Weird Roleplay Ideas You're Afraid To Pitch?

[ClocktowerEchos]

Well, I've got a LOT of these. But I guess I'll focus on one.

I wanted to make a roleplay based off of a second American civil war in modern times, and the first roadblock I ran into, of course, was the fact that I wanted the catalyst to be an unpopular policy or president. Because duh. Problem is, you can't have a revolt start for either of those unless you plan to piss half of America off. Trump wins and a civil war happens? GM is a liberal nazi commie. Hillary wins and a civil war happens? GM is a filthy, sexist conservative who wants people to be killed by guns. Bernie wins and a civil war happens? GM is a tinfoil hat-wearing, ancap conspiracy theorist who hates the word "socialism" and will kill anyone who utters it.

Of course, I couldn't make a fictional president either. Because they'd have to have some policy to incite a revolt, which in my mind could be either strict gun laws, racist and xenophobic policies, or being socialist. And all of those have the same problems.

In the end, I decided that it would be easier to have the players be VICTIMS of the war, trying to survive in a bombed-out city so I could at least avoid forcing them into ideological roles. Specifically, the city would have been Durham NC, because I really like Durham NC. If you've ever played This War Of Mine, it would have been like that. Scavenging for materials, running into gangs and criminals, having to make tough decisions between a better chance at survival and clean hands.

But I couldn't manage to come up with a functioning plot, so I scrapped it.

A shame too, because I really love Durham.

@Keyguyperson

I would love to do a TWoM-sytled RP some day. Always wanted to do a settlement-building style RP tho I don't really know how it'd work xD

[Shorticus]

n the end, I decided that it would be easier to have the players be VICTIMS of the war, trying to survive in a bombed-out city so I could at least avoid forcing them into ideological roles. Specifically, the city would have been Durham NC, because I really like Durham NC. If you've ever played This War Of Mine, it would have been like that. Scavenging for materials, running into gangs and criminals, having to make tough decisions between a better chance at survival and clean hands.

This War Of Mine

If... you could manage to create a roleplay with that kind of emotion and with that much thought provocation, I'd... Yeah. I'd join in a heartbeat. That's all I'll say.

God, that game sticks with you so long after you play it.

[VATROU]

@NuttsnBolts I never heard of Redline until now. Always a pleasure to come across new Animes. Thanks for the new watch.

[NuttsnBolts]

@VATROUThat's cool. Its only a movie so it's not long, but the animation quality is very high as nearly every scene is flowing with motion. Not to mention that musical score. xD

[Chairman Stein]

Crisis in the Kremlin

Essentially this RP is a strange mix between an NRP and an Advanced One. 'Players' take the role of a member of the Soviet Politburo during the final years of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. As these characters they create, they can take sides in GM-created political events, crises, and form factions within the Politburo. All the while being as corrupt or honorable as they'd like. If a character so wishes, his character could easily support/introduce policies to the Politburo that inevitably lead to the collapse of the USSR. Or they can privately endorse hardliners within the military to shut down the liberalization programs and restore the policies of the Stalin-era.

This format of RP could be used in multiple different ways though. A RP could also be down in the United States with players forming their own political parties, campaigns, etc and playing the game of politics via American exceptionalism. Or this could be on an even larger scale with a EU-style format in which players are using the system to better their nation while harming others.

I've seen this sort of RP done multiple times over on the Paradox Forums and I feel like if given proper GMing and maybe even some form of 'stats' it could actually work out as a neat tabletop-lite sort of RP.

[Shorticus]

Crisis in the Kremlin

Essentially this RP is a strange mix between an NRP and an Advanced One. 'Players' take the role of a member of the Soviet Politburo during the final years of the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc. As these characters they create, they can take sides in GM-created political events, crises, and form factions within the Politburo. All the while being as corrupt or honorable as they'd like. If a character so wishes, his character could easily support/introduce policies to the Politburo that inevitably lead to the collapse of the USSR. Or they can privately endorse hardliners within the military to shut down the liberalization programs and restore the policies of the Stalin-era.

This format of RP could be used in multiple different ways though. A RP could also be down in the United States with players forming their own political parties, campaigns, etc and playing the game of politics via American exceptionalism. Or this could be on an even larger scale with a EU-style format in which players are using the system to better their nation while harming others.

