Reference The RPF Summer Blockbuster Event (now playing)

Absolutely essential from my point of view to ensure a good character mix. You don't get Penelope Pureblood signing on for a voyage where she knows she's going to get shot at. However, she will hop on board if she's going to go see her Lilac Lovely, her best friend from college, during some well earned time off. That's the only thing that worries me about a specific kind of merc job--unless you get really well differentiated characters, it becomes too much of the same. That's not to say it can't be done, but the GMs would have to really well regulate character sheets to make sure people were different enough.

This isn't to say that it has to be totally clueless people. That could work, but I think you need a couple drivers of the story initially until everyone can get their character on the train. But this doesn't actually have to take place in motion. Think about a bunch of people trapped in a room waiting to be called for jury duty. You're just as likely to have the Special Forces guy who did three tours in Afghanistan as you are to have the office paperpusher.

And now I'm beginning to think of this zombie board game that totally lampoons the different types of characters you find in zombie apocalypse movies. Not trying to suggest a zombie game here--just saying I'm thinking about a zombie board game I really, really wish I could play right now.

 

Just going to throw out some random ideas bouncing around my head. Feel free to grab and improve upon any of them.

Resource-rich (aurodium? Gold rush?) Outer Rim (in the Periphery? Solacton?) world under Imperial (or other) occupation/in the middle of (informal?) conflict between multiple native (or offworld, or offworld-supported) factions. Borrowing a bit from Jabiim, though I'm picturing rockier and sunnier, with less mud and rain (maybe a bit like Malta, with a touch of a Mediterranean feel). Possibly a bit of a vacation spot.

Blockade runner full of professional rebels, smugglers, mercenaries, medical workers, and others sympathetic to one of the factions headed to the planet carrying a shipload of aid. Alternatively, passenger vessel/freighter smuggling cargo to a rebel faction, unknown to the passengers. Or even a bit of both, if the conflict is lower-key (vaguely Basque influence, perhaps). Official reports indicating the rebels are less powerful than in truth, allowing for visitors to still come with peaceful expectations?

Shot down/crash landing? Ship disabled during descent? Landed at port, but caught smuggling and detained? Crew and passengers can't leave, forced to join forces with each other and the faction whether they planned to or not. Story begins in the middle of crash landing, or during escape attempt while being arrested? For passenger ship, maybe on approach to planet?

 

Sounds good although . . . it sounds like a one GM gig for a limited number of players, I´d say. Question with all scenarios is, will it reach the players?

I had an idea. If it´s too late to change directions, just say so. But here it is.

---

The Planet Oberon - The Hundred Years of Darkness

The Sith and their beasts have come to Oberon. Monsters are hunting down villagers all over the little agri-cultural planet. In panic the people flee towards the only fortified city of XYZ where the Republic promises to evacuate everybody. Players can be refugees, Jedi or soldiers who try and help or probably even vile Sith Beastmasters hunting down civilians with their monstrous creations. Once they reach the city after a breathless hunt, they realize the evacuation needs more time. But the Sith approach the city. The characters volunteer to help the Republic buy some time and finally face the enemy - no longer running - in the big climatic battle. Which could see boys becoming heroes, sacrifice and probably a classical duel between the BIG BAD and some heroic Jedi character.

Just an idea. But I thought I´d like to see that as a movie. So it would make sense for a "blockbuster". Different groups of refugees could have different GMs. A central bad guy would help people to feel like a group. And we have the always favourite Jedi vs Sith. With a twist, as this era still had rudimentary technologies. so they use Swords, bowcasters etc. The Sith use monsters in this era, being some kind of mad scientists.

As I said. Just an idea.

 

Reach in what way, exactly?

 

I meant recruit them. If many players would like to join. I understand that is one of the main challenges for games and OPs around here . . . if I am wrong ignore the thought.

And about my choices of words: Sorry, sometimes my head still uses german words and just translates them into English. Resulting in Denglissh nonsense.

 

No problem (never too late to change format, by the way: if everyone decides they want a Mon Calamari cooking contest comedy, we could do that too). Also, I'd say a somewhat limited (to a degree) number of players is something of a necessity with this format. The more players you have, and the further apart they are, the more difficult it becomes to keep them all perfectly synchronized in time and stage of the plot. By setting it up so that everyone is mostly around the same area at the same time, it prevents certain difficulties suffered by larger, longer-running games from arising. Keeping the number from rising too high also allows us to replace somebody if they vanish suddenly, so the game doesn't stall halfway through.

 

Holy crap, that would be awesome. Imagine, if you will, an organized cooking competition a lá Iron Chef with Admiral Ackbar as the announcer. "Today's secret ingredient is...

...

... LOBSTAH!"

"IT'S A TRAP!"

 

!

Anyway, I love this concept! No ideas from me yet, but keep goin'.

 

Well, I don´t wanna ruin the fun of this. But do you think that works? I mean both of you story-inventers: Isn´t it the whole idea of the game I do not know I will get to prison and then break out of it. Isn´t it the whole point of the story I do not know I ever reach the evac-zone or if the Republic is still there, waiting?

Right now you two have doomed me to post at least for a whole week with knowledge of the planned outcome. Where is the fun in that? If this game is meant to thrill people, you should probably do it like Hollywood and keep major plotpoints an absolute secret, until the thing is out!

Otherwise I am fascinated by the idea and the sudden return of the "short-form" after such a long absence. Go for it!

