self-perpetuation of the Flood from Halo with the hivemind-of-individuals concept of the Locust from Gears of War. I wanted to tell as story with more capacity for horror and tense, close-quarters combat, since this race would primarily work by invading enemy ships with raider craft, but I'm unsure as to how. Should I make this entirely character-based and have players be individual members of a single well-armed ship tasked with exploring more? Or should I make this a more open, high-level RP with fleets at play, and have this play in both character and nation levels? I thought I knew exactly where I was going with this, but as I reached the end, my mind farted away every single idea I had about the OOC conduction of this RP.

Sooo... help?

[Rhodevus]

Hello, Think Tank comrades. Good to see ya'll. I need help. I've been thinking about and writing an RP idea for a while now, but, as I finished up the main part of the OOC post and was about to begin writing the actual OOC explanation, rules, and app, I realised that I don't know where to take this RP to. Like, I know what I want to do with it, but I don't know how to do it. Should I make this a character-driven story? Should it be a more fleet-based operation, like a joint military operation of several nations? Here's the intro post, before I say anything else:

A Fearless Invader

Old Dimension, Home Galaxy
4th Branch, Sector 11
Ship-of-Escort Hussar-Aggressor (SEHA) Cursed Endeavour 005, Bridge

The sleek, black visage of the quick and decently-armed vessel travelled through the sea of celestial bodies, a show of light and beauty. Deep within it, however, laid forces that could consume and devour all in their path, the 675 crewmembers of the Hussar-Aggressor included. The engines diligently worked away, humming in a deep, apprehensive rumble, kept alive by the silent work of the engineers. At all times, weapons and shields were on standby, ready for an encounter. The Bridge and its inhabitants shared a tangible state of tension, manning their posts with focus and seriousness. Holographic displays shining mostly in blue projected themselves near the Officers, enabling them to see the entire status of the ship. Every minute, the Navigations Officer gave an exact update to the Captain in regards to their position, followed by a report of the threat radar by Operations.

Sat in the middle of the sterile white and grey environment was a thin yet tall metallic figure, whose eyes - coated in a uniformly red colour - seemed slightly too large for their head. They carefully analysed the holograms in front of them, acknowledged the information given by their subordinates - most of whom shared their anatomy - with dismissive movements from his thin hands and fingers. With calm, the Captain simply stated in response:

- Maintain present course.

And so it was. And so it would be, for hours on end, tension and stress running high inside the minds of every single crewmember. Such was the experience of being onboard a ship tasked to Sector 11, the frontline of a gruesome struggle against the largest existential threat to Artificials to ever form. Several of such ships had been assigned to the same objective, but only the Cursed Endeavour had survived in a sufficiently functional state to plot a course back to friendly territory. Raids into enemy territory were known to be costly, but something happened that further fuelled the visible despair and weakness on the mannerisms of the crew, information that the Bridge crew agreed needed to be brought back to High Command, no matter the cost. This was their fifth Jump, the next one would place them safely in the range of friendly fleets. If they could just run for a while longer...

A flash, bright, a blue orb of fickle energy cut through the background luminosity of space. In a calculated manner, the orb of plasma travelled exactly towards the path of the military vessel, and - in a matter of seconds - crashed into the back of the ship, stopped only by the shields which protected it. The crew heard the sound of alarms and saw the gentle shift of the ambient lighting into a red hue, and knew exactly what was about to happen: a battle. The Bridge readied systems and coordinated emergency teams into strategical positions, and the Second in Command ordered the crew into General Quarters. The Captain, however, knew better than to hope. There would be no victory that day, but they could not afford to fail.

- Comrade Whisper, annex the report on Fearless activity into a subspace buoy and encode it to High Command with a message. - Lieutenant Whisper, the Operations Officer, promptly obeyed, and allowed her metallic hands to glide across the holographic displays. Soon, she replied that the report was annexed, and that the recording for the message had begun. The Captain did not miss their chance, and began to talk towards the void, gazing aimlessly into the large display on the front of the Bridge, which allowed the Officers to view the illuminated emptiness of space.

Incoming Transmission...

This is Captain Lasting Will 499 of the SEHA Cursed Endeavour 005. We are currently being chased down by... seven Fearless ships, two of which are probably ships of engagement. Our engines are unable to initiate a Jump at the moment, and our offensive capabilities are, obviously, insufficient. We are transmitting this message in the hopes that High Command becomes aware of the event that has annihilated the escort group we were tasked in. Annexed to this transmission are documents detailing what we believe to be breakthroughs in Fearless tactics and, dare I say, technology - ... understood, activate anti-invasion measures.

