The Next Adventure... (Planning the next RP)

[Seth Astra]

So, here's the thing. I like to RP. That much should be clear if you know me. However, I have noticed that RPing has become more or less a cult thing. I want that fixed. So, in this thread, I want to collect ideas. Here's how this'll work:

Phase 1: Everyone can post 1 RP and can nominate one RP OR second an existing nomination. 12 nominations that get seconded will go to phase 2 (I'll figure something out if we get more than 12 seconded nominations). You cannot nominate or second a nomination for your own RP. That should go without saying.
Phase 2: I create a poll with the winners from phase 1. Unlike the previous one, you CAN vote for your RP. Not like I can keep you from doing so.
Phase 3: We make the RP.

Phase 1 and 2 will be one week each (unless I find a reason to call it sooner). I would like to get this done sooner, but I need to be fair about this.

Anyway, on to Phase 1!

Ok, here's a template for pitching the idea:

[spoiler-box]Name: Self explanitory.
Universe: The world it takes place in, choose from Ragol, Gurhal, Coral, Algol, or Original. If using an original world, you should explain in great detail, else I will be a jerk and not accept it.
General Location: Summarize where it takes place in here. Optional if it spans pretty much the entire known univers that is used. Write N/A for Original universes.
Rough Time Frame: Basically a quick summary of when this takes place in relation to the major events of the series (especially important for Gurhal, what with the many different games that take place there), write N/A if set in an original location.



RP Style: Choose from the below:
Open World: These RPs essentially give the basic setting, then let the players run wild with ideas and the plot.
Overarching Story: These RPs have an overarching story, that the RP creator will gradually nudge the players towards.
Fanfic-esque: The RP creator will control the overall movements of the players, and may deliberately ask them to do something differently to keep with the plot. If doing this, try not to be a jerk.
Combination: If you had something else in mind, please explain.
Multiple: A RP can transition between styles. Explain which styles will be used and the balance between them.
RP Type: Just an idea of what will be happening in the RP. Suggestions (Note, there is no pure combat type because that'd be pretty much impossible):
Combat Heavy: These will be mostly fighting, with most social stuff happening as brief intermissions between fights.
Primarily Combat: These stories generally revolve around fighting, but provide ample time for socializing and character development.
Balanced: These don't really lean either way. (Note: Most, but not all, Open World RPs will be this, seeing as the results of one can be unpredictable)
Primarily Social: These RPs will be more about character development and interaction, but will also be able to satisfy the combat nerd in you.
Social Heavy: These RPs will mostly be about interaction between characters, with relatively little combat.
Pure Social: No combat. I don't need to say much more.
RP Length: A rough estimation of length. Note that Open World RPs will almost certainly last a long time, while fanfic-esques can be just about any length. Also note that RPs can last much longer than intended, or be much shorter. Choose from:
Very Long: 1/2 year+
Long: 3-6 Months.
Moderate: 1-2 Months.
Short: Less than 1 month.
Summary: Summarize the setting and plot (if applicable) of your RP. Please put significant effort into this. This will likely make or break your RP when it comes to voting. Feel free to be cryptic if you have some details you want to use as plot twists. Basically, let us know what to expect.[/spoiler-box]
Now copy and paste this forum and fill it out to post your idea:

[spoiler-box]Name:
Universe:
General Location:
Rough Time Frame:
RP Style:
RP Type:
RP Length:
Summary:[/spoiler-box]

If you have any questions or suggestions (such as things to add to the template) just mention it.

EDIT: 1 rule that must be followed (I know I had another one, but I forgot it):

It must be Phantasy Star based. Original universes are still fine, just make sure they fit in with Phantasy Star.

[BIG OLAF]

Holy shit, Seth. I don't think many people are going to want to go through the trouble of filling out that entire template. I opened the spoiler box and was just like "Damn!"

I might do it tomorrow when I'm not half asleep, though.

[Wayu]

I don't care.

:3

Fine with anything.

-Wayu

[yoshiblue]

Sounds fun. I'll work on it when i'm less sleepy.

[RenzokukenZ]

This seems like you're trying too hard.

I'm neutral either way, and fine with anything.

[Sord]

I'll actually fill this out. Though it's probably not going to be the type you guys are used to, or even may want to do. However it does serve a purpose.

