Hi all, I'm interested in starting up and GMing a Harvest Moon game here. I've roleplayed on large-scale HM themed forums before and am trying to figure out the feasibility of shrinking it down into a single-thread game. So I'm just gonna spitball some ideas here.

My general idea was that the characters exist among a group of settlers moving into an abandoned town, mostly cut off from modern society, and picking up what was left behind.

One of my favorite aspects of HM games is the events system which works to bring characters together, which wouldn't be so hard to incorporate - each IRL month is an in-game season w/ a calendar of events, events might last 3 or so IRL days to make sure everyone has time to participate.

I also thought it might be interesting/less daunting to hold elections so that a new person could take the mantle of mayor/GM each game-year (if it lasts that long), with return elections possible, but no character holding office 2 game-years in a row (or something like that).

But other than that, in the in-between space, what should the game look like? What would you want it to look like? GM-guided with a central plot? Freeform roleplaying? Something in-between?

And what else would you like to see in this sort of game?

I'll make an OOC thread if I get at least 4 people interested and a less vague idea of what I'm doing.

I'd love to join, one started like a year ago then no one posted which made me sad. As far as roleplay goes Harvest Moon never really was plot centric to begin with, but it would help to have something GM guided every once in a while. Perhaps a natural disaster at some point, disease going through town, someones house / field is on fire. Not suggesting doing these near the start, though some GM guidance for getting the town started and set up may be of use through the NPC settlers. After all, setting up a town actually requires laws and such unless we assume we are inheriting a structure from the place we are coming from.

Great! Yeah, I figured I'd help set the stage in terms of setting and such, laying out things like laws might be easier than making a democracy simulator, haha.

Interested, sounds neat. I'll help come up with some ideas if need be too.

Haha, Harvest Moon... I love those games. I have so many fond memories of playing Harvest Moon 64 on my dad's N64 that he saved, even remember which bachelorette I ALWAYS married (it was Elli, btw) and what I named my farm (Moon Farm, because in that game you only had six letters so there wasn't much to choose from). I'd love to participate, and I'll try to think of some ideas.

I'm definitely interested. I also agree with dndragons.

@Beekeeper

Alright, simply assuming normal laws and such will likely be fine. I mean, I tend to overthink things and worrying about laws for a few days of posting likely isn't required as it's Harvest Moon, not government simulator. :3

Since four people are interested, OOC is up!

Would there be farm mechanics? Like purchasing seeds, spending energy, fishing, ect?

I had been thinking more of a free-form rp, but I could develop a mechanics system if that's what folks are interested in.