Ships that previously encountered vessels infected with Fearless reported that they were barely able to use weapons systems, and that they primarily used boarding ships to capture more vessels. That seems to no longer be the case - we have faced off - ... alright, keep them away from the hangars ... - we have faced off against a functional Fearless fleet, that was capable of returning fire and completely destroying at least two Hussar-Aggressors. As you may already be thinking, this can completely change the dynamics of the Celestial field's struggle against the Fearless - for the worse, that is. Most worrisome of all is that these ships have been consistently able to pursue us. It would seem that the enemy now has the capacity to fully grasp warp mechanics and tactics.

I believe, and I do not say this lightly, that very soon, the Fearless may discover how to master dimensional travel. That could mean the end of our fight, and the complete downfall of Artificiality. It would also, obviously, pose an immense threat to other nations. As such- No, no, send the Marines to stall them, the evacuation is the priority. Set their destination for p-

End of transmission

See, I don't really know what to do with this premise. The Fearless are a sort of parasitic entity, a mix of the self-perpetuation of the Flood from Halo with the hivemind-of-individuals concept of the Locust from Gears of War. I wanted to tell as story with more capacity for horror and tense, close-quarters combat, since this race would primarily work by invading enemy ships with raider craft, but I'm unsure as to how. Should I make this entirely character-based and have players be individual members of a single well-armed ship tasked with exploring more? Or should I make this a more open, high-level RP with fleets at play, and have this play in both character and nation levels? I thought I knew exactly where I was going with this, but as I reached the end, my mind farted away every single idea I had about the OOC conduction of this RP.

Sooo... help?

Well, first, I gotta say that I enjoyed that OP. It was interesting and sort of explained the feel of the RP, even if it doesn't reveal everything going on.

As for how you would like the roleplay to operate, there are a couple different options, like you mentioned in your post:

1. National Scale: each player plays as their own nation. This would include controlling national fleets, trade vessels, and just everything else that a player can do. This is the widest option and gives the player the most things possible to work with. A benefit of this style RP, is that it lets players do a whole lot more, which can make for some interesting dynamics. Often, players will include their national leaders on top of whoever operates the fleet, giving a nice bit of "outside perspective" to the goings on in the roleplay. A con for this style is that it can add a lot of unneeded player text, as they discuss their own nation for the majority of their post, rather than something which can further along the story of the roleplay.
   
2. Fleet Scale: each player plays as their own fleet. This is fairly similar to the national scale, but limits the player to a single fleet. It's a little more focused to the main storyline, but can give the player the ability to operate multiple vessels and all the people on board. A big pro of this is that it lets players not be too scared of killing off characters or ships, as there is more to work with. Adds suspense to a RP, without removing the player themselves from the story. A negative is that there is still a lot for a player to control, which can lead to forgetting ship placements, unneeded intra-fleet drama that builds their own story which doesn't help the full story, and can lead to pissing contests of players angry that others aren't losing ships, or having extras, etc.
   
3. Ship Scale: Each player plays as a single ship within a fleet. As we descend the scale of playability, this one limits the player to one ship within a fleet and all the members of the crew. Unlike the larger scales, this one will likely feature more character interaction and less 'field tactics' outside of the battles of the story. As each player is a ship within the same fleet, this gives the OP more control over interactions with the enemy. A positive for this scale is that players can get to know their crews much better, outside of the one or two 'leaders' that would be used at the larger scales. As mentioned, it's much easier for OP to direct the course of events, without needing to direct whole nations or fleets of ships to participate in each engagement. It also raises the stakes, as each player only has 1 ship and its crew that they can lose in each engagement. Especially if the climax of the story ends up being just the few player ships left against the horde of villains, while all the NPC ships are destroyed. Much easier to deal with than players with full fleets of ships to manage or nations which can build and send new fleets. A negative is that there is only one ship per player. This means that there really isn't a big likelihood of player ships being destroyed completely, as this would knock a player out of the RP (or force them to start again from scratch with a new ship of characters).
   
4. Character Scale: Each player plays as a single character within a single ship. The smallest scale to roleplay, this option lends itself to terrific character-focused story and narrative. It keeps the central characters (the players) close together and allows for some great dynamics. It also is great for OPs, as its easy to move around a single ship within a story than multiple. A major positive of this scale is the ability to get a really good understanding of the characters and players. More human interactions, more personal fights and stakes for the players and their characters, and like the ship scale, this scale lends itself to some excellent climaxes and minor-peaks as the ship can deal with things outside of the main alien threat. I almost called this scale the star trek scale, since a single ship can do much more story types alongside the main narrative, than multiple ships can. A major con for this scale is that players will essentially have plot armour which can make things boring at times. Similarly, it can pause RPs when one character doesn't respond, while larger scales can often continue without one ship/fleet/nation.