Name: Don't know, I never care about names 'till way later. For now lets just call it "Survival," since that's what it's going to be about.
Universe: We could make our own, but we could just as well be crash landed on Ragol or any other planet.
General Location: See above.
Rough Time Frame: Ending could easily be set, as the "goal" of the characters is basically just to survive until they are found or find society. So you could make it 1 month or a whole year, I don't care.
RP Style: Mostly social, combat can be there, but should be mostly minimal.
RP Type: Limited open-world (the world is going to be open, but there are rules I'll list in the summary.)
RP Length:Ending could easily be set, as the "goal" of the characters is basically just to survive until they are found or find society. So you could make it 1 month or a whole year, I don't care. If it gets boring, it'll be the type you can end on the spot if everyone starts disliking it.
Summary: Alright, here's the deal. For whatever reason we/you decide, our characters are stuck in a survival situation. We don't have a lot of food, we are not hardcore grizzly survival vets or anything, we have limited resources when we get stranded (low on food, water, one or two weapons might be prevalent but not enough for the whole group) none of us are superstrong, superfast, or have 20+ years of martial arts/battle experience blah blah blah. You will be, in effect, a normal civilian. Specific details of what we have can be decided upon if the idea is even accepted.

Now here's the very special rule that limits things, while also kind of forcing you to write in a fan fiction style. When you want to use something as a resource, you cannot create it yourself. You can only use what's been described by other users. For example, you cannot just say "I pick up a sharp rock and tie it to a stick to form a spear." Someone first has to describe that there is even a rock bed existent in the first place, perhaps by a creek or something (keep in mind that would also create a creek, so now the next person can be the one to come up with the idea of spears, and/or do something with running water. You can do as much as you want, but only in the confines of what has been described by another user.) Even the stick itself may need to be described, if we aren't in a woodsy environment where sticks would be abundant (if we're stranded on a beach/island that mostly has palms, which don't really branch to have sticks, someone would have to describe driftwood branches on the beach, and someone could use that for their stick. The describer doesn't have to have their character specifically tell anyone, but it has to be somewhere in their description of the landscape.) You'll also need something to hold the rock to the stick. You are only allowed to describe things that are actually visible to your character. They cannot know things beyond their normal senses (for example, you wouldn't be able to tell when a forest ends and turns into a plain, and you can't describe that as a 3rd person narrator either, someone will have to actually go exploring to find that out.) Because of these rules, you are not allowed to have more than one character. I know some of you like to control more than one, but for the purpose of this RP, you cannot do that.

Keep in mind contacting one another outside the confines of the RP to preplan descriptions to get what resources you want is cheating. The point is that everyone actually pays attention to their environmental detail descriptions, so other players have the most to work with. Characters can also make things harder for everyone to survive if they so choose. For example, lets say you describe it as we're stuck near a large body of water (since it might be an ocean or a large lake, you can't see to the other side, but there are plenty of lakes big enough even here on Earth where that's the case, so it's totally plausible that it could be either.) The next person could taste it, and declare it freshwater (which would make things easier as we have something to drink) or salt water (which would make things much harder.) You could also describe the weather as being harsh (hot and dry) or we could be blessed with a cool rain (which would also be supplying us with a source of fresh water, unless we're in a very cold environment, in which case it'd suck because it would be to cold. Last I checked rain in 35 degree weather wasn't fun.)

Combat should primarily have to do with hunting or perhaps keeping a monster at bay that's trying to attack the group. However, you're supposed to be normal civilians (no exceptions) so your character cannot just walk in and slaughter 5 Boomas and say we're set for dinner. You could also fight amongst one another, but when you're dead, you're dead, and due to the nature of the RP, just adding in another person isn't going to fly. So I wouldn't encourage violent in-fighting. Though bickering and arguments and the like are totally encouraged, development in which characters start to hate one another's guts is still development.

So that's pretty much the idea. It's more of a writing exercise than anything, but in the confines of an RP play style.

One more note: if people start being inactive for so many days, but others still want to play, you could always have their character killed off from starvation/sickness/monster attack, etc. Depending on how they die, you might even be able to use them (take their clothes/tools and ditch the corpse; be a cannibal; use their bones for tools, whatever. Though I wouldn't keep rotting meat around to long as that leads to sickness, which could really fuck over a survival party.) Though obviously I'd PM that person on the matter before killing them off (or even let them kill themselves off, so they get to determine what's done with the corpse. If it gets dragged off by an animal, then you can't really use it, can you?)

The primary purpose of these rules is a writing exercise to make you better at detailing your surroundings. Rather than just "My character does/says X thing," you will have to write out the environment, how they alter it, and add things to the environment others may not have noticed (or go exploring and detail your find to the others, though for survival purposes it should usually be at least a group of two, plus because of the previous rule you would not be able to utilize anything new you see on the spot if it's just you.) It's no longer about just what your character is doing right that moment.

In retrospect, this kind of sounds like "Hatchet: The RP."

