Sci-Fi Nation Roleplay - What would it take to hold your interest

[Ashgan]

@ScreenAcne is probably right. If I stick to what I proposed earlier, that tone and function of the RP are at the basis, then that's pretty much the next step. Tally up everyone's preferences, put it together, and then either come to a compromise or discard the least favored options.

As for what I'm looking for, essentially this:

• Tone: I tend to like grim, gritty and real-like settings. With real-like I mean things that are not, in fact, realistic, but close enough to appear as such and do not break my immersion thus. I also mean settings that, even if they don't follow the rules of our universe, follow the rules of their universe and never contradict themselves.
• Function: Seems like more people are interested in doing story-first as opposed to game-first, and that's cool by me. Not that I'd be averse to playing, essentially, a forum board game if it came to that.
• A chance to play a sci-fi race that I've had lying around for years now q_q
• Rules: Really comes down to how much trust the GM invests in the lot of us. A tried and true option when it comes to "too" powerful techs: If it is desired as part of the story, let the GM control it. That way it's in objectively safe hands that we should be able to trust.

[Monkeypants]

@MissingAxis

So what do you think ao far? Has this broadside of opinions helped you to decide on an idea?

[Lauder]

I have no input, I'm just very interested to see where this goes.

[Smiter19]

I'm always interested in these kinds of RP's. I just don't have the skill and patience for it :(

[ClocktowerEchos]

Incase you missed it, here's the OOC

[Willy Vereb]

I like this discussion, I really do. I wish we could have this for the dying breed of Fantasy NRPs,too.

To briefly join up here let me address a few points:

1.) Point system can sound neat but do you even gasp how difficult to create a whole new game system? I don't mind if somebody works on that as a side project and maybe come up with an NRP featuring it later but game mechanics are the kind of things which you need to be absolutely good with if you don't wish to ruin the game experience as a whole. As others said if you want a story-focused game, focus on story. Don't put your hopes in half-baked game mechanics.

2.) FTL and scope of the game. I am probably the loudest person when it comes to the whole issue with the sheer scale of these space NRPs. Galaxies are beyond huge! So yeah, let's make it relatively small. Slow FTL is always the solution to that along with other measures to ensure people won't just be brave and randomly explore deep into the galaxy. Alternatively you can try a bit of B5/Mass Effect solution so there'd be "stargates" that allow faster FTL travel between fix points. These can aid a great deal to polarize conflict. Just don't make too many of these gates because that has the opposite effect. Mass Effect is actually guilty of this so don't exactly copy them. And what the hell is up with this fear of FTL abuses? You know for every technobabble abuse there's a technobabble solution. You fear FTL ambushes? Have FTL sensors that predict incoming fleets or heck even have FTL jammers which would prevent making jumps at well-secured places. Don't go overboard, though. Denying FTL too much would be detrimental to story dynamics rather than helping it.

3.) Lastly the theme. Oh so much this. I am a strict supporter of freedom in NRPs and semi-known for my strange choices in a game (to my knowledge I am the only one wanting to play as Martians in a steampunk fantasy game) but regardless having a more proper direction is much welcome. Mob democracy might help a lot but it's still the GM's responsibility to come up with an overall theme.