-Fin-

 

If this works, I'm going to be obligated to realize that sentence in another game, aren't I?

The "planned outcome" thing isn't quite as detailed as I think you're imagining: it's meant to be nothing more than a vague outline of the ending for people to work toward. Win or lose, success or die, all of that is left undecided. Think of it as more working within a framework: you have a general idea of what you're working toward, but when you actually get there, it could go a dozen different ways, or turn into something entirely unplanned if the conditions are suitable. It exists primarily so there's common goal for all the players to work toward and feel a sense of progress. Say it's pitched in-game that your end goal is to depose the planetary governor: this is a game, so it's a fair assumption that the endgame will have something to do with that. Beyond that, however, the specifics are completely left up to the players. It's not nearly so formal or detailed as someone spoiling the plot in advance: just a tool to help ensure the game sees completion.

 

Or they are forced to put down far away from the delivery point, and decide that they won't leave without delivering the cargo.

And then, naturally, the cargo isn't at all what they thought it was.

A game like this could take place whenever, but parallel to the Battle of Naboo might be fun.

 

Naturally. And about a hundred other variations and possibilities that could happen that I won't bring up. Got to have at least a few tricks in reserve.

 

I'll admit to being a fan of, like, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead style stories.

 

I like short-form RPGs in general so I'm glad you're doing that. I enjoy the "marketing" of games that we do here, and you certainly got my attention with the thread title and opening post, so good job there.

But I'm not a big fan of community-driven planning threads. Recently I re-read the tragically optimistic "Flagship Planning Thread". There are a lot of lessons that can be taken from that, but here's the main thing I took from it: RPGs need a dictator.

 

A fair point, but I think ambition and scale was more of an issue, there. Trying to resolve too many variables all at the same time, and forcing mass appeal.

Also, I'll try and put together and basic opening post or two later for some of these concepts, see how it looks.

 

What do you mean we need a dictator? We already have TLI.



I quite like the blocade runners idea (in whichever shape or form) - a smallish group, a set goal, shenanigans ensue. Could be quite a lot of fun.

 

Just a little something I put together for the first concept I came up with (moved the timeline to right after the Stark Hyperspace War, making it easier to create characters with military experience, but who aren't necessarily involved in that line of work). Very basic at the moment, but it seems like as good a place as any to start (I'll start work on developing similar summaries for some of the other ideas and variants in a bit). Do feel free to comment, criticize, theorize, suggest, and so forth.

 

How is it that ORO's reprisals were brutal if they couldn't find the rebels?

 

Knew I should've clarified that: that was meant to be against the miners who didn't rebel, in hopes of turning up an informant or lead.

 

May be a bit late to the party, but I have always envisioned a Saving Private Ryan type of game. Could be set in any battle or time period, and the person being saved doesn't need to be the last surviving son of a family...could be an ambassador, Jedi, anything really.

Just sounds kinda fun.

Anyway, intersting thread so far. Will be interested to see what comes of it.

 

Never late: also, intriguing concept. Might be fun to set up the rescue of a Jedi, with the rescue team consisting entirely of non-Jedi.

 

It would be very fun to play, I would be down for playing some elite unit on a special mission. The person could be a Jedi with special information which would eventually lead to the end of what ever war or battle we are dealing with, or what ever.

On a related note to both comments.

Why not adapt a Dune concept for Star Wars and see if it get more interest? It wouldn't be that hard to modify the plot.

Instead of Arrakis, Fremen and Spice you have Thyferra, Vratix and Bacta. Granted Bacta has some different properties than Spice and is a bit different in the role that it plays within the SW universe...but it also is a large enough factor in SW medicine that it could be a huge game changer in the galaxy.

Imagine some future time where a faction was able to take control of Thyferra (either an internal or external faction), and control the flow of Bacta.

Considering the dependence that the SW galaxy has on Bacta, and what could happen if it was withheld...it would be interesting to play a game based on completely on Thyferra and revolving around the coltrol of Bacta.

Also....I love the NSWRPF...but couldn't we just merge them at this point? Neither are really busy and it wouldn't be all that confusing. Just a thought.

PS: In reply to Boba's urban fantasy/sci fi thing....Shadowrun! Nice mix of fantasy and scifi, interesting background and a lot of opportunity for stories.

 

While working on a more detailed summary for SirakRomar's concept, I hit upon a curious idea. Meet the A3AA personal defense module. Note the effect it has on blasters. Now, since that appears to be gas-based, it might be interesting to have a planet where such an effect occurs naturally. Slugthrowers and vibroblades would be a necessity, and it wouldn't necessarily have to occur in an earlier era to achieve the same effect with more primitive weaponry. Throw in a Jedi who can't use a lightsaber for the same reasons, and you might just have the closest you'll ever get to a Star Wars sword and sorcery adventure.

 

To throw in the proverbial two cents, the sample post would give me some interesting options for characters and definitely has potential there, so I think that's at least a good starting point.

For rescuing someone behind enemy lines in the Saving Private Ryan idea, that's got potential too, but I'd see a much smaller character mix unless it's a group of vigilantes or townspeople who hear about this downed person and have a collective need to rescue him. Maybe someone would pay highly for this being to be returned to them, like a Hutt crime lord, while other people want the being to complete his or her mission. The college student with crushing debt might go hunting for the being so he can start his life. The downtrodden woman wants a chance at justice through the completion of the being's mission. Just throwing ideas out there to illustrate examples.