[Wayu]

^

If we do that my characters wouldn't fit in. x3

-Wayu

[Sayara]

Or maybe they can? Maybe let this be a way to tickle your writing capabilities to do something past the boring usual everyones accustomed to!

[Sord]

"Nothing ventured, nothing earned," maybe you'll actually get better at writing. Perhaps you could create a single, new character. That's not totally beyond your capabilities, is it?

[Sayara]

Truthfully, a social heavier or something like what Siyamak speaks of could be pretty fun for me to try. Haven't done an RP/group fic thingy since 2005!

[Wayu]

I prefer having no more than three characters at a time. Otherwise it's a pain to keep track of them. >.>

I'm fine with social heavy but probably not a Survivor-like thing for me.

-Wayu

[Griffin]

No need for me to roleplay! I'm a character in itself! I encourage those who are interested to do it, however. I enjoy a jolly good show!

[Broken_L_button]

I like Sord/Siyamak's idea a lot, but I sadly lack the time to regularly RP. Still, an RP devoid of Deux ex machinas, where people actually put a lot of thought into their surroundings and their actions' effects like this would be very welcome. And seeing the world of Phantasy Star from another perspective than the heroes' would be great. Imagine a group of civilians trying to fend off/avoid a group of Hideldears on the prowl, while having to deal with saving food/medicine and such resources (if they have them anyways) as much as possible and figuring out how to get to a safer place. An RP where everything is uncertain...It certainly sounds appealing.

Those are my two cents anyways.

[BIG OLAF]

I haven't done a serious text-based RP in about eight years (even though I said "five" a couple night ago, it's actually eight), so I'm kind of rusty. I think I'd struggle more than a little bit with a complicated idea like that. I need to start out slow again, because I really don't remember what I'm doing.

[Sord]

Not like you're supposed to be the greatest at it right off the bat. It's a writing exercise after all, the point of it is to make you better at something by challenging you outside the norm. When I go through most of your guys' RPs, it's straight up character dialogue and action, with (usually) an absolute minimum attention paid to surrounding detail. Basically just enough to get the characters by. This is fine within the confines of the users participating in RPs, but it would never fly in a million years in actual storytelling (well, outside children's picture books and comics I guess, but that has actual imagery.) The point of this is to get good at putting details in and describing your environment (hopefully without using the same word a million times as well. I love thesauruses, never write without one, and metaphors are good friends when not overused.)

Guess it depends on how hard you really want/are willing to write.

[Akaimizu]

True enough. Balancing more than 3 characters is really tough. I think the toughest aspect is when people, in an RP, decide to push the story along. Time Zones being a factor, you know. Previous RPs have been especially tough on Eastern time zone folks.

I'm going to be quite busy this weekend, but I'll eventually take the time to hopefully get a look at this by Monday to see what I can fill out. I have enough content creation to do, this weekend alone, and have time to do the social events that I'm already booked for.

I do have talents in characters and story-writing. Particularly on making fully-realized strong characters, so random interactions are easy for me. Reason why I used Tynselle, Mufonna, Jasmine, and the group of friends, in my last participation. They were far established, and were ready to react to anything "In character" and allow the different areas of their character development to show through.

[BIG OLAF]

Well, yes. I'm an extremely good writer; I have been all my life. But when it comes to putting things in detail whilst interacting with other people's details, thing can get confusing, and lost in an overload of information. Which is something that I'd rather not worry about.

I have a massive vocabulary, and am very good at story-telling. However, I get writer's block very often, and on top of that...I'm lazy.

[Griffin]

I'm lazy.

Well put! I am currently in the process of writing a young adult novel to be published. Slothfulness and procrastination both play a role!

[NeonaPulsar]

@ Siyamak: That is a good point you bring up Siya. We do seem to lack more background detail at times. I personally would like to get better at writing good stories. I'll keep what you said in mind when we start our next RP as i think i can get better. :D

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@ Akaimizu: Continuing on this self-revalation theme. I also like the idea of having fully realized characters, which i take to mean that your characters have all been thought out with their own historys and personalities. I hope to work on that too.

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@ Seth: I may not have an idea for an RP at the moment, but i'd be happy to RP in just about any setting. As Siyamak said: "It's a writing exercise after all, the point of it is to make you better at something by challenging you outside the norm." And i like the occational challenge as its like an adventure. (I'll keep thinking for RP ideas too)

[Seth Astra]

@Siyamak: I do kinda like that idea. However, it sounds like a bit of a pain in the ass, to be completely honest. Not to mention that pretty much everyone would have to make up some new characters, something that not all of us are good at (I can do it, but I have some terrible redundancies in the characters I have made, so I ain't great at it).

[Sayara]

Thats too bad.