I've seen this sort of RP done multiple times over on the Paradox Forums and I feel like if given proper GMing and maybe even some form of 'stats' it could actually work out as a neat tabletop-lite sort of RP.

@Chairman Stein

Yeah, this is something I want to see. The closest I've seen on these forums and others is GoT style "We're from the same nation but EGADS! IT IS SHATTERING! FOOD FIGHT!" And while I can see the appeal, I think there's so much potential to be had in technically having everyone working together... in theory.

Political power plays on a backdrop of everyone working for the same cause and everyone have their own private motives = a good RP concept in general.

Not much more for me to say than that.

[Arawak]

I had a idea like that, but set in Spaaace. (Where everyone is part of a corrupt federation and there's lots of power politics).

One difference was that I have a bad habit of wanting it be a two opposing factions thing. A Cold War RP structured like that (USSR and US as "playable" while the rest of the world is NPC) I believe was pitched a couple times by those PoW people on another forum.

[Chairman Stein]

<Snipped quote by Chairman Stein>

Yeah, this is something I want to see. The closest I've seen on these forums and others is GoT style "We're from the same nation but EGADS! IT IS SHATTERING! FOOD FIGHT!" And while I can see the appeal, I think there's so much potential to be had in technically having everyone working together... in theory.

Political power plays on a backdrop of everyone working for the same cause and everyone have their own private motives = a good RP concept in general.

Not much more for me to say than that.

@Shorticus

Oh hey look because you said something nice about my idea I pitched it.

This idea is now like my Sonic OCs pls no steal.

[Shorticus]

So, I started thinking about another RP concept I'd love to do, but it'd be intended to not be a long-running thing. The basics, though?

IC post 1: Everyone dies.

And all subsequent IC posts explain how it got to that point.

[ClocktowerEchos]

So, I started thinking about another RP concept I'd love to do, but it'd be intended to not be a long-running thing. The basics, though?

IC post 1: Everyone dies.

And all subsequent IC posts explain how it got to that point.

@Shorticus

This would require some excellent writing and story-making abilities but its a really interesting concept, reminds me of kill bill

[Shorticus]

<Snipped quote by Shorticus>

This would require some excellent writing and story-making abilities but its a really interesting concept, reminds me of kill bill

@ClocktowerEchos

Kill Bill is a great example!

I was thinking (and like all my ideas, if I DO run it, it'll be run in the summer) it would be fairly loose in terms of "what the Hell just happened?" I mean, everyone dies, sure... But why did they die? Who killed them? What was the situation that brought them to the scene of death? All those questions would be determined through roleplay.

So, yeah, it'd require excellent writing and story-making skills on the part of everyone involved in the RP. Which... Y'know, that'd be great. I'd love to see a group of RPers work together to make a story where they all know what the ending is already.

[ClocktowerEchos]

@ShorticusYou know I'd be up assuming I have the time ;p

[ArenaSnow]

Something Battletech is my thought at the moment. Problem is I don't think the action part would see much appeal outside the Arena section... if it got that far. Nation RP, -possibly-. Regular I can see it going wrong pretty fast, though. If folks even got past the action oriented part, and without mechs, the main focus of BT; it's nothing really special.

I'm so rusty at the tabletop I could never GM, let alone play that right with full stats the way BT works, which means I would have to improv some mechanics or spend plenty of time relearning them...

[ClocktowerEchos]

Something Battletech is my thought at the moment. Problem is I don't think the action part would see much appeal outside the Arena section... if it got that far. Nation RP, -possibly-. Regular I can see it going wrong pretty fast, though. If folks even got past the action oriented part, and without mechs, the main focus of BT; it's nothing really special.

I'm so rusty at the tabletop I could never GM, let alone play that right with full stats the way BT works, which means I would have to improv some mechanics or spend plenty of time relearning them...

@ArenaSnow

That got me thinking of doing a Warhammer Tabletop/Arena hybrid RP with someone, like actually doing the war game just on line and without the models. Only issue is that I know more about the lore for both Warhammers than the actual rules >.>

[Shorticus]

Something Battletech is my thought at the moment. Problem is I don't think the action part would see much appeal outside the Arena section... if it got that far. Nation RP, -possibly-. Regular I can see it going wrong pretty fast, though. If folks even got past the action oriented part, and without mechs, the main focus of BT; it's nothing really special.