So, there is my list of scales. As it's your RP, I would never pretend to tell you what is best, but these can be good help for determining the size you would like to play. As you get smaller in scale, the story will often be more character focused. Inversely, the larger the scale, the more often the story will be larger in scale. the difference between the Frodo/Sam plot of Lord of the Rings, and the Big Armies plots of the same movie franchise.

Hope this helps!

[Cessarea]

Hope this helps!

And indeed it has! First, thanks for lending some of your time to help a beginner roleplayer in these hallowed forums. As for your listed options, they've given me plenty to think about, specially in relation to what exact feel I want to have with this RP. The main reason I considered having a more high-level RP - one where players control multiple ships or even a fleet - is because it seemed to appeal to a wider audience. It gives players more to do and gives them more to work with, whereas more personal stories involving a single ship or a single person under their control demand that the players have interest in my universe and my storytelling which, hey, I don't blame anyone if they don't. I'm a nerd and a recently-converted fan of horror, and I like to inject my stories with a bit of my universe, and I can see how that definitely can and does turn people away.

Yet, thinking more clearly, and with the options so neatly laid out in front of me, I've come to my senses and have decided that I can't really bring myself to do that with this concept. The whole deal of the Fearless is that they're meant to be used for horror storytelling. Their mystery is their gig, it has been for months in my dispatches, both in this nation and my old one, and my previous attempt at a roleplay involving them (still wish I had committed to that one instead of abandoning it). I suppose this story demands a touch of personal, intimate humanity. I would be torn between making it one ship per player and one person per player, but justifying a bunch of ships from different nations coming together instead of a bunch of fleets from different nations seems much harder than justifying a single ship being sent in a suicide mission. The "we need to be stealthy" justification works with one ship, not with several from different nations. At that point Cessarea could just send their *own* ships and be done with it.

I suppose I can just say that Cessarea has procured mercenaries and foreign volunteers, alongside their standard crews, for the manning of this particular ship, reasoning that their previous attempts with their own crews have failed horribly, and that desperation is fuelling different ideas being thrown about against their enemy. Again, thanks for the help, you've really aided my finding a path with this one! Hopefully it doesn't flop horribly

Also, if I may ask, would you suggest me posting the future OOC/sign-up thread in Nationstates or International Incidents? I can never quite tell which one I'm supposed to use for which RPs. Given that this will be a character-driven story, I suppose it would fit more with NS? II has always been a war/political scandal/diplomatic incident forum to me. The other forum, P2TM, is obviously out, given that I'm involving my NS nation.

[Rhodevus]

Hope this helps!

Also, if I may ask, would you suggest me posting the future OOC/sign-up thread in Nationstates or International Incidents? I can never quite tell which one I'm supposed to use for which RPs. Given that this will be a character-driven story, I suppose it would fit more with NS? II has always been a war/political scandal/diplomatic incident forum to me. The other forum, P2TM, is obviously out, given that I'm involving my NS nation.

no problem at all? I'm also pretty terrible at knowing which forum to use, but I generally go with: If it involves your nation in some way that will include conflict of some kind, then it's International Incidents. All else is NationStates.

So, for this one, I would probably put it in International Incidents

[Cessarea]

Mornin', Think Tank! The sign-ups for the RP I've previously discussed and partially posted here has been officially posted in II. I've decided to go with a character-based approach, and will probably shamelessly bump the damn thing over the course of a week, specially during this weekend. Thanks to Rhodevus for the council provided here.

Here's to hopin'!

The link, for those interested

[Socalist Republic Of Mercenaries]

Is it me or do MT, PT and PMT war threads are no longer as badass as they used to be and also are dying premature to their end? Or has the year not wound up yet? Is NS summer over? Perhaps is that why?

[A m e n r i a]

Is it me or do MT, PT and PMT war threads are no longer as badass as they used to be and also are dying premature to their end? Or has the year not wound up yet? Is NS summer over? Perhaps is that why?

MT has never been badass.

[Socalist Republic Of Mercenaries]

Is it me or do MT, PT and PMT war threads are no longer as badass as they used to be and also are dying premature to their end? Or has the year not wound up yet? Is NS summer over? Perhaps is that why?

MT has never been badass.

yes it has, a few times.

[A m e n r i a]

MT has never been badass.

yes it has, a few times.

Nope. It's supposed to be bori-I mean, realistic.

[Regnum Alea Spaceflee]

yes it has, a few times.

Nope. It's supposed to be bori-I mean, realistic.

But isn't that what makes MT so exciting? The true horrors of war, simulated in fictional countries.

[Socalist Republic Of Mercenaries]

Nope. It's supposed to be bori-I mean, realistic.

But isn't that what makes MT so exciting? The true horrors of war, simulated in fictional countries.

My MT soldiers casually vibing to "Der Einsame Posten" in foxholes while being lit up by enemy gunships be like.

[Wolfstruppen]

It's all fun and games until your nation proceeds to exist again...