[Seth Astra]

Just stating my thoughts on it. I do want everyone interested to be able to enjoy these RPs, not just some people (hence why I created this thread, since I don't want it to seem like any sort of exclusive group).

[NeonaPulsar]

ACK!! I just got a bunch of idea spilling into my head when i actually started thinking about this. I have to many for a formal format.

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RP Theme Ideas
- The worlds of Gurhal in a time when Ethan failed to save it (in PS Universe) and its over-run with SEED. We play as the new heros who start in ruin.

- A revive of our Western theme, but a new story and characters. Maybe set in Moatoob.

- A mission (or experiment) Gone wrong leaves Parum as a ticking bomb. Not sure how this one works as it just spilled in my head. Maybe somethings relesed that starts to distroy the planet?

- Characters from PSP2, Universe, ect. are thrown through a dimensional rift in a relic sight, sending them to the time of PSZ and dark falz return as mother trinity. This would be a play off our existing chracters and/or ones we played with in PSZ.

Ok, not as many as i thought, But i'll keep my mind open for any others.

[Akaimizu]

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@ Akaimizu: Continuing on this self-revalation theme. I also like the idea of having fully realized characters, which i take to mean that your characters have all been thought out with their own historys and personalities. I hope to work on that too.


Yep. That's what I mean. They came with histories, personalities, and even written past stories of what happened to them before events of any roleplay session they were in ever happened.

[FOkyasuta]

Back-stories do as a matter of fact help character development and writing technique. You gotta practice it to improve and not only that, Its a thing note worthy of a pastime.

[NeonaPulsar]

More ideas... or an idea

- A recent discovery from satalite over the skys of Neudaiz reveils a once forgoten temple believed to have been created by the ancients. Open for exploration.

[FOkyasuta]

Ideals (Just throwing them out there.)

~ The Traversing Tournament
(Think of a tournament that just so happened to pass by through several Systems to pick up some people as contestants. Allows for Cameos.)

~ Portalistc Problems
(A.K.A D. Rifts are popping up a Plenty and we gotta close them some how. Also allows for Cameo appearances.)

~The True Virtues of Virtualization

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtualization

(Getting trapped in a complex System to eradicate a virus, Only to find out we unleashed it?)

[yoshiblue]

I wanted to put out a RP based on PSU's 500year war but I just can make up my mind on what period of time let alone make one that isn't lame or dumb.

[NeonaPulsar]

As piror to a request, i'll flesh out this idea a bit more in Seths format.

- A mission (or experiment) Gone wrong leaves Parum as a ticking bomb. Not sure how this one works as it just spilled in my head. Maybe somethings relesed that starts to distroy the planet?

---

Name: ???
Universe: Gurhal
General Location: Parum
Rough Time Frame: Present time (Lets say, a few years after the events of PSP2)
RP Style: A combination of everything works. If players knows more about the look and feel of parum, they can help set the seens. The creator may move them forward if needed but its mainly to see where it goes after a problem is discovered.
RP Type: Balanced
RP Length: I don't see how a limit is set. A RP gose how ever far it is taken.
Summary: (I'll get back to this later, as i have nothing but the idea above)

[Seth Astra]

Gonna take this one over with Neona's permission.

Name: I'll figure this out some other day.
Universe: Gurhal
General Location: Parum
Rough Time Frame: Somewhere in the year between the end of PSP2 and the epilogue.
RP Style: Somwhere between open world and overarching plot. Everyone will know their objective and will move towards it as they choose.
RP Type: Primarily Combat... Well, actually primarily action. Really should have called it that from the start.
RP Length: Long
Summary: Although the Illuminus have been thought destroyed for some time now, fragments of their organization, combined with smaller, less powerful organizations with similar missions, have banded together to form a group calling themselves the New Illuminus. This group has set up a thourough offensive on a Parum city (if anyone knows any cities on Parum, please list a few, I haven't played PSU, so I wouldn't know any). After bombing the city from above, a group of foot soldiers took control of what remained. They have set up a series of EMP devices that prevents the AMF and the Guardians from making any large scale offensives. Lastly, a large bomb has been set up to destroy the city. The Guardians and AMF have each sent in a few skilled operatives, while the Parum senate has sent out a call for all available mercenaries to help as well. The objectives are to disarm the bomb and to disable the EMP barrier. By doing this a large scale offensive will be possible.

From our perspective, first, we'll have to devide our characters into squads, primarily based on allegiance. Our characters will then work their ways towards their objectives, some of them meeting up along the way.


At this rate, I'll just make the poll with what RP ideas that have been properly put together.

[NeonaPulsar]

^ Nice one seth.