I'm so rusty at the tabletop I could never GM, let alone play that right with full stats the way BT works, which means I would have to improv some mechanics or spend plenty of time relearning them...

@ArenaSnow

First off: I LOVE BATTLETECH. It's one of my favorite fandoms. I mainly pilot Centurions in MWO right now and I love blasting stuff apart with an AC 20 and SRMs because that's how we roll in the Inner Sphere, baby.

Secondly: I dunno if it'd make a great NRP, but I could see it making a good tabletop game, yeah. But I'd honestly not use the Battletech system (which has some similarities with the Shadowrun system), but instead go for something lighter and easier to manage.

...Actually, I could see Fantasy Age being adapted for use as a Battletech ruleset with a LOT of adjustment. A lot. A lot a lot. But it has some of the cool, action-oriented mechanics that make combat cool... You could probably make everyone have the same class, but make that class really modular and basically represent both the mech and the pilot...

...If I make a Battletech RP this summer, it's your fault.

[ArenaSnow]

<Snipped quote by ArenaSnow>

First off: I LOVE BATTLETECH. It's one of my favorite fandoms. I mainly pilot Centurions in MWO right now and I love blasting stuff apart with an AC 20 and SRMs because that's how we roll in the Inner Sphere, baby.

Secondly: I dunno if it'd make a great NRP, but I could see it making a good tabletop game, yeah. But I'd honestly not use the Battletech system (which has some similarities with the Shadowrun system), but instead go for something lighter and easier to manage.

...Actually, I could see Fantasy Age being adapted for use as a Battletech ruleset with a LOT of adjustment. A lot. A lot a lot. But it has some of the cool, action-oriented mechanics that make combat cool... You could probably make everyone have the same class, but make that class really modular and basically represent both the mech and the pilot...

...If I make a Battletech RP this summer, it's your fault.

@Shorticus

MWO, I run around with locusts/spiders myself usually on IS side. Otherwise you'll find me in a Hellbringer :P

Yeah, I was thinking it would be rather nasty for tabletop, even for higher end tabletop folks here, never mind me - and I don't really like numbers to dictate things :P but it does make sense. PvP, you can only get so far without numbers when blasting at each other...

If you make a BT Rp, you might need to get past me first. I'm tossing it around in my mind still.

[Shorticus]

<Snipped quote by ArenaSnow>

That got me thinking of doing a Warhammer Tabletop/Arena hybrid RP with someone, like actually doing the war game just on line and without the models. Only issue is that I know more about the lore for both Warhammers than the actual rules >.>

@ClocktowerEchos

Yeah, plus the rules involve lots of measuring with rulers and stuff. You'd need to convert it to a hex map to simplify things, IMO.

But it could be fun. Warhammer is one good example. There's other games like it, like Warmachine. If you want a sort of Tabletop/Arena hybrid, you want something that works with squads rather than huge armies, and you need a neutral party to roll the dice.

[ClocktowerEchos]

<Snipped quote by ClocktowerEchos>

Yeah, plus the rules involve lots of measuring with rulers and stuff. You'd need to convert it to a hex map to simplify things, IMO.

But it could be fun. Warhammer is one good example. There's other games like it, like Warmachine. If you want a sort of Tabletop/Arena hybrid, you want something that works with squads rather than huge armies, and you need a neutral party to roll the dice.

@Shorticus

I think a grid map would work out better paired with photo editing, some internet searching for codexes or just use 1d4chan and then a 3rd party for dice. Or we could continuously bug @Mahz to put in a dice roller function

My only issue is the Warhammer is the only wargame I really know anything about ;-;

[Shorticus]

I could ramble on for days about why a hex map is way cooler than a square grid for stuff like this, honestly. There's a reason games like Panzer General, Fantasy General, Rites of War (a turn-based video game based on Warhammer 40k), Battle for Wesnoth, and so many other turn-based strategy games use hexes. A lot of strategy board games use hexes, too.

I don't know enough about Warhammer's ruleset, but I suspect it's complicated (if my experience with games like Warmachine is anything to go by), more complicated than you'd want in a forum game. I'd probably keep the lore but find a nice, simple system for throwing armies at each other.

EDIT: Though at that point you could use a lot of different settings.

[ClocktowerEchos]

@ShorticusLooking up some of the stuff, I definitely see how you can simplify some things or translate them to work better on a forum.

Hmm... dammit. This is making me want to pursue this idea further >.<