[The Martian Democracy]

Excuse me, everyone, what do you guys think of this?

https://www.nationstates.net/nation=the ... id=1908229

[Regnum Alea Spaceflee]

But isn't that what makes MT so exciting? The true horrors of war, simulated in fictional countries.

My MT soldiers casually vibing to "Der Einsame Posten" in foxholes while being lit up by enemy gunships be like.

Though, MT is quite a lot harder to make serious than say FT or PT due to most people not being in the experience, or they don't understand it.

[Socalist Republic Of Mercenaries]

My MT soldiers casually vibing to "Der Einsame Posten" in foxholes while being lit up by enemy gunships be like.

Though, MT is quite a lot harder to make serious than say FT or PT due to most people not being in the experience, or they don't understand it.

PT is ok, There is this one Murmansk war RP going on, if you wanna check it out, plus it's set in the TNO timeline so thats gotta be...
*Verify_your_clock.mp3*
OH SHITSHITSHIT MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPPLEASEMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPPLEASE MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPPLEASE

[Regnum Alea Spaceflee]

Though, MT is quite a lot harder to make serious than say FT or PT due to most people not being in the experience, or they don't understand it.

PT is ok, There is this one Murmansk war RP going on, if you wanna check it out, plus it's set in the TNO timeline so thats gotta be...
*Verify_your_clock.mp3*
OH SHITSHITSHIT MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPPLEASEMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPPLEASE MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPPLEASE

Definitely sounds... interesting. I'll check it out.
FOURYEARSOFDEATHFORNAUGHTFOURYEARSOFDEATHFORNOTFOURYEARSOFDEATHFORNOTFOURYEARSOFDEATHFORNOTFOURYEARSOFDEATHFORNOT

[Nordheimrr]

Excuse me, everyone, what do you guys think of this?

https://www.nationstates.net/nation=the ... id=1908229

That’s not where you post this kinda stuff. (Well; it is; just Not where you want to post it.)

Stay with the discussion.

[A m e n r i a]

Nope. It's supposed to be bori-I mean, realistic.

But isn't that what makes MT so exciting? The true horrors of war, simulated in fictional countries.

It has the opposite effect. I'll take alien robot ninjas on war dinosaurs over that anytime.

[Socalist Republic Of Mercenaries]

But isn't that what makes MT so exciting? The true horrors of war, simulated in fictional countries.

It has the opposite effect. I'll take alien robot ninjas on war dinosaurs over that anytime.

I do in fact respect that opinion, except when FT evolves into endless powerwank and godmodding from both sides, it's not really fun anymore, but I can enjoy a well-moderated FT roleplay anytime.

[A m e n r i a]

It has the opposite effect. I'll take alien robot ninjas on war dinosaurs over that anytime.

I do in fact respect that opinion, except when FT evolves into endless powerwank and godmodding from both sides, it's not really fun anymore, but I can enjoy a well-moderated FT roleplay anytime.

Shhh! You'll summon Buhers!

[Regnum Alea Spaceflee]

I do in fact respect that opinion, except when FT evolves into endless powerwank and godmodding from both sides, it's not really fun anymore, but I can enjoy a well-moderated FT roleplay anytime.

Shhh! You'll summon Buhers!

Is he back? Please don't tell me the 'he who shant be named' is back...

[Nordheimrr]

Shhh! You'll summon Buhers!

Is he back? Please don't tell me the 'he who shant be named' is back...

Not on this forum, at least not yet.

[Nordheimrr]

PT is ok, There is this one Murmansk war RP going on, if you wanna check it out, plus it's set in the TNO timeline so thats gotta be...
*Verify_your_clock.mp3*
OH SHITSHITSHIT MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPPLEASEMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPPLEASE MAKEITSTOPMAKEITSTOPPLEASE

Definitely sounds... interesting. I'll check it out.
FOURYEARSOFDEATHFORNAUGHTFOURYEARSOFDEATHFORNOTFOURYEARSOFDEATHFORNOTFOURYEARSOFDEATHFORNOTFOURYEARSOFDEATHFORNOT

Half my lore is based off the TNO universe (Well, the theming).

The other half is based off, “what if Napoleon was Bavarian?”

[Vichsland]

I have an idea, but am not sure how to implement it. Basically the idea is that the communist government in my nation is on the verge of collapse. The economy isn't doing well and the old guard has been hit hard by the pandemic, and we'll, just old. There is a struggle for succession for leadership in the party. The contest is personal, but there are several factions. There are naturally the conflict between reformers and hard liners, but also the reformers disagree on the reforms. Anyway, other nations would be able to interfere through diplomacy and/or espionage. Not sure how to do that.

[Polish Prussian Commonwealth]

yes it has, a few times.

Nope. It's supposed to be bori-I mean, realistic.

severe skill issue tbh