Recruiting as of 05 OctoberPremiseLife Continues is a two stage roleplay that explores the areas some simply don't. Stage one opens the story as fear and panic spreads, but of what, we can't be certain. Things become chaotic quickly and surviving means committing to a decision quickly. Under intense stress, given limited information, riots break out, making this world dangerous and unpredictable. How and where you go is up to you -- just think hard, think fast, and hope you made the right choice. Stage two picks up some years later as the world has taken on a new face. Characters have grown based on the first stage and the theme has changed depending on the events of the first chapter. A legacy system will continue the stories of dead characters in some form, letting a player explore new horizons while maintaining the importance past events. Ultimately, we will enjoy the areas some stories would ignore, because whether you're between chapters or waiting for the sequel, life always continues.
IntroductionSit back and relax a moment. Let your hands fall to your lap, let the tension in your shoulders melt away with a couple deep breaths. Pour yourself a drink of something you strong enough you sip, or maybe light up if that's more your thing -- no judgements here. Now that your calm, imagine something bad. Not after midnight search history bad, something profoundly, life-changing bad. Something that redefines your day-to-day and makes that education or office job absolutely pointless. Safety doesn't mean four walls and a locked door -- those are just illusions, now. Security is a loaded gun, something you can swing, and some sturdy clothes. Things are different now and those who don't learn fast don't last. There aren't manuals for this. You do and you push on, because when things get bad --
real bad-- life continues.
The Outbreak
Nothing profound really
happened to the world. Countries had their disputes, radicals made their threats, and there was even war, but none of these things seemed especially dangerous. No more dangerous than normal, anyway. The simple fact is that when things did change, they did so slowly. Small shifts you hear about on public radio. You'd hear sensationalized, bloat stories with big scary headlines too, granted we all know how quick those fall to the wayside. One moment you're sitting on your sofa watching some show, the next you're hearing screams and gunfire.
Everything with a screen and an internet connection changed in a flash. Devices we all joked about being tapped flashed simple text warnings.
Lock your doors, evacuate the city, standby for instructions, we didn't know it yet, but each message depended on your location. The average shmuck had no idea what was going on and was given a simple choice to do or don't. You just hoped the instructions really helped. You hoped it wasn't akin to duck, cover, and kiss your ass goodbye.
Those who left their homes found a whole new world. In a matter of minutes the streets were flooded by frightened families, sinister opportunists, police, and soldiers. Heavy, military-style vehicles blocked roads at checkpoints, assumingly looking for terrorists or some sickness. Many cars are abandoned and the only thing guarded the area around the checkpoints is a sniper. Apparently some people don't notice or just don't care. There are rumours of dirty bombs, nukes, and even zombies. You doubt it all, or maybe you believe it all, either way, you left for a reason and can only keep moving.
CharactersCharacters will come and go. This is a wilder world where people are acting under extreme duress, bringing the best out of some, and the worst out of many. Some will survive a long while into the future, while others will die, or simply go missing. Create a character you'd like to explore and throw concern for the future to the wind. If you die, so be it, you're welcome to continue forth with another character --
the point is to craft a story here. Everyone is a hero and sometimes the most heroic actions are also our last. To allow for players to move forward, we will have a Legacy System described later-on. Basically, just because you move on with another character does not mean the death has no significance. For now, let's see just who'll be the protagonists of this tale!
Name
Age Realistic to your occupation
Occupation
Hobbies Please provide 2
Psychology Give us a sense of how they think, how they make decisions, and let us have some insight into their personality. Please give this some real thought, rushing here is very telling.
Brief History Give us the highlights of their history. Provide a couple experiences that have shaped them into who they are today -- make this the hook that wets our appetite to learn more.
Background Every Advanced RPer/author has probably put in way too much time and effort creating a massive background history most just skim. I get it, I do it too. Feel free to create a personal history to your heart's content here. The Brief History above will give people a quick run-down and should drive them here to get a fuller understanding. This will also help you hash out what's important in the long-run, I recommend writing this BEFORE you Brief History.
Skills List 2 skills that separate this character from the average shmuck. Maybe they speak very well, have a knack for fixing things, or they worked in city planning and predicting social behaviour. These should relate to an Occupation or Hobby, ideally, but I'll make an exception if it's well-tied to something in one's Background.
Weaknesses List 2 weaknesses that are significant. I will not accept issues that people can simply ignore, or are so specific that they're unlikely to actually come into play. Consider your own flaws, whether they be mental, ideological, or physical, as you craft these.
Your Turn Ask me whatever questions you have about the roleplay. In my roleplays I like an active community willing to share, plan, and just build into something greater. Your questions give me a good sense of how you think and what you'd like to see -- very important.
Life Continues
PlotThe roleplay will pull characters of various backgrounds into one place with a single purpose -- survive. What is causing the panic is intentionally obscure and could be the result of anything. It is up to the players to decide how they explore this world and where they'll devote their energies. Groups can divide or band together, create a haven or sell out the group. What decisions players make in the first stage will shape the world in the second, giving everyone a high degree of control over the setting with time. There are larger, basic questions where the story can naturally lead such as what is 'The Outbreak' or paths such as the aforementioned creating a safe-haven. The plot is flexible and will move with you no matter where you choose to go.
CharactersEveryone knows the feeling of creating a character only to fall out of love with them. I can't promise this won't happen, but I can offer a solution. Life Continues will explore the gaps between most stories and will also explore life after death. Should a character die, which I welcome, a Legacy Connection is open. Legacy Connections can come in the form of a diary, a video tape, a living character's stories, some relation to the dead, or even a direct connection (such as the new character being an old NPC). This connection will allow players to take up on a new face and style, while challenging them to experience the aftermath of a death. Fortunately, this system also allows much latitude so that an early death is not a waste of time, just a new chapter in your story.
Posting StyleI believe the most successful Advanced Roleplays are those which are flexible. My number one objective is to collect a group of dedicated players happy to post as much as twice a week, or as little as twice a month. What we need is commitment. To allow for this, I also welcome players to lead their own stories in addition to interacting with other characters. This allows every player their own, individual paths (short story style) while also taking part in the actions within the party. In this posting style we only require two players to keep the ball rolling -- not too hard at all!
Andreyich