(Nearly posted this in the 'Official Contests' section. I guess that's one way to leave a first impression on you people...)
In any case, I'd like to talk about survival. Survival RPs, that is. I've been considering making one for a while, so in order to resarch, I've played a couple. Each had a big problem balancing player freedom with game balance. If a player is allowed to create their character however they want, then the players who care more about 'winning' the game, rather than the actual role-playing aspect (I'll admit I can be like this sometime) build a profile around game effectiveness, rather than a realistic situation.
Then I found a forum RP called Survival of the Fittest. As the name might suggest, it is a survival RP, and as the fact that it has an entire forum all to itself, it's quite successful. So, how do they do it? Well, a couple of reasons. Firstly, they have full-time staff. Now, I'm planning on doing this all by my lonesome, so that's not happening. Second, they have a system where they review potential characters, and decide if they're realistic enough to enter the game. If this is going to get the kind of player base required to make things interesting, neither is this. Third, all useful survival equipment (that is to say, weapons) are randomly assigned. Now, that interests me. I slept on it, and this is what came to me.
When you announce you'd like to join the RP, you message the GM or whatever and s/he messages you a list of items and personal attributes (good runner, likes poetry, etc), randomly generated, and you have to build a character around them, with no other supplies or skills to speak of. Of course, there would be a little leeway; if a character was not assigned a specific type of pants or shirt or something, that is allowed to be written in. But by keeping things mostly out of the players hands, it might create a more interesting game.
So, what do you think? Is it feasible or unfeasible? Would you, as a player, be willing to build a character this way? Do you have a better idea? All comments, questions, criticisms, or ideas are welcome.
I probably wouldn't want to deal with all the bullshit unless the premise was really, really good. Then again, I don't go to forum-wide RP's to start with anyway.
Still, if you want people to deal with a system, you're gonna have to make sure it's rewarding enough to deal with it. This, in a good majority of the cases, has to be because the RP is advertised as really awesome.
maar hij was niet bang
alleen voor medelijden dan
voor medelijden wel
dan was ie liever dood
ze heeft hem zacht gekust
en toen heeft ze hem vermoord
met oogcontact van het eenzaamste soort
In the aspect of having character creation control taken from my hands, and all I am left with is throwing some flesh on the skeleton? I actually found it to be a rewarding experience in the one time I found an RP that did that.
It was a D&D campaign that started under the premise that, "you're an average person, living in a town, when goblins attack". The GM then reacted to how WE played our characters, throwing our characters into whatever class they thought suited the personalities of the characters we were portraying. My character for example had been studying as an apprentice to an alchemist, but when the attack started, he found himself developing more as a bard/rogue than anything else.
It helped to shift my ideas of how a "type" of character can be played, and how their back story can be completely asynchronous to their current status.
I've also played a D&D game where everything about the character creation mechanics was random except for class. Post Apocalypse with mutant powers rolled, at random, was one of the most piss-my-pants-laughing fun I've had in my entire RP career. Why?
Because you may end up as a bear-person who can commune with nature once a day....but who has a debilitating fear of combat.
My characters tended to run along the "useable" vein, but my friend Squee, swore to hell that he would NOT play a character with crab-claws.
D100 roll = Physical mutation
D100 roll = Crab Claws.
I swear to god, everyone in the group just started howling with laughter as Squee raged. Literally, he played it as "He walks in front of the moving vehicle. He dies. Screw you guys!"
But after it was all settled, it was a very fun and enjoyable campaign for the one time we ran it. It was fun to have to put things together at random that you normally MIGHT not have chosen. It was a learning experience that contributed to my obsession with characters with less cliches to them. Having a character with a flaw that directly affects their daily life can be more rewarding than playing the same character you always play. It gives you a challenge and makes you think outside of your usual, comfortable little box.
Yeah, this actually sounds pretty awesome. Would keep things fresh, and add a degree of randomness. I don't think a system like this takes too much of the character creation away from the RP'er at all, and I would be more than down for it if it were in the interest checks.
I think this actually sounds like a good idea, and it would actually help the players become better writers. Character creation is great and all, but sometimes people can get comfortable with a "type" of character. It would be an interesting exercise to have to adapt to a character you're not in complete control of.
there is more to see than can ever be seen
more to do than can ever be done
To me it seems like great idea. I create my characters by doing something I like or feel like doing, but before I create them I prefer to see what other characters there are to give myself an idea of what's missing and what may make things more interesting. Therefore in a way I limit myself, but it's more like helping me choose among a lot of possibilities.
I really don't think the premises that you give would take away from the character creation, in fact I think it would add to it, making it more interesting. But that's my opinion, some people may not like to limit their options.
I'd suggest taking a look at some of the Nation RPs where you have a trait system and have to choose between limited traits(good runner, mechanic, first aid, can use guns etc...) to make up your character. That way no one can ever be 100% good at everything and people can still personalize their character.
When trying to limit players while also offer up options, I create things called "Packages."
You make 3 or 4 different, equally balanced, "Starting Packs" and let RPers pick from them. Easiest way to deal with what OP is trying to do without making RPers feel like they are being stepped on.
Interest post is up. Thank you all for the help and support. http://roleplayerguild.com/showthrea...89#post